Japan: the Country That Knows it's on Top

[COCOCHANEL]

To be honest, I don't know why so many people in this country are so patriotic but many seem to have no shame or modesty while claiming that they are the most well-mannered people in the world. I cringe every day.

In England, for example, if complimented on something a person would scoff and turn the compliment around (as opposed to accepting it and agreeing) which is how I was brought up. My parents taught me to be humble and how I shouldn't accept compliments and never brag. I really feel like I'm in the twighlight zone sometimes.

A lot of people here are filled with pride in their country and the feeling that they are the best in the world. Every generation and especially young people, which is incredibly sad, thinks Japan is superior in every way. Just for the record I only feel Japan is superior when it comes to attractive men per capita.

They don't even know that the British are known for their impeccable manners and social rules or that Scandinavians in general are conservative and reserved or that their complex honorifics exist in other languages and can't believe that any country could surpass Japan in areas like these (which are good and respectable areas). Some have been abroad and everyone has access to the internet, it's not ignorance. I've had so many people flat out tell me that caucasians are inferior for whatever reason and they know full well that I'm part caucasian. I mean really.

I had a few Finnish and Norwegian friends who were quite upset because Japanese would tell them that they can't possibly be shy because they are WHITE and that means they MUST be loud and outgoing and only Japanese are shy by nature (note that being shy and reserved is considered the best kind of personality in Japan so it's obviously more self-praise). I myself have heard this claim many times but in reality so many Japanese are outgoing and even rowdy, screaming and having a blast with their buddies, starting conversations with strangers, etc (yes I'm talking about sober people in cafes drinking coffee at 2pm) which is fine but why not be honest instead of trying to label yourself as something you think is ideal just to look good? This goes for the whole country. If you say it and write it down in a book does it make it true?

When I lived in america I never had people constantly telling me about how good fried chicken is and all the reasons why and how people from other countries love it because it's so crispy and good. Never did I hear americans brag about how GLORIOUS American society is.

I seriously don't get why I have to hear people constantly talking about how terrible western food is because it's too sweet, heavy, etc and then declaring their undying love for washoku and how it's the ultimate food and all foreigners are realizing it now. I can sense that they want me to agree and it's so annoying. I actually prefer western food, except peanut butter, that sh*t is disgusting.

I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt and maybe they think I need more pride instilled in me or something to make up for not being here to receive the excellent education they did. How kind of them. Sometimes that thought is enough to make me feel warm and fuzzy then again I don't actually say negative things about Japan, I just don't praise. So it's hard to understand but it happens a lot. I mean I am obliged to go along with it but it's not fun because at the end of the day I'm not ”pure” Japanese which automatically makes me a lesser being.

Why people constantly prompt one another to praise the country and everything about it so we can all pat each other on the back is beyond me.

I'd rather not.

”kill all koreans, good and bad”

[redeyemindtricks]

... uh, except for that weird national obsession with Western white people's looks. And I'm not even talking about **attractive** white people -- I'm talking about perfectly ordinary, totally forgettable, white people whose looks are average in every way (as long as they aren't fat).

To such an extent that there's a huge industry to perform things like eyelid surgery, to make Japanese people's eyes look less Japanese and more "white".

And how ANY young or young-ish white person -- as long as she/he isn't fat -- can become a print/advertising model in Japan. (Not exaggerating, when I lived there I met lots and lots and lots of them.)

This whole thing is just... so weird. And so intense. Why does the whole culture hate its own people's looks so much? And why does it obsess so much over the "white" look?

I just... like, rlly, I don't get it. This makes especially little sense to me because the culture is so (culturally and ethnically) homogeneous, and because gaijin are NEVER treated as equals to native Japanese people.

Srsly what's up with that?

