Common Japanese misconceptions regarding foreigners and foreign countries

[Hurrem sultana]

What kind of prejudices are common in Japan regarding the western world?


Based on this text,they seem to think they are very superior

http://www.wa-pedia.com/gaijin/misconceptions_prejudices.shtml

[Siberian Cold Breeze]

4.3 Only Japan has four seasons ?

Kawaiii nee :D



5.1 English and Chinese are similar


:lol00002:
I loved this one most

Nihonjin hitotachi wa suki desu :hug:

[Hurrem sultana]

4.3 Only Japan has four seasons ?

Kawaiii nee :D


:lol00002:
I loved this one most

It was as funny to me :D

[Vesuvian Sky]

Here I'll summarize Japan for ya'll:

"Japan is for the Japanese! Everyone else is a western Devil!

Way of the Sumarai! Hoy-YA!"

[AlexandraD]

ill answer all i can, given that im mostly european and didn't go through japanese schooling ;p

anyways it's no secret that japanese people can be very prejudiced against certain cultures and people :| mostly other asians, chinese and koreans. although i'd say most asians hold similar prejudiced views, south koreans as well. although i would say with fair certainty that south koreans and possibly others hold very prejudiced views towards europe and western countries than japan does.

i think this author has had bad experiences with japan and has a very obvious bias in his writing :) i get this mostly from some of the entries seem pure farce / as if hes making some stuff up / stretched way too thin, and alot of their issues with other things seem to be them taking it badly.

i'd say most japanese know how their language intertwines with chinese (not chinese with english) especially the written system. you see this very easy. for example:

shi - し= death, four, city, poem. this hiragana, japanese. to specify when writing, they use kanji (chinese loanwords). these words in order -　死 ‐　四　‐　市　-　詩

ai - あい = love, indigo. kanji, most common to use -　愛　- 藍

so i think their association seems obvious. i won't rule out that possibly they may be indoctrinated in school to think that japanese seems unique, but it isn't and i would think most people would know that.

"all westerners speak english" myth is obviously true, and i think thats because other than japanese, the language most will learn is english so it makes sense why they will reply, talk, or whatever to white people in english if they can, because theyr used to mostly western and english speaking people visiting japan. they do this to be understood better rather than an insidious example of them slamming down people. :)

even when spoken to in japanese. its possible this author (like myself) might speak broken japanese which would indicate to them that speaking in english (default for white there) is better ~ they would probably also assume theyre being a polite visitor who learned it from a "japanese phrase" book, rather than them trying to be fluent (like the author suggests). it's actually a sign of politeness for a japanese person to try and speak the language of the visitor to foster understanding (:

the author is basically showing their bias in the "can you eat/do X japanese thing". it's a shame they take japanese politeness as a sign of them trying to be ignorant. sushi has alot of raw fish so it's not typical for them to serve a white person, so of course they ask if they can. chopsticks can also be handled incorrectly often, but here's where the authors misunderstanding japanese people - the reason they ask at restaurants is so they can get a spoon and fork and knife if they don't know how to use chopsticks.

also you can know how to 'use' them but also not know how to use them. you pass food with the back of your chopsticks, you flake off the splinters (if its that type of restaurant) of your broken chopsticks UNDER the table, you don't cross your chopsticks, you have to leave them in a specific way on a piece of porcelain (or whatever they give you to hold it when you put them down). alot of rules :P

japanese people assume these things because for 9 visitors who ar e new to the customs, they don't expect the 1 visitor who knows everything in specific.

anyways, going on, its well known the japanese bias in japan of course. when it comes to war crimes they committed during WWII in China and other countries, its famously omitted in their history books. the education system should be blamed rather than society at large.

i understand that as many europeans have registered in japan as north americans. however i think visitors is a different story (in regards to the 'all westerners speak english / from america)

in regards to the seasons thing, i think it's because japan has a very colorful and big burst of four seasons... the cherry blossoms... blossoming :P, many various traditions celebrated unique to each of the four seasons (or changing if). canadas literally (living here) winter and summer. theres about 2 or 3 weeks of intermission in between, honestly. it's not like how is experienced in japan... but i don't know about the "all japanese think they have 4 seasons" alone. maybe its something lost in translation? maybe they mean they have varied vibrant seasons (ignoring, of course, the great variance in europe obvs :) )

going on the foreigner thing, it can be true at times. gaikokujin or 外国人　(kanji means foreigner both in chinese and japanese, going back to how intertwined the languages) can be kind of a no-no word, it's not a slur but it's not a nice word either. kind of like "the other". there IS definitely discrimination.

when it comes to strictly europeans, my experience and to the best of my knowledge, japanese people really like and have an open admiration for them. especially visitors they tend to enjoy having them. they also enjoy american popular culture (lucky strikes a good seller of cigarettes in japan while it has died out in the USA).

against people who aren't white theres probably a bias, i'm sure. theres popular culture from western countries there and they may not tend to understand the specifics of some shows (culture difference, obviously) so they may absorb negative stereotypes about brown or black people from that. discrimination against people registered as european but who have dark or black skin tones may definately be a thing.

