NationStates Jolt Archive

I have lived 13 years in Japan - 1 year in Isahaya (Nagasaki prefecture), 2 years in Niigata, and 10 years in Osaka.

I see lot's of curiosity, but also so much mis-conception and myth about Japan being posted here, so it's time for another thread on Japan.

The floor is open... :D

Just how expensive is it to live in Japan? How much money per year is considered middle class? US dollars please.

Japanese women will almost never marry a Westerner, yes?

If you are making a presentation to the Board of Directors of the company you work for, you should not begin with "ore wa", correct? ;)

Most Japanese people are not particularly religious, but often very traditional?

Most younger Japanese persons are politically apathetic?

Japanese people generally celebrate both Valentine's Day and White Day?

Do Japanese people really disdain foreign (esp. Californian) rice?

Are Microman toys really still popular in Japan? I collect them here in North America...

日本人はこどもを食べますか　　？

Can you send me some Transformers?

日本人はこどもを食べますか　　？

You don't need to add the question mark when you've added か to the end of the sentence.

Just how expensive is it to live in Japan? How much money per year is considered middle class? US dollars please.

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) (http://www.finfacts.com/costofliving4.htm) regularly puts Tokyo and Osaka/Kobe in the top 2 spots for cost of living, with a COL index almost half again that of NYC (the EIU's baseline).

Some good stats on Japan:
http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/handbook/c13cont.htm

According to the 2003 Family Income and Expenditure Survey, monthly consumption expenditure averaged 302,623 yen per household

That's 2966.89 USD, at current exchange rates.

What that all means from personal experience:
I make $2500 a month. I pay about $450 in rent (utilities included) for a so-so studio, about $200 in assorted bills, and about $600 in food expenses (that could come down by about half - I eat out a lot), and about $750 on assorted other stuff. That's fairly average.

Japanese women will almost never marry a Westerner, yes?

Not true. Almost every married male western friend of mine has a Japanese wife. There is as much fetishization of westerners here as there is of Asians in the US, so there are lots of Japanese who want to marry westerners.

If you are making a presentation to the Board of Directors of the company you work for, you should not begin with "ore wa", correct?

Correct. "Ore wa" would be the informal, masculine way to reffer to yourself. Fine for the izakaya (pub) but not so good in the boardroom. Omae might get you fired.

Most Japanese people are not particularly religious, but often very traditional?

Very little religion at all. Mostly lip service, even from the elderly. And the extent to which people of any age are traditional is debatable. But

Most younger Japanese persons are politically apathetic?

Very, very much so.

Japanese people generally celebrate both Valentine's Day and White Day?

Yep. Valentines Day is for the ladies to give gifts (usually chocolate) to their guys, and also to teachers and co-workers. Gents reciprocate on "White Day" with cookied (or sometimes lingere).

Do Japanese people really disdain foreign (esp. Californian) rice?

Yes and no. Those who aren't familiar with it tend to buy into the propaganda. But the more cosmopolitan Japanese don't. One of my old students was a retiree who'd spent several years in Iran. Mitsui imported California rice. He was a pretty right-wing guy, but always said California rice was good.

Are Microman toys really still popular in Japan? I collect them here in North America...

:D I used to have a bunch of the US version (Micronauts). I didn;t know they were Japanese until many years later. Unfortunately, I haven't seen any here. :(

日本人はこどもを食べますか　　？

(Trans: "Do Japanese people eat children?)

;) Not answering that one.

You don't need to add the question mark when you've added か to the end of the sentence.

Not needed, but increasingly acceptable:

The particle ka acts as a question mark. Before the introduction of Westernisms, the Japanese language did not include punctuation marks such as the exclamation point (!) and question mark (?). All sentences end with the small circle, even if they are questions. Today you can sometimes see the ! and ? in Japanese paperback novels, but only for great emphasis. (http://www.ccet.ua.edu/nihongoweb/module1_grammar3.htm)


Can you send me some Transformers?

Sorry, haven't seen any of those either. :(

Is recent technology much cheaper in Japan than in the west?

Is recent technology much cheaper in Japan than in the west?

Nope, usually not. This has to do with Japan's distribution system.

bump

How do Japanese people feel about North Korea. What do they think should be done to solve the North Korean problem?

Does every school class contain exactly one snobby daughter of a company president?

When people are excited, do they shout a sequence of English words that doesn't make sense?

When girls fall over, do their panties always end up clearly visible?

What happens if someone wears shoes at home?

Are guys mostly attracted to stupid girls?

When a girl sees a guy she's secretly in love with, do cherry blossoms suddenly fall around him?

Is it normal for someone to wear the same clothing five or six days per week?

How often is a decisive battle fought around Tokyo Tower?

How many Japanese know that George W Bush criticized John Kerry for being against the Yakuza?


edit: In short, is it a good idea to learn about Japan by watching anime and George W Bush campaign ads?

Most younger Japanese persons are politically apathetic?
I think that's pandemic.

tag-o-rama!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

how hard is it to learn japanese?? and what is the best way to do so(with the exception of going to japan and learning first hand(done tried that but my parents would not let me))

You don't need to add the question mark when you've added か to the end of the sentence.


ええ、分りました。

I simply put it there for effect.

how hard is it to learn japanese?? and what is the best way to do so(with the exception of going to japan and learning first hand(done tried that but my parents would not let me))

I learned how to write it from books, to speak it at college.

Always wanted to know this. How much influence does the Yakuza have on the Japanese government?

What's with the whole Osaka/Kobe thing? Are they two names for the same city? Or are they different cities that are right next to each other?

And what is Japan's most popular sport? There are lots of Japanese basebal players in the US, but they also co-hosted the 2002 World Cup.

