what in Japanese Culture U dont like?

Talk about the culture and entertainment from Nihon.
rahula
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what in Japanese Culture U dont like?

Post by rahula » Jan 20th, '06, 19:20

I've just seen saiyuuki 'st episode... I thought it was soo weirdo... I mean, I know it's a very traditional folklore's history but... even so I think I just could'nt get used to that movements... and costumes... even it's from China (isnt it? ) ... Takura Kimuya fighting in the very firs episode.. his movements were so... weird ... weird almost bizarre >_<

I'm posting it here actually for opening a discussion about western d-addicted, alias, everything-japanese-addicted, people that still can't get used to thinks like... that >_<

For talking about it... I also hate clowns... omg, I hat´em! And I saw a japanese pierot... :cussing:


What in the japanese culture You really.... hated even after getting used to - please note that I'm not talking about fresh contacts but instead the already used to generally speaking japanese culture. That's because I AM used to son goku legend influence in Japan but still... dindt like it in a culture problematic way maybe...

cya,
rahula
Last edited by rahula on Jan 21st, '06, 19:29, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by yt_toshi » Jan 21st, '06, 19:09

Please change your subject title because of the following things:

1. You're going to make a mod move your post over to the Saiyuuki discussion thread.
2. "Jap" is an offensive term that most people here in the forum don't like to use when talking about anything Japanese.

rahula
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Post by rahula » Jan 21st, '06, 19:35

Oh god I had forgotten!!! lol it's so... childish, isn't it? I mean... for You having a better idea, here in Brazil we call Japanese buddies like "japa" or even "jappi" or "jap" and You have no idea how it's "cute", it's like calling a really intimate friend or most of the times a kid! So I've just forgotten that in english it turned out like this! really gomen ne ^__~ I was used to call my japanese friends like this.. but for most of the people in this forum a common sense sounds just like You said... sorry again, already changed the title...

that's why no one ansewered me? =D

cya

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Post by mt877 » Jan 21st, '06, 19:52

I hate not being able to figure out how the cute Japanese (girl) store clerks wrap packages and only use one piece of tape.
I watch spell bound whenever I see them wrapping. They are fast and very neat. Oh, how I wish I could go visit Japan again.
I know the big department stores must have special training for this. I'd like to learn to wrap my presents like that too.

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Yo

Post by Bruno » Jan 21st, '06, 19:57

Opa, sou brazileiro tb(':cheers:')
cheers

kra eu nem vi saiyuki ainda, é ruim assim?(':crazy:')
Crazy

o ator q vc citou naum é o Takuya kimura, do beautiful life, hero, engine, né?
é otro ator né?(':unsure:')
Unsure

me fala ai de saiyuki, pq meu sub ta fazendo, e eu nem sei c presta.

Ah, boas noticias pra vc

começamos um fansub, eu e uns amigos

#jdrama irc.irchighway.net

Projetos atuais: Itoshi Kimi E, Love Generation, Saiyuki, Unfair, Nobuta Wa Produce
e gokusen e long vacation c o sars e o japan-tv liberarem as srt pra nóis XD

Até msm, c vc quizer entra pra staff, como tradutor, será mmmmmmmmto bem vindo
pq doramas bons para serem subados é oq naum falta(':D')
Big Smile

Ja ne o/

(respondendo ao topico, eu axo idiota nos "japa", o fato deles c matarem por kk coisa,(':pale:')
pale
e tb pq eles são mto frios, até msm em familia. Isso com os japa brasileiro é diferente, mas os japa original XD, são assim msm.)

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Post by Romance » Jan 21st, '06, 20:12

rahula wrote:Oh god I had forgotten!!! lol it's so... childish, isn't it? I mean... for You having a better idea, here in Brazil we call Japanese buddies like "japa" or even "jappi" or "jap" and You have no idea how it's "cute", it's like calling a really intimate friend or most of the times a kid! So I've just forgotten that in english it turned out like this! really gomen ne ^__~ I was used to call my japanese friends like this.. but for most of the people in this forum a common sense sounds just like You said... sorry again, already changed the title...

that's why no one ansewered me? =D

cya
Whatever you say there many japanese people take heavy offence by being called "jap", just as you would call black people niggers.

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Post by godmode » Jan 21st, '06, 20:24

the whole quasi-pedophilia thing disturbs me
also the submissive women.

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Post by Jon Snow » Jan 21st, '06, 20:45

I hate their stuborness about continuing whale hunting
I hate the government attitude with the incident of the history books and chinese people
I hate how the government lick bush's a**

there's a lot a things I also hate but I can't stop love this country...well I guess nothing is perfect :s

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Post by groink » Jan 21st, '06, 20:59

For me, I totally hate the entire geinoukai system.

geinoukai = Japanese entertainment culture, which include the artistes (geinoujin), the television and movie companies, and the talent agencies.

I don't understand why the talent agencies have a stronghold on talent. Looking at the geinoukai as a whole, there's just too many hands in the cookie jar, where the money is spread out too thin IMHO. I think the artistes should be a lot more independant, and actually make the talent agencies be the employees of the artistes, instead of the reverse. I believe this is why the artistes aren't getting the money they really deserve... The talent agencies get the money, and the artistes get paid like employees of the agency. I've been a fan of Japanese entertainment for over 30 years, and I still don't understand why things are run this way today. The geinoukai, to me, is run almost like a syndicate of sorts.

One other thing I don't like is how much marketing plays into the Japanese economy. People should buy products and services based solely on the fact that their choice is truly the best quality and price. What I've been seeing these past few years is the influence of marketing made by the geinoujin, such as cell phones and other electronics. I mean, why buy X-brand of jeans just because Brad Pitt endorsed them?

Other than that, I'm fine with the culture.

--- groink

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Post by rdoll » Jan 21st, '06, 22:52

One Word - Kabuki.

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Post by naoto » Jan 22nd, '06, 04:30

Oh this, my friend day and night keeps saying how he hates samurai, everything about them, suicide, he just snaps when samurai is brought up.

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Post by sadotsu » Jan 22nd, '06, 04:42

Jon Snow wrote: I hate their stuborness about continuing whale hunting
I hate the government attitude with the incident of the history books and chinese people
I hate how the government lick bush's a**
Agree.
Also... I don't know if this is a part of "culture", but I find all the weird sexual practices quite revolting. Also, a lot of Japanese guys are kind of perverted, when it comes to reading hentai manga and stuff like that.

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Post by expo1970 » Jan 22nd, '06, 04:56

i don't think it's right to blindly hate japanese attitudes towards whaling and japanese history textbooks/attitude towards chinese.

whaling is a very complicated issue, and considering that japan does not excessively whale, japan very much has a right to try to protect its own culture. to tell the japanese to stop whaling is like trying to tell the US to stop killing cows. considering japanese ate more whales than beef before WWII, it's a very legitimate comparison.

japanese history textbooks are ONLY considered skewed by the chinese and koreans who have even more skewed textbooks. if you actually read western articles written about japanese textbooks, it'll always be careful about it and say, the 'chinese claim' or the 'koreans claim.' looking extensively through the textbooks in question, they don't state anything incorrect and they don't leave out anything that middle school children should know about. and besides, textbooks are written by private companies, not the government, unlike in korea or in china. and out of over 10 different distributors of textbooks, only one of them has been under fire. to say that japanese textbooks are incorrect or whitewash is a big oversimplication of what japan is being accused of.

that aside, i also agree on the lolita complex that's prevalent in japanese media. also related to that, the fact that newscasters are chosen based on appearance before intelligence. there are lots of problems with japanese media.

the biggest problem with japanese culture is the vagueness and wishy-washiness. japanese people are fine when they're amongst themselves, but when they try to communicate with other people, they are too polite, never voice their true opinions, aren't very persuasive or argumentative, and generally bad speakers. japanese people can nevery say 'no' also, which caused sooo many problems.

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Post by GhstDreamer » Jan 22nd, '06, 05:48

expo1970 wrote: whaling is a very complicated issue, and considering that japan does not excessively whale, japan very much has a right to try to protect its own culture. to tell the japanese to stop whaling is like trying to tell the US to stop killing cows. considering japanese ate more whales than beef before WWII, it's a very legitimate comparison.
Commercial whaling is not the same as "killing cows" - one is a dosmeticated animal and the other isn't (especially considering one is relatively close to being endangered). Since hundreds of whales are caught per year, I would consider it excessive. At what point would you consider it to be excessive? When there are only 50 of them left? Anyways, whaling used to be a necessary part of their culture - protein, oil lamps, etc. but I don't think a lot of Japanese people are using oil lamps anymore. Whale meat is used in some Japanese cuisine but that doesn't necessarily make it right - for example, to kill a tiger for traditional herbal medicine doesn't make it right (maybe part of traditional Asian culture but it's still not right).

Anyways this thread isn't about whaling...I just didn't think that it was a legitimate comparison.

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Post by Eria » Jan 22nd, '06, 08:10

This should be moved to the Life and Relationship Section.

i don't think there's anything "entertaining" in this thread unless you've seen a whale/japanese textbook movie/drama lately. and if this is related to the "japanese entertainment", the title still reads ethnocentrism to me, so as the content.

kindly change it or move it.