but yeah i haven't heard much about japanese people discriminating against a white european person trying to rent a house. especially trying to rent a hotel room or eat in a restaurant, that doesn't seem accurate... like, at all. again like i said, japanese people tend to respect north americans and europeans in general. it borders on open admiration amongst some people. they love western music (metal, punk, etc), alot of their food, culture, television, etc.

id have to look at the hot springs issue, though... there may be something there. there's very strict social rules in place when it comes to bathing (and im very serious). lastly, i think the asking the author about sleeping on a futon and other stuff seems to me to be mostly polite... how can they tell if one euro persons fine with sleeping (on the floor, basically) from another one who has never experienced it? most westerners tend to dislike sleeping on futons so it is a very common question to ask.

anyways, blah blah blah i know srry for rambling (: like i said im not a huge expert :P soooo, yeah. take it with a grain of salt :) hope that helps!

[Vesuvian Sky]

Well when I was there last my friend, who is Japanese, basically said that the feeling among the Japanese is that Europeans have more AIDS ergo why it is unsafe to mate with them.

Meanwhile, the freakin' Nigerians run Ronpongi!

Go figure.

Epic fail.

:picard2:

[Defiance]

p1mnGkp34w4

[Scholarios]

All Westerners are bad at math

Westerners are constantly engaged in orgies.

Americans eat hamburgers for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Exaggeration of racial discrimination issues in Western countries.

All Westerners are white.

It is impossible for Westerners to use chopsticks.

It is impossible for Westerners to speak Japanese/ Korean

Westerners cannot eat slightly spicy food.

Westerners are mixed, Koreans, Japanese are pure.

This are a few if the most common from my 6 years of living in Korea and Japan.

[Rouxinol]

I don't know, but apparently they must have great misconceptions about Paris and France. Ever heard of the Paris syndrome that usually affects Japanese tourists?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_syndrome
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15391010/ns/travel-news/t/paris-syndrome-leaves-tourists-shock/#.UQKMBvIpT08

[Hurrem sultana]

Thanks Alexandra you explained it very well,it all makes sense,i think cultural differences can be reason for missunderstandings,when they try to be just polite you take it as beeing rude

I had the same feeling while reading the text,he was not very "neutral"

[Vesuvian Sky]

Westerners are constantly engaged in orgies.

Exaggeration of racial discrimination issues in Western countries.


These two hit the nerve with me the most.

In regards to the first, Japs are some of the biggest pervs going.

In regards to the second, uhm whatever happened to the Ainu?:icon_ask:

Uhm, wasn't Japanese occupation of Korea basically one big ass rape?

And finally, it is absolutely hilarious that the greatest hatred the Japanese have can actually be towards Koreans. If only they knew that both they and themselves almost certainly had common origins, probably as close to the period prior to Jomon.

[Scholarios]

These two hit the nerve with me the most.

In regards to the first, Japs are some of the biggest pervs going.

In regards to the second, uhm whatever happened to the Ainu?:icon_ask:

Uhm, wasn't Japanese occupation of Korea basically one big ass rape?

And finally, it is absolutely hilarious that the greatest hatred the Japanese have can actually be towards Koreans. If only they knew that both they and themselves almost certainly had common origins, probably as close to the period prior to Jomon.


Yes. But you are forgetting that the Confucian notion of truth is equivalent to " convenience" therefore hiding something within your Own community is the same as the said quality not existing. I. E. Since all ethical lines of thought lead back to the community, family, workplace, bureaucracy- then the existence of negative traits like corruption, racism, etc. Are irrelevant or inconsequential to those outside the community. I. E they don't exist. This creates a feeling of distrust and cynicism as well as a perception of hypocrisy on the part of Westerners who deal with Confucian cultures.

[Vesuvian Sky]

Yes. But you are forgetting that the Confucian notion of truth is equivalent to " convenience" therefore hiding something within your Own community is the same as the said quality not existing. I. E. Since all ethical lines of thought lead back to the community, family, workplace, bureaucracy- then the existence of negative traits like corruption, racism, etc. Are irrelevant or inconsequential to those outside the community. I. E they don't exist. This creates a feeling of distrust and cynicism as well as a perception of hypocrisy on the part of Westerners who deal with Confucian cultures.

Yeah well it sounds like a matter of pot-kettle at the end of the day. Confucian thinking ain't my cup of tea anyway. I'm more into Aurelian thought.:cool:

But bottom line those who live in glass houses themselves shouldn't throw well whatever...

At the end of the day I take people as I see 'em mostly. Could care less what Confucius thinks.:p

[B01AB20]

japaneses are weird really, (some of) they seem to love flamenco dance and guitar more than spaniards,

eiko takahashi, 30 years doing flamenco... olé :thumb001:
http://m.orange.es/UpImages/2343/eiko_takahashi__anos_de_entrega_al_flamenco_entre_ el_sacromonte_y_japon_0f7aff4953f18e7ce80dc1253_n. jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/71/193880427_3e51a3bf19.jpg

http://blog.edidablog.it/edidablog/hamburguesa/files/2011/05/flamenco-japon.jpg

and well, they have the necesary 'duende' (feeling more or less) to play flamenco guitar.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b05pkEgycVE/TDbpd-AcizI/AAAAAAAAFx4/6Wf71oANyVA/s1600/P1300307.JPG

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Io-KPs66Ctg/UDz6LvLseiI/AAAAAAAAAHM/LtijNRGkls8/s1600/kentaro.jpg


this strange event took place in San Francisco, California.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3cm7viGd6g/TgzFR3TUa7I/AAAAAAAAEcg/s1fBp9dHNgE/s1600/Noche%2BFlamenca%2Bpara%2BJapon%2BPoster_DEF.jpg

I confess that for me native flamenco is very boring and dull usualy, but I'm fascinated by japanese flamencos :tongue

I wonder if they sing flamenco songs in spanish, japanese or ...english.

