Is it bad to wear a full set of Samurai Armour to a Japanese Cultural Festival?

32 comments

1. Depends on what the Japanese think.
   If you wore a full suit of amour here in Britain, no one would care.
   But it may be different culturally for the Japanese.
   I’m interested to find out.

2. There’s a YouTuber that crawls through Japanese forums looking for memes, strange stories, and whatever else. He did a dive on Gwen Stefani back when she said “my god! I’m Japanese” in an interview (context is worth looking up) and all of western twitter starting calling her out for cultural appropriation.

   Apparently most of the online Japanese social media just thought it was weird, but interestingly enough they also thought it was weird that people were being so harsh on her and calling it cultural appropriation.

   If that’s anything to go by, they will probably just think you are a weirdo, but even if they do get mad they likely will be too Japanese to tell you that

3. No.

4. Not cool to wear it as a costume. Kimono or other traditional formalwear would be more appropriate in a cultural festival

5. I’m not Japanese but I’ve had this conversation with a Japanese recently, triggered by someone hating on The Ghost of Tsushima for hiring a non-Japanese artist to play Japanese music for the game. We both felt like the whole idea of getting offended by foreigners wearing your national costume (or playing your national musical instrument) is mostly American, while people from other backgrounds not exposed to American culture haven’t usually even heard of cultural appropriation and are mostly confused by it.

   So, I’d say go for it if what you’re worried about is offending the Japanese. Or don’t, if you’re mostly worried about potential backlash from other people at the festival held (presumably) in the US.

6. Might depend a bit on the festival. There is a full suit samurai armour parade in the shingen matsuri in yamanashi, where it would fit right in, but I think it’s be pretty cool and appreciated anywhere.

7. I’ll put it this way. If you want to wear the outfit, to honor Japanese culture, then yes go ahead. Culture is to be shared. If you start drawing katana swords and make stereotypical Japanese fighting sounds, then that may/will be considered mocking, which is not nice, and/or even racist. Under no circumstance would you be appropriating Japanese culture. I have Japanese running through my blood, and can say from my own point of view, that the concept of cultural appropriation is STUPID. Does 99% of the world wear jeans? Likely. Does that mean that the world is appropriating American culture? The whole concept is absurd. Again, it’s what you do when wearing said garments, that can be interpreted as racist.

8. Japanese people DGAF, they think it’s cool to share their culture abroad.

9. I don’t think it’d be an issue. After all, cultural appropriation is primarily a social construct that’s tossed around by Americans. More often than not, foreign countries would be delighted if you were representing/celebrating their culture. I’m pretty sure I saw a video once where someone asked a bunch of Japanese folks if they’d find it weird if foreigners wore Kimono’s, and they all said they’d love to see it, and think that it’s great they’re embracing their culture.

10. Ask Japanese diaspora people who live in your country / area.

    Every time the cultural appropriation question gets asked people always start talking about what the opinions of the nationals would be on the issue, when they don’t even live in the country in question. They’re on the other side of the planet. Most of them don’t care at all. Go find your locals

11. No Japanese person I’ve ever met has ever given a flying fuck about “cultural appropriation”, that’s a concept only very recently invented in the west totally alien to Japanese people.

    Shit, Japanese civilization isn’t shy about appropriating Chinese or Western culture when it suits them (this is one of their greatest strengths as a people/culture), so if anything, Japanese culture is ruthlessly pro “cultural appropriation.” In their eyes appropriating someone else’s culture is a signal that you *appreciate* that element of their culture and it’s seen as good.

    The biggest risk you run is looking like a dork or an idiot westerner/non-Japanese person taking offense 🙄

12. Cultural appropriation doesn’t exist in Japan. However, no one wears samurai armor to festivals. They’ll think you’re a big nerd, but they won’t be offended. And on the off chance there’s someone who’s both into samurai armor and outgoing enough to approach foreigners, they might even come up and talk to you.

13. The thing about Cultural Appropriation is personal gain – this includes both cash and likes. You’re allowed to appreciate and get involved in other people’s cultures if that’s authentic and sincere and true to you. There’s also an element of exploitation involved. What is not cool – for example – is slaughtering native Americans and driving them off traditional lands… then wearing a feathered headdress to Coachella for the Gram. That’s pretty messed up.

    That having been said, follow the locals. If Japanese are wearing kimonos to this Japanese event in Japan, then feel free to wear a kimono. I feel doubtful that they would be walking around in a full suit of Samurai armour, but it’s certainly possible – if it was appropriate to the event – that Japanese people would get a kick out of it.