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Post by naoto » Jan 22nd, '06, 20:32

expo1970 wrote:i don't think it's right to blindly hate japanese attitudes towards whaling and japanese history textbooks/attitude towards chinese.

japanese history textbooks are ONLY considered skewed by the chinese and koreans who have even more skewed textbooks. if you actually read western articles written about japanese textbooks, it'll always be careful about it and say, the 'chinese claim' or the 'koreans claim.' looking extensively through the textbooks in question, they don't state anything incorrect and they don't leave out anything that middle school children should know about. and besides, textbooks are written by private companies, not the government, unlike in korea or in china. and out of over 10 different distributors of textbooks, only one of them has been under fire. to say that japanese textbooks are incorrect or whitewash is a big oversimplication of what japan is being accused of.
are you mad? The japanese textbooks do not even mention those atrocities in detail, and try to water it down so it doesn't sound like they were "that" bad (which is sort of understandable.. well not really, but nobody from a country usually goes on about what they didn't do right). I already took courses on japanese atrocities and asian history, one good example was a video of a western reporter who went around tokyo asking random students on the street what they thought about certain events in the past. Many of them didn't even know it actually happened, or said "they never went into it in detail at school". Of course korean and chinese textbooks are more skewed, the japanese tried to exterminate them in nanking. What do you want them to say? They tortured, decapitated, raped, it wasn't a war over disagreements. They tried to exterminate chinese people, and part of raping the women was mix japanese into them. Interviews with former soldiers in the past who did these things, watching them describe in detail what they did, the japanese don't see any of this. Only the rest of the world does. Japanese history textbooks are considered unacceptable by everyone BUT the japanese. By the people because they don't know much about it, by the government because they don't want them to know about it. Forget textbooks written by the "government" of korea or china, what about the international reporters who were in nanking, who wrote about and photographed what the japanese did. Is that fair enough, unbiased for you? I don't hate japanese people, I try not to hold history against anyone. But you can't say certain things excluded from japanese textbooks are "claims" by only chinese and koreans, and they were the only ones to write about happened, so of course it's biased compared to japanese versions, etc. Stop reading google news articles that are 2 paragraphs long, "koreans claim japanese are not teaching their children what happenedl". You can find lots of information by british, american, and other european scholars. If the japanese wanted an unbiased version of their own story (scratches head), they can certainly find it.

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Post by greyhorse » Jan 22nd, '06, 21:56

I dunno groink,

Marketing plays a big part of selling anything, and that'll always be the case. While it would be great if we could judge all of the merits of any product we buy, before we buy it, that's just not possible with the majority of the products out there. Take beer for example. It's not like you can try out all the different kinds of beer at the store before buying one, so companies have to do something to get you to either choose one, or try something new. If that means getting Harrison Ford and Nakayama Miho to promote Kirin beer, or Honjou Manai to promote Suntory's Malts, so be it. I doubt the average Japanese customer is so dependant on image that they'll keep[i/] buying a particular product if it doesn't work for them. While I used to drink Kirin's Ichiban Shibori, mostly because that's what I saw all around me, once I tried Malts I never went back. And this is regardless of the steady stream of quality CMs pumped out by Kirin, compared to Suntory's only occasionally good CMs.

Now if you're saying why use geinoujin in the first place, I can only reply by saying it's because it works. It's not just the Japanese who form images of people we see on TV or in Movies, it's anyone in the world. The way a person looks, or acts, what they wear, it all forms an impression on us, and it's the same with actors/sctresses. You're a master of job interviews yourself, so you know this already, but I mention it anyway. The Japanese might be fairly aggressive in using geinoujin, but they're masters of advertising too. They won't just throw any old geinoujin at an ad, but they'll carefully choose the person who best matches the image they want their product to project. This is no different from choosing the people who appear in ads made in any other country, of course, but more effective because the high-profile nature of geinoujin.

Is usuing geinoujin in ads a problem? Like I said earlier, I doubt most people would continue buying a product if it didn't work for them, so other than the relatively short amount of time they're forced to use a particular product that may be sub-optimal, the impact of a particular product on their lives should be minimal. I mean while a certain bar of soap may be stickier feeling than another bar of soap, you're still cleaner than if you hadn't used either product right?* The major problem might be a company that makes a new product worthy of attention, but can't scrounge up the necessary millions of dollars to produce a good advertisement. This problem exists regardless of whether geinoujin were used in an advertisement anyhow, because there are so many other costs involved in getting an ad put in a magazine or on TV.

Now getting to your example of using Brad Pitt to promote Edwin jeans. That's a bit of a sore point for me because I have exclusively worn Edwin jeans, specifically their E-function line, for the past 6 years or so. While it's true that I might never have picked up a set of a Edwins in the store if I hadn't seen the ads, these happen to be an awesome set of jeans. The look (very clean but not uptight), the feel (soft and so very light), the function (bent knees so you can outrun a bus in busy Tokyo, and now also a built-in cell pocket), I love everything about these things. And really, if you open up a copy of Vogue magazine, selling clothes is all about image, and who endorses what product is a big thing in any country, you gotta admit that.

I am a Japanese commercial addict, so maybe I'm biased, but I have no problem with the whole geinoujin thing in advertisement. Commercials are often a good way of getting our attention, but in the end when you're in the store and about to choose between product A or B, the ad or commerical only plays a part in what we choose. We have friends to tell us about a product, store clerks to give us advice, and most of us are sensible enough to know how much we can afford to spend. I prefer to think of commercials as a form of entertainment, and in this respect they can really be magic. Have you seen the Canon Ixy commercials with Esumi Makiko? Oh the style, the beauty and graceful poise. Or the Ma Cherie commercials with Kurosawa Yuu and Takahashi Mariko? So heart achingly cute and soft. And then there's commercials that make us laugh. Those earlier AU commericials for example. I don't know how many times I've re-watched some of those and still got a laugh. Or that Suntory Dakara series with those animated statues. Just hilarious. So while I sometimes have doubts about the effectiveness of certain ads, like having Charlize Theron in Honda's 'Life' CM with that idiotic catch-phrase, I think using geinoujin in advertisement is fine. Keep up the entertainment I say.

*Wierd chemical residues aside anyway, but that's probably an issue with most soaps out there to begin with.

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Post by Aprisea » Jan 22nd, '06, 22:35

I don't like how woman are treated there. I mean society tells them to married and have a family , only work even you are married. Live only for family and depen on men. I know it's not all he people but I have many penpal girls around 25 and family are looking a husban for hers

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Post by rahula » Jan 24th, '06, 22:46

this thing about geinoukai... sometimes I think it really would be explained (not justified at all! ) for the way things started.. I mean, it's one of the many models that japanese people were starting to "learn" and "adopt" from the western commercial culture in order to "adapt" it to modern Japan industry as general. I mean, they don't actually "lose" a japanese-way of doing things but the boundaries are just too strong. I got nisei friends that worked in car industries and it was "so japanese" the way he described discpline awares at the whole enviroment... but when it comes to entertaning... gosh, I don't know... it shouldnt be money the top-priority coz they got lost in the middle...

Another topic on it is really related to that beauty thing mentioned before... there's something I always say about brazilian television just like it would be proper to apply the statement for japan: it's incredible as television got only beautiful women. I mean.. it's great, but.. there isn't a single ugly really talented girl in a communication course in the universities? Same for guys... I don't know, I'm not fit to say anything about japanese standard sense of "beautiful" but here in Brazil there are really a lot of not-so-skilled actors and actress that become famous coz they were already "made" from the very begining coz that face will surely sell a lot in the future!

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Post by Bamyi » Jan 24th, '06, 23:22

I'm fairly new to the Asain scene even though I'm Asian myself. I must admit that the Japanese culture is really jumping out at me. So far I like almost everything about Japan. It could be that I don't know enough to dislike anything. I really enjoy watching the Japanese culture and being around them. Everyone's mentality is so carefree and youthful. I would like to meet more Japanese people but I have no idea where they hang out around here.

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Post by Category9 » Jan 24th, '06, 23:40

I dont like how Japan remains the only developed country with no laws whatsoever against racial discrimination. Kinda kills my dream of going there...

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Post by Bamyi » Jan 25th, '06, 00:34

Category9 wrote:I dont like how Japan remains the only developed country with no laws whatsoever against racial discrimination. Kinda kills my dream of going there...
Is there even racial discrimination there? Seems like a pretty care free place to me. And why would you let something as trival as this keep you from going there? Every country has its problems.

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Post by aoi_hana » Jan 25th, '06, 01:03

I think the whaling issue is definitely important to discuss, but it seems to me that the problem lies with the crossection between modern times and holding on to traditional culture. I don't think that traditions should just be abandoned, but regulation is in order definitely. I definitely think that whaling is pretty bad, but this is coming from an outsider's opinion to a traditional part of Japanese culture.

As for a lot of the other stuff that was said; I think too much of that is generalizations based on drama or possibly knowing one or two people. I don't feel it's right to say that 'I hate Japanese culture because they're too quiet/subservient etc etc' because I know plenty of people who don't fall into those categories. Maybe I would say that I hate the media portrayal of people as X thing. But that's true of any society. Just like the text book issue. Every country tries to hide things that they've done in the past.

Just my two cents...

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Post by Toritorisan » Jan 25th, '06, 07:08

I lived in Japan and consider it my second home actually cause I always go back to visit. I actually love Japan and it's culture. But like any society, I had a couple of pet peeves.