[COCOCHANEL]

that's the thing though, it's not like that at all and if it was like that before it was until the 90s, most people don't know about American celebrities like charlize theron. scarlett johansson has been pushed here a little on a shampoo cm and in a magazine or two but no one talks about her or says she's pretty

[COCOCHANEL]

i know a few white girls who are pretty and thin but can't get modelling work so i think a lot may have changed ? the eyelid surgery thing is true but seriously though i never seen people idolizing whites like if an average looking white tourist couple walks by people don't say anything or maybe say oh look whites wow their faces are so ”deepset” or some other amused comment

[COCOCHANEL]

many years ago a female friend of mine told me that foreigners were used in lingerie ad's because it was embarrassing if the model was japanese but in the last 10 years japanese models (including half/quarter which may be the key point here) seem to have taken over most of the non-runway stuff. you rarely see whites on tv, not even in commercials.

[COCOCHANEL]

also, japanese tend to like more plain looking whites, not the ones that are considered the most attractive in the west. they don't get media attention and even the ones that do only attract a certain crowd and they don't sell like japanese actors and singers. justin bieber and one direction don't sell or have girls crazy about them like they are about japanese male idol groups (johnny's).

what i hear from people in the industry is that pure white looks don't sell because they look too different and not human. i mean sell as in become famous. i've talked to hundreds of regular salarymen (when i tutored) and almost all of them said they wouldn't date a white girl if they had the chance even if there wasn't a language barrier. they said whites are too ''different”

[redeyemindtricks]

Ah, interesting, thanks for the perspective. I was in Tokyo in the mid-late '90's, so, yeah, right around 20 years ago.

Honestly, it's good to hear that things are changing.

Why is the eyelid surgery still popular, then? What (specifically) is it supposed to accomplish?
Is there any actual valid health/medical reason for it, or is it rlly just 100 percent cosmetic?

[COCOCHANEL]

it's purely for cosmetic reasons but although most girls don't say it, they think with makeup they look better than other race girls including white girls because they can have the big eyes but don't have a huge masculine nose or skin that wrinkles easily etc. people do say this kind of stuff out loud! there were some girls in my group lessons who would introduce themselves to the group saying how they have a baby face and how cute they were and literally try to compete with me and one up me in front of the other students.

[COCOCHANEL]

also when i meet new people or guys hit on me they can't tell from my appearance that i'm part caucasian and many seem to be unpleasantly surprised when i tell them but they try to rationalize it and justify it? by saying ”you don't look half at all, ”you're small so it's ok”, ”your mothers genes must be really strong” with a puzzled look on their face.

[redeyemindtricks]

Fascinating.

Group lessons for what?

[COCOCHANEL]

English

[redeyemindtricks]

Yr English is fantastic, by the way. Have you ever lived in / been immersed in a primarily-English-speaking environment?

[COCOCHANEL]

thank you ♡
i used to live in california (*´꒳`*)

[redeyemindtricks]

♥️♥️ swt. northern or southern?

[COCOCHANEL]

both ♪

[Waffles731]

how can you hate peanut butter?

[Waffles731]

@COCOCHANEL
I'm liking this take for the fact that its probably the best rant take I've seen in a long time

[Blonde401]

It is disgusting. Unless it's on chicken satay.

[OrangeBoy]

She should try homemade peanut butter, then her opinion would change xD

[AzBiman]

Or peanut butter fudge

[hellionthesagereborn]

From my understanding they are very closed off from the rest of the world and are extremely nationalistic. Its the in group mentality, because they get less intereaction with outsiders they are less likely to empathize or relate to them. There are plenty of things that I have read and heard that make me dislike Japanese culture, there are also good things about it as well. This is generally how every culture and society works, some good and some bad but if you don't interact with them and don't question your own way of life then you never see the good in others cultures and never the bad in your own. Personally I think the right thing to do is point out the flaws in Japanese culture. Ask uncomfortable questions that make people question there society (why does japan have the highest suicide rates in the world for instance? Doesn't seem like a perfect culture and society would have that.) or why they have so high a decline in birth rates etc. You can't make things better by not asking questions, by ignoring problems and nothing helps you ignore that like extreme devotion and isolationism. In fact That's how Japan was introduced into the modern world, they where so isolated they stopped developing while the rest of the world passed them by, it wasn't until the "inferior" whites/americans came in that they where then forced to start developing, prior to that there isolationism caused there technology to plateu (this is what happened to china and asia in general as well, they developed very quickly but became isolationists so they where not exposed to new ideas and thus stagnated). This is in fact the greatest strength in the west, we are not isolationists (in fact one can argue we are probably too free with our borders and outside influences). So in fact if you wish to help Japan's culture and society the best thing you can do is call it out when its wrong (though maybe that's to much an American idea?). In the end though you see this attitude from people who cannot look outside of the box and see what the rest of the world has to offer. Any way, good take and I hope you don't take anything to personally.