[Linet]

The problem is that they also probably think they can do it better than Spaniards....:tongue:

[B01AB20]

The problem is that they also probably think they can do it better than Spaniards....:tongue:

I'm not an expert, but I bet they probably do it better.

But I'm biased, like many o most spaniards I look down on flamenco (gypsies making a deafening noise :speechless-smiley-0 ), but I find it likeable and amusing when japaneses do it, must the contrast and 'bizarreness' of the thing.

[Vesuvian Sky]

I heard about the Jap love affair for flamenco...I study flamenco and even my teacher gave me a heads up about this before I went over there. I actually saw one flamenco studio in one of the districts.

They've got tons of guitar shops and stock flamenco guitars. Found one that was selling them and played tangos, fandongos....I recieved rather curious looks.

[AlexandraD]

These two hit the nerve with me the most.

In regards to the first, Japs are some of the biggest pervs going.

In regards to the second, uhm whatever happened to the Ainu?:icon_ask:

Uhm, wasn't Japanese occupation of Korea basically one big ass rape?

And finally, it is absolutely hilarious that the greatest hatred the Japanese have can actually be towards Koreans. If only they knew that both they and themselves almost certainly had common origins, probably as close to the period prior to Jomon.

aha you hit it right on the nose with that good sir :) they are quite similar. i think it was in the late 1800s or early 1900s, there was alot of anti-korean sentiment and rioting occured. i'm going to guess the amounts, but i think around 100 koreans were killed and 10 JAPANESE people were killed because they were mistaken for korean!

it's easy to tell the difference between most asians. but honestly when it comes to some south koreans and japanese, i'd have to hear them open their mouths to tell if they're japanese or not :P

i personally think it's sad there is such hatred for eachother. the history goes too far back; japanese are too proud to offer official apologies (which wouldn't even mend the wound, just help to heal it over time really). disputes over land and sea (BIG issue), war crimes, etc. editing of textbooks and official school curriculum is bigger propaganda in japan compared to something radical like obama installing microphones all over and blasting propoganda 24/7. if japanese kids are taught that they were righteous doing whatever in china, and all war crimes omitted, and it enters the public consciousness and they take it also from their parents who lived the same thing, they will be very stubborn and insist it is the koreans being sensitive or bad.

i think their politeness would dictate them being more open and apologetic towards their war crimes if their history wasn't edited and the official word from the government wasn't "japanese were right, koreans wrong" :)

youre quite right about the sex stuff. its been theorized that the low sex drive in japan and decreasing birth rate is linked to the over saturation of all things pornography (hentai, yuri, yaoi, ecchi, tentacle porn, futanari, guro hentai, lolita, so so so much more) there. their animated porn industry is very large... its actually pretty popular in the west ive been told ... :|

[Vesuvian Sky]

aha you hit it right on the nose with that good sir :) they are quite similar. i think it was in the late 1800s or early 1900s, there was alot of anti-korean sentiment and rioting occured. i'm going to guess the amounts, but i think around 100 koreans were killed and 10 JAPANESE people were killed because they were mistaken for korean!

it's easy to tell the difference between most asians. but honestly when it comes to some south koreans and japanese, i'd have to hear them open their mouths to tell if they're japanese or not :P

i personally think it's sad there is such hatred for eachother. the history goes too far back; japanese are too proud to offer official apologies (which wouldn't even mend the wound, just help to heal it over time really). disputes over land and sea (BIG issue), war crimes, etc. editing of textbooks and official school curriculum is bigger propaganda in japan compared to something radical like obama installing microphones all over and blasting propoganda 24/7. if japanese kids are taught that they were righteous doing whatever in china, and all war crimes omitted, and it enters the public consciousness and they take it also from their parents who lived the same thing, they will be very stubborn and insist it is the koreans being sensitive or bad.

i think their politeness would dictate them being more open and apologetic towards their war crimes if their history wasn't edited and the official word from the government wasn't "japanese were right, koreans wrong" :)

youre quite right about the sex stuff. its been theorized that the low sex drive in japan and decreasing birth rate is linked to the over saturation of all things pornography (hentai, yuri, yaoi, ecchi, tentacle porn, futanari, guro hentai, lolita, so so so much more) there. their animated porn industry is very large... its actually pretty popular in the west ive been told ... :|

Yup, exactly. Its so weird too that the group most biologically and lignuistically similar to them is at the crux of their hate (even more than Caucasoids!)...