When I lived in Japan, one thing that bothered me is how unconsiderate people can be (yes believe it or not!) I think when you are visiting Japan as a tourist or meeting with Japanese poeple that you know, people are very nice and polite. However, when you are in the train station or in crowds, people push and shove. I'm Japanese - American so I blend in Japan like a native. How many times did people cut in front of me in lines, steal my taxi cabs, and slammed the door in my face (usually you would hold the door open if you know someone is behind you, right???) I just didn't understand how people can be polite within their circles, but sometimes lacked common courtesy in public. :scratch:

Also, never understood their mentality about crowds. I mean, I always was amazed about how they can squish into the trains and in elevators. :blink Why not wait for the next one instead of squishing in? I remember when I lived there, there was this big story about how people got crushed to death when too many people stood on one bridge to watch a fireworks show. I mean, if it is that crowded, wouldn't you leave or not even attempt to go on the bridge? I guess that since Japan is such a condensed area, that maybe people are just used to crowds and these things...

One thing I found more funny and ironic, than a pet peeve. But I always thought it was funny when old ladies (not really old ones, but ones like in their 50's or so) would make people give up theirr seat on the train, but somehow manage to sprint to the elevators before the door closes. I used to see this alot. :P

Other than that I love Japan and it's actually one of my favorite places to visit! :P

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Post by rahula » Jan 25th, '06, 12:09

that's the big division: people who got to Japan and people who loves it from tv only... that makes me feel really afraid...

A lot of people here are really addicted to Japan's culture just like me... but never went there just like me. Then you start learning the language e consuming dramas and all but... 90% of me "being" in Japan was through entertainment: television - dramas and anime. So... sometimes I get really awkward 'cause we all know how such a world of fantasy the television one can be.

Of cooourse I know people just don't go doing things like in dramas where a story got to happen, eh? And I thank a lot about all the comments I can read in forums like this, the feeling of "real" I got from another people's experiences being there. But, anyways.... it chills me out still...

I am going to Japan... just waiting my graduation, what means one or two years more. And how reality will come to me... and well, I'm kind of afraid... I got the feeling of being used too much for something I never really got in the first place... -_-"

Of course that happens with anyone who is going abroad, but hey it's toooo many japanese things in my head, god! Every single day some aspects of japanese culture takes on my day... Dramas episodes, manga reading or language studying... it's not so common anymore.

... I think when I meet the first really bad person in Japan... I'll get shocked even if yes, I know they are people just like me or you in the North Pole. That's the odd... I know this but I also know it will happen! I am conscious of this "innocent" way of thinkinbg about'em but I can't help it a lot...

maybe too much "kawaiiiiii" phrases made me a brainwash. And those really cute obentou... gosh =D

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Post by veritati » Jan 25th, '06, 20:36

I think this thread should be for people who have lived in Japan for a significant amount of time or at least visited Japan before. Even visiting doesn't give you a real sense of what everyday living is like so you can't just make a statement that it's like this or that from only a brief experience. I have been to Japan and my wife is Japanese, and the thing that I feel disturbed about is how Japanese people have become very impersonal towards each other. Like the person said above, Japanese people are nice to people they know but don't care about the business or well-being of others. For instance, you will rarely, if ever, see a good Samaritan in Japan. For those who are not familiar with the term or concept, it's helping out total strangers when you see they really need help. Japanese people usually go about their own business.

I think the way Japanese people approach their businesses/jobs - and their culture for the most part - contributed to this carefree attitude. Somehow, Japanese people feel they need to rush or dash to/in everything. I guess that's why they feel they don't have time for others/strangers. At night, in Japan, you can see many drunk people passing out on the streets (women, especially) but passerby don't even care to look at them. Japanese people feel that their society is safe enough that people can pass out without worrying about getting robbed or rape. The first time I saw it, I was so worried. They might not get robbed or raped, but what if they catch pneumonia or something? But everyone just walked right by without looking. Even my wife told me just to ignore such thing if I see it. And I did ignore, because how many people do you have to help since there are so many - like how many panhandlers will you give money to in NYC? I used to give money to panhandlers when I first came to NYC, but now I just ignore them (Half of them are professional panhandlers and they make more than me).

What I say above may only apply to the Tokyo area, since I haven't been to other cities in Japan yet. But from my personal experience, it bothers me that there is a lack of "human bonding" in Japan. My wife grew up in Tokyo, but now her family has moved to the suburbs or surrounding area. In the countryside, people are very friendly to strangers and they may come to say hello or even come into your house, and my wife hates it. She said we don't know you so why are you intruding into our lives like that. My wife prefers to interact only with people she knows. I told her that there is nothing wrong with it, but she still doesn't understand that people can be friendly towards strangers.

To naoto, did you live in Japan or have you gone to school in Japan? It's true that Japanese schools don't explain the details, but they do teach you "real" history. A funny thing about that: my wife learned about Vietnamese boat people in school and she though it was people paddling canoes like in crewing. I guess she never bother to ask what it really means or her teachers didn't explain it well. ALL Japanese people know of the atrocities that occurred throughout, not only theirs, other histories around the world as well. Japanese people do feel sorry and they have apologized. Now they want to move on. I think it is countries like Korea and China that wants to remain bitter and not move on. It was a totally different generation and society back then, so you can't hate people today for what people of the past did. You have to move on, even if people don't say sorry or give a darn about you. You can't ruin your life and future because of others.

Life is short and everyone dies, so why can't we enjoy it while we live?

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Post by Prince of Moles » Jan 26th, '06, 05:18

There are lots of things that annoy me, but one thing that always gets on my nerves on a daily basis is the fact that people in Japan smoke a lot. (I'm slightly allergic.)

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Post by cow » Jan 26th, '06, 13:13

jp's groping culture --> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-p ... 548380.stm
how come jp r so sexually deprived? honestly! veritati probably knows this pretty well tat there r troops of high sch gals waiting around the shibuya station r actually prositutes- waiting for middle-aged men to pay them for sex so tat they can have $ to pay for the $$ designer clothes

also these shops selling high sch gal's underwear (worn, unworn, lace, not lace, w stain, w/o stain, various degrees of stain, different types of stain, fresh, not fresh....) and god knows what other "you name it, we have it" items to satisify the hungry perverts each w specialised fetish

it'd be even better if the item belongs to blonde gaijin. very sought after i've been told

conveniently they also have vending machines for underwear just in case u have a sudden urge at 3 am

and this reminds me of how slutty & casual the jp culture is. almost all the jp gals i know including my 2 jp best friends have casual sex, multiple sexual partners, sleep w a man who "they feel sorry for" ........................... plus they wld go out & chase after their targets even if their targets r not available.

another thing tat i completely disapprove of is how they'll try every effort to protect their own natural environment, yet go out and chop down the trees from the malaysian, indonesian & brazilian virgin forests to meet their own domestic or watever demands
Aprisea wrote:I don't like how woman are treated there. Live only for family and depen on men.
its not as bad now in today's jp... but this trend is still very prevalent in korea sadly :( gals go to very good uni, and parents wld pay their kids alot of $$ for plastic surgeries for a better marriage. very very sad.

this article isnt exactly related to this but still interesting
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-p ... 296877.stm
naoto wrote: Japanese history textbooks are considered unacceptable by everyone BUT the japanese. By the people because they don't know much about it, by the government because they don't want them to know about it.
veritati wrote: ALL Japanese people know of the atrocities that occurred throughout, not only theirs,
i think is the fact that the not many Jp ordinary ppl bother go out and pursue the truth out that is a prob? mb they have also been confused by the debate too? afterall the extreme right-winged group r quite political powerful & influential (and sometimes violent, like the "neo-nazi" in germany now) these days.

the Jp gov has always been silently encouraged their citizens not to pursue the truth (til very recently the Jp Emperor asked his ppl to "better understand their history" on his recent 72th bday speech), thus allowing the controversial textbook to be published is also wrong from my pt of view

thanks to this silent encouragement, ppl like ishihara shintaro, the mayor of Tokyo can exist!! he'd have lost his political ladder forever, and long been used sued by his outrageoues, irresponsible speeches if he was in the US or UK!! (read here --> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4678209.stm)

taken from wikipedia-
"In October 2004, the Japanese manga comic book "Kuni ga Moeru" or "The Country is Burning" by Hiroshi Motomiya was suspended from the manga anthology Weekly Shonen Jump because it "depicted the Nanking Atrocities as 'real.'" Certain Japanese politicians and civilians wanted the manga censored or removed because they claimed that the incident never occurred and there was no proof of it. "Kuni ga Moeru" is a historical fiction about a Japanese bureaucrat during the Showa Era (1926-1989). The controversy arose when the author copied a photograph from the time, emphasizing the Japanese uniforms on the soldiers. these politicians claim the photo's authenticity cannot be verified and thus incited cries that the author distorted the history. Additionally, nationalist comics denying the occurence of this and other Japanese war crimes have been published in Japan and are enjoying a large readership"


it is natural tat every country wld glorify their past history. take British history as an eg. yes every brits know that the british empire used to conquer (almost) half of the world... india had finally united or some african countries became more properous.. as for the french they'd say thanks to their colonial rule many african countries had become more "civilised" blah blah blah... but at the same time, they wld not forget to mention the fact that it was also the brits who divided Pakistan from India, hence contributing the ever-lasting tension between the 2 til now;it was the french dominant ("elitist") culture who made many people from the franophone countries to have abandoned their native countries & language, and fled to france for a "better" life. i remembered reading an acct of a Malian griot who said her grandfather wouldnt stop talking abt "fight for france, live for france, die for france!" !!