[COCOCHANEL]

thank you.

i'm a very sensitive person and always get shocked when people are rude and say things to outright offend the person they're talking to (can't help but assume it's intentional in some cases) but unfortunately it's happened a lot due to the nature of my former job which meant that i was in situations where i had to communicate on a semi-intimate level with thousands of adults (mostly men) over the course of several years. everyone is entitled to their opinion and it's always interesting to
hear others' opinions.

[hellionthesagereborn]

You are welcome. As I said its found in a lot of cultures but isolationism magnifies that affect to an extreme degree. Nothing wrong with being proud of your culture and beliefs but when it becomes blind devotion that becomes a problem (like when some American patriots state that questioning america and its government is unamerican (ironic since our entire country is founded upon questioning the status quo and the government). I hope you don't take it personally when this happens (or me pointing out the flaws in the culture). Blindly following is detrimental to the society and individual and should be viewed as something to pity them for, not yourself for not being apart of it.

[VictoriousSausage]

Japan's doing pretty well, their economy isn't too bad, their society is very rich in culture and history, but as a nation they've always been incredibly isolated, so it's no surprise they believe they're superior, although it's a surprise to hear that story of yours, i've looked into Japanese teachings, history and culture, and the main religion's of both Shinto and Buddhism, both of which teach about modesty, although Shinto is more taught on the respect for Nature and the natural balance (it has some similarities to Confucianism), and Buddhism the respect for others and inner peace, but that's just internet research, and it might not always hold up to scrutiny. From what i've seen, as a native Briton, we Brits aren't always the most modest ourselves, there seems to always be this huge desire for independence from everything, and that, somehow, the British are more superior to all others (this is a recurring thing in a lot of post-imperial nations, like Japan and the UK (interestingly enough, Germany has been one of the nations who i've seen have a distinct lack for patriotism and nationalism, possibly because they know where it leads (that's first hand experience too))). I've also seen a lot of similarities in the British and Japanese culture, true they're vastly different in art styles and literature, but they're both post imperial, both island nations, both have a parliamentary democracy with a monarch (japan has an Emperor), and that creates an interesting psychology in the people, starting with the island thing, if you grow up on an island, you have a natural barrier to other nations, a place to defend, and be isolated on, and that's really useful for a government, like a monarchy, trying to assert their dominance, they have enough room to grow into a considerable power, without too much threat. enough of politics though, the imperial part is important too, this huge generational divide is incredibly important now, because grandparents and great grand parents have grown up in empires that are transitioning to democracies, whereas people my agree have grown up in a democracy, because of this, i believe democracy is best, and my much more nationalistic grandparents are huge advocates of the monarchy (except my granddad, he's a republican), you see my point? it's incredibly complex to explain in a short amount of characters, but it's all to do with the psychology of the people, the British are no better, we were changing at one point though.

[oddwaffle]

Japan has this one problem: it's stuck in the old class system.

Like in the old age you have the high nobles, the their servants then peons. The nobles disregard whatever the servants and peons think and dance around in their politics circle. The servants acknowledge this fact and lower their heads. The peons ignores the guy on top and just work for themselves. Women stay at home and men work like a worker ants without brains. They are content with their places in the world.

Ingenuity, discovery, independence, innovation, development, growth... etc are things begin with a top down approach rather than forces from within an organization. Government or corporations all have this old ceremony.

Combine with cross ownership of companies and organizations, you have a rigid system where new businesses found themselves stuck, unable to grow.

