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Thread: Are Japanese more hypocritical with foreigners ?

  1. #76
    Twirling dragon Maciamo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by FirstHousePooka
    Yeah its called the desert. Very remote area. Gurantee that most Australians have never ever set foot anywhere near there. But you're enlightened enough about Australia to also know that right?

    And come on. Your Santa suit argument is weak anyway. What off Airconditioned chopping centres? Or the places where even a Summer day is a comfortable high 20's?
    So, are you saying that there are no people disguised in Santa Claus in rural areas or outside shopping centres ? Not sure, I wasn't there for Xmas.

    For someone so enlightened about the world, arguing that Euro's know more than anyone else, you seem quite ignorant of the fact that a place as large as all of Europe (or larger) can have an enourmous range of temperatures across it on the same day.
    Anyway, does it matter much that the temperature is 33'C or 40'C for the Santa Claus argument ? I heard the Aussie Santa wear shorts and short-sleeves (just heard, pls confirm). I don't care whether Australians celebrate Xmas or not because I am not Christian and don't celebrate Xmas. I was just trying to explain that for a European Xmas is associated with cold weather, snow and short days (when people are depressed because it gets dark at 4 or 5pm and therefore need all the illuminations).

    I don't understand why you get so irritated about it. But I also noticed while in Oz that Australians tend to get upset easily once we compare (even neutrally) their country with another one. I got people angry at me for saying such things as "oh the magpies are so big and scary here (Oz is really a different world)", "oh, people do respect the speed limit on the motorway here (but usually not in Europe)", or even "or trees are so tall here (that's nice)". Never understood why they felt it was negative criticism. It must be a national complex. A bit like the Japanese with their attitude to foreigners.
    Last edited by Maciamo; Feb 11, 2005 at 18:13.

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  2. #77
    Regular Member den4's Avatar
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    now it seems the dialogue has turned to Are Europeans more hostile towards Aussies?

    from my standpoint, looks like people are people, making the same faulty judgments about others while keeping their own position pristine...

    some great observations, but I don't see the hypocrisy towards foreigners...more like a disagreement on value judgments...
    I know nothing...except the answer is 42. You know more than I do.

  3. #78
    tsuyaku o tsukete kudasai nurizeko's Avatar
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    my g/f once asked me what language they speak in finland *she seemed she wanted to move there lol* and i said "finnish".....poor dear she got confused (i wonder why?).


    heh, hopefulyl with more foreigners entering japan, japan will slowly come out its shell, i have to say theres definatly more japanese who arnt like typical japanese as there once was in my opinion.

  4. #79
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    Quote Originally Posted by FirstHousePooka
    So theres an older women who works there most nights. And EVERY time she serves me, she wont speak a word except to ask if I want it heated and EVERY time she uses gestures to ask if I want a fork ... I'm a fairly obvious gaijin with big punk spiked hair and occasionally flashy clothes.
    Yikes! If you look like that I don't think I'd want to talk to you either! And I'd also wonder if you were going to eat with a fork -- instead of with your hands!

    Okay, so I'm just kidding. But seriously, if you look that different, is it that surprising that you are treated differently? You might be treated differently in many parts of western countries as well.

  5. #80
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    Hey, not all Westerners like sushi -- I don't.

    One important thing to remember when considering this entire subject is that Japan is a country that is almost completely unicultural -- that is, the vast, vast majority of Japanese citizens are ethnic Japanese who share a common culture.

    So it really should come as no surprise that their reaction to "gaijin" is going to be very different to those of us who come from Western countries, most of which comprise a number of different cultures living together. In America, or instance, we are really an amalgam of over a hundred different cultures, all mixed together and living with one another. Of course we're going to be more comfortable speaking and dealing with different cultures -- wer'e much more used to it in our daily lives.