but do the majority of jp textbk ever discussed such things? mb u can tell me!

also another reason for Kr & Cn's anger towards Jp gov is their continual visit to the Yasakuni shrine by the Prime Minister. as you all know this shrine hosted many many dead Jp Emperors as well as the numerous WW2 class A war criminals.

the fact that the Prime Minister (which represents the Jp ppl, hence the entire nation) pays tribute to these war crimes is almost like respecting what these Class A war criminals did. i mean, can you imagine the German Chancellor builds a church for the Nazi & Hitlier, visits the church, and pays respects to them every yr???

i think its such a shame that, many of the Jp war evident have now lost or been secretly destroyed long time ago, unlike the Nazis whose many hard evidence can still be traceable & r well documented. if the Cn & Kr were as financially powerful as the Jewish/Americans, situaiton wld not be the same elieve.

and this is precisely why the publish of "rape of nanking" by Iris Chang in 98 was world shocking to the West coz it was the 1st time that someone has brought this hot debate outside the Far East
veritati wrote: Now they want to move on. You have to move on, even if people don't say sorry or give a darn about you. You can't ruin your life and future because of others. Life is short and everyone dies, so why can't we enjoy it while we live?
of cos everyone wants to move on! but history is there to be understood & studied by us ppl for a reason: learn from the past mistakes in order to move on. is it right to play down your ugly past as if it has never happened, in order to "move on" & "enjoy live"???

alot of Jp ppl think that the only reason the many Cn & Kr ppl still try to sue the Jp gov for what they did during the WW2 is purely due to $, but it is not. it is more like a demand for the Jp's recognition & acceptance of their ugly, cruel past. they'd like everyone jp to know what their ancestors did to their neighbouring countries & others in detail, just like how every germans know what the nazi did to the numerous Jews & Gipsies etc at that time. however this will be difficult to happen unless the current & future gov change their attitude towards their past

i wonder if this attitude related to the "face" part. as u may all know, ppl from far eastern countries always try to avoid doing things which will cause them to "lose face"...


cow.

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Post by BusonIssa » Jan 26th, '06, 13:30

this reminds me of how slutty & casual the jp culture is. almost all the jp gals i know including my 2 jp best friends have casual sex, multiple sexual partners, sleep w a man who "they feel sorry for"
This says a lot more about you than it does about the "slutty" nature of Japanese culture. What gives anyone the right to call women "slutty" because they dare to enjoy sex, and aren't willing to just sit back quietly when they can actually do something to get what they want? Is having sex evil or something?

From where I'm looking, what you call a negative of Japanese culture is actually a strong positive: a culture which is obsessed with preventing women from being "slutty" - and it's always women people who use such language tend to care about, even though these women are sleeping with men - is an unhealthy and woman-hating culture. The desire for sex is a natural appetite like any other, and there's nothing shameful or wrong about women who refuse to ignore their desires because jealous and controlling men want to be able to choose for them who they're allowed to have sex with.

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Post by taro » Jan 27th, '06, 00:06

There is a difference between the city & country. Tokyo is crowded. People rush around, push around, its the way it is and is kind of by necessity. But if you ask for help, people will help. A lot of people are busy so won't help directly, but they'll at least point you in a direction to get help. As for strangers helping without asking, I wonder how different it is from any other big metro. I found that staged Densha Otoko 'investigation' rather interesting. Maybe a bit unscientific & a small sample, but I was surprised that they found more than half stopped to help.
It is different once you get out of the city. As we headed out into the quiter country, we had a guy on train strike up a conversation with us. As we stood around on street in town looking lost, had a older gentleman out for a walk ask us if we needed help. Racial discrimination? as far as regarding visiting, its no problem. It'n not like the busses or trains are segregated. Stores won't kick you out, you can get food. You might run into someone who is racially discriminating, but i'd say it you can find people like that in the U.S. too. And take what you read & see in media with a grain of salt. Like media everywhere, you see the more sensational stuff reported and it'll tend to grow out of proportion.
And hey, where are all these slutty girls? All the ones I've met have been quite nice. Some I've met they like to party, but not any worse than some girls from here. I do see a little of that pressure to be married by the time you're in twenties thing.

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Post by Gir » Jan 27th, '06, 04:05

taro wrote:There is a difference between the city & country. Tokyo is crowded. People rush around, push around, its the way it is and is kind of by necessity. But if you ask for help, people will help. A lot of people are busy so won't help directly, but they'll at least point you in a direction to get help.
Actually when I took a trip to Tokyo, we were just wandering around and we would be standing on a Conner looking at a map trying to decide where to go next and had people come up and ask if we needed help finding someplace. We must of had a lost tourist look about us.

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Post by Category9 » Jan 27th, '06, 04:36

Bamyi wrote:
Category9 wrote:I dont like how Japan remains the only developed country with no laws whatsoever against racial discrimination. Kinda kills my dream of going there...
Is there even racial discrimination there? Seems like a pretty care free place to me. And why would you let something as trival as this keep you from going there? Every country has its problems.
Theres racial descrimination everywhere, but Ive read (havent been there yet) that some businesses wont allow forgeiners or forgein looking people in. I just wonder how bad that phenomenon really is over there...

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Post by flcia » Jan 27th, '06, 05:16

I dont like the view that Japanese ppol hold that women are supposed to stay at home after they get married...
although i think this is like a problem in many countries not only in Japan, but then a lot of these women are intellectual career women before they got married, but have to quit to become a stay-home mom...i never get it...my Japanese friend even mentioned how she doesnt find the use of going to school cuz most Japanese men expect their wives to stay home after marriage anyway...dissapointing huh

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Post by Keeper of hells gate2 » Jan 28th, '06, 21:21

On the whale issue. I couldn't beleive that they actually still hunt them? I mean some things in tradition are just good to change. I mean nobody questions the traditional value of the Buffalo to the development of America (should be are national animal for its historic importance to america). However, I dont see a bunch of people going out today and hunting the buffalo to protect traditional values. As a matter of fact the almost complete extinction of the Buffalo is something that america isn't very proud of. I mean seriously, some things change for the better. Japan is behind the curve on this issue.

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Post by tejizo » Jan 28th, '06, 22:26

Category9 wrote:
Bamyi wrote:
Category9 wrote:I dont like how Japan remains the only developed country with no laws whatsoever against racial discrimination. Kinda kills my dream of going there...
Is there even racial discrimination there? Seems like a pretty care free place to me. And why would you let something as trival as this keep you from going there? Every country has its problems.
Theres racial descrimination everywhere, but Ive read (havent been there yet) that some businesses wont allow forgeiners or forgein looking people in. I just wonder how bad that phenomenon really is over there...
That is true. One instance is Arudou Debito. He is a naturalized Japanese citizen born in the US. He was not allowed to enter the onsen (hot spring) in Hokkaido because of his foreign appearance. He actually sued the onsen and wrote a book about the case. You can read more here, if anyone's interested.

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Post by Spike23 » Jan 28th, '06, 23:00

naoto wrote:
expo1970 wrote:i don't think it's right to blindly hate japanese attitudes towards whaling and japanese history textbooks/attitude towards chinese.

japanese history textbooks are ONLY considered skewed by the chinese and koreans who have even more skewed textbooks. if you actually read western articles written about japanese textbooks, it'll always be careful about it and say, the 'chinese claim' or the 'koreans claim.' looking extensively through the textbooks in question, they don't state anything incorrect and they don't leave out anything that middle school children should know about. and besides, textbooks are written by private companies, not the government, unlike in korea or in china. and out of over 10 different distributors of textbooks, only one of them has been under fire. to say that japanese textbooks are incorrect or whitewash is a big oversimplication of what japan is being accused of.
are you mad? The japanese textbooks do not even mention those atrocities in detail, and try to water it down so it doesn't sound like they were "that" bad (which is sort of understandable.. well not really, but nobody from a country usually goes on about what they didn't do right). I already took courses on japanese atrocities and asian history, one good example was a video of a western reporter who went around tokyo asking random students on the street what they thought about certain events in the past. Many of them didn't even know it actually happened, or said "they never went into it in detail at school". Of course korean and chinese textbooks are more skewed, the japanese tried to exterminate them in nanking. What do you want them to say? They tortured, decapitated, raped, it wasn't a war over disagreements. They tried to exterminate chinese people, and part of raping the women was mix japanese into them. Interviews with former soldiers in the past who did these things, watching them describe in detail what they did, the japanese don't see any of this. Only the rest of the world does. Japanese history textbooks are considered unacceptable by everyone BUT the japanese. By the people because they don't know much about it, by the government because they don't want them to know about it. Forget textbooks written by the "government" of korea or china, what about the international reporters who were in nanking, who wrote about and photographed what the japanese did. Is that fair enough, unbiased for you? I don't hate japanese people, I try not to hold history against anyone. But you can't say certain things excluded from japanese textbooks are "claims" by only chinese and koreans, and they were the only ones to write about happened, so of course it's biased compared to japanese versions, etc. Stop reading google news articles that are 2 paragraphs long, "koreans claim japanese are not teaching their children what happenedl". You can find lots of information by british, american, and other european scholars. If the japanese wanted an unbiased version of their own story (scratches head), they can certainly find it.

Yea japanese don't confess over their war crimes, unlike germany who even to this day educates their citizens of the wrong doings of the past. The japanese government and the ppl responsible for the education are a bunch of a holes.