Thankfully this changes rapidly with the growth of the internet. Small and independent businesses as well as individuals are growing. The old salary men are starting to break out of their worker ants role and try to relearn how to do businesses. Women are also trying to enter the workforce instead of being stay-at-home moms.

[ScottSummers]

interesting take
One guy i know is really fond of Japan, he is watching anime, listens to Japanese songs, he thinks Japanese girls are the most beautiful on the world etc.
Also he idealize them a lot. for him Japanese people perfect in everything. Most educated, smartest, the most polite, the best at everything and overall the best persons.
On the other hand he is always talking against white people to the point he demonize every white person or every white country in general like every white person is racist, rapist, nationalist, treat black people bad, white privilege, rude , fat, unattractive, white women with 30 looks like Japanese woman with 60 and many other negative stuffs.
He is not white but he was born and lived in a white country whole his life and he only traveled to japan several times but did not lived there or anything. i usually just ignore and thats it cos he is very fast to label me as racist if i say that not all what he say is true.
I think there are good and bad things in every culture and that includes Japan too.

[FaithfulGuardian]

I think this is kinda prejudice a little. The Japanese friend I knew didn't have this problem you mentioned, this could be different between people. Just because they come from the same place doesn't mean they think the same. We did talk about how Japanese aren't a good inventor but they are good at improving what is already invented. Cars was the example. The American invented automobile, but it was Japanese that improved the quality of cars. Ultimately, the American consumers support Japanese cars more than their cars that are made by their own country in which he meant that both parties did contribute to make automobile happen, and didn't say any "Japanese is better than American" crap. As for the "white people are loud and Japanese people are shy" thing, I think it Is just a stereotype thing, an impression that they Japanese could be shy in front of white people since their English isn't good, so they afraid to embarrass themselves, but in front of their buddies, there is no language barrier so they can talk with ease. If you ask me, I think Americans are the one that think they are superior than any race because how our government interfere with international affair that doesn't quite concern our country, trying to be the boss of the world or something

[COCOCHANEL]

why can't i give an honest account of what i've experienced in my country?

due to the nature of my former job i've had to interact on a semi-intimate level with thousands of adults over the course of several years and everyone is entitled to their opinion

[COCOCHANEL]

to clarify, it's not in regards to language ability but the personality trait itself

[FaithfulGuardian]

Never said you can't give your opinion, but you are generalizing Japanese based on your experience and I m telling you it isn't all Japanese are like that. and seeing you just once again generalizing Japanese regarding it is personality rather than language further proves that you could either may have certain dislike toward Japanese or you haven't seen enough people to know any better.

[COCOCHANEL]

i am a japanese who lived in japan for half my life. i meet and discuss things with thousands. how many japanese have you met? can you speak the language?

[COCOCHANEL]

when they say japanese are shy they don't mean shyness because of language barrier but just how people naturally are. of course i have asked people to clarify and we speak in japanese so as not to misunderstand them. i'm trying to write a book so i pay attention to details.

[FaithfulGuardian]

Yes I do

[COCOCHANEL]

”and seeing you just once again generalizing Japanese regarding it is personality rather than language further proves that you could either may have certain dislike toward Japanese or you haven't seen enough people to know any better.”

i am paraphrasing what i've heard. i myself did not say that any people are any one kind of personality.

also, why do you assume i have a like or dislike? is it not ok to be honest about the things i hear and see? how many people do i have to interview to ”know any better”?

[FaithfulGuardian]

Sukiyaki is a nice song.

[alphadoggystyle]

This is interesting, i knew japanese where patriotic and against multi-culturalism but i always thought that they had some sort of respect or fascination/fondness of western culture, and that they found caucasian features attractive considering how most of their anime characters often look more caucasian than east Asian in looks, and often have colored hair and eyes. And of course i have heard stories about how easy it is for caucasian men to date and sleep with japanese/east Asian women in general.