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    well well im new to this forum but i can see that maciamo, you have many issues
    and i dont mean just regarding japan
    ive also read your statement explaining youre not just negative about japan
    but from your posts i can tell that you are angry
    ive been living here for 3.5 years or so and to be honest i havent had so may issues as you
    of course i live in yokohama not tokyo but i actually feel they are friendler in tokyo then in yokohama
    what i mean by friendlier is that they smile more and occasionally try to speak english to me because im a foreigner
    misguided as that may be i still appreciate it
    i cant say i havent had ant bad experiences but i definitely havent had enough to rant on for many pages about it
    of course im still praised for my chopstick ability which is very amusing but i always thought that it was a conversation filler
    and when someone doesnt reply i always imagine they are struggling for an answer in english which often they are, sometimes not maybe, because they are trying to be friendly,
    to be honest the only people who have been really rude to me are the customs officers at the airport but that has been true for me pretty much anywhere ive been apart from nz

    perhaps its not because you are a foreigner and im not trying to offend you or anyone by saying this but maybe its because you are you that these things happen
    maybe, just maybe you have a strong odor
    or maybe your facial expression, gestures or posture scares or offends them
    maybe they picked up on your air of superiority and thought too themselves ‹CŽ‚¿ˆ«‚¢

    regarding some things i feel many japanese people are very sensitive, so maybe you possess some characteristics that they fine discomforting

    disclaimer: this is not really my opinion about you as i wouldnt think to imagine that i could know you after reading just a few posts

  7. #82
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    I've wondered the same types of things as you, deadhippo.

    Reading this entire thread makes me wonder how much of this apparent animosity toward foreigners (especially among older Japanese) is actually related to the offended person's age, dress, looks, or attitude, rather than the fact that he's a foreigner. I would think that a great many older Japanese are likely to be traditional and conservative, and may not like speaking to those whom their conservative values make them think of as punksters, ruffians, impolite youths, or just plain slobs, because of their looks. Or, perhaps because they are younger than the shopkeepers they're speaking to and are not speaking with the proper deferential attitude.

    Is there any older Westerner who has spent some time in Japan, is fluent in Japanese, and can tell us his or her experiences as to how the Japanese treat him or her when he or she appears as a well-dressed, conservative, polite businessman or businesswoman? Then we may have a better idea of how real this supposed "hypocrisy" is.

  8. #83
    Go to shopping PopCulturePooka's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bramicus
    Yikes! If you look like that I don't think I'd want to talk to you either! And I'd also wonder if you were going to eat with a fork -- instead of with your hands!
    There was a sexy lil punk girl with flaming red hair (which then went to half black half red) who worked there. A few of the guys who worked there also had wild hair.
    A good lot of the time I went there with undne hair. Basically just flat down or parted in the middle.
    Occasionally in my work clothes (suit and tie).
    No matter what the dumb old broad would offer a fork.

    Okay, so I'm just kidding. But seriously, if you look that different, is it that surprising that you are treated differently? You might be treated differently in many parts of western countries as well.
    Sounds like you advocate piss-poor customer service to those who look different.

  9. #84
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    Quote Originally Posted by FirstHousePooka
    Sounds like you advocate piss-poor customer service to those who look different.
    C'mon, you know better. I'm not advocating bad service based on appearance; I'm just saying that the phenomenon you're complaining about may be about appearance, something that could happen to you in other countries of the world as well -- including Western countries -- and not be merely the consequence of your being a foreigner in Japan.

  10. #85
    Go to shopping PopCulturePooka's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bramicus
    C'mon, you know better. I'm not advocating bad service based on appearance; I'm just saying that the phenomenon you're complaining about may be about appearance, something that could happen to you in other countries of the world as well -- including Western countries -- and not be merely the consequence of your being a foreigner in Japan.
    I never had any trouble about my hair in other shops anywhere else.
    heck I took that hair style to work. To NOVA. Where I taught old housewives and salarymen.

    She would also never understand her when I asked for cigarettes in Japanese. Always a dumb blank look. Yet I was a master at buying smokes. Every other shop assistant evrywhere else knew what I asked straight up. Just her. Even in that shop the other assitants knew exactly the first time I asked.
    She was, by all natural semblance... a twit.

  11. #86
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    Quote Originally Posted by FirstHousePooka
    I never had any trouble about my hair in other shops anywhere else. She would also never understand her when I asked for cigarettes in Japanese. Always a dumb blank look. She was, by all natural semblance... a twit.
    Oh, I think I understand now: you're not saying this is a typical Japanese attitude; it's just this one particular individual!