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Post by EternalCalamari » Jan 28th, '06, 23:31

people tend to forget that this is whole issue is extremely exaggerated...
afaik the text book was used in 2 school districts throughout the country... i mean HELLO this may involve 5-6 schools in total..
and it was a huge discussion in japan itself, its not like "THE JAPANESE" all think like that, to the contrary ;)

and its perfect propaganda for anyone anti-japan in china or korea... and coming through to the west the only thing left of the original problem was "japan denies war crimes"

take such things with a pint of salt (a pinch isnt enough ;)


back to the original question:

what i hate about japan is that too many think that every foreigner is from the US...
i hate the opposite here too, where almost every asian is thought to be chinese

also i hate the word "caucasian"..
a caucasian in my eyes is someone that comes from the region around the caucasus mountains (georgia/russia) and NOT everyone that looks european/american
i always get shivers down my spine when i hear that word and get edgy :D

+ i hate the government wanting to change the constitution... damn right wingers

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Post by baoi » Jan 29th, '06, 12:37

wow.. I am really scared of the public baths.. It's so weird seeing so many people you know.. I've never tried it, and don't think i will, but we'll see..

And it's so annoying when you're in the subway going somewhere and all of a sudden the train gets more and more crowded and people still tries to fit themselves in. But it's really good when someone hawt is next to you..

that's all i remember..

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Post by leonaheidern » Jan 29th, '06, 13:04

erm the pushing and rushing culture is prevalent in singapore where i live also. Heck I saw alot of it in china also. Korea too. Malaysia maybe not.

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Post by leonaheidern » Jan 29th, '06, 13:06

Ohhh in about the public baths they have the same culture in korea also. In fact in Japan and korea only the foreigners would scamble for a toilet cubicle to change into their swimming costume. The koreans and japanese would just strip in the main changing room.

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Post by leonaheidern » Jan 29th, '06, 13:13

and about the atrocities in the war i have to say that perhaps the koreans and chinese parents are being too bitter and touchy that they teach their children to be touchy about the issue also.

I have a maternal granduncle who was taken away by the japanese also cause singapore was also part of the japanese occupation. Its not as if my maternal grandfather forbids me to listen to japanese music and watch japanese shows nowadays also. We learn about the cruel acts commited by the japanese also. In fact Malaysia then known as Malaya was also part of the Japanese Occupation. You don't see their government complaining about the textbooks.

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Post by Tess » Jan 29th, '06, 15:43

Re: the Japanese government's treatment of past war crimes

IMO, this goes beyond just the textbooks that one or two school districts are using; the Japanese government has repeatedly tried to cover-up or down play its past actions. Draw the comparison with what the U.S. did in Vietnam or, more recently, the treatment of Iraqi prisoners. Should we just blow these things off in order to "move on?" I forget who originally said it, but if we don't learn from our past, we really ARE doomed to repeat it. Not to mention the dishonor it does to the victims of these atrocities.

Re: things about the Japanese culture that bugs me

I have to agree, the rushing around everywhere gets to me. I can't imagine that all those people are all late to get where they're going!

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Post by ephesus » Jan 29th, '06, 21:23

I have a love hate relationship with Japan, I love a lot of things, like their blatant consumerism and love for fashion and such. I also like the traditional clothing and the fact that people wear yukata, kimono and other really old things to fireworks and seijinshiki and such.
On the other hand, I hate how completely arrogant Japanese people can be. The refusal to acknowledge the horrible things the Japanese army did in other countries for example. People aren't saying every Japanese person is a rapist, they're just saying that some of the Japanese Army did horrible things. Americans have to hear every day how "bad" America is, as the second biggest economy in the world, Japanese should learn how to *deal with criticism*
Also, what's with the language thing? America and England have to deal with every country on earth butchering and otherwise trying to learn our language, why do Japanese people get so uptight about foreigners speaking their language? I had a sushi party once in Japan with some other people from around the world, and our only common language was Japanese. Later several of my japanese friends were saying things like "Yeah, after all it kind of bugs me when foreigners are all speaking japanese and eating sushi and stuff." Then of course the racism thing, that's annoying too. If Japan wants to get out of their economic slump, they should allow more foreigners to come in and WORK. Compared to America, Japan is an extremely selfish rich country. So people from poor countries want to come to Japan and work? Let them, Japan should solve their own NEET and freeter problem.
I love japan on a personal level. It's so polite and sanitized. On a national level, it's old fashioned and offensively slow to change.
Back in my "rage against the machine" days when I was in highschool (that's already almost 5 years ago) I said I hated America, thought I was a communist, and otherwise hugged trees and chanted on behalf of the whales. These days, after living in a couple other countries I realize that America kicks ass. haha.
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Post by shirahime » Jan 29th, '06, 21:30

Ooh I didnt know about that they don't let foreigner enter onsen. I went to onsen once and didnt notice a thing. Except that the ever so shy japanese (when we all went to the beach they changed to swimsuit under a "towel-dress") all stripped naked and walking around naked very naturally. Here in europe I don't think I'll ever see naked ppl wandering around at swiming pools

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Post by Gir » Jan 31st, '06, 02:46

tejizo wrote:
Category9 wrote:
Bamyi wrote: Is there even racial discrimination there? Seems like a pretty care free place to me. And why would you let something as trival as this keep you from going there? Every country has its problems.
Theres racial descrimination everywhere, but Ive read (havent been there yet) that some businesses wont allow forgeiners or forgein looking people in. I just wonder how bad that phenomenon really is over there...
That is true. One instance is Arudou Debito. He is a naturalized Japanese citizen born in the US. He was not allowed to enter the onsen (hot spring) in Hokkaido because of his foreign appearance. He actually sued the onsen and wrote a book about the case. You can read more here, if anyone's interested.
This was in the news today:Man loses racial discrimination suit against shop

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Post by JC » Jan 31st, '06, 03:34

WOW! :O

I was planning to go to Japan next year after I graduate. As a black dude, I hope that doesn't go anD happen to me. That'd REALLY put a damper on my entire holiday. *Oh...* I'm scared to go out there now!! :-(

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Post by shwap » Jan 31st, '06, 03:57

leonaheidern wrote:Ohhh in about the public baths they have the same culture in korea also. In fact in Japan and korea only the foreigners would scamble for a toilet cubicle to change into their swimming costume. The koreans and japanese would just strip in the main changing room.
Funny you say that cuz ever since I joined a gym here in AZ, USA, It was me who was always careful not to show my butt or boobs while changing while all the americans around me would just naturally shed their clothes without a care in the world regardless of what they looked like. It took me a while but I got used to it myself. It just depends on where you come from. If you're from a small town, regardless of the country, you will also be alarmed at the rudeness on the streets or shops or the openess of sex or onsens.

I came from a small town in Mexico and moved to Tucson. While Tucson is not that large, its still 5 times larger than my hometown, and it still became a culture shock.

I havent been to Japan but several large cities like LA, Vegas, NY or Guadalajara and they are similar when it comes to the rudeness and lack of warmth of most people. It doesnt mean that it isnt there tho.

I do have to say that I dont find their dramas that interesting lately, Id rather watch the much entertaining and dramatic Korean or Taiwanese. I hate how, not just Japanese, but rather most asian dramas show a kiss as a peck or barely a touch of the lips. The scene is so darn hawt and all that happens is a peck? aaaaahh! go watch a mexican soap to understand my frustration.

I

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Post by JC » Jan 31st, '06, 21:53

*lol* I know what you mean. The kisses in J-dramas are usually so whack. :lol What makes it look worse is that the camera lingers for AGES just to show 2 characters with their lips pressed together, with no actually kissing. It does kill the passion and the mood. I've seen examples of this in "Anego", "Lunch queen" and the most blatant example of this is: "Stand up!!" - Yamashita Tomohisa's character kisses his girlfriend and there's is no passion or feeling there. The kiss lasts ages with no movement, nothing!! *laughs* A kiss doesn't have to be gratuitous, but should convey the passion of the moment.

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Post by Em_mie » Feb 17th, '06, 06:12

JC wrote:*lol* I know what you mean. The kisses in J-dramas are usually so whack. :lol What makes it look worse is that the camera lingers for AGES just to show 2 characters with their lips pressed together, with no actually kissing. It does kill the passion and the mood. I've seen examples of this in "Anego", "Lunch queen" and the most blatant example of this is: "Stand up!!" - Yamashita Tomohisa's character kisses his girlfriend and there's is no passion or feeling there. The kiss lasts ages with no movement, nothing!! *laughs* A kiss doesn't have to be gratuitous, but should convey the passion of the moment.
have you seen matsujun kisses yet? :wub:

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Post by expo1970 » Feb 17th, '06, 06:40

What I hate about Japanese culture is Japanese naivety. Japanese people are naive about the way the world works and are completely oblivious to the way the world perceives them. Japanese are completely ignorant of the negative impressions of its country and because they have no pride in their own nationality, they don't even try to find out. Japanese people are naive enough to believe that because Japan is a good country now, other countries do not hate Japan.

