Question

What does "shikata ga nai" mena? How does it affect the Japanese Americans response to the internment?

Answer 1

"Shikata ga nai" means "it cannot be helped" or it is sometimes used to mean "nothing can be done about it."

Explanation:

This Japanese phrase has been used in history to mean that the Japanese people had to hold their own in the case of a injustice or tragedy. A lot of western authors and philosophers have used this phrase in the past.

It was used after the nuclear bombing of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the latter years of WWII. As in the terms of the interment camps, the Japanese way of looking at it was "life must go on." There was anger in the Japanese American community but most of them suppressed their anger, according to the Japanese value of "Gaman." The whole value of Shikata ga nai is that you might be going through hardships, but never give in. Or another way to put it is to never give up your dignity and honor. These principles were really important to Japanese then and to some of the current Japanese population, it's important today.