Also, have you ever ridden the bullet train?

One last thing, are Japanese game shows as "cruel" as many Americans think they are?

Sorry for asking so many questions.

Where there would be a list for these customs and manners that Japanese don't know, such as "no slurping soup"? Specifically, is it acceptable for men to urinate in public?

How long does it take to learn enough kanji to actually read something?

これよりよい質問があるか。 ???

What 's the most popular anime in Japan right now? BTW, I'm an anime fan, ^_^

Is there a euthanasia debate in Japan?

I have spent the last 3-4 years of my life dedicating it to learning of the art of bonsai. I was wondering exactly how much role it takes on the general public?
How widly its known?
Is the art growing or shrinking?
Are you into bonsai?
Are bonsai nurseries common?
And any other information you might think if intersting. By the way i am below driving age (just thought it might be a good reference to tell how dedicated i actually am)

Does every school class contain exactly one snobby daughter of a company president?
Of course. It's Japan-for ever citizen, there's at least 4 companies! :D

When people are excited, do they shout a sequence of English words that doesn't make sense?
Only the really geeky ones. You know, the disney fanatics who speak garbled english, they-for some reason-call themselves "houses." Weird bunch.

When girls fall over, do their panties always end up clearly visible?
Yes, but that's not always a good thing.

What happens if someone wears shoes at home?
They must immidiatly commet Hara-kiri on noticing

Are guys mostly attracted to stupid girls?
What, you thought that was only an american thing?

When a girl sees a guy she's secretly in love with, do cherry blossoms suddenly fall around him?
Scientists have been trying to toy with this for many years, but they've finally found there to be SOME kind of link between the amount of cherry blossoms and how feminine the guy looks; that is, the more feminine the guy, the more cheery blossoms. Isn't science grand?

Is it normal for someone to wear the same clothing five or six days per week?
Have you not seen 50% of college males? :p

How often is a decisive battle fought around Tokyo Tower?
Not to often anymore, since the fake one was put underground.

How many Japanese know that George W Bush criticized John Kerry for being against the Yakuza?
You know, that was probebly the most horrific-and hilarious-political ad I've ever seen?


edit: In short, is it a good idea to learn about Japan by watching anime and George W Bush campaign ads?
Only if you like jackasses like me answering you :p

How do Japanese people feel about North Korea. What do they think should be done to solve the North Korean problem?

There's a lot of animosity. Osaka has a large Korean population, and there have been attacks on Koreans.

Does every school class contain exactly one snobby daughter of a company president?

Nope.

When people are excited, do they shout a sequence of English words that doesn't make sense?

Not usually, although random English is popular.

When girls fall over, do their panties always end up clearly visible?

Nope.

What happens if someone wears shoes at home?

I'm not allowed to tell, but it's really, really bad. BAD. ;)

Are guys mostly attracted to stupid girls?

About the same as anywhere else.

When a girl sees a guy she's secretly in love with, do cherry blossoms suddenly fall around him?

Nope.

Is it normal for someone to wear the same clothing five or six days per week?

Nope.

How often is a decisive battle fought around Tokyo Tower?

Never.

How many Japanese know that George W Bush criticized John Kerry for being against the Yakuza?

Even I wasn't aware of that. Can you give me a citation?

edit: In short, is it a good idea to learn about Japan by watching anime and George W Bush campaign ads?

NO! :rolleyes: :D

how hard is it to learn japanese?? and what is the best way to do so(with the exception of going to japan and learning first hand(done tried that but my parents would not let me))

Fairly difficult. Yep being on the ground here is the best way. Beyond that try and find Japanese friends.

Is there a euthanasia debate in Japan?

Sort of. Organ donation was only made legal in the last few years and the determination of brain death is still pretty controversial.

What 's the most popular anime in Japan right now? BTW, I'm an anime fan, ^_^

Not sure. Maybe One Piece

Where there would be a list for these customs and manners that Japanese don't know, such as "no slurping soup"?

You've got that backwards. Where is there a list of customs you don't know?

Specifically, is it acceptable for men to urinate in public?

More or less.

How long does it take to learn enough kanji to actually read something?

10 seconds top to actually read something. Several years to read a newspaper.

これよりよい質問があるか。 ???

Tabun, ne... ;)

What's with the whole Osaka/Kobe thing? Are they two names for the same city? Or are they different cities that are right next to each other?

Two cities very close to each other.

And what is Japan's most popular sport? There are lots of Japanese basebal players in the US, but they also co-hosted the 2002 World Cup.

Baseball is pretty much the most popular. Sumo and soccer are pretty popular too.

Also, have you ever ridden the bullet train?

Many times. When I lived in Niigata, I commuted to one class ever Thursday for a year on the Shinkansen (that's the proper name).

One last thing, are Japanese game shows as "cruel" as many Americans think they are?

Some can be. However most are supposedly fixed.


Always wanted to know this. How much influence does the Yakuza have on the Japanese government?

Depends on the ministry. MFA - none, MOF - very little, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Government of Japan - a fair bit.

I have spent the last 3-4 years of my life dedicating it to learning of the art of bonsai. I was wondering exactly how much role it takes on the general public?
How widly its known?
Is the art growing or shrinking?
Are you into bonsai?
Are bonsai nurseries common?
And any other information you might think if intersting. By the way i am below driving age (just thought it might be a good reference to tell how dedicated i actually am)

Very little.
Widely known, little practiced, shrinking.
Once upon a time, while attending University of Houston, a friend gave me a bonsai cedar. It was a mass produced sickly thing that lived almost a year. :(
Haven't come across any nurseries.

The shushi bar guy in my neighborhood told me never to eat sushi with chopsticks, because that is rude. Is that true?

