Maintaining Masculinities in Japan’s Transnational Surfscapes: Space, Place, and Gender

Abstract

This article examines the local practices, histories, and transnational circulation and exchange of gender ideologies within Japanese surfscapes. A focus on gender in relation to Japanese surf culture is critical as the ways surf spaces in Japan are governed and/or have changed in recent years has as much to do with transnational gender surf ideologies as with its domestic gender norms. More specifically, we examine how gendered ideologies in Japan are mobilised in particular ways depending on the conditions of possibility-the cultural, social, geographical, historical, and networked elements-that comprise any given surfscape. To draw attention to the complexities involved in the relationship between space, place and gender in Japan the enquiry is undertaken in a highly localised, territorial, and big-wave surf site in Wakayama Prefecture and surrounding Kansai region. This site has been chosen because of how it localises a unique mode of trans-Pacific surf culture, thereby offering insight into the nuances, issues and strategies of social change as surfing continues to evolve in the region. The aim of the analysis is two-fold. The first is contextual, highlighting the importance of the culturally and site specific character of how surf culture and gender relations are assembled in the Japanese context. The second is to offer insight into the specific histories and transnational relationships informing the gendered practices of surfing in Japan today. The intention is to highlight the diversity of surf cultures throughout East Asia and the different ways surfing lifestyles are localised in relation to socio-political-ecological placemaking and gender.

Fake Meets Soul: Division Among Hawai‘i’s Japanese Surfers

“…Surfing has been a male-dominated sport since its explosion in global popularity in the 1950s and 1960s (Brennan, 2016; Doering & Evers, 2019; Mizuno, 2002; Olive, 2019; Vlachos, 2008). Many surfers fall back to stereotypical assumption of the aggressive nature of the sport and the “fighting” one must do for each wave, both to drive off others trying to catch the wave and the effort required to conquer an awesome natural force, that makes it a male-dominated endeavor.…”

“…The frustrating irony to Dai, Atsumasa, and other male surfers’ assessment of Japanese women as the primary culprits driving perceptions of being a fake surfer is that it ignores the numerous men engaged in the same practices while also dismissing the accomplishments of women surfers like Hiromi and Tsutomi. In giving greater credence to men, a “privileging of surfing masculinities continues” that serves to “marginalize, devalue, and trivialize women’s experiences and their accomplishments despite their increased participation and visibility across the world” (Doering & Evers, 2019, p. 389). As others have noted, Japan has a long history of significant female participation in surfing (Doering, 2018; Moore, 2011).…”

“…A majority of Japanese surfers, due to general financial privilege and their typically transitory standing in Hawai‘i, are viewed as “fake” surfers who undermine widely held views of surfing’s cultural significance. In contrast, Japanese “soul” surfers eager to maintain their standing within the aggressively hierarchical world of divided surf communities, seek to limit their associations with those they regard as fake, or if necessary educate them to preserve their own standing within the community (Doering & Evers, 2019, p. 400; Kampion, 2003, p. 114). In articulating these divisions of community around a revered and culturally weighty pursuit, I show the often hidden complexity governing surfing and its associated communities across some of the sport’s most hallowed breaks and beaches.…”

“… 2. Oka-sāfa, literally “land surfer” as Oka is rendered with the character 陸, or land, was described as a “fake surfer” by my interlocutors (Doering & Evers, 2019, p. 390). It is an important but somewhat dated term in the contemporary.…”

Working for a Sustainable Surfing Community: Becoming a Local Surfer at a New Home Destination

“…As surfing is gradually becoming part of a global lifestyle and tourism phenomenon, a growing body of literature has explored aspects of surfing culture at a range of global surf destinations [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. However, except notable recent writings [16][17][18], there is little research on surfing cultures across East Asian countries, in particular, South Korea.…”