The second thing is Japanese inability to stand up for themselves. Japanese people need to grow up and learn to defend themselves and refute or confront the negative impressions that it has. Many foreigners have a very skewed belief that Japanese people hate foreigners but this is quite blatantly false. This perception is due to Japanese inability to communicate its own opinions. In a sense, the entire population of Japan is a hikikomori or an otaku. This false stereotype of Japanese people being a backward nation with racism and male dominance needs to be broken. This is the responsibility of the Japanese, no one else. Also, Japan must defend its own dying culture. Japanese people also need to more clearly defend itself against China who has explicitly shown its anti-Japanese stance. Japan's wishy-washiness has cost the Japanese people their happiness. The Japanese government needs to take an official stance on WWII history. Official research backed by the government has to be published (hard to believe the government hasn't done this yet, huh?) so that the obviously ridiculous claims by the Chinese propaganda bureau can be ignored.

These two are my big complaints about the Japanese culture.

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Post by JC » Feb 17th, '06, 13:25

"MatsuJun kisses"

?

What, does he buck the trend and actually kiss properly in his J-dramas or somethimng? :lol

"MatsuJun" is one of the members of "Arashi"...right? One of the main dudes in "Gokusen 2?" :scratch:

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Post by JC » Feb 17th, '06, 13:29

Great post expo1970 - I really enjoyed reading it. :-)

So if I came to Japan, I wouldn't get stoned as I come of the plane would I? :lol

I'd really like to visit Japan once I graduate. :P

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Post by Lowest » Feb 17th, '06, 13:48

JC wrote:"MatsuJun kisses"

?

What, does he buck the trend and actually kiss properly in his J-dramas or somethimng? :lol

"MatsuJun" is one of the members of "Arashi"...right? One of the main dudes in "Gokusen 2?" :scratch:
Yeah he is in arashi and Gokusen 1, and I think by that they mean in his kissing scenes he tends to actually snog the girl instead of pressing his lips to hers and standing there like a knob for half an hour..

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Post by ephesus » Feb 17th, '06, 14:22

In Japanese they call that mindset "shimaguni konjyou" which basically means "hey, we're on an island so it's NOT OUR FAULT that we're unsensitive to other cultures and poor players in the world arena." I think that's what pisses me off more. It's easier to forgive somebody for being ignorant of something if they at least show a willingness to learn, Japanese society tends to just say "hey, you can't blame us for doing stupid stuff, we're an island people that doesn't know anybetter" and then they just go on their way.

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Post by Alveric » Feb 17th, '06, 16:17

Racism in Japan? I went to Japan last September and I don’t remember experiencing anything racist at all. However, a friend of mine couldn’t get into a club in Tokyo because he was European, and the guys at the front door sent him away saying “Japanese onrii”.

I DID FIND some Good Samaritans. I believe Japanese people to be very good at heart. As in every country around the world it has its share of jerks, but why focus on the bad when there are so many good things to experience and good people to meet?

About the language, it’s true; a friend’s brother lost his job in a Japanese company when the Big Boss found it he understood everything they said. But that’s just one case; many people were really dazzled at how I could speak a somewhat-fluent Japanese. Hey, whenever a foreigner can speak really good Spanish I’m happy. I mean, a normal person would be happy and proud that a person from the other side of the earth cares about your country and your culture so much they want to study your language no? After all, a language is a culture’s way of thinking patterned into sounds.

About public baths, well, I went three times with my home stay family! It was really a weird experience at first, but later you kind of get used to it.

High-school girls’ prostitution? I saw some of that. Cold-hearted people in Tokyo? I saw some of that too. Hey, WHO THE HELL CARES? While I was in Japan, I saw things I never thought possible, in both the good and the bad end of the spectrum. The Japan you get from news, international affairs and dramas is just the very tip of the iceberg. Cold-hearted people? Sure! So what? You find those everywhere. I also happened to find very warm, very nice people over there. In Panama (maybe because it’s so freaking hot out here), people say “cold countries have cold people” but that’s not true at all in Japan’s case. At least from my experience, I would go back anytime!

Japan isn’t heaven, no country in the world is. For those wanting to go to Japan, go! You won’t be stoned because of the colour of your skin (I’m not white nor Asian) and you certainly will meet the coldest, warmest, weirdest, and fun people and things. Once you know how to let the bad stuff go right through you and keep the good in your heart, the rest doesn’t matter that much.

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Post by JC » Feb 17th, '06, 20:10

Yeah he is in arashi and Gokusen 1, and I think by that they mean in his kissing scenes he tends to actually snog the girl instead of pressing his lips to hers and standing there like a knob for half an hour..
:lol What drama's has he been in other than "Gokusen 1". (My bad. Gokusen 2's the one wid the 2 KAT-TUN dudes ain't it?)

I think alot of the Johnny's boys or whatever act better than they sing. (Don't hate me!!!!! :-( ) I can't stand dat Yamashita Tomohisa's voice and he can't dance, but he was great in "Nobuta wo produce" and "Stand up!!!" :lol

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Post by pokute » Feb 17th, '06, 20:19

Natto. Natto is disgusting! When I was in Japan I was told "Haha! If you can't eat natto you can't be Japanese!" - Fine. I will not eat that. Phooey!

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Post by Lowest » Feb 17th, '06, 21:39

JC wrote:
Yeah he is in arashi and Gokusen 1, and I think by that they mean in his kissing scenes he tends to actually snog the girl instead of pressing his lips to hers and standing there like a knob for half an hour..
:lol What drama's has he been in other than "Gokusen 1". (My bad. Gokusen 2's the one wid the 2 KAT-TUN dudes ain't it?)

I think alot of the Johnny's boys or whatever act better than they sing. (Don't hate me!!!!! :-( ) I can't stand dat Yamashita Tomohisa's voice and he can't dance, but he was great in "Nobuta wo produce" and "Stand up!!!" :lol
Check out his wiki page.. but I agree they can act better than they can sing and none of them can dance :lol
Kimi wa Petto is the one I was thinking of (good series) but at one point he's trying to snog this girl and she's just sat there with her lips firmly closed which looks really odd.

On the topic of the thread and noting pokute said something food related I have to say I hate the fact that a lot of their stuff (the popular comming things) have meat or fish in it :-(

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Post by JC » Feb 17th, '06, 21:45

Check out his wiki page.. but I agree they can act better than they can sing and none of them can dance
Kimi wa Petto is the one I was thinking of (good series) but at one point he's trying to snog this girl and she's just sat there with her lips firmly closed which looks really odd.
I second you on the dancing. :lol All them Johnny's boys do is backflip all over the place. (Or stand there and keep movin' ya hips if you're Jin Akanishi).

And as for the crappy J-kisses, Yamashita Tomohisa kissed a girl like that in "Stand up!!!" - I was like..."Huh?" And when Jin kissed Ryoko in Anego - same thing. It looks so stupid!!! These kisses are supposed to convey how you feel about someone, but the kisses looks as though they don't like the other person at all! :lol

Thanks for the wiki page link by the way! :P

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Post by hereford » Jun 21st, '06, 11:06

cow wrote: and this reminds me of how slutty & casual the jp culture is.
mm i think thats not so true. many people think it is, but in reality, they aren't held by the western values. meaning there is not alot of girls that grew up with religious morals...and really thats what makes something improper..right?


for the things i dont like... i'll have to say the way guys treat foreign girls.
mmm its really my fault though, since my hangout of choice is in front of koma in kabuckichou. i've never been asked "ikura?" or "hoteru okay?" in my life except in tokyo. i was asked about everyday. once i asked why if there was plenty of other girls around , nd he replied "you are foreign so you like to do the nasty". yeah i wanted to kick him, but you dont know who those kabukichou guys are "friends" with.
im not a cute girl either, im short and mexican, and i am said im "boy style". i am tattoed all over and use harsh language and spit and chug beer and smoke. so why these men thought they could try to pick me up was stange. i hated it, but i guess if thats wher i like ot hang out, its going to happen.

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Post by nikochanr3 » Jun 21st, '06, 15:24

the obsession with young girls is a bit offsetting. i saw a picture of a young namie amuro in a window and wanted it (it was a supermonkey poster) and inside the store was TONS of pictures of young girls (like 12/13) in bathing suits and such. it was so super super creepy. That, and the general attitude about them bothers me. I went OFF on an old due once in the subway car who kept sliding over to this schoolgirl who kept moving away. I keep thinking some idiot would do something like that to my wife :cussing: and got angry. (Note: I think i scared the girl, and the dude told a conductor, and i got pulled off the train and lectured so id think twice before doing that....made me more :cussing: )

thats about it. i think if they treated their woman a little better and more respectively it would benefit them.

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Post by nikochanr3 » Jun 21st, '06, 15:27

Alveric wrote:Racism in Japan? I went to Japan last September and I don’t remember experiencing anything racist at all. However, a friend of mine couldn’t get into a club in Tokyo because he was European, and the guys at the front door sent him away saying “Japanese onrii”.

I DID FIND some Good Samaritans. I believe Japanese people to be very good at heart. As in every country around the world it has its share of jerks, but why focus on the bad when there are so many good things to experience and good people to meet?

About the language, it’s true; a friend’s brother lost his job in a Japanese company when the Big Boss found it he understood everything they said. But that’s just one case; many people were really dazzled at how I could speak a somewhat-fluent Japanese. Hey, whenever a foreigner can speak really good Spanish I’m happy. I mean, a normal person would be happy and proud that a person from the other side of the earth cares about your country and your culture so much they want to study your language no? After all, a language is a culture’s way of thinking patterned into sounds.

About public baths, well, I went three times with my home stay family! It was really a weird experience at first, but later you kind of get used to it.