He also told me that I should never mix wasabi into the soy sauce, becuase if I want more wasabi I should just ask him to put it on.

He also told me that in japan, in real sushi places, they won't ask you for an order, they will just give you what they think you should have.

Is this all bullshit? Or is he telling me the truth.

When I was in Japan two years ago (Tokyo and Mizusawa, in Iwate prefecture) I met with several politicians, as well as many different people in education. At that time there seemed to be concern and the beginnings of a dialogue about Japan's declining relative importance in Asia and the world.

Japan continues to be an economic power, although it has been experiencing slow economic growth. The larger issue, however, is that dispite its past economic strength Japan has exerted relatively little influence in the region and is not generally seen as a model for other Asian countries. China, Vietnam, the Koreas, Malaysia, Tiawan and other emerging economies do not generally look to Japan as a model and the Japanese do seem to exert cultural or political influence either.

In your dealing with the Japanese did you get the impression that there is concern for Japan's international role in the coming decades?

Is Japan really such a crowded place?

Is there any nature on Honshu?

Do you see yourself more as a Westerner or more as an Asian?

Should I attempt to learn Japanese? (coz I'm not sure whether to learn Chinese or Japanese).

What's the difference between Buddhism and Japanese religion (shintoism or so?) Are they even related?

Why do u guys speak so fast (or is that just in the war movies i've seen ;) )

The shushi bar guy in my neighborhood told me never to eat sushi with chopsticks, because that is rude. Is that true?

He also told me that I should never mix wasabi into the soy sauce, becuase if I want more wasabi I should just ask him to put it on.

He also told me that in japan, in real sushi places, they won't ask you for an order, they will just give you what they think you should have.

Is this all bullshit? Or is he telling me the truth.


All depends on the place and what you consider a "real" sushi place. I have been treated to two or three places that are of the high class sort where you are brought the chef's daily special. Both chopsticks and fingers are ok, as far as I know. Never heard the don't put wasabi in the shoyu (call it murasaki if you want to impress, btw). But his telling you this isn't surprising. I've had Japanese people tell me all sorts of odd things that are observably not followed.

When I was in Japan two years ago (Tokyo and Mizusawa, in Iwata prefecture) I met with several politicians, as well as many different people in education. At that time there seemed to be concern and the beginnings of a dialogue about Japan's declining relative importance in Asia and the world.

Japan continues to be an economic power, although it has been experiencing slow economic growth. The larger issue, however, is that dispite its past economic strength Japan has exerted relatively little influence in the region and is not generally seen as a model for other Asian countries. China, Vietnam, the Koreas, Malaysia, Tiawan and other emerging economies do not generally look to Japan as a model and the Japanese do seem to exert cultural or political influence either.

In your dealing with the Japanese did you get the impression that there is concern for Japan's international role in the coming decades?

Oooh. A question of real substance! :D I hope ypu don't mind if I wait until local AM to answer that one.

Is Japan really such a crowded place?

Yes and no. The population is very concentrated in the Kanto-Kansai corridor, but less so elsewhere.

Is there any nature on Honshu?

Yes indeed! Quite a lot, including some very nice national parks.

Do you see yourself more as a Westerner or more as an Asian?

100% pure red blooded Texas boy. ;)

Should I attempt to learn Japanese? (coz I'm not sure whether to learn Chinese or Japanese).


What's the difference between Buddhism and Japanese religion (shintoism or
so?) Are they even related?

A somewhat complex question. The simple answer is they are completely different, but I'll answer more in depth in the AM (almost 2 AM here - to bed soon).

Why do u guys speak so fast (or is that just in the war movies i've seen ;) )

Probably just the movies. :)

I've heard there is widespread censorship of WWII history in Japanese high school textbooks and that a significant portion of the Japanese population do not even know who won WWII... to what extent has the government covered up details about Japan's involvement in the war, and what are ordinary Japanese people's attitudes towards the war?

EDIT: forgot to say: Thank you for answering...



Where there would be a list for these customs and manners that Japanese don't know, such as "no slurping soup"?

You've got that backwards. Where is there a list of customs you don't know?


I think it's a fair question. Usually these "customs and manners" manuals are about "positive" customs, those that *add* to your current knowledge. But, there is the opposite, those that are *not found* in the other culture. For example, slurping soup and men urinating in public are considered unacceptable in the European sphere, but ain't no problem there.

I can make such a list of "norms that we don't know", just to illustrate my point:

1. Relaxed social norms. Whereever you go, you'll find systems of politeness levels, the word "sir" actually used, subservience, and so on.
2. Going naked in a sauna.
3. Gender equality. Our president is female, and sometimes the hosts of a state visit think that her husband is the president.
4. Not talking to people. People don't talk in buses or in the subway in Japan, either.
5. We don't use titles such as "Professor" or "Doctor" when addressing people. For example, "I presume you are Spencer?" and the Englishman goes "DOCTORR Spencer, yes."

I think it's a fair question. Usually these "customs and manners" manuals are about "positive" customs, those that *add* to your current knowledge. But, there is the opposite, those that are *not found* in the other culture. For example, slurping soup and men urinating in public are considered unacceptable in the European sphere, but ain't no problem there.

I can make such a list of "norms that we don't know", just to illustrate my point:

1. Relaxed social norms. Whereever you go, you'll find systems of politeness levels, the word "sir" actually used, subservience, and so on.
2. Going naked in a sauna.
3. Gender equality. Our president is female, and sometimes the hosts of a state visit think that her husband is the president.
4. Not talking to people. People don't talk in buses or in the subway in Japan, either.
5. We don't use titles such as "Professor" or "Doctor" when addressing people. For example, "I presume you are Spencer?" and the Englishman goes "DOCTORR Spencer, yes."