Its things like this that boggle my mind when I analyze the Japanese and their society but also shows me how meaningless a concept such as race can be at times!

And yes why bother getting married and having kids when you can have your porn or "side girl". Lots of people don't know this but its common for married japanese men to have a "side girl" which is more or less perfectly ok. And prostitution is just a part of everyday life.

Japanese society is actually one of the most decadent there is today IMO way more so then American IMO! Matter of fact, US decadence has nothing on Japanese as far as I'm concerned.

[Loki]

What NOT to do in Japan:

uIyIZZQnuDQ

[Scholarios]

Yup, exactly. Its so weird too that the group most biologically and lignuistically similar to them is at the crux of their hate (even more than Caucasoids!)...

Its things like this that boggle my mind when I analyze the Japanese and their society but also shows me how meaningless a concept such as race can be at times!

And yes why bother getting married and having kids when you can have your porn or "side girl". Lots of people don't know this but its common for married japanese men to have a "side girl" which is more or less perfectly ok. And prostitution is just a part of everyday life.

Japanese society is actually one of the most decadent there is today IMO way more so then American IMO! Matter of fact, US decadence has nothing on Japanese as far as I'm concerned.

It's how I feel about Korea. As far as sexual ethics and so on. Gender equality is a laughable concept. Imagine Japan in the 1930's and Koreans are stuck in a lot of the mindsets they have inherited from Japan.

But in my experience, the relationship between Japanese and Koreans is complex. The mania for Korean stuff is huge among some parts of the Japanese public (well at least partially because Fuji TV is owned by Koreans.) The Ukyoku Dantai 右翼団体 Right wing groups are disproportionately ethnic Koreans also for some reason. The close relationship between organized crime and right-wing politics probably has something to do with it. Not to mention the fact that despite what Koreans say, a large portion of them had been loyal imperial subjects and even fought and died for the emperor. A disproportionate number of War Criminals from the Tokyo War Crimes Trials were ethnic Koreans.

Also, I don't think most Japanese buy the story that they were innocent in the "Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity War". There is hidden resentment over the occupation of their country, but though since the economic crisis, nationalism has risen in Japan, most people are happy with the pacifist constitution and not all text-books are total bullshit like the stuff I saw at the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo. In fact, the Japanese teacher's Union..日本教職員組合 who the Right often oppose (don't forget Korean and Japanese left owe a lot to North Korean style ideology, though the pacifistic nature of Post-War Japan has stemmed this feeling to some extent in the modern Japanese left)

But remember JRA?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Red_Army

[Vesuvian Sky]

Gender equality is a laughable concept. Imagine Japan in the 1930's and Koreans are stuck in a lot of the mindsets they have inherited from Japan.

In Japan, women are more or less "items"/property according to the law. This is actually a very E. Asian thing I believe in general.



The mania for Korean stuff is huge among some parts of the Japanese public (well at least partially because Fuji TV is owned by Koreans.)

They sure love taking weekened trips to Seoul and gobbling up designer purses and other stuff. Naturally, Jap Yen goes faaaaaaaaaaaaaar there.

'Nother funny thing, Korean style BBQ abounds in Tokyo despite rivalry. Had some with my friend the last night I was in Tokyo and he was remarking how he thought preparing food with scissors was so uniquely Korean.:)



The Ukyoku Dantai 右翼団体 Right wing groups are disproportionately ethnic Koreans also for some reason. The close relationship between organized crime and right-wing politics probably has something to do with it. Not to mention the fact that despite what Koreans say, a large portion of them had been loyal imperial subjects and even fought and died for the emperor. A disproportionate number of War Criminals from the Tokyo War Crimes Trials were ethnic Koreans.

Interesting. Yeah I wasn't aware that Koreans were tied to some of these Japanese political processes. You wouldn't know that per se depending on who you talk to over there.



Also, I don't think most Japanese buy the story that they were innocent in the "Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity War". There is hidden resentment over the occupation of their country, but though since the economic crisis, nationalism has risen in Japan, most people are happy with the pacifist constitution and not all text-books are total bullshit like the stuff I saw at the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo. In fact, the Japanese teacher's Union..日本教職員組合 who the Right often oppose (don't forget Korean and Japanese left owe a lot to North Korean style ideology, though the pacifistic nature of Post-War Japan has stemmed this feeling to some extent in the modern Japanese left)


IMO, its almost like getting a free ride. They don't have to worry about invasion and such because the screamin' eagle's in town. And they'd be toast if Uncle Sam left and they know this!

[Scholarios]

What NOT to do in Japan:

uIyIZZQnuDQ

These are interesting, I always felt the subway quiet rules didn't apply in Tokyo, at least not the big areas where foreigners go, Shijunku, Sibuya, Roppongi, Ginza, etc.

One thing I would add is please don't talk about anime/manga/otaku stuff with Japanese. People who like this stuff in Japan are generally weirdos/outcasts. If you are a foreigner who talks about this stuff in public you are going to be a double outcast. Remember she said Japanese are very private- often about their own interests. People who shout their interests- especially related to cosplay etc are perceived as obnoxious.

http://youtu.be/YhNrHWXNMzM

http://www.antiwc.net/group/

[AlexandraD]

Yup, exactly. Its so weird too that the group most biologically and lignuistically similar to them is at the crux of their hate (even more than Caucasoids!)...