High-school girls’ prostitution? I saw some of that. Cold-hearted people in Tokyo? I saw some of that too. Hey, WHO THE HELL CARES? While I was in Japan, I saw things I never thought possible, in both the good and the bad end of the spectrum. The Japan you get from news, international affairs and dramas is just the very tip of the iceberg. Cold-hearted people? Sure! So what? You find those everywhere. I also happened to find very warm, very nice people over there. In Panama (maybe because it’s so freaking hot out here), people say “cold countries have cold people” but that’s not true at all in Japan’s case. At least from my experience, I would go back anytime!

Japan isn’t heaven, no country in the world is. For those wanting to go to Japan, go! You won’t be stoned because of the colour of your skin (I’m not white nor Asian) and you certainly will meet the coldest, warmest, weirdest, and fun people and things. Once you know how to let the bad stuff go right through you and keep the good in your heart, the rest doesn’t matter that much.
dont take any of this like its just JAPAN IS BAD and everywhere else is great. its just a discussion of japan. but there really is racism. sometimes its not even bad, (it gets you preferential treatment). If you are a black guy, say musician you are fascinating. people treat you really different though...good different, but different. lets say you are a black immigrant who wants to work at a good japanese company, and you speak PERFECT japanese. Good luck. no way, no how. not happening.

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Post by sbungier » Jun 21st, '06, 16:22

veritati wrote:Korea and China that wants to remain bitter and not move on.
Are you serious???? Japan wanted to "erase" Korea from existance...banning the language and not teaching korean culture in schools and making people change their korean names to japanese names...they are bitter because Japan will not take responisibilty and admit that what they did was wrong. Anytime a country wants to "ethnic cleanse" and try to down play it is just wrong not just in Japan but everywhere!

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Post by Néa Vanille » Jun 21st, '06, 17:16

Everything related to prostitution bothers me, especially the high school girl thing and those awful health clubs. I find prostitution extremely rejectable ethically and find it very discouraging that prostitution just seems to be a part of life in Asia. I absolutely detest it in its every form.

Other than that, I find Japanese ideas of politeness extremely strange sometime. One time, I was eating supper with my ex-boyfriend and commented that the soup I was eating was bad, to which he told me that he really hated it when I 'complained' like that.

I couldn't understand it. It wasn't like the cook was standing next to me and all I had done was telling him what crossed my mind at the time. I'm usually a polite girl and rather considerate of people's feelings, but I didn't feel like I was hurting anybody's by telling my boyfriend that the soup I was eating wasn't especially good. Rather confusing Japanese customs.

As for the whole Japanese acknowledging WWII thing, I'd like to say that I am Austrian and that our teachers made us go to a concentration camp in High School. I think this sort of thing is extremely important - people (e.g. the Japanese and we Austrians) don't need to fall on our knees and beg forgiveness from the Chinese, Koreans and Jews respectively but we DO need to be aware of what happened in order to ensure that we will never trail off the right path again.

Throughout history, Japane has started many wars, killing and maiming hundreds of thousands of Chinese and Koreans, acts that went hand-in-hand with an extreme Japanese superiority mindset. However, I'm not judging a Japanese person based on what his or her ancestors did - MY OWN GRANDPARENTS were nazis!

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the extreme Capitalism and the almost inhumane pressure on young children to get into the most prestigious schools with parents expecting their own children to sacrifice their youth.

I also don't quite like the mindset that 'being different' and your own type is considered a bad thing and that blending in well with the environment is desirable. One of my Korean friends (okay, it's Korea - but the culture is very similar in this aspect, I believe) told me that the word 'individual' had a bad touch to it in the Korean language, describing a person putting his or her own individual needs above the norm of society. Essentially, such a person was thought of as selfish.

Here in the West, we are encouraged to 'find ourselves' and to choose the path which is best for us - though I did occassionally hear my mother advise me to get a job that would "make a lot of moolah", I always experienced the freedom of being able to choose my school for myself from a very young age onwards and to determine my own tastes and preferences without having to worry of arousing my mother's anger. While I do NOT think that Japanese and Korean parents are abusive, I do think they generally allow their children less freedom than mine did - Japan's extreme Capitalism doesn't allow them to let their children make the mistakes that come with freedom.

Murakami Haruki wrote an interesting book on Japan's unhealthy Capitalism with "Dance Dance Dance", claiming that it wouldn't be long until you could buy prostitutes in the supermarket.

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Post by albertoavena » Jun 22nd, '06, 07:34

^--I guess I know what you mean, about the prostitution and the harsh schooling Japan is know for. But the school part doesn't really bother me so much. I mean, school is still very important in this day and age, and I 'm sure it pays off in the end. Doens't many students choose to study anyway?

One thing that kind of bothers me is the work from the bosses from being a salaryman. Sometimes they have to finish projects in impossible deadlines or work 24 hours shifts and stuff like that. I've heard some pretty crazy stories from overworked salarymen..But some of the old arrogont bosses that used to assign those jobs taht I mentioned are starting to fade away so hopefully the future brings something better.

Anyway, Japan's goods, or the stuff I like about Japan outweigh the negative things by far.

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Post by cgozun » Jun 22nd, '06, 10:51

nikochanr3 wrote:the obsession with young girls is a bit offsetting. i saw a picture of a young namie amuro in a window and wanted it (it was a supermonkey poster) and inside the store was TONS of pictures of young girls (like 12/13) in bathing suits and such. it was so super super creepy. That, and the general attitude about them bothers me. I went OFF on an old due once in the subway car who kept sliding over to this schoolgirl who kept moving away. I keep thinking some idiot would do something like that to my wife :cussing: and got angry. (Note: I think i scared the girl, and the dude told a conductor, and i got pulled off the train and lectured so id think twice before doing that....made me more :cussing: )

thats about it. i think if they treated their woman a little better and more respectively it would benefit them.
I totally agree. Just look at anime and manga. You have young girls with adult size breasts. I also have issues with a lot of other stuff. Many from this site, http://www.thejapanfaq.com/FAQ-Primer.html , which I experienced first hand as well. I recommend this site to people thinking of living in Japan. It's an interesting read about what to expect to minimize culture shock.

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Post by nikochanr3 » Jun 22nd, '06, 12:46

cgozun wrote:
nikochanr3 wrote:the obsession with young girls is a bit offsetting. i saw a picture of a young namie amuro in a window and wanted it (it was a supermonkey poster) and inside the store was TONS of pictures of young girls (like 12/13) in bathing suits and such. it was so super super creepy. That, and the general attitude about them bothers me. I went OFF on an old due once in the subway car who kept sliding over to this schoolgirl who kept moving away. I keep thinking some idiot would do something like that to my wife :cussing: and got angry. (Note: I think i scared the girl, and the dude told a conductor, and i got pulled off the train and lectured so id think twice before doing that....made me more :cussing: )

thats about it. i think if they treated their woman a little better and more respectively it would benefit them.
I totally agree. Just look at anime and manga. You have young girls with adult size breasts. I also have issues with a lot of other stuff. Many from this site, http://www.thejapanfaq.com/FAQ-Primer.html , which I experienced first hand as well. I recommend this site to people thinking of living in Japan. It's an interesting read about what to expect to minimize culture shock.
this thread bothers me a little in that it's kind of (by definition) a japan bashing thread. i know people are being (very) reasonable, but this is what it is. i wonder if the mods allow this...it seems to me it could very easily get very negative and out of hand. its not a discussion of japan, rather a discussion of BAD things in general about japan.

just a thought.

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Post by Tasogare Kuma » Jun 22nd, '06, 13:24

*sigh*
godmode wrote:also the submissive women.
Tomoe Gozen, surely not submissive.
Hojo Masako, ditto
Jingo Kogo, ditto
any member of the Joushitai, ditto

The only really -and horribly- submissive Japanese woman/female character I've ever seen in a movie was in Last Samurai, and that was an American production (what a surprise... not), and, if we go by books... "Memoirs of a Geisha" (I still hate Sayuri with passion, she's passive, submissive, useless and whiney), again, an American book...
sbungier wrote:Are you serious???? Japan wanted to "erase" Korea from existance...banning the language and not teaching korean culture in schools and making people change their korean names to japanese names...they are bitter because Japan will not take responisibilty and admit that what they did was wrong. Anytime a country wants to "ethnic cleanse" and try to down play it is just wrong not just in Japan but everywhere!
With all due resepct, that was more than 60 years ago. I wish people would get the F over it. How long is this bitching going to last? The next 100 years? It's getting annoying. The Japanese of today are surely not responsible. Hey, while we're at it, I hate the French because Napoleon invaded my country... And let's not forget the Italians, after all, ancient Rome took over most of Europe by force. I demand an apology! See how ridiculous this can be? Today's Japan holds no responsibility, that's how it is. To say that today's, democratic, Japan holds responsibility for what happened more than 60 years ago is like saying that modern day France, for example, holds responsibility for the Napoleonic Wars. It's not the same, you say? Well, the French armies devastated Europe. It's too far in the past? Where's the line then? The "magic" border? 60 years? 600 years? 100 years? Who is to set this border anyway?

Let's turn the fork around. What about the women and children who were killed in Dresden, Hiroshima, Nagasaki or Tokyo? Where's the British/American apology? Direct attacks on civilian targets are warcrimes, there's no excuse (don't start with "military necessity", dropping napalm on women and children is NOT a military necessity and it does not shorten a war, which WW2 has clearly proven; so called "Moral Bombing" was highly ineffective and did not stop Japanese or German troops from fighting back until the very last day).