Public urination? You're confusing japan with the extremely different China and southeastern europe.

Is it true that some time ago (and possibly still going on now) suicide was growing to the extend where measures had to be taken against it (such as mirrored walls for trains) and that it had become a rather large problem?

Are Tamiya Mini 4wd cars still popular over there? If so, how prevalent are public race tracks? I've been trying to buy one on ebay for a while now, but they are pretty expensive.

Or has everyone moved on to larger scale RC cars?

How many Japanese know that George W Bush criticized John Kerry for being against the Yakuza?



Even I wasn't aware of that. Can you give me a citation?It's history now, but here's a residual citation about it. http://www.factcheck.org/article212.html#

"I'm George W. Bush and I approve this message. John Kerry says he's 'Author of a strategy to win the war on terror'...Against the Japanese Yakuza. Never mentions Al-Qaeda. Says nothing about Osama Bin Laden. Calls Yasser Arafat a "statesman." The New Republic says Kerry's plan "misses the mark." And Kerry's focus? Global crime, not terrorism. How can John Kerry win a war if he doesn't know the enemy?" ---George W Bush

What's worse is that George W Bush won New Mexico, the state where that campaign ad was shown on TV

日本人はこどもを食べますか?

Wow! I can actually read that. I don't know much Japanese at all, but I've been studying it.

Wow! I can actually read that. I don't know much Japanese at all, but I've been studying it.
read what? I only see question marks

I've heard there is widespread censorship of WWII history in Japanese high school textbooks and that a significant portion of the Japanese population do not even know who won WWII... to what extent has the government covered up details about Japan's involvement in the war, and what are ordinary Japanese people's attitudes towards the war?

I too was wondering about this. My German friend tells me that WWII is very "hushed-up" in Germany, but that most people still know about it. He said the Germans feel a great sense of embarrasmnet over it. Is the attitude in Japan similar?

Also, what effect is the declining US Dollar haveing on the already struggling Japanese economy? Helping, hurting, or both?

Again, domo arigato.

Is it true that the Japanese despise white people?

When in Japan do the Japanese take pictures of EVERYTHING, the way they do when thier on vacation? I was at the Louvre once and I saw Japensese tourists going through the whole place with a video cameras to thier faces. One of the greatest museums in the world and they were looking at it through a lens?!?

Is there any money to be made through skill in shodo calligraphy?

I've been at it for five years and its finally starting to look half decent.

When I was in Japan two years ago (Tokyo and Mizusawa, in Iwata prefecture) I met with several politicians, as well as many different people in education. At that time there seemed to be concern and the beginnings of a dialogue about Japan's declining relative importance in Asia and the world.

Japan continues to be an economic power, although it has been experiencing slow economic growth. The larger issue, however, is that dispite its past economic strength Japan has exerted relatively little influence in the region and is not generally seen as a model for other Asian countries. China, Vietnam, the Koreas, Malaysia, Tiawan and other emerging economies do not generally look to Japan as a model and the Japanese do seem to exert cultural or political influence either.

In your dealing with the Japanese did you get the impression that there is concern for Japan's international role in the coming decades?

Speaking as a person who studies history and the social sciences, I think that Japan's international role appears to dwindle is because of historical factors.

The Japanese were greatly admired by asiatic countries upon defeat of Mother Russia in the Russo-Japanese War. This pride for an asian nation at a time when extreme imperialism was tearing militaristically weaker countries apart made Japan seem like the perfect leader to demonstrate the potential of asian nations. Japan was faced with a choice. Become the leader and strength to the rest of asia to help drive out western imperialism, or join the western imperialist powers in their struggle for resources. Unfortunately the Meiji reform and the recent sucess of the Japanese against a major western power did not help the Japanese feel more humble about themselves. They (not the Japanese people, but those with influence) now saw the once reveared and worshiped China as a weak, closeminded backward country who demonstrated their weakness by failing to fight off the brutal abuse of imperialists, and the Japanese made the decision to become the new pillar of strength for asia, but not by fighting the westerers and nurturing their comerades, but by conquering the already weakened countries of asia.
Japan's offensive military was removed at the end of WWII for this reason.

This caused much distrust toward the Japanese, that carries over even today.

Also it was experienced all over the world, when Japan proved its strength, not just in military pursuits, but also in economic ones as well. Japan was an economic superpower growing from the sixties, experiencing a great boom in the eighties, and even in the nineties. It was not until the growing fear of a Japanese economic superpower caused even greater distrust in Japan, that Japan's treachery was pointed out, and once again ostrasized.

Japanese adaptive skills makes integration a simple task. Such integration leads to mastery of ideas that would otherwise take other nations centuries to adapt to. The Japanese cultural and social system also aids in a kind of professionalism which has made Japan famous (and infamous).

It is my speculation that modern Japanese youth perhaps on some level understand this reputation given by bloodright and are responding to it with the kind of apathy described earlier in this thread, but that they have found a more condusive way of gaining influece over the world.

Look at the media. Anime, Manga, Japanese language, mannerisms, eastern religion and philosophy, food, music (BTW, I am a huge GLAY fan). Japanese culture is spreading, this time not by killing or bankrupting enemies, but by soothing them with the imagination and by showing that although we may act and speak and look different, the things that really make us human are the same for all of us; our loves and dreams and fears.

Japanese culture spreads, as I type this, another child will buy Yu-Gi-Oh cards and another student will mutter her first "ohayou gozaimasu", and another buisinessman will nock back another Sapporo with a collegue over a days work done.

I do not doubt Japan's strength as an international role for as long as humans live. It will always be there, for even if its falls out of the spotlight, it has permanently made its mark on humanity.