Its things like this that boggle my mind when I analyze the Japanese and their society but also shows me how meaningless a concept such as race can be at times!

And yes why bother getting married and having kids when you can have your porn or "side girl". Lots of people don't know this but its common for married japanese men to have a "side girl" which is more or less perfectly ok. And prostitution is just a part of everyday life.

Japanese society is actually one of the most decadent there is today IMO way more so then American IMO! Matter of fact, US decadence has nothing on Japanese as far as I'm concerned.

yea aha i know... korean has been called one of the most perfectly devised languages in existence as well, especially the writing system and rules (stacking), how each character ㅁㅠㅎㄷㄴ and so on fit with eachother and represent the sounds!

but yea i honestly wish the japanese government wasn't so stubborn and relations could be normalized. korean culture and economy is growing very fast, and i think a closely allied japan and s. korea would be EXTREMELY beneficial to both countries... but it involves the japanese government saying "sorry" and possibly conceding historical significance/etc to lands and sea zones they currently occupy... which is hard for them to do lmao :)

im not too sure about the prostitution thing (ill have to read more about it) but i think there is a disconnect between the old generation and the new generation. it isn't uncommon anymore for students to live at home, or to even study for a few years and move back in. plus the internet, growth of pornography and related industries (like sex dolls, anime pillows, lolita figurines). manga is again quite huge and although there are gender specific ones (shonen for boys and shojo for girls) both tend to read both genres.

the older generation sees these things as frivolities and tend to disapprove of them, the younger generation obviously loves them. so boys especially get really into it much more than boys from other countries. the obsession over bishojo or 美処女 girls is really big, it's basically very very very attractive girls just under university age, with perfect feminine qualities and perfect figure and perfect breasts. depending on the manga, they can have amazing qualities or superpowers. so it's basically an 11/10 girl that no japanese girl can live up to, but the boys idolize these characters from anime and manga and become ~ literally ~ obsessed over them. one example is haruhi suzumiya (涼宮ハルヒ).

so i can see why the obsession and low sex drive. not only do you have all these perfect characters in the popular media, but they are also in books that are most common to read, and this is also coupled with the huge pornography industry... i feel bad for the girls living there :( its honestly sad they can't live up to this idealized standard that the boys have in their imaginations, and because of that also low sex drive... which double sucks for girls :( i like japan, my part heritage, etc etc but i think europe and its values is the place for me :) :)


i don't know about the decadence part. if you are talking in terms of porn, that is most definitely true without a doubt :P but japanese people aren't too decadent in other areas. there is lower drug use when compared with western and european countries, also alcohol isn't as big a thing there either (tends to be rice wine most of the times), recreational activities don't tend to be decadent either (other than a few drinks and karaoke - this is totally not a stereotype as it is soooo true ;p ). the diets are usually restrained, although the food is good. most japanese people tend to work very hard and many hours so it doesn't leave a big amount of time for pure hedonism. big focus on religious and traditional activities (most japanese observe both shinto and buddhist traditions) and family time at the end of the day (especially when the grandparents live with them... and everyone takes a nice long bath :) )... less smoking too, and the lung cancer rates are literally almost 50% less than the US and Canada. all of this contributes to a very old avg. lifespan

so i think it depends what you mean when you say decadent... i won't argue that they tend to overindulge in some areas, that is obvious i think ~ (:


These are interesting, I always felt the subway quiet rules didn't apply in Tokyo, at least not the big areas where foreigners go, Shijunku, Sibuya, Roppongi, Ginza, etc.

One thing I would add is please don't talk about anime/manga/otaku stuff with Japanese. People who like this stuff in Japan are generally weirdos/outcasts. If you are a foreigner who talks about this stuff in public you are going to be a double outcast. Remember she said Japanese are very private- often about their own interests. People who shout their interests- especially related to cosplay etc are perceived as obnoxious.

omg this is soooooooo true! :P

honestly i dont think japanese (specifically younger ones) dislike anything more than loud 'otakus' who visit and act like crazed fanboys... especially when they use their typical couple of japanese words they learned and yell them out like "OMG SO KAWAIII O_o" and other stuff... and they act and talk to people like they know every anime and manga they've read, or do typical 'otaku' stuff like say "yeah i prefer dubs japanese voice acting is so YOI!!" , "i cried when lawliet died" and other stuff. most japanese people will just laugh and do this kind of nod/bow or try to act polite and smile but secretly (and they won't say this to your face) but they will be very very annoyed :P

the japanese kid could be a bigger fan than you and totally love the same manga you are blabbing about but if you're a typical american otaku they will get pissed (on the inside) aha (:

[Scholarios]

, also alcohol isn't as big a thing there either (tends to be rice wine most of the times), recreational activities don't tend to be decadent either (other than a few drinks and karaoke - this is totally not a stereotype as it is soooo true ;p ).


Japanese are not heavy drinkers? It's kind of news to me. It seems one of the few things that is not considered rude in either Korea or Japan.. public drunkeness. Korea is of course worse than Japan though.