  12. #87
    Twirling dragon Maciamo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bramicus
    Reading this entire thread makes me wonder how much of this apparent animosity toward foreigners (especially among older Japanese) is actually related to the offended person's age, dress, looks, or attitude, rather than the fact that he's a foreigner. I would think that a great many older Japanese are likely to be traditional and conservative, and may not like speaking to those whom their conservative values make them think of as punksters, ruffians, impolite youths, or just plain slobs, because of their looks. Or, perhaps because they are younger than the shopkeepers they're speaking to and are not speaking with the proper deferential attitude.
    I understand your point, and would have said the same if I had to reply to a similar argument to mine without having experienced these things myself. However my looks or attitude probably have nothing to do with that (except if they don't like tall, blue-eyed people wearing suits and behaving more courteously than many older Japanese). Many foreigners think that the Japanese are all polite, respectful and well-mannred people. In my case, I find that many Japanese over the age of 50 to be rude, noisy and disrespectful. Again this may be due to 1) my socio-economic background, and 2) the fact that I am more sensitive than most people, whatever the country.

    Is there any older Westerner who has spent some time in Japan, is fluent in Japanese, and can tell us his or her experiences as to how the Japanese treat him or her when he or she appears as a well-dressed, conservative, polite businessman or businesswoman? Then we may have a better idea of how real this supposed "hypocrisy" is.
    My way of dressing is quite conservative (more than some American politicians), I look older than my age, I am fluent in japanese and have now been for almost 4 years in Japan. In fact, I am usually well treated in companies, airports, government offices, etc. The problem that I have is almost exclusively with the lower classes and old people (old, lower-class women being the worst, as there is the cultural difference, gender difference, age gap and socio-economic gap).

    But as I said here, 20% of the people in Japan are over 60, and my shitamachi neighbourhood has a much higher proportion than average. That is probably the root of the problem. The funny thing is that I tend to have a good contact with elderly people in my country. But the old Japanese around here are really the worst you could find.
    Last edited by Maciamo; May 4, 2005 at 12:48.

  13. #88
    Twirling dragon Maciamo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bramicus
    One important thing to remember when considering this entire subject is that Japan is a country that is almost completely unicultural -- that is, the vast, vast majority of Japanese citizens are ethnic Japanese who share a common culture.

    So it really should come as no surprise that their reaction to "gaijin" is going to be very different to those of us who come from Western countries, most of which comprise a number of different cultures living together. In America, or instance, we are really an amalgam of over a hundred different cultures, all mixed together and living with one another. Of course we're going to be more comfortable speaking and dealing with different cultures -- wer'e much more used to it in our daily lives.
    Typical American reaction. However, I am not American. I am not used to living in an ethnically diverse country. I come from the European countryside where 99.9% of the people are white and speak the local language as native speakers, where traditions are even more deeply rooted than in Japan, a place where one is new to the region if their family arrived less than 100 years ago.

    Compare this with central Tokyo (where 1 to 5% of the people are foreigners, depending on the area) where I have encountered these odd behaviours of the locals. Again, when my wife went to visit my family in this "ethnically pure and traditional" countryside, where many people have probably never talked to a Japanese, nobody made any fuss or treated her as a strange thing, or was less polite or overly polite, or asked her if she ate raw fish or if she could eat snails and rabbit, or whatever of the "special treatment for foreigner" thing so common in Japan. My complaint is quite simple: "Why can't Japanese treat all foreigners just as human beings instead of labelling them as "gaijin" and acting different from their usual behaviour between themselves ?

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    Very interesting, Maciamo! (What country are you from, anyway?) I don't doubt what you say. It's a very diverse world, and I suppose different cultures have many different attitudes that will be difficult and uncomfortable for visitors are not familiar with that attitude. Interesting, really. On the other hand,one shouldn't expect all individuals and society to share the same basic characteristics, and conversely, shouldn't let the bad manners or strange behavior that one sometimes -- or even frequently -- encounters in a society color your opinion of everyone in that society. (Not that I'm saying you are -- you're just giving your observations of some people, I understand that.)

    I suppose the only thing to do about those situations, if you want to stay in that country, is learn to live with them, learn to not let them get you mad or upset, and develop coping situations, preferably incorporating humor into one's reaction.

    You are correct in discerning that I have not yet visited Japan. It will be very interesting to see and experience all these things myself, and I'm sure I will find it very helpful to have read all these observations by people like you, beforehand. Thank you!