(P.S. Just because countries fall out of the spotlight does not make them idle. Look its Switzerland, one of the worlds scientific leaders, and who pays any attention to it? We never hear about the great things that other, less influential countries do.)

~Wizdro out

Anime, Manga, Japanese language, mannerisms, eastern religion and philosophy, food, music (BTW, I am a huge GLAY fan). Japanese culture is spreading, this time not by killing or bankrupting enemies, but by soothing them with the imagination and by showing that although we may act and speak and look different, the things that really make us human are the same for all of us; our loves and dreams and fears.

Japanese culture spreads, as I type this, another child will buy Yu-Gi-Oh cards and another student will mutter her first "ohayou gozaimasu", and another buisinessman will nock back another Sapporo with a collegue over a days work done.

You make some good points and certainly there are historic reasons for the relative influence, or lack of influence, of Japan in Eastern Asia. However, I have to disagree with your point about the spread of Japanese culture.

True, Japanese products have blanketed the planet, from electronic devices to automobiles to animated children's shows. However, Japanese ideas, customs, language, and culture have fared less well in the global market place of ideas.

Compare the spread of English to that of Japanese. English is now the primary second language in the world. That means if someone, somewhere in the world is going to learn a second language it will most likely be English. However, despite Japan's economic success, the Japanese language remains confined primarily to the Japanese islands. Those who do learn Japanese as a second language do so because they have direct dealings with the Japanese themselves. It has not become the linga franca of any part of the Asian world.

Of course there are many factors for the spread and influence of the English language and I am not suggesting that Japenese should be expected to rival English. However, I would hazard that Chinese, rather than Japanese, is probably more useful for a business person or tourist traveling in Asia, in terms of its widespread use in countries outside its home.

Religion in Asia is entirely different from western belief systems, with much less emphasis on conversion and missionary work; however the native Japanese religion of Shintoism remains a religion of the Japanese people only. Along these lines, though, Japanese philanthropy, while growing, still plays a relatively small role in worldwide or even Asian relief efforts. In general (and as I said this is changing somewhat) the Japanese have not used their enormous wealth to aid (or influence) their neighbors.

Nor do the Japanese play a significant role in international affairs. Whereas the United States or the European nations will often play key roles in mediating peace talks, organizing international conferences, or exerting political pressure and influence upon the rest of the world, the Japanese rarely use their influence outside the areas of trade and economic development. The exception, of course, is the recent Kyoto accords, which did not originate with Japan, but which the Japanese have been pushing. And while recent statements by Prime Minister Koizumi about using the Japanese Defence Force in a first strike scenario, as well as Japan's limited involvement in Iraq, indicate the Japanese attitude toward the international use of their military may be changing, overall Japan has been reluctant to flex its muscle in the region.

As to the influence of Japanese culture which you addressed in your discussion of anime and Japanese music, I am not qualified to really address that issue. I attended a workshop on Japanese theatre in Tokyo and most of my experience with music came from what I heard in the streets and clubs of only two cities - Tokyo and Mizusawa. It was my impression that their pop music was mostly derivitive of Western popular music, with various Japanese interpretations of rap, hip-hop, and teen idol bubble gum music. Traditional Japanese forms of music, such as Gagaku, Nogaku, or Biwagaku, as far as I know, have had realitively little widespread appeal outside of Japan. Nor has traditional Japanese theatre, such as Noh, Kyogen, or Kabuki, been much more than curiosities outside of the home islands.

There have been those in Asia who have complained that Japan does not have a real Asian identity or even see itself as Asian. A comparison can be made between Japan and Great Britain, which struggles with its identity as a European country or a distinctly unique nation, separate from Europe. I don't know that I am ready to come to that conclusion about Japan, but during my short three week stay I did get the impression from the Japanese I met, as well as the non-Japanese Asians living and working there, that Japan does not see itself as typically Asian.

Perhaps it is this attitude that limits their influence with their Asian neighbors.

do all Japanese people learn martial arts and know how to drift cars? ;)

do all Japanese people learn martial arts and know how to drift cars? ;)

I visited several elementary and high schools when in Japan. One of the elementary schools had a Sumo pit (I had a 4th grader push me out of the circle - interestingly enough girls are not allowed to set foot in the pit). The high schools had Kenjutsu training and archery after school and Ju-Jutsu classes for P.E.

Didn't see any drifting.

AAHHHH. Sorry guys busy weekend. I hope I can pop in to answer stuff tomorrow night!
(I have to be up to work as Santa in 6 hours (>o<)

do all Japanese people learn martial arts and know how to drift cars? ;)

No and ?
I don't even know what drift cars means?

I visited several elementary and high schools when in Japan. One of the elementary schools had a Sumu pit (I had a 4th grader push me out of the circle - interestingly enough girls are not allowed to set foot in the pit). The high schools had Kenjutsu training and archery after school and Ju-Jutsu classes for P.E.

Didn't see any drifting.

Sorry, but I'm going to have to call BS on that, unless you ment sumo, kendo, and judo.

Is there any money to be made through skill in shodo calligraphy?

I've been at it for five years and its finally starting to look half decent.

Money, no. Pleasure? Hell yeah! Keep it up. ;)


When in Japan do the Japanese take pictures of EVERYTHING, the way they do when thier on vacation? I was at the Louvre once and I saw Japensese tourists going through the whole place with a video cameras to thier faces. One of the greatest museums in the world and they were looking at it through a lens?!?

A steriotype with some basis in truth. But don't let it mislead you. My ex-girlfriend took no pictures while visiting my brother's (totally alien for an Osaka girl) Iowa farm last Xmas.

Is it true that the Japanese despise white people?

No.

