@ Music Database Archive
Historically, ke-tō was used by the Japanese to describe foreigners. The "hairy" prefix was not necessarily a commentary on facial hair, but rather a way to distinguish "barbarians" or outsiders from the perceived "civilized" norms of the Japanese court, which heavily modeled itself after the Tang Dynasty. Evolution of the Term
By the 19th century, the term began to be applied more frequently to Europeans and Americans. In this context, it referred to the perceived physical differences of Caucasians (who often had more body hair than East Asians) and their status as the "new" foreigners who were displacing China's traditional role as the primary "other". hairy chinese
In contemporary scholarship, the term is studied to understand how ethnic identities and stereotypes are constructed. For instance, in literature, authors like Haruki Murakami have been analyzed through the lens of how they navigate these traditional Japanese views of the "hairy" foreign world versus the "domestic" self. Historically, ke-tō was used by the Japanese to
As Japan's contact with the West increased, especially during the Meiji Restoration, the application of the term shifted: In this context, it referred to the perceived
While initially a descriptive or administrative category for outsiders, it gradually evolved into a derogatory slur used to emphasize the "otherness" or "uncivilized" nature of foreigners. Cultural Significance Today