If they have bad stereotypes about whites, then i can only imagine how negative their views must be of Indians and south Asians. Considering how many racist stereotypes even "progessive" westerners have of indians. But at the same time it would be ironic considering there are a lot of buddhists in Japan and buddhism originated in India and was started by the Indian prince Siddharta, i wonder how many japanese people are aware of that fact.

[COCOCHANEL]

the anime characters may have blue eyes etc but people don't attribute that to being caucasian and in most cases the character is japanese but it's just drawn like that. one of my former students said ”it's annoying how americans always think naruto or other characters are white”

i read the book siddharta many years ago and it was interesting. i think buddhists know but the vast majority of the population do not consider themselves religious and barely participate in any rituals. one of my ex's was very religious and he was aware of the history.

[alphadoggystyle]

okey but its a bit weird considering blue/green eyes only appear in caucasoid populations, or in individuals with admixture from caucasoid populations. but still you cannot deny that many of the anime characters look at best half white-asian and many have such pointy thin noses that they look more similar to whites than they do to east Asians. But i understand that anime is supposed to be stylish, but yet it does not seem like most japanese appreciate their own looks as very few animes actually try to make the characters look very lifelike, compared to western comics such as marvel and DC where the characters could not be mistaken for anything other than the race they are supposed to be, and most of those characters are white.

[Phoenix98]

Well I don't know about Modern Japan but the old WW2 Japan and pre-WW2 Japan were about a 100 times more patriotic then they are now so really they've mellowed.

Personally I see nothing wrong with being patriotic and loving your country, it's better then hating yourself for what you are and being constantly reminded of what your country did like in Germany where people are practically shamed for loving their country and being patriotic and being constantly reminded of the war crimes of the Nazi's and how their crimes are also theirs.

[COCOCHANEL]

it's shifting back towards that though. especially since the ultra rightwing prime minister and his party openly support schools (as in praise, give speeches at, donate and subsidize illegally lol) that have military curriculum from 100 years ago including chants about not letting ”evil chinese and koreans” get in the way of our magnificient nation.

[COCOCHANEL]

i know a few girls from germany and austria and i think it's sad how they're treated. the world doesn't chastise japan like they do germany. european countries are expected to bend over backward in the name of humanitarianism and never try to protect their country. nobody forces that on japan.

[Phoenix98]

O Japan was chastised enough considering we America destroyed what was left of their culture and we haven't forgotten about the crimes they committed during the war.

And honestly I don't see anything wrong with that kind of view, minus the part about other cultures being evil, though the Chinese goverment is pretty bad same for north Korea.

And actually no we wish Europeans would grow a back bone and stop feeling sorry for themselves and actually stand up for their selves and love their nations again. an we were agaisnt putting the refugee's in Europe to begin with we all said it would end in disaster and that's exactly were it is going.

The refugee's should have never been allowed into Europe and it wasn't the peoples idea to put them there it was their governments.

[Phoenix98]

A decision the people are paying for dearly.

[COCOCHANEL]

forgot to reply to you but japanese culture was never destroyed, not even damaged. please let me know what you meant?

[Phoenix98]

I meant exactly what you think I meant.

Traditional Japanese culture is more or less gone for the most part.

This was even confirmed by a pre-WW2 Japanese soldier that saw what had become of Japan after the war, it made him quite sad.

[COCOCHANEL]

i don't think it would've stayed the same either way. don't you think the same can be said for any western country? take england, germany or sweden for example. they have less culture than japan in my opinion.

[COCOCHANEL]

these western nations all adapted to the changes that were taking place in the world and left a lot of their culture behind, we could call it mordernization i suppose. they don't speak, dress, etc the way their grandparents did. i think it's sad but the younger generations don't think so. people in japan cling to their culture a lot more than people in germany or sweden do. don't get me started about the us.

[RegularTK421]

I find nothing wrong with their patriotism. It's better to have a nation of loyal, dedicated citizens, rather than importing foreigners who hate your country. Japan has chosen to use austerity measures to deal with a declining population, while Europe has decided to import millions of "refugees" from all over the middle east and north africa. Japan isn't dealing with increased crime rates or terror attacks. They remain one of the most technological advanced and innovative countries on the planet, and they have a great healthcare system. Kudos to Japan, and Singapore as well.