Of course decadence is a matter of opinion though.

I also think there is more to the issue than apologizing- Japan under its former liberal governments did offer several apologies and admittance of guilt and paid some hefty reparations to South Korea (which was of course hidden from Koreans until 1994- 35 years after the reparations took place). Many Koreans do want just an apology. But also, Koreans are subconsciously interested in the restoration of an old Order they feel as natural.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Tianxia_en-zh-hans.svg

The fact that China is just ignored or seen as hostile fits well with Korean historical nationalism- the Koreans did not recognize the Qing Dynasty as legitimate under its Dong Yi 东夷 Barbarian rulers- the Manchu, and in fact, Koreans viewed themselves as the true Chinese. In this view, the Japanese Wa-倭寇 or "dwarf-pirates" are culturally inferior. When Japanese become economically destitute and come to Korea as foreign workers, then it's possible Koreans will forget about the past.

[Vesuvian Sky]

What NOT to do in Japan:

uIyIZZQnuDQ

lol, most of these things apply to almost all other places.

Americans do indeed typically fail the "don't talk loudly test" and I remember when I was in Tajikistan the colleagues I was with failed miserably at this one night and it caused a scene.:picard2:

Its common sense though to avoid doing this wherever you are because you typically become a target.

Japanese though tend to ignore you if you are a foreigner really. Its kind've a 1950's US racism vibe to be honest but also "oh shit, now I've gotta try to understand and speak English...".

I'm sure the lady in the vid get's alot of attention cause she's a "wimmenz of the west" and scoring a "caucasian chic" is high game over there. Overall traveling in Japan is not that big of a deal and Japanese know "obvious foreigner is obvious".

[AlexandraD]

Japanese are not heavy drinkers? It's kind of news to me. It seems one of the few things that is not considered rude in either Korea or Japan.. public drunkeness. Korea is of course worse than Japan though.

Of course decadence is a matter of opinion though.

well im not 100% on it but i don't think it's nearly as big a thing as it is in other countries. also, genetically, east asians lack a certain... something (i can't remember the specifics) but it may be a liver enzyme in the cytochrome P450 family that effectively metabolizes alcohol, which means in asians they get very red cheeks, very flushed, and higher amount of toxic metabolites are produced and the alcohol is more potent which leads to them getting drunk must faster, also experience the ill side effects earlier and harsher, and worse hangovers... which is why 20% is the most common strength to drink :D

[Jackson]

What NOT to do in Japan:

uIyIZZQnuDQ

Judging by that i'd think i could fit in quite well in Japan, can use chopsticks too. :)

And she is very hot.

I have quite a lot of respect for the Japanese, nice language, they also seem to be hard working and make good cars. We have quite a few Japanese people where i am, although I've only met one or two. Generally they seem friendly and they are not very boisterous and tend to stick to themselves (probably linguistic-cultural divide more than anything).

[morski]

Japanese are not heavy drinkers? It's kind of news to me. It seems one of the few things that is not considered rude in either Korea or Japan.. public drunkeness. Korea is of course worse than Japan though.


I believe they are physically unable to consume large quantities of alcohol.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_flush_reaction

[morski]

well im not 100% on it but i don't think it's nearly as big a thing as it is in other countries. also, genetically, east asians lack a certain... something (i can't remember the specifics) but it may be a liver enzyme in the cytochrome P450 family that effectively metabolizes alcohol, which means in asians they get very red cheeks, very flushed, and higher amount of toxic metabolites are produced and the alcohol is more potent which leads to them getting drunk must faster, also experience the ill side effects earlier and harsher, and worse hangovers... which is why 20% is the most common strength to drink :D

I doubt that.

[AlexandraD]

I doubt that.

sorry, that was probably an err on my part to use that word. i didn't mean it's actual potency (things like bioavailability of ethanol) would necessarily increase its blood levels or anything, i meant to say the manifestations of most of the effects of alcohol (negative ones, that is) are more apparent in japanese and other asians :)

[Scholarios]

I believe they are physically unable to consume large quantities of alcohol.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_flush_reaction


Asian flush doesnt necessarily have nothing to do with the amount of alcohol they can actually consume. They have an allergy to the enzyme,and there is some proof that it causes throat cancer. (btw this generally only applies to Koreans and Japanese with the Mongolic phenotype, not to Australoids).

Korean Soju is the highest selling alcohol in the world, and only koreans drink it, and it costs about 1-2 dollars a bottle and has a 20-45% alcohol content. Japanese Shojoo has a similar alcohol content.

The Japanese and Korean drinking culture can give the Russ
ians and Irish a run for their money. China is possible even heavier drinking, though not as straight across the board as Korea or Japan.


Although beer, whiskey, and wine have been gaining popularity in recent years, soju remains one of the most popular alcoholic beverages in Korea because of its ready availability and relatively low price. More than 3 billion bottles were consumed in South Korea in 2004.[13] In 2006, it was estimated that the average adult Korean (older than 20) had consumed 90 bottles of soju during that year.

edit: this list, showing the top drinkers in the world seems to put Korea near the top, but Japan further down the list, a bit lower than Americans.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_alcohol_consumption


Moldova topped the list with an average of more than 18 liters per person per year, followed by Czech Republic (16.45 liters), Hungary (16.27 liters), and Russia (15.76 liters). Among Asian countries, Korea was followed by Kazakhstan (35th with 10.96 liters), Japan (70th with 8.03 liters) and China (95th with 5.91 liters).