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    Do you think that with younger generations, the prejiduce towards foreigners will decrease? In studying American history and etc, I've noticed that trend. People get more and more used to diversity for many reasons. Perhaps that's just the direction of society, and sometimes it's because kids stop listening to the stereo types their crazy grandparents spout out. Especially with the teenage fads involving English words interjected randomly places, it seems that with upcoming generations, the questions about the foods you can't eat would be less frequent... at least a little, right?
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    Quote Originally Posted by Yasha631
    Do you think that with younger generations, the prejiduce towards foreigners will decrease?

    In studying American history and etc, I've noticed that trend. People get more and more used to diversity for many reasons.

    Perhaps that's just the direction of society, and sometimes it's because kids stop listening to the stereo types their crazy grandparents spout out.
    Good observation that I totally agree with.
    As for kids stopping listenting to grandparents; there seem to be two factors.
    Nuclear families don't get to see much of grandparents except for the holidays, and kids just don't have the time or patience for 'crazy' family lectures calling for racial discrimination.
    This btw seems to be a global trend !
    But what about the 'sane' calls for 'racial tolerance and acceptance' ?
    What if these grandparents' calls go neglected ?
    I remember someone saying, "It all starts from within the family."
    Here's to more power to the enlighetened grandparents, and to the equally tolerant grandchildren !

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    Hi

    Well I stumbled onto this forum while I was looking for sources for my paper. I wanted to write about the Japanese language and how it shows the Japanese mindset. I read quite alot of comments already and so I suppose I can assume my experience is different. I only spent one year in Japan and now am back in America. I was an exchange student, lived under three host families, and attended a private school.

    Yet I just wanted to give my two cents in since I've felt alot of the things everyone here has felt. Plus I lived in the same city as two other Europeans and often we've discussed *cough* (complained ) about the Japanese people.Sometimes our complaints were immature and other times they were valid.

    I noticed they were more irritated about stupid questions than I was. This is probably because I am not a native born American, but instead was born in Philippines and went to America when I was 6 years old. I understand the stupid questions foreigners can ask. I could understand the traditions and the the mindset of Asians. Afterall I was raised under a filipino household. However there is no denying that I was still American at heart and there were times that I couldn't just accept all the differences and I just found the comments annoying and patronizing. Compliments too lightly given are rather demeaning. When I got complimented on something so simple, I couldn't help but start thinking of some of them as children. Despite the fact that I am a foreigner, I am still a minor and as adults I expected more maturity out of them. I don't really know how to explain. And really these complaints are only one side of the story because we all have a certain affection for the country.

    But there are things that should change. The school system for one. The place I went to already specialized in high school. Alot of my classmates knew what they were going to be yet they either hated, sucked at, or were indifferent to the subject they are specializing in. A middle school student is too young to already have her path narrowed. Japan needs a more liberal education. I can't believe so many students hated to learn. As a student, I understand school can be torture, but to hate learning itself is just wrong. How could so many of my fellow classmates have been deprived of the desire to learn? My classmates went to school for so long even on Saturdays and afterschool on Tuesdays and then cram school, but they still had difficulty knowing the material. The Japanese education system and perhaps the whole economy has a problem with making efficient use of hardwork. Instead of just hamering things into the students brains, maybe they should try a better and more enjoyable method to learning.

    Oh and yes my friend also got stopped by the police though me and the other guy just laughed at him. He looked japanese so we doubted it was because of the whole being foreigner thing.

    Coming to Japan made me realize why the Aztecs thought the Spaniards were gods. The degree of strangeness of akwardness that a japanese person will exhibit does depend on how foreign you look. I was neither white nor did I have asian features. From the back of my head I looked japanese hehe. That made it easier for alot of people to come up to me and talk normally. For my other friend with his pale skin and SHOCK curly light hair, he received plenty of stares even from old ladies which was funny, but the japanese people were more distant with him. Though he did have the advantage in some cases cause of the shock factor. (Ofcourse we did not take advantage of that )Technically since he was the white guy in the group, me and my friend understood, that in japan, he is cooler. In that respects we can joke about it but there are times where it is disturbing like their potrayal of black people. My own home country- Philippines is just as guilty of such ignorant potrayals. That can only change with better communication and representation of certain groups to another.