[COCOCHANEL]

are you aware that here in japan news broadcasts and talk shows use the term racist often to talk about america and europe? also about the the rise of radical rightwing in those countries and not in a ”oh they're like us, poor folks” kind of way. the tone is very ”wow those whites are so racist. tsk tsk.”

[RegularTK421]

Doesn't offend me. At least they don't live here and say those things. The immigrants who come here, hate our country but hold their hands out for American benefits. Why don't they remain in their own "superior" nations? At least the Japanese have a country to be proud of.

[COCOCHANEL]

that's true and i do appreciate the hot guys here so i can't leave...

[RegularTK421]

Aside from those attitudes, they also remain one our largest trading partners and allies. I've never heard of Japanese nationals being suicide bombers or harboring terrorist organizations.

[RegularTK421]

I wouldn't leave either. Japan's only problem is that the young are not cranking out children. They also have territorial/rivalry issues with China, but that's another topic.

[COCOCHANEL]

well where do you draw the line at what's acceptable when it comes to patriotism? is it ok for private schools to have young children chanting racist anthems about neighboring countries and how we are superior? is it ok for the prime minister to personally support these schools and have the government subsidize them?

[RegularTK421]

@COCOCHANEL Yeah maybe it's a bit overboard. Still, I judge people by the fruits of their labor, and the Japanese have a good overall reputation for a reason.

[COCOCHANEL]

i know what you mean and i pretty much agree which is why i usually don't discuss this. i don't mind if my boyfriend is with other women as long as he takes care of me. really well.

[UseYourIllusion]

As a South Korean, I surely know that many of Japanese people are not full of hatred; instead, they don't care of other countries. I've never been treated rude in Japan, as a visitor. But I also have been told about a lot of stories how foreigners, especially Chinese and Koreans are treated unfairly. I think most of Japanese are good people and citizens. But there were two problems; education which is too ultranational (Even Korea and China are not free from this problem. :( ) and mass media that always blame on outer factors. The Press Freedom Index of Japan is getting lower and lower every year. I thought freedom of speech in Korea was really restricted in president Park's government (ranked in 70th), but I was really shocked when I knew that prime minister Abe's government was even worse (ranked in 72nd). Ignorance which is encouraged by government produces hatred, discrimination, xenophobia, and arrogance. It is time to remove all of veils that cover our eyes.

[xHoneyxBeex]

This was pretty cool to read. Americans are often stereotyped as being overly patriotic and "arrogant" about our country so when you say you did not notice that when you were here, that's interesting. Which part of America did you live in/experience? That may make a difference. I knew that Japanese people also tend to be patriotic but I didn't realize the extent.

[COCOCHANEL]

i lived in a bunch of different cities in northern and southern california

[Anonymous]

I'm an American woman who lived in Japan for two years, and also studied Japanese enough so read some easier books and have conversations with Japanese people.
I actually don't think that Japanese people think they are superior to Westerners or Caucasians. I do see a lot blatant hatred and superiority towards Koreans and Chinese, but some also see that it's good to do business with these countries since they are also economically advanced. But a lot of them also think it's important to study English and want to experience living in an English-speaking country.
Maybe people who have never traveled or studied abroad would tend to have these views. My biggest problem with Japan was how sexist it was, and the sexual harassment on trains in Tokyo. I have experienced it and I have also seen it happen to someone else. But honestly if people want to be close minded they can, it's their problem for not seeing the big wonderful world that it out there.

[COCOCHANEL]

that's cool and yeah they wouldn't tell a caucasian or other race person that they look down on them to their face but when japanese get together it's discussed sometimes and i'm not saying every single person voices this but i've heard it from enough people (not from the same group) to know that it's not rare to hear this and this probably isn't unique to japan but i haven't lived in other countries so i can't say. i only speak of data i've personally collected.

out of curiosity what makes you think japanese don't think they are superior to caucasians?

