“Yamato” is one of the more poetic names for Japan, similar
to “Eire” for Ireland, while “Nadeshiko” is the name of a wildflower (Dianthus
superbus) native to not only Japan, but also parts of Europe. The kanji for the
term, 大和撫子, translate into
English as “caressable child” or “wide-eyed barley”. (Not sure how flattering
the barley term is!)
In anime
and more, a properly portrayed yamato nadeshiko will have a subtle touch of
iron, unwilling to let circumstances hurt the ones she cares about or distract her
from her goals or missions. A poorly done yamato nadeshiko will often appear as what tvtropes.org refers to as an “Extreme Doormat”, or a character who is “silent
and submissive without the inner strength of a true yamato nadeshiko”.
Historically,
most nadeshiko were noble women with traditional upbringings, and as many came
from samurai clans they had some martial skills, typically trained at least in the
use of the naginata (a polearm with a slightly curved blade at the end), if not more.
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| Konoka Konoe from Mahou Sensei Negima! |
I found
it interesting to go through the examples on the TV Tropes page, and though I
didn’t know many of them I certainly agreed with the ones I recognized! Of
interest to most people I know would be the mention of the concept in Mulan: “Men want
girls with good taste, calm, obedient, who work fast-paced. With good breeding
and a tiny waist.” Mulan herself has some of the characteristics of a yamato
nadeshiko, possessing the looks and the devotion to her parents, and her core
of steel is shown in taking her father’s place in going to war not for glory or
any reason but to spare her father’s life and the family honor.
From the
anime section I had to smile at the mention of Belldandy from Ah! My Goddess,
Hinata from Naruto, Tomoe from Rurouni Kenshin, Konoka from Mahou Sensei Negima!,
and several other manga/anime characters; in the literature section I was overjoyed
to see a mention of the Protector of the Small series by Tamora Pierce, in
which the Yamani women (the Fantasy counterpart culture for Japan) are known
for their politeness, stoicism, and carrying weapons that look like decorations
(such as war fans, called “shukusen” in the books).
Interesting to read in comparison to the concept of yamato nadeshiko is the concept of the "Proper Lady". Mainly retaining a Victorian British mindset, the Proper Lady is gentle yet strong, incorruptible and intelligent, witty and well-mannered, and typically upper class. Examples would be Disney's Snow White, Margaret (Meg) from Little Women, Penelope (Odysseus' wife) from The Odyssey, and Pygmalion/My Fair Lady, which is all about how one becomes a true lady.
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