But it is somewhat misleading...Czechs drink beer. Koreans and Japanese drink Soju, rice wine, etc.

[morski]

Korean Soju is the highest selling alcohol in the world, and only koreans drink it, and it costs about 1-2 dollars a bottle and has a 20-45% alcohol content. Japanese Shojoo has a similar alcohol content.


What's that supposed to mean?

I doubt the Japanese or the Koreans drink more than Europeans on average. That's just ludicrous.

[Graus]

I have actually met more Japanese who seemed obsessed about the west, although they had quite a few misconceptions but it was more cute than offensive for the most part.
And most seemed to like us Germans, I learned they adopted quite a few of our words. I also say t-shirts with badly executed German slogans most of them devoid of any sense whatsoever. I stuck out like a sore thumb but that wasnt that bad either. And the few people who acted in a similar way like the article suggested, you could easily shower with poisoned compliments until they walked away asking themselves if you were this rude on purpose or if it was just a cultural misunderstanding.

[Scholarios]

What's that supposed to mean?

I doubt the Japanese or the Koreans drink more than Europeans on average. That's just ludicrous.

Korean Jinro Soju at 1-3 U.S. dollars a bottle outside every other liquor in the world.(including every other brand of vodka and whisky)

thats only the top brand of soju. There are only 50 million Koreans. Some Europeans outdrink Koreans in hard liquor- Russians, Romanians, Ukranians from my experience. But Koreans are definitely the hardest drinkers in Asia and from my experience are the most commonly smashed people I have ever met. I know it doesn't fit with the weak "Asian nerd" stereotype, but it's true.



http://www.koreabang.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/millionaires-club-rank-of-spirits.jpg

http://www.koreabang.com/2012/stories/korean-soju-is-worlds-most-popular-spirit.html

According to the WHO survey of amounts of alcohol consumed in its 188 member countries in 2005, Korea ranked 13th in the world. However, Korea topped the rank of the amount of alcohol consumed in spirits such as soju and whisky, with 9.57 litres. This means that the amount of hard liquor consumed by Koreans, not wine or beer that is often consumed during meals, is the highest in the world.

[morski]

But it is somewhat misleading...Czechs drink beer. Koreans and Japanese drink Soju, rice wine, etc.

What's misleading about it? If I were to have 10 half-litre lagers of 5% alc. and a Japanese - 2 100ml bowls(or whatever the traditional serving is) of 20 - 45% alc. (!?) rice wine, who'd have had more alco in the end?


Korean Jinro Soju at 1-3 U.S. dollars a bottle outside every other liquor in the world.(including every other brand of vodka and whisky)

thats only the top brand of soju. There are only 50 million Koreans. Some Europeans outdrink Koreans in hard liquor- Russians, Romanians, Ukranians from my experience. But Koreans are definitely the hardest drinkers in Asia and from my experience are the most commonly smashed people I have ever met. I know it doesn't fit with the weak "Asian nerd" stereotype, but it's true.



http://www.koreabang.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/millionaires-club-rank-of-spirits.jpg

http://www.koreabang.com/2012/stories/korean-soju-is-worlds-most-popular-spirit.html

According to the WHO survey of amounts of alcohol consumed in its 188 member countries in 2005, Korea ranked 13th in the world. However, Korea topped the rank of the amount of alcohol consumed in spirits such as soju and whisky, with 9.57 litres. This means that the amount of hard liquor consumed by Koreans, not wine or beer that is often consumed during meals, is the highest in the world.

It seems you are talking about regular intakes of minute quantites of alco at a given time, which can't get you drunk anyway.

The most smashed people, precisely because they cant drink a lot.

[Permafrost]

I had relatives of mine living there for a time. Usually people will have many different experience with Japan, although generally it's true that sometimes they look down on foreigners, aka "gaijin". Some will refuse to rent their accomodations to westerners, but this is often warranted because we tend to be very "messy" according to Japanese standards. In any case though they are extremely polite with the majority of people.



And most seemed to like us Germans

Well this makes sense. Some of them even think of Herr Adi as the second coming of Jesus :D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdW5wgLl5zs&list=PLC08F17F03A78EAAD&index=1&bpctr=1359135965

*Sorry, couldn't embed the video

[Scholarios]

What's misleading about it? If I were to have 10 half-litre lagers of 5% alc. and a Japanese - 2 100ml bowls(or whatever the traditional serving is) of 20 - 45% alc. (!?) rice wine, who'd have had more alco in the end?

ha! 2 100 ml bowls!

I'm just saying, don't underestimate East Asians drinking habits. I can't speak as directly to Japanese as Koreans, but Koreans definitely drink more heavily than the majority of European countries by those statistics. It appears Japanese are more restrained, but by no means weak drinkers.

[morski]

ha! 2 100 ml bowls!