[Opinion Owner]

Caucasians, especially men, have a lot of privileges in Japan and basically get away with doing whatever they want. It's so easy for them to get a job teaching English, whereas for a Japanese person to become an English teacher they have to work very hard. Caucasian men also pick up Japanese women constantly. I could see that maybe Japanese people would resent Caucasians but I see it as coming from a place of feeling inferior, not superior.
Out of curiosity what do you hear people saying about Caucasians that sound racist?

[COCOCHANEL]

well so many things really but i have heard from a few sources including a poll in a magazine that very few japanese women would marry a man who was working as an English teacher. in the 90s it was different because caucasians were so rare and novel.

i don't have many female friends but the ones i have talked to were not interested in gaijin men nor foreign music. i'm more familiar with the opinions of japanese men because i've spoken to so many about stuff sometimes in depth. but both genders mention things like caucasians tend to be fat and age terribly, always look older than they are. one chinese man said the caucasian women he dated would make eye contact a lot to the point that he felt they were like animals. they don't have tact or common sense, they don't know how to be subtle and ”read the air” oh yes and that American women are selfish. that was a recurring one. people pretty much said the same things though.

[COCOCHANEL]

i have a friend here who is half german half polish and she speaks japanese and would often complain to me that japanese girls would make mean comments about her looks in the girls' restroom or when they walked past her in malls or on the street

[COCOCHANEL]

oh and some mention body odor and other stuff

[Opinion Owner]

Most of the stuff you mentioned come down to physical and cultural differences, which I don't think are significant. A Japanese person would be very "weird" to people in the US simply because he doesn't fit into the culture. This is the same as an American person in Japan who doesn't fit in there.
I don't think Japanese people think Japan as a country is superior to America, or to countries in Western Europe. That was the point I was trying to make.

[COCOCHANEL]

i see. well one question i ask everyone i meet is would you ever live in a western country long term (1 year or longer) even if you didn't have to work and i haven't heard a person give a definite yes yet and the reasoning is usually that japan is a better place to live and they wouldn't be able to stand living elsewhere for long. some of these people have traveled abroad while others haven't.

also, many men said they would not seriously date a caucasian woman given the opportunity and supposing that language wasn't a problem. there seems to be a very bad image of caucasian women.

[MarkRet]

The Japanese are extremely organized, efficient, and very uniform, which has some advantages, but it's difficult for them to think out of the box. I think they have a saying that goes, "Any loose nail that stands up, needs to be hammered down like the others."

Americans invented and developed TV, and the Japanese were good at studying it, and making it even better. The thing is, the Americans then developed computerized and digital TV, which then made the old analogue technology obsolete. The Japanese just couldn't see it coming.

I heard that when Shogun was being filmed, the American producers got the materials and power tools for making the sets, but the Japanese workers insisted on using their hand tools. The power tools, which would've got the job done faster and easier, were just left sitting in a corner.

[I-am-a-nobody]

First off
How do they manage without using a phonetic alphabet?

Anyway, historically,...
They used to worship the emperor, but after his failures in WW2, they had little left to believe in. Douglas Mac Arthur wanted missionaries to go into Japan after the War, but it never worked out. So, they tried to conquer economically. In the late 1980's, all we heard about in business classes was how they were supposedly going to take over the world economically, but it never happened. (Kind of like China today)
They messed up in the 1990's and haven't recovered since.
Their debt has since ballooned, while their population shrinks.
Someone else mentioned, "serious social and economic issues. Hikkikomori, herbivore men, plummeting birth rate, the strange and toxic corporate 'salaryman' culture ". Yeah, Japan is on the decline.
(But I'd still like them to pay for their own defense already.)

[meatballs21]

Japan is superior... but has serious social and economic issues. Hikkikomori, herbivore men, plummeting birth rate, the strange and toxic corporate 'salaryman' culture that follows if you get through the... and industry that has been slow and reluctant to adapt to changing markets and ways of doing business. Sony has lost to Samsung. Innovation is happening elsewhere.

That national pride is great, it's what you need to convince you to push back for the top and regain your crown.