:eek: :D :p im sold, im moving to japan now. i always thought that the japanesse were interesting and you all just confirmed it. as soon as i land im getting a japanesse wife :fluffle: , calling soy sauce by its fancy name, and pissing in front of everyone and going on a really abusive television show :headbang: and hopfully end up in the hospital. just joking but im really looking forword to going to japan and experiace a differant culture that is older than 250 years.

Sorry, but I'm going to have to call BS on that, unless you ment sumo, kendo, and judo.

You are right. I spelled sumo wrong.

I thought the traditional Japanese martial art with the wooden "swords" was called kenjutsu, but if you say it is kendo then I defer to your greater experience. I’m pretty certain the P.E. teacher at Iwate Prefectural Mizusawa Commercial H.S. told me they were studying ju-jutsu.

Can't say that I care for the B.S. comment.

This thread is awesome. I'll have to show it to my freinds who are planning on going to Japan next year as exchange students (if their parents let them). I for one have learned a great deal form it and Japan now seems like an even cooler place than it did before. I have to visit someday.

Can you hook me up with some of the following things at a discount?

A pachinko machine
16 hours worth of sumo wrestling
24 hours worth of some of their hardcore wrestling matches. Blades, Bombs and Barbwire matches are always fun
The entire unedited DBZ collection, well with subtitles of course. Haven't quite learned the language.
A case of good Sake
And of course, well just look at my sig

You are right. I spelled sumo wrong.

I thought the traditional Japanese martial art with the wooden "swords" was called kenjutsu, but if you say it is kendo then I defer to your greater experience. I’m pretty certain the P.E. teacher at Iwate Prefectural Mizusawa Commercial H.S. told me they were studying ju-jutsu.

Can't say that I care for the B.S. comment.

No worries. I assumed it was mistakes. ;)
Kendo uses bamboo "shinai" or bokuto (bamboo or wooden practice swords, respectavely). Kenjutsu usually refers to the Koryu (古流) (http://www.koryu.com/index.html), or "old school" art of swordsmanship. The koryu schools are the real, non-sport schools, and are not taught at high schools. They require a high degree of dedication over a period of decades. Kendo is taught at every school. I would be extraordinarily surprised if you could find a high school anywhere in Japan teaching Kenjutsu.

Jujutsu is a problem, as it is used to refer to both the modern sport and the koryu schools. See this for more (http://www.furyu.com/wayne/Seifukan/budonotes/notes001.html).
But generally, Judo is what's taught at schools, especially in general PE. The teacher may have been trying to impress you, or it might actually have been a modern style jujitsu class. I highly doubt it was a traditional jujutsu class - that wouyld look like a *really* nasty bad judo class.

I called BS because I see way too many people claiming to study "traditional" Japanese martial arts who are either BSing or are buying into BS (with the whole ninjutsu craze being the worst offender). Sorry if I offended...

Can you hook me up with some of the following things at a discount?

A pachinko machine
16 hours worth of sumo wrestling
24 hours worth of some of their hardcore wrestling matches. Blades, Bombs and Barbwire matches are always fun
The entire unedited DBZ collection, well with subtitles of course. Haven't quite learned the language.
A case of good Sake
And of course, well just look at my sig

Well, I might could get my hands on a couple of bottles of really good junmai-shu sake. I still have good friends in Niigata (Niigata is the Japanese Champagne region... :cool: - note where I used to live).
Otherwise, gomen. m(__)m

This thread is awesome. I'll have to show it to my freinds who are planning on going to Japan next year as exchange students (if their parents let them). I for one have learned a great deal form it and Japan now seems like an even cooler place than it did before. I have to visit someday.

He, he. Depends on what they're looking for. :p

When I was in Japan two years ago (Tokyo and Mizusawa, in Iwate prefecture) I met with several politicians, as well as many different people in education. At that time there seemed to be concern and the beginnings of a dialogue about Japan's declining relative importance in Asia and the world.

Japan continues to be an economic power, although it has been experiencing slow economic growth. The larger issue, however, is that dispite its past economic strength Japan has exerted relatively little influence in the region and is not generally seen as a model for other Asian countries. China, Vietnam, the Koreas, Malaysia, Tiawan and other emerging economies do not generally look to Japan as a model and the Japanese do seem to exert cultural or political influence either.

In your dealing with the Japanese did you get the impression that there is concern for Japan's international role in the coming decades?


(Finally I have some time to tackle the good ones!)

Japan isn't just experiencing "slow growth" - the economy has been in a recession for about 10 years (there's even some argument that it is a depression...)

There's lots of hand wringing about this (and most other problems), but little is ever done of substance. The same is done with most international problems, with the addition of eventually doing whatever the US wants (Iraq is a prime example). This de-facto auto-pilot method of dealing with problems is, I fear, quite probably the worst thing Japan could do. I figure Japan has a 50/50 chance of a major conflict with China in the next 10-20 years. As far as I can see, it is not at all prepared for it.

The average person I interact with is doing well to know that there were riots at the recent Japanese soccer games in the PRC, much less what the riots were over. :(

Daistallia-san!

I adore this thread bery bery much.

Question: do you think the world would have been better of if the Bafuku after Ieyasu had ruled with the same wisdom as Ieyasu?

I refer for instance, on his insistence to keep Bushido as an elitist creed/philosophy, and to stop its spread to other layers of society.

I've heard there is widespread censorship of WWII history in Japanese high school textbooks and that a significant portion of the Japanese population do not even know who won WWII... to what extent has the government covered up details about Japan's involvement in the war, and what are ordinary Japanese people's attitudes towards the war?