I'm just saying, don't underestimate East Asians drinking habits. I can't speak as directly to Japanese as Koreans, but Koreans definitely drink more heavily than the majority of European countries by those statistics. It appears Japanese are more restrained, but by no means weak drinkers.

The one and only drinking experience I've had with a Japanese person was in a hostel in Sofia. It was around 9nish in the morning, I and another member on the forum here were out all night pub crawling and had massive amounts of alcohol including liquor, wine and beer. When we got to the hostel we decided we'd have some more beer and that's when we met the Japanese bloke, asked him to join us and offered him beer, bloke had two 200ml glasses, then fell asleep... :shrug:

I suppose I have to go over there and get first hand experience.:D

[Jackson]

What's misleading about it? If I were to have 10 half-litre lagers of 5% alc. and a Japanese - 2 100ml bowls(or whatever the traditional serving is) of 20 - 45% alc. (!?) rice wine, who'd have had more alco in the end?



It seems you are talking about regular intakes of minute quantites of alco at a given time, which can't get you drunk anyway.

The most smashed people, precisely because they cant drink a lot.

But if it is higher alcohol content and less overall liquid you can drink it faster physically. And if you drink faster the effects are bigger too.

[Graus]

Well this makes sense. Some of them even think of Herr Adi as the second coming of Jesus :D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdW5wgLl5zs&list=PLC08F17F03A78EAAD&index=1&bpctr=1359135965

*Sorry, couldn't embed the video

I think it has more to do with the part we played in the modernisation of the country and its military.

[Scholarios]

The one and only drinking experience I've had with a Japanese person was in a hostel in Sofia. It was around 9nish in the morning, I and another member on the forum here were out all night pub crawling and had massive amounts of alcohol including liquor, wine and beer. When we got to the hostel we decided we'd have some more beer and that's when we met the Japanese bloke, asked him to join us and offered him beer, bloke had two 200ml glasses, then fell asleep... :shrug:

I suppose I have to go over there and get first hand experience.:D

I can't deny that this has been my experience with a lot of young Japanese folks as well. I'm a bit too quick to lump the Japanese with Koreans- the former who can't compete with most Euros(but I think still outdrink North Americans), the latter(Koreans) who definitely give them(Europeans) a run for their money.

[Jackson]

I can't deny that this has been my experience with a lot of young Japanese folks as well. I'm a bit too quick to lump the Japanese with Koreans- the former who can't compete with most Euros, the latter who definitely give them a run for their money.

I don't remember seeing the Japanese here out drinking, now i think about it...but it must happen. :P

[morski]

But if it is higher alcohol content and less overall liquid you can drink it faster physically. And if you drink faster the effects are bigger too.

Sure, meant it was to be consumed in comparable time spans.:thumb001:

[Jackson]

Sure, meant it was to be consumed in comparable time spans.:thumb001:

Ah ok i see what you mean.

[Vesuvian Sky]

the obsession over bishojo or 美処女 girls is really big, it's basically very very very attractive girls just under university age, with perfect feminine qualities and perfect figure and perfect breasts. depending on the manga, they can have amazing qualities or superpowers. so it's basically an 11/10 girl that no japanese girl can live up to, but the boys idolize these characters from anime and manga and become ~ literally ~ obsessed over them. one example is haruhi suzumiya (涼宮ハルヒ).

so i can see why the obsession and low sex drive. not only do you have all these perfect characters in the popular media, but they are also in books that are most common to read, and this is also coupled with the huge pornography industry... i feel bad for the girls living there :( its honestly sad they can't live up to this idealized standard that the boys have in their imaginations, and because of that also low sex drive... which double sucks for girls :( i like japan, my part heritage, etc etc but i think europe and its values is the place for me :) :)

Oh no! Those poor non-11/10 japanese girls!:( Hell even the not so perfect girls of Japan I consider attractive. I'd take one!:love:

After I came back from Japan, it actually gave me a renewed sense of appreciation for being a son of the west.:thumb001:

Don't get me wrong though. I know I''ve been critical of Japan on this thread but its only because I was somewhat disappointed with what I experienced over there. I still admire various aspects of Japanese history and culture but I'm a little more jaded now.



so i think it depends what you mean when you say decadent...

This:

Decadence is a luxurious self-indulgence.

To me, I know the Japanese enjoy a good feast/food, and like to drink. This is actually something I believe they are known for all over and I'd agree with that from being there. Japanese also indulge in many items that are very high-end tech oriented even to the average American. Also, everybody's clothing in Japan looks rather 'metro' if you will and American's are notorious almost anywhere but especially in Japan to looking like humble farm boy types compared to their host nations.

I wasn't using it in the moralistic way per se.

So to me the Japanese are decadent.

Also reason average American is fat is because of what average American usually has for options: greasey fried thing A with a side of more grease or greasy fried thing B with a side of cancer/diabeties. Its not necessarily always due to overeating. Reason why Japanese are so thin is because of what they eat:

lean raw protein (sushi) or some sort of beef bowl with little beef but much more vegetable and noodles.

America tends to kill its own with its food just as much as it does when it sends its sons and daughters to war. Well maybe that's tad dramatic but seriously American diet ain't so good usually...:(