[meatballs21]

apologies, a few words went missing there: "if you get through the highly competitive and traumatising education system". I'll take the opportunity to add it all sounds negative because these are all serious issues, but Japan is both an example and inspiration to how you can turn around a bad situation and become a powerhouse. Korea and China have seen it happen and now they're doing it, Japan can't afford to rest on its laurels. It still has its reputation (I still see Made In Japan labels as a mark of quality above almost all others) and can leverage that to re-establish itself.

[COCOCHANEL]

you're right about the social problems and business setbacks. they do need to be addressed and it's happening. i am very careful to never mention these things in conversations because i don't want to hurt their feelings even if they think it's ok to trample on mine. that's just how i am. dumb.

[disgustingweebtrash]

i1.kym-cdn.com/.../3cb.jpg

>Japan is only superior when it comes to attractive men per capita

agreed, although i'd include women too

[Thisperson98]

You forgot anime.

[Thisperson98]

Japan produces the best anime.

[disgustingweebtrash]

@Thisperson98 I think we all know by my username I believe that by default :D

Although she said that some Japanese think Caucasians are inferior... do they not realise they are under the Iron Fist of the USA?

[COCOCHANEL]

i mean why would politics stop individuals from having their own opinions?

[disgustingweebtrash]

I guess.

[COCOCHANEL]

macarthur was such a joke. i'm pretty sure he was a sub.

[disgustingweebtrash]

now now, let's not fire shots at US Generals

[COCOCHANEL]

i see what you did there

[Bananaman177]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMbiL8D6qX0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeNqekXZMFs

Bit of a problem with your birthrate, I hear.

[Jager66]

it's even worse in other western countries.

[Dargil]

Whew! I'm speechless.
Something to consider. Consider the new star trek movies. Spock, reflecting (!) Japanese culture. Logic. Rules. Protocols. Calculated risks. Thorough. Precise. Kirk, reflecting American culture. Loose, quick minded, innovative. Risk taking. Spock says, Captain I calculate only a 12% likelihood that we will succeed in what we're going to do. Kirk says: SPOCK, WE CAN DO THIS!!! And confidence changes the odds.

[Dargil]

Note. Kirk, McCoy, Mr. Scott. All Celts. The Romans couldn't defeat them so they walled them off with Hadrian's Wall. And of course, my ancestry as well.

[RegularTK421]

That and Romans had other fish to fry. Maintaining a large empire means dealing with threats all over, not just the British Isles.

[Dargil]

@RegularTK421 We still had bones through our noses and drank the blood of our vanquished dead when Rome was building aqueducts.

[Zorax]

Well, I like Japan, but I also like Korea and China, East Asian cultures are so fascinating - great architecture, interesting history, cool martial arts, fantastic cuisine, beautiful girls and awesome technology :)

[COCOCHANEL]

actually it's wonderful if you are ”pure”

[Zorax]

Pure Japanese? Well, I hope most Japanese are not racists...

[COCOCHANEL]

i wouldn't even care about any of this if i was ”pure'' japanese

[Zorax]

Some Japanese were discriminating you because you are not "pure"? That's sad :(

[COCOCHANEL]

it's ok, i'm not the only one

[Zorax]

Well, people evolve, eventually, they'll realize what a great person you are.

[Kuraj]

I kind of started doubting this piece the moment you said that British have impeccable manners, but then you went on about how you prefer western food and that Americans never brag about how glorious the US is and I just kind of gave up.

[COCOCHANEL]

are you saying the British aren't known for having manners? what's wrong with preferring western food? i love cheese and butter and am not a fan of soy sauce.
please tell me what they say because they must've said it behind my back.

[meatballs21]

The British are portrayed in popular culture as having manners when a great many in reality are uncouth, angry and drunk.

[Oldchemical]

Ok every country has problems, but this jingoism and 'pure' Japanese thing is surprising. I heard that many people were upset with the Miss Japan being half Japanese. Can't understand the hafu and Korean hate.

[COCOCHANEL]

a lot of people hate half people but don't openly say it. these days i don't let people know because it's much easier that way.