Yes. All high school textbooks in Japan (including those for private schools) must be approved by the Ministry of Education. As far as I know every approved textbook glosses over the war (at best) or ignores it. In many ways Japan is seen as the victem. This is especially evident in the portayals of the atomic bombings - there seems to be a perception among a fair bit of the population that the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were out of the blue and unprovoked.
For more check out this:
Examining the Japanese History Textbook Controversies
Kathleen Woods Masalski (http://www.indiana.edu/~japan/Digests/textbook.html)

Wow! I can actually read that. I don't know much Japanese at all, but I've been studying it.

:D Keep at it! :D

Gambatte!

Daistallia-san!

I adore this thread bery bery much.

Question: do you think the world would have been better of if the Bafuku after Ieyasu had ruled with the same wisdom as Ieyasu?

I refer for instance, on his insistence to keep Bushido as an elitist creed/philosophy, and to stop its spread to other layers of society.

?!

A little lost at that question - not sure what you mean. But Japan would have been better off if it hadn't had to go through the traumatic Tokugawa period. Probably the world as well. The Tokugawa shogunate made Maoist China or The USSR under Stalin look nice. :(
(I'll admit to a bit of a bias towards Hideyoshi... I do consider myself an adopted Osaka-jin after all... :D)

:eek: :D :p im sold, im moving to japan now. i always thought that the japanesse were interesting and you all just confirmed it. as soon as i land im getting a japanesse wife :fluffle: , calling soy sauce by its fancy name, and pissing in front of everyone and going on a really abusive television show :headbang: and hopfully end up in the hospital. just joking but im really looking forword to going to japan and experiace a differant culture that is older than 250 years.

Giggle.
Have fun. You could be the next Dave Spector. OUCH! (>o<)

(Really, I hope you do come and enjoy it.)

I too was wondering about this. My German friend tells me that WWII is very "hushed-up" in Germany, but that most people still know about it. He said the Germans feel a great sense of embarrasmnet over it. Is the attitude in Japan similar?

Also, what effect is the declining US Dollar haveing on the already struggling Japanese economy? Helping, hurting, or both?

Again, domo arigato.

Great question. This is a problem of the Official line vs what people knoe vs what people "know".

Most people I know who are really cognizant of the causes and results of the pacific war are peace-niks who say Japan was wrong to start tyhe war, but the US was wrong to use atomic bombs. They generally are embarassed at the war. One of my students, a well educated lady who worked for an international shipping company, asked me not to see the movie The Thin
Red Line because "the Japanese acted so stupid".

The decline in the dollar is generally bad for Japan, as it still depends on the export market. Iut's good for me though, as I send money back to the US. :D

Well, I might could get my hands on a couple of bottles of really good junmai-shu sake. I still have good friends in Niigata (Niigata is the Japanese Champagne region... :cool: - note where I used to live).
Otherwise, gomen. m(__)m
No Pachinko Machine :(
No Wrestling :(
No Hentai :(



No pachinko and no wrestling and no Hentai make Crabby........................
....................................................................................................
....................................................................................................
....................................................................................................
Crabby. :mad:

Well at least I still have the internet.

Speaking as a person who studies history and the social sciences, I think that Japan's international role appears to dwindle is because of historical factors.

The Japanese were greatly admired by asiatic countries upon defeat of Mother Russia in the Russo-Japanese War. This pride for an asian nation at a time when extreme imperialism was tearing militaristically weaker countries apart made Japan seem like the perfect leader to demonstrate the potential of asian nations. Japan was faced with a choice. Become the leader and strength to the rest of asia to help drive out western imperialism, or join the western imperialist powers in their struggle for resources. Unfortunately the Meiji reform and the recent sucess of the Japanese against a major western power did not help the Japanese feel more humble about themselves. They (not the Japanese people, but those with influence) now saw the once reveared and worshiped China as a weak, closeminded backward country who demonstrated their weakness by failing to fight off the brutal abuse of imperialists, and the Japanese made the decision to become the new pillar of strength for asia, but not by fighting the westerers and nurturing their comerades, but by conquering the already weakened countries of asia.
Japan's offensive military was removed at the end of WWII for this reason.

This caused much distrust toward the Japanese, that carries over even today.

The distrust is based on historical depredations,as well. The wako or Hideyoshi's invasion of Korea, for example

Also it was experienced all over the world, when Japan proved its strength, not just in military pursuits, but also in economic ones as well. Japan was an economic superpower growing from the sixties, experiencing a great boom in the eighties, and even in the nineties. It was not until the growing fear of a Japanese economic superpower caused even greater distrust in Japan, that Japan's treachery was pointed out, and once again ostrasized.

The recession and lingering mistrust are probably more important here.

Japanese adaptive skills makes integration a simple task. Such integration leads to mastery of ideas that would otherwise take other nations centuries to adapt to. The Japanese cultural and social system also aids in a kind of professionalism which has made Japan famous (and infamous).

The infamous "adaptation" skills are over-rated. ;)

It is my speculation that modern Japanese youth perhaps on some level understand this reputation given by bloodright and are responding to it with the kind of apathy described earlier in this thread, but that they have found a more condusive way of gaining influece over the world.[/quote]

Look at the media. Anime, Manga, Japanese language, mannerisms, eastern religion and philosophy, food, music . Japanese culture is spreading, this time not by killing or bankrupting enemies, but by soothing them with the imagination and by showing that although we may act and speak and look different, the things that really make us human are the same for all of us; our loves and dreams and fears.

Hmm... not sure about that extrapolation...

(BTW, I am a huge GLAY fan)

We all have our failings. ;)

Japanese culture spreads, as I type this, another child will buy Yu-Gi-Oh cards and another student will mutter her first "ohayou gozaimasu", and another buisinessman will nock back another Sapporo with a collegue over a days work done.

