Contemporary Cultural Representations of Japans Education-Credential Society and the Affect of Disgust

Abstract

In this article, I examine and critically assess representations of Japans neoliberal-era education-credential society (gakureki shakai) in popular culture. First, I explore the manga Dragon Zakura (Doragon zakura, 2003-2007), in which a non educator is entrusted to revive a financially ailing private high school by creating a specialized class preparing students to qualify for the University of Tokyo. This story reflects the reality of Japanese society in the 2000s, characterized by a decreasing student-age population—pushing private schools into financial crisis and leading to decline in student performance—and employment instability under neoliberalism. Second, I examine the novel based on true events Because Shes Brainless (Kanojo wa atama ga warui kara, 2018), exploring its depiction of how university students deviation score (hensachi) continues to impact their lives even after becoming university students, and its legitimization of meritocracy. Through these analyses, I show how the signifier known as the University of Tokyo is being consumed in Japan as a buffer against, and palliative for, the exhaustion of living in a society constantly demanding the proof of ones abilities through unlimited competition. Finally, I explore some recent critically acclaimed novels portraying the lives of women inhabiting a world where neither education credentials nor deviation scores have any significance. In criticizing the heritability of education credentials, these works evince not only a division in representations of Japans education-credential society but also deep inequality irresolvable through the expansion of educational opportunities alone. This suggests the need to approach the issue of education-credential inequality by confronting the human vulnerability that persists beyond the reach of increased educational opportunities.