14. Cultural appropriation is an issue when a marginalized group has their culture or history used for profit or a joke. Japanese people in Japan are not marginalized and most will undoubtedly be delighted if your friend takes the care to do it right.

    If he did it in the US, there are kids who’s been called some racist shit that will see it as another person mocking their heritage, but also still plenty who’ll think it’s cool.

    It is possible he could attract some bitching from nationalists, but they deserve it.

    So he should go for it, do it with respect, learn some appropriate lingo, and make sure he knows what festival he’s going to. some might be in honor of temples with strong pacifist roots and that could be rude.

15. This stuff means a lot more in an Asian diaspora context than in a Japanese one. Japanese people aren’t too worried about it since they don’t really have any reason to feel insecure about people trying to “steal” their culture from them.

    But also a samurai outfit is more like a costume anyway. It’s not like Japanese people are going around dressed like samurai.

16. I went on a tour through Japan recently with a very large tour provider, very switched on host and definitely catering to an audience that probably sounds like your friend.

    One of the (optional) activities was renting a Kimono from a professional Kimono hire place. The tour guide addressed this up front and told us that Japanese didn’t think like that, and try to think of it like “it’s not cultural appropriation, it’s cultural appreciation”.

    I chose to wore the Kimono and there were lots of school kids running up to our group and asking for pictures. The Kimono hire place was full of signs in english. There were plenty of other western people wearing the Kimonos at the castle we walked around in Kyoto. I think like someone else said, don’t be an obvious dick in your behaviour and you’re good.

17. It’s wearing an old timey cowboy costume to the Texas state fair. It’s not cultural appropriation but it’s a slightly unusual thing to do.

18. Not racist, just weird. Big neckbeard vibes.

19. Why are Westerners so worried about cultural appropriation? It looks like they’re just having internal squabbles. I’m Japanese, but I believe it’s their freedom to choose whatever attire they want. Feel free to wear a kimono or put on Samurai armor, whatever you like.

20. No. It is a Japanese culture festival. It is absolutely appropriate. Should they ban sushi too?

    It’s like wearing a flamenco or matador outfit to a Spanish culture festival.

21. that is epic you can totally do that just be respectful

22. No, have fun.

23. The Japanese don’t have a thing with “cultural appropriation” like most western countries do (or at least the US and I guess Spain). They would enjoy seeing you in whatever period costume you had.

24. Nah dude, this has come up a bunch of times but the answer is always the same. The only ones that make a fuss about cultural appropiation are the americans, basically the rest of the world doesn’t care. And if anything, they’d feel flattered someone appreciates their culture so much they even wear traditional clothes and stuff.

25. Tbh, I’m not a person who’s opinion matters in this subject, but if I saw this I would just think it’s funny

26. What kind of Cultural festival are you even talking about? And what will you be doing while in armor? Will you be sporting swords as well?

    The context is too broad to give you a proper answer. Hopefully by narrowing it down, we can make it easier.

27. Cultural appropriation is a western invention born from our hugely mixed ethnic and cultural diversity (specifically across Europe, and north and South America). Japan is an extremely homogeneous society, both ethnically and culturally. Cultural appropriation isn’t something most Japanese are even aware of.

    Edit: just to be clear, by “invention” I’m not saying it isn’t real or non authentic. It is. I’m just saying it was literally invented/created in the West.

28. Yeah, I’m sure the samurai caste of years gone by will be very upset by a concept they don’t even know…jfc

29. Seeing lots of comments about what people think Japanese people in Japan would think, but when I hear “Japanese Cultural Festival” I think of a festival outside of Japan. People love to dismiss how diaspora Japanese feel by citing Japanese people in Japan, but I think our opinions would be more relevant in this kind of situation. If OP is talking about a festival in Japan though, it would be different.

    Personally, I don’t think it would be offensive, but if I saw it I would think it was weird and would probably side eye like wtf lol But that’s about it.

30. I wear Kimono or yukata to those fests. Love seeing the look on their faces when I’m in full formal tea ceremony kimono. I was taught by several OG Japanese (pre war) and their descendants how to wear traditionally. The reactions range from bowing, smiles, pictures, jaw-drop “SUGOI!!!”, and questions.

31. Why not? Sounds cool to me.

32. Wear whatever you’d like!