Stigma, Shame, and Transcendence in Japanese Cinema

[摘要] Sweet Bean, Directed and written by Naomi Kawase, adapted from the novel Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa. Released in Japan May 30, 2015.37 Seconds. Directed and written by Hikari. Released in the United States January 31, 2020.disabilitystigmaJapanese cinema“Don't tell me what I can't do!”—the battle cry of those pinched by the perception of disability, a social-legal construct. Previous reviews of films from France1 and the United States2 have focused on overcoming disability and adapting to differentness. In two award-winning films, set in contemporary Japan, we see the stigma of physical disease and how the affected individuals transcend it. While they are neither forensic nor psychiatric, the sensitive treatments of the characters provide guidance on the bread-and-butter work we do: explaining individuals' adaptations for use in civil and criminal settings.

[学科分类] 儿科学

[关键词] disability;stigma;Japanese cinema