Austrian and German politicians, on the other hand, still crawl and even want their citizens to crawl as well.

And the last country that should point fingers at Japan over this issue is China anyway. How many Chinese have been killed because Mao was just too paranoid and had to do a second revolution inside the revolution? What was the latest number of the most recent research? 70 million, wasn't it? Or shall I begin with what the Nationalist Chinese troops have done with the native inhabitants of Taiwan once they fled to the island? I've read once that old Taiwanese hold the Japanese occupation in higher regards than the "invasion" of the Nationalist Chinese under Chang Kai Check (sp).

Any country that ever used colonialism is guilty of such crimes. United Kingdom, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, even the Americans (remember what the US government has done with the native Americans?), etc etc etc. That's the problem with colonialism. The, so called, lower developed ones get the shitty end of the stick.
Néa Vanille wrote:As for the whole Japanese acknowledging WWII thing, I'd like to say that I am Austrian and that our teachers made us go to a concentration camp in High School. I think this sort of thing is extremely important - people (e.g. the Japanese and we Austrians) don't need to fall on our knees and beg forgiveness from the Chinese, Koreans and Jews respectively but we DO need to be aware of what happened in order to ensure that we will never trail off the right path again.
The German president said last year (2005) that the "Germans still hold a responsibility for what happened". Excuse me, but I surely hold NO bloody responsibility for what happened more than 60 years ago. I wasn't born back then, so why is it my responsibility. Worse yet, why are my taxes used for "reparations" event oday? Our own politicians are telling us things like that. I had relatives on both sides of the "fence", one as a prisoner in a concentration camp (which are in fact a British invention), the other volunteered for the SS. The rest was just drafted into the army. So what? I'm not the one to judge over them. It's... history. The past. Gone. I can't change it. I can just look at it and note it from a, hopefully, neutral point of view and mark it off as a historic fact. I want to know the whys and hows and understand it, but that's about it. It's done.

I agree that we have to be aware, but this BS that even our own politicians are still spewing is just too much. Though, history repeats itself. It WILL happen again one day. One day, someone, somewhere will do it again. Just turn on the news. The Balkan Wars after the fall of the Soviet Union, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan... It has already been repeated. Just because it didn't happen on our doorsteps doesn't mean it didn't happen.

Anyway.

I can't really say that there's something I absolutely hate on Japanese culture. There are issues with things I don't think they are ok, but hate? No, not really.

One thing that pisses me off is that oddball argumentation from those traditionalists who don't want an Empress Aiko. They even started to talk about the use of concubines. Excuse me? Or even maybe arranging a marriage between Aiko and a relative from the Imperial family, once she's old enough. What the hell? It's the 21st century... and I doubt Masako would play along with that, anyway. Not to mention Aiko's reaction. Still, such anachronistic and outright sexist ideas in the 21st century... someone needs a little ass whooping. The "best" argument, though, was "what if she would go to Oxford and fall in love with a foreigner!" Ok... now let's look at it this way: what if a male heir goes to Oxford and falls in love with a foreigner (male or female)? *facepalms*

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Post by mizune » Jun 22nd, '06, 13:42

nikochanr3 wrote:this thread bothers me a little in that it's kind of (by definition) a japan bashing thread. i know people are being (very) reasonable, but this is what it is. i wonder if the mods allow this...it seems to me it could very easily get very negative and out of hand. its not a discussion of japan, rather a discussion of BAD things in general about japan.

just a thought.
I don't really consider it a Japan bashing thread per se... As you said, it's been pretty civil and reasonable so far, so I think of it more as a reality check for the ppl who tend to overglorify or look naively at Japanese culture/society. Don't get me wrong, I love Japanese culture, but I also know that Japanese society isn't perfect. There is no such thing as a perfect society, but I do think ppl tend to get carried away with the fluffy ideals and stereotypes packaged with cultural exports that have been increasing in popularity over the years.

Anyways, I'm not sure about how the other mods feel about it, but I've been keeping my eye on this thread since it popped up months ago. If it does become a hate thread, it's getting locked. But as long as it remains civil, and truly a discussion, I have no issue with it....

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Post by nikochanr3 » Jun 22nd, '06, 13:50

it's nice the mods are watching. im more worried about this becoming a "japan is racist against koreans and asians and so evil, blah blah" thread. " we've had a few of them, and they are really one sided. approaching the topic from one side, as the topic of this thread does bugs me. but still, big brothe (sister?)r is watching so its all good.

anyway
i think people glorify any place they visit on vacation sometimes. i know people who went to japan, spent 2 weeks hookign up with some really cool person, never talk to anyone else, and come back talking about how amazing japan is, its just perfect! its so funny. (note: same person also spent all their time in countryside, and loved the rural society japan is. Japan? rural? huh?) i also have japanese friends who visit ny and have the same experience in reverse. "i visited bed stuy to see my friend - what a cool safe place. i wish i could live there! haha..." it was a long time before i could convince my wife to hold her bag tighter on the subway, she had vacation visions of ny still...




:salut:

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Post by potterus » Jun 22nd, '06, 13:53

what i hate/dislike :
- i dont understand why japanese teen really like to colour their hair with blonde or red or orange, or something like that. i mean, black is really good :wub: .
- i dunno why teen artist do some photo session only using bra and underwear, or just bikini :glare: . i mean i like sawajiri erika because her good act in ichi, but it shock me out when i googling her picture and most of that is really sexy . does artist have to do that before can act in dorama ? :scratch:
- follow west culture. whats wrong with east culture ?? :unsure:

but what interesting me the most is the way japanese transform into modern culture in some unique way . i really really really appreciate it. :salut:

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Post by Néa Vanille » Jun 22nd, '06, 15:56

albertoavena wrote:^--I guess I know what you mean, about the prostitution and the harsh schooling Japan is know for. But the school part doesn't really bother me so much. I mean, school is still very important in this day and age, and I 'm sure it pays off in the end. Doens't many students choose to study anyway?
Of course school is important and all, but I think the Japanese place too much emphasis on and give too much credit to written tests and pure brainpower (learning things by heart very quickly, etc) as opposed to pupils who might not do so well in their tests, but make up for it with social competence, leadership qualities and so on that can't quite be recorded in written tests but that can make these pupils as or even more competent than those who learn stuff by heart. Of course this is a general flaw in all High Schools around the world, though.

I generally tend to think that HS is a sucky place. You're put in a room with people you're supposed to get along with, a teacher you're supposed to listen to and a dozen or more of subjects you need to be good at. Freedom? Nil. It always seemed to me like school was a place you sent your children to so they won't do any damage until they're smart enough to know what they want.

HS is also flawed because you're given little option to specialize. Me, I excelled in foreign languages in HS but just COULD NOT bring myself to study Math. I was actually once awarded a price for being the best speaker of foreign languages at a HS age in Austria, but yet some people who studied everything mindlessly and, I admit, were much better at Math (even though I was better at foreign languages - but the grade system ends with an A), ended up with the better grades overall. Now, thankfully Austria is small and the Universities, while good, are not choosy - if they had been then I might have been denied to study at my desired University because of my Math weakness, EVEN THOUGH studying is all about taking advantage of your strengths and interests and specializing in them!

High School sucks. And it always seemed to me like Japanese High Schools were even suckier than ours because it's stricter, more sterile and allows their students far less individual freedom. I know I'd rebel like a madwoman in a Japanese HS.

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Re: what in Japanese Culture U dont like?

Post by s.taka » Jun 22nd, '06, 16:08

rahula wrote:I've just seen saiyuuki 'st episode... I thought it was soo weirdo... I mean, I know it's a very traditional folklore's history but... even so I think I just could'nt get used to that movements... and costumes... even it's from China (isnt it? ) ... Takura Kimuya fighting in the very firs episode.. his movements were so... weird ... weird almost bizarre >_<I>_<

For talking about it... I also hate clowns... omg, I hat´em! And I saw a japanese pierot... :cussing:


What in the japanese culture You really.... hated even after getting used to - please note that I'm not talking about fresh contacts but instead the already used to generally speaking japanese culture. That's because I AM used to son goku legend influence in Japan but still... dindt like it in a culture problematic way maybe...

cya,
rahula
is it not Kimura Takuya, and not Kimuya Takura???

TNF
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Post by TNF » Jun 22nd, '06, 16:10

I actuallly like the Japanese commercials (and Chinese and Korean) more than American commercials. I actually WANT to watch those commercials because of the featured celebrities. American commercials are so UBER boring. I usually flip to another channel when commercials come on (problem is commercial time is about the same for most channels :glare: ). Japanese commercials are like American superbowl commercials, celebrity filled and movie-like (the ones with celebrities in them anyway). The most interesting American commercials are probably the GEICO ones, and even those have become boring.

jellybean
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Joined: Dec 23rd, '04, 15:53

Post by jellybean » Jun 22nd, '06, 16:29

I have never been to Japan but according to what I hear - Japan are drilled into thinking they are the superior race :unsure: ? Also my brother's friend is currently on the JET program in a small village in Japan and his 'white' friends were turned away from a hotel they were planning on staying in.

But yeah - I haven't been there myself therefore that's only secondary information.

I am finding this thread really informative actually - there isn't incessant bashing as there usually is with such threads.

The schoolgirl fetish is disturbing.

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