Yes.

I do not doubt Japan's strength as an international role for as long as humans live. It will always be there, for even if its falls out of the spotlight, it has permanently made its mark on humanity.
(P.S. Just because countries fall out of the spotlight does not make them idle. Look its Switzerland, one of the worlds scientific leaders, and who pays any attention to it? We never hear about the great things that other, less influential countries do.)

~Wizdro out

Quite a few years ago Paul Kennedy suggested that Japan would end up as another Argentina. I think it will eventually end up somewhere between the two. (With luck... I'd be very happy if Japan ended up as another Switzerland!)

No Pachinko Machine
No Wrestling
No Hentai



No pachinko and no wrestling and no Hentai make Crabby........................
....................................................................................................
....................................................................................................
....................................................................................................
Crabby.

Well at least I still have the internet.

Just for you :D

Things I learned from Hentai

Hopefully you've learned that the loan word doesn't have the same meaning as the Japanese word. :)

All girls have large breasts

Haw. Haw, ha, ha, ha, :::dissolves into laughter:::

Don’t wear cursed items especially underwear

Hmmmmm...
Underwear!!!! :D :D :D

School nurses spend most of their time sleeping and having sex with students

Not the one in Isahaya. (SHUDDERS at the thought of sex with the old dorm mother/school nurse. EEWWWEEEE!)

A girl can make her clitoris look like an oversized penis if she knows how

I don't even want to know where you got that from.

Having sex with all the girls will get you out of a bizarre situation

Or into an even more bizarre situation...


Giving oral restores magical powers

YES! :D

It doesn’t pay to be a Japanese schoolgirl

Well, I understand the going rate in Shibuya is around $200... (and I hope that doesn't get this banned....)

Strange chemicals and open wounds = Sex change

Well... maybe so (http://web-japan.org/trends98/honbun/ntj980516.html)

[quote]Trust not the drink given by a ditz[quote]

True anywhere. No Mickey's, if you please.

From what I have leared about Japan in history, they seem to have been somewhat isolationist. Does this trend still have imfluence on their politics today?

Oh, and since you said you lived sometime in Osaka . . . I think my best friend has family (the Japanese side, at least) there.

From what I have leared about Japan in history, they seem to have been somewhat isolationist. Does this trend still have imfluence on their politics today?

Quite a bit. But the largest single influance on Japanese politics today is probably the US occupation.

Oh, and since you said you lived sometime in Osaka . . . I think my best friend has family (the Japanese side, at least) there.

Ah. (Actually I live here now. The last 10 years.)

How do you pronounce this in Japanese:

杜曉聰

It is my Chinese name, I was wondering how it would sound when read in Japanese.

Also, can you tell me what it says on this image?

http://www.nationstates.net/images/flags/uploads/antebellum_south.jpg

I'm working on my TEFL diploma at the moment and am planning on heading overseas to teach ESL (already have a BA degree but not in education). I know a number of companies are available to help place teachers in Japan, but do you know if this is a good way to go or should I try to establish my own contract?

Also, from what I've read, you only make about break-even teaching ESL in Japan (as opposed to Korea or China for example). Is this true? Does having previous ESL experience abroad help earn a higher pay rate? Would having taught in Korea/China be a benefit or a detrement when I try to find work in Japan?

Lots more questions, but enough for now.

I don't even want to know where you got that from.
La Blue Girl.

Oh, wait. You said that you didn't want to know where I got that from. Oops, my bad. :D

I think that I should also mention that I get to take a course in modern Japanese history next semester. Although I would prefer more ancient Japanese history. I'll take what I can get though. Plus this actually counts towards the required Non Western civilizations credits that I need as part of the college’s general education requirements that everybody is forced to take.

OK, three questions (one simple, two a bit more involved):

1. What is the general impression of China in the land of evil rapist midgets? (just to let you know what the almost universally held stereotype is over here.:rolleyes:)

2. The whole "Asian values" phenomena is still going strong here in China. The basic idea is that a Confucian attitude toward family and authority is an eternal Asian attitude and sets the region apart from the West. However, when I was in Japan even I noted that the youth were considerably more rebellious, or at least superficially so, than over here. From what my friend on the JET program tells me the kids are also much less in awe of teachers.

So my question is: just how firmly do Confucian values still hold in contemporary Japan? (basically I'm curious as to whether ties to authority and family necessarily slacken with a higher level of development or whether it's just a Western phenomenon).

3. I see here in China two big inhibitors of growth.

The first is the 关系 (guanxi) culture. This is basically the culture that puts social connectedness above and beyond everything else. Business transactions, moving up the job ladder, even high level negotiations basically come down to favours and personal preference.

The second is the preference for flexibility over forward planning. So rather than everything being rigidly planned well in advance it's assumed everything can, and most likely will, change at the drop of the hat. Simple things like clearly planning your years course become impossible because no-one has got around to defining the semester dates, and even if they had they'd most likely change.

So the question is are these factors present in Japan or are they uniquely Chinese? And if they are present in Japan what role did they play in the Japanese economic development? Are they, as I assume, basically negative and so were worked around? Or did they actually help it? In your opinion.

I also live in Japan have been here for 8 years, in the Shizuoka area. I came here to teach English and study Japanese and ended up meeting my husband who is brazilian. There is actually a big brazilian population here which isn't that widely known. They are all 2nd or 3rd generation japanese sometimes 4th(but the government isnt giving anymore more visas to 4th gens. unless you're under 18). There is a bit of racism towards the Latinos here actually, but is getting better. But sometimes they bring it upon themselves. Don't know if this is of any interest to anyone or if it makes since. Cause I don't write a lot and when I do I get a bit confused(english,portuguese, japanese).
:cool: