A Tale of Fate and Fortune: Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

In this article, we will delve into Min Jin Lee’s compelling novel “Pachinko”, not only to  appreciate its literary richness, but also to use it as a lens to explore the historical conflicts between Japan and Korea, and their lasting effects on contemporary society. 

The novel follows four generations of the same family, navigating an unfamiliar environment, glorifying their stories, resilience and determination, aiming to break the chain of heartbreaking and gruesome fate.

The enticing possibility of success and the lure of slot machines in a Pachinko parlor persistently draw in customers, who dedicate endless time and energy to the unlikely prospect of winning. The end frustration of having one’s best efforts wasted insignificantly symbolizes the struggles of Koreans living in Japan during its colonial imperialism in Korea (1910-1945), and their fate of not having been able to change their “predestined” situations, in spite of how hard they tried.

Pachinko delves into the cultural contempt of Japanese society toward Zainichi (a Japanese term referring to Koreans residing in Japan), transforming their daily lives into significant events and indispensable pieces of history, shedding light on the unfortunate events of Japanese institutional exploitation and the hardships that many Koreans have endured.

“History has failed us, but no matter.”

The opening line serves as a statement, not just for the characters of the novel, but for the entire community of Koreans living in Japan, acknowledging the injustice and historical failure experienced at the time; but in spite of these hardships, it depicts the Koreans’ will and determination to persevere. It acts as an introduction to the novel’s central themes of adaptation and resilience, foreshadowing the broader context and challenges the characters will be facing.

Set during Japan’s colonial imperialism in Korea, the story begins in Yeongdo, Busan, with the son of a poor fisherman, Hoonie, who found it hard to establish a family, as he was born crippled. He is introduced to Yangjin, a poor, uneducated girl, who he marries. Hoonie dies early of tuberculosis and their only surviving daughter, Sunja, is to help her mother with household chores and managing their boardinghouse.

One day, Sunja is harassed in the street by a group of Japanese students. Koh Hansu, a businessman involved in the fish trade, comes to her aid, this incident setting off their acquaintance, and eventual romance. Sunja becomes pregnant and falls into disrepute. During those times, conceiving a child outside of marriage was considered shameful according to Korean customs, thus both Sunja and Yangjin became very concerned with their future.

“a man must learn to forgive—to know what is important, that to live without forgiveness was a kind of death with breathing and movement.”

Baek Isan, a North Korean coming from a wealthy family, who has studied theology and is on his way to Osaka to live with his brother and become a pastor, suddenly comes down with tuberculosis and has to rest at Yangjin’s boarding house for several months. He decides to marry Sunja and save her from dishonor, seeing as he believed one could get mercy by recognizing one’s sin and seeking forgiveness.

The two start their journey by moving to Osaka, in the same apartment as Isak’s brother, Yoseb, a factory foreman, and his wife, Kyunghee. Isak starts working as a pastor of the Osaka Korean Church and he gets into trouble with the Japanese authorities due to issues with the worship of Japanese shrines. He refuses to become a traitor to his faith and spends the rest of his life in prison, being released shortly before his death.

Being estranged from their motherland, many Zainichi lived in places that were “fit for only pigs”. Neither country had shown any effort to protect them. They became stranded in an unfamiliar environment, where they were exposed to systematic exclusion and discrimination, hence they were bound to feel like they didn’t belong anywhere. As such, despite the presence or absence of a faith, they looked for comfort in churches, which served as immigrant communities. The pastor was in charge of counseling, healing and maintaining this safe place for Zainichi. As the leader of this community, granted that he was found to be in violation of worshipping the Japanese emperor, this sanctuary would disperse and many Koreans would lose another connection with their home.

Countless Zainichi had no stability in their lives and nowhere to settle. They were foreign to the language and customs and became wanderers in Japanese land. They succeeded in enduring all of these hardships by holding close to one another and maintaining their identities. This was a key factor in overcoming the issue of alienation.

“A good man is a decent life, and a bad man is a cursed life—but no matter what, always expect suffering, and just keep working hard. No one will take care of a poor woman—just ourselves.”

With Isak being in prison, the household has to sustain itself solely on Yoseb’s modest salary, which causes difficulties, especially with two young children that have to be taken care of: Noa (Sunja and Hansu’s son) and Mozasu (Sunja and Isak’s son). Therefore, Sunja takes the matter into her own hands and starts selling kimchi (traditional Korean dish) in the open market. This small business allows her to support her family and attain a certain level of economic independence, something unusual for women at the time. Her entrepreneurial spirit showcases her resilience in the face of societal expectations and her determination to provide for her family.

Later in the story, both Sunja and Kyunghee are offered to work at a local restaurant. Yoseb objects to the idea of the two women working, although they were in desperate need of a new source of income, due to his traditional and conservative values. He is worried that this would downgrade the reputation and honor of the family, as working in a restaurant was seen as inappropriate and a low-status occupation, especially for two young women.

Yoseb feels a strong sense of duty, as head of the family, to be the one to care and provide for his family. In the society at that time, there were well-defined gender roles, women being expected to focus on household chores. Therefore, his objections are a reflection of the societal expectations and norms at the time, rooted in the values and traditional gender roles of the era. Sunja’s continuous desire to contribute to the household’s income represents the larger societal shift of women becoming more and more autonomous and self-sufficient.

The story, while being fictional, is a mouthpiece for the realities of contemporary Japan. While the country has made strides towards gender equality, traditional gender roles still influence many aspects of society. Women are often expected to take on the roles of caregivers and housewives. With the challenging and inflexible Japanese work culture, it becomes difficult for women to balance career and family responsibilities, thus adding pressure and expectations on men to be the primary providers for the household. Women are underrepresented in leadership positions, the percentage of female executives in companies listed in Japan’s prime market being just around 11.4%, as of 2022.  The glass ceiling - a term describing barriers to professional advancement, particularly impacting women and minorities - still remains a significant obstacle to women obtaining high-ranking jobs. 

“Living everyday in the presence of those who refuse to acknowledge your humanity takes great courage.”

The discrimination faced by Zainichi during this period in Japan is addressed throughout the novel, and one such event that emphasizes the extent to which it was applied is when a Korean student commits suicide because of bullying.

Before throwing blame at the Japanese students at the time, the internalized oppression of Japanese society that led to such horrendous events should be analyzed. At the time, a false view of history that the Japanese were superior to Koreans perpetuated this prejudice of Zainichi. During its colonial rule of Korea, Japan’s administration promoted the idea of Japanese superiority, which they used to justify their domination. The Japanese authorities implemented policies aimed at integrating Koreans into Japanese society by forcing them to adopt Japanese names, culture and customs. Their intention was to erase Korean culture and identity, and ultimately to establish Japanese superiority.

Bullying remains a significant issue in both Japan and South Korea, and there is a growing awareness of the issue, efforts being made in order to address and prevent it. Japanese society places a strong emphasis on group cohesion and conformity, which can lead to peer pressure and a strong desire to fit in. While conformity can create a sense of unity, it can also lead to an environment where individuality and differences are not always embraced. Japan’s history of social hierarchies has laid the groundwork for an environment where bullying is used as a way to enforce social norms and maintain hierarchy. South Korea has one of the biggest internet penetration rates in the world, making it particularly vulnerable to cyberbullying. It is known for its highly competitive educational system, therefore the pressure to succeed academically can lead to bullying, as students compete for limited spots at prestigious universities and spend around 16 hours a day in an academic setting. 

Cultural, social and historical factors persist as influential factors in the manifestation of bullying in the two countries. The nature of bullying has evolved, especially with the proliferation of social media and digital communication. In both countries, the pressure of excelling academically and conforming to social norms has played a role in shaping the dynamics of bullying. Nevertheless, there is an increasing awareness and recognition of this issue in contemporary society.

” A foolish mother and a criminal father. I am cursed.”

Noa and Mozasu, Sunja’s two sons, although born and raised in the same household, had two very contrasting personalities: Noa sought to assimilate into Japanese society and suppress his Korean heritage, while Mozasu embraced his Korean identity.

Noa struggles with his identity and grapples with the inner conflict of being Korean-Japanese throughout the novel. He is determined to climb up the social ladder and be accepted as a true Japanese. His ambition and desire to be accepted drive him to pursue academic excellence, change his name and aim for a successful career.

Being accepted into Waseda University, a renowned educational institution in Japan, Koh Hansu provides financial support for Noa’s academic ambitions. When Noa discovers the underlying motive of Hansu’s help (his identity as Noa’s biological father), his connection to his family and his ties to organized crime, he is faced with a profound sense of betrayal. Japan’s cultural emphasis on unity and harmony acts as a deterrent towards being associated with someone involved in illegal activities, thus accentuating Noa’s resistance and struggle with this newly discovered information. 

This revelation forces Noa to confront his Korean heritage, which makes him realize that he cannot escape his identity nor achieve complete acceptance in Japanese society. He abandons his education and cuts off his relationship with his family. He is left in a state of emotional turmoil and despair, which ultimately leads to his tragic end, when he commits suicide.

Throughout the novel, Noa faces discrimination and prejudice due to being Zainichi. The weight of these hardships, as well as his moral dilemma about being associated with Hansu, who was involved in illegal activities, take a severe toll on his emotional well-being and contribute to his tragic decision.

Noa’s suicide serves as a social commentary on the impact of alienation, societal exclusion, discrimination and the quest for acceptance. It represents the loss of a promising young life: someone who had the potential for academic success, but the circumstances and discrimination he faced denied him the opportunity to fulfill his potential, and it highlights the consequences of societal biases on those who are marginalized.

“There was more to being something than just blood.”

Unlike his brother, Mozasu is at peace with his Korean heritage. He accepts his identity and does not attempt to erase it the way that Noa did.  From a young age, he understands that it is unlikely for him to be integrated into Japanese society no matter how hard he tries, thus he chooses a job that would not influence his survival: working in the pachinko business.

The pachinko business refers to a kind of gambling: one is supposed to spin the pachinko beads and hope that they will arrive at the pins, so as to win money. People spend a substantial amount of time and money expecting the beads to reach the pins, which rarely happens because the pachinko operator already has a pin arrangement meant to prevent them from reaching the pins.

©Carl Wegman

No matter how hard a customer tries, the reward will never correspond with the effort put in. The pachinko business symbolizes Zainichi’s struggle to assimilate themselves into Japanese society. In spite of how hard they tried, they were not able to change the stigma and stereotype of being viewed as “inferior”. They were faced with prejudice and segregation. The policies imposed by the Japanese colonial government led to widespread discrimination and inhumane treatment of Zainichi, having a long-lasting impact on the community. This included stigmatization, forced assimilation, social marginalization and educational and employment discrimination. Practices aimed at erasing Korean culture were encouraged, such as closing Korean language schools and discouraging cultural expression. The legacy of historical mistreatment continues to influence the perception of Koreans in Japan today, highlighting the importance of acknowledging and understanding this history.

Every year, the Yasukuni Shrine, dedicated to commemorating those who died in service to Japan, sparks up controversies. Among the names listed, there are approximately 1,000 convicted war criminals. The leaders of Japan send offerings annually during the shrine’s autumn festival, creating tensions with the neighboring countries, which are protesting the unapologetic approach Japan has taken towards addressing its conduct during World War II and the lack of remorse shown for wartime atrocities.

On October 18, 2023, South Korea’s foreign ministry expressed its disappointment and regret over the fact that Japan’s leaders continue to pay respect to a monument that enshrines war criminals and glorifies Japan’s war aggression, after the Japanese prime minister, Fumio Kishida, paid his respects to the Yasukuni Shrine by sending a ritual offering.

"The (South Korean) government strongly urges the leaders of Japan to squarely face history, and demonstrate through action their humble reflection and sincere remorse for Japan’s past history and thus to contribute to the future-oriented development of Korea-Japan relations."

South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said in a statement on the 18th of October 2023

South Korea’s repeated calls for Japan to apologize and reflect on its actions during its colonial imperialism of the Korean Peninsula and the Second World War indicate the unresolved issues between the two countries. These calls for an apology are not only a matter of historical justice, but also have significant implications for diplomatic relations and moving past historical grievances.

“It is hopeless. I cannot change his fate. He is Korean.”

Mozasu’s son, Solomon, studies abroad in the United States and returns to work in the financial world of Japan. He starts working for a foreign exchange company, surrounded by foreigners with considerable freedom. After accomplishing an important project, he is fired without a specific reason. In the end, no matter how smart Solomon was, and regardless of his studies, talent and sincerity, he could never climb up the social ladder as long as he had the Korean label following him. Just like with a pachinko machine, there were predetermined factors that impeded his success. Solomon does not return to the United States, but to his father’s pachinko business and does not expand his vision beyond Japan.

Pachinko carries out the weighty task of informing the world about the hardships faced by Zainichi, transforming the superficial knowledge of their experiences into indispensable pieces of history. The ultimate goal of the novel is to break the chain of fate of being held back by mistreatment and inequalities and to understand outsiders in modern culture.

The characters navigate the intricate web of identity, confronting the historical, cultural, and social forces that shape their lives. Their experiences are marked by the tension between their Korean heritage and the reality of living in Japan, as well as the desire to break free from the constraints of discrimination and social expectations.

Ultimately, "Pachinko" is a testament to the enduring human spirit and the capacity for individuals to shape their identities, even in the face of adversity. It is a moving exploration of the complexities of identity, the impact of history, and the power of human connection, making it a remarkable and thought-provoking work that resonates with readers on a profound level.

Bibliography

Pachinko - Min Jin Lee

A Critical Analysis on the Novel Pachinko from the Perspective of

Coaching Psychology - Jong-ok Seok & Jun-ki Chung

Controversies surrounding Yasukuni Shrine

Japan ministers visit war shrine as South Korea calls for end to historical tensions

No glory for bullies: South Korea's school violence epidemic