I had the opportunity to attend the ASIA101: Stories and Secrets to Keep Spirits Away event on November 22 at 3 pm. The discomfort I felt going into the event was me simply not really believing in ghosts or horrors at all. I still went into the event with an open mind, understanding that this is a culture different from mine and is a moment where I can listen, learn, and understand something new to me. The 2 speakers discussed Chinese and Japanese horror. This included stories, cultural relations, and literature. First I learned how the YinYang Theory involves the Realm of the Alive and the Realm of the Dead. There are spirits like Water Ghosts that can basically take your place for a chance at redemption. There is also a ritual called the Waking Corpsus that prevents the soul from leaving the body. I learned that in Japanese culture there is Uramesh- Ya, a ghost meaning “you reap what you sow.” Even though the song sounded creepy, Kagome – Kagome is a game that one of the speakers loved playing as a child. This made me realize how one culture may interpret or see something one way, but it may mean something to another culture in an entirely different way. I think understanding this is important to avoid stereotypes and presumptions, as this is often done almost unconsciously by so many people. Finally, I learned that Chinese horror literature has more moral lessons, contemporary influences, and tales from the YinYang worldview, while Japanese horror literature has more intense emotions, social/entertainment influences, and specific narratives with settings based on real events. I am glad that I was able to learn about a piece of a culture so different from my own.