    I believe Japan, Philippines, America, and any other country can only progress and become more humane and understanding to oneanother. My host sister once said that Japan is like America from before in terms of mindset. Every country was at one point just as naive about other cultures. But Japan will get used to the diverse world we live in. Ultimately we will all learn to just be normal to one another.

    And in the end I really thought Japanese people were so funny and at times cute in their naive ways. To find myself more mature than college students or adults was both disappointing and humorous. Questions or stares on a bad day ticked me off at times but usually they were pretty funny. Maybe it was because we were young and we found it amusing to observe or to complain about it. Afterall we all found certain flaws in all our cultures from European to America and as friends were frank in our criticism. Yet all our flaws and that of Japan is what makes the world both interesting and irritating and ultimately just the place I've laughed, cried, and simply lived in.

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    Thanks for sharing your thoughts! It's very refreshing to hear views from non-white foreigners in Japan!
    Quote Originally Posted by SenkoGC017
    When I got complimented on something so simple, I couldn't help but start thinking of some of them as children. Despite the fact that I am a foreigner, I am still a minor and as adults I expected more maturity out of them.

    And in the end I really thought Japanese people were so funny and at times cute in their naive ways. To find myself more mature than college students or adults was both disappointing and humorous.
    I suppose it depends on how you define maturity and naivetee. I felt similar to you a long time ago. Now I have a different outlook. You might want to consider that in certain aspects, maturity is defined differently in Japan than in the US.

    Afterall we all found certain flaws in all our cultures from European to America and as friends were frank in our criticism. Yet all our flaws and that of Japan is what makes the world both interesting and irritating and ultimately just the place I've laughed, cried, and simply lived in.
    Thank you!

  19. #94
    Twirling dragon Maciamo's Avatar
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    Hi and welcome to the forum SengoGC017 !

    You start on the forum with a very interesting first post. Thanks for the contribution.

    Quote Originally Posted by SengoGC017
    The Japanese education system and perhaps the whole economy has a problem with making efficient use of hardwork.
    That is also how I felt about it. In other words it is a problem of productivity. That is why the Japanese are seen as very hard working, and many of them spend hours in cram schools after school, and work till very late at night by international standard, but in the end are not more knowledgeable and do not produce more money per capita than in other developed countries.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Maciamo
    Yes, there are so many Chinese restaurants everywhere in Europe that it's hard not to have tried eating with chopsticks for an average European (except those who refuse categorically to try). That is partly why I am so offended that ALL the Japanese feel the need to ask or exclaim "oh you can use chopsticks!" when they see it done.
    Hasn't happened to me once yet. Either the Japanese who I meet are different to the ones you meet, or .......

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    On the other hand, I've been asked by plenty of Westerners what raw fish tastes like.
    Last edited by Gaijin 06; Dec 14, 2005 at 22:50. Reason: changed

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mikawa Ossan
    I suppose it depends on how you define maturity and naivetee. I felt similar to you a long time ago. Now I have a different outlook. You might want to consider that in certain aspects, maturity is defined differently in Japan than in the US.

    Yeah, I know that having spent only a limited amount of time there, that I probably am wrong in certain areas or left before I could fully accept certain things. However I got the idea of me being more mature than alot of Japanese people from a Japanese college friend of mind. She kept mistaking me as someone in her age group or older. As a japanese person she has her own standards of what being mature means and it seemed I fit the bill in that sense. Alot of times I felt like I was the adult in the relationship and I had to be the one to play the role of sempai.

    However you are right that maturity is defined differently in Japan than in the U.S. My outward actions aren't what makes me mature. Instead it is my thoughts and viewpoints on certain things that matters. In Japan, it was the opposite. The cover defined the individual.

    Also in America most everyone has a dream already for their future. We have our goals and our plans for it. That's when we become mature as high school students. My American classmates usually have this conviction of what they want to do with their lives or what purpose they what to gear their future towards. I didn't get that feeling in Japan and I know that the lack of intellectual pursuits of those I met did affect my opinion on their maturity level.

    The lack of decision making skills alot of them have also made them seem less mature to me. In America, one's ability to decide for themselves and live on their own are pivotal to their growth. It's what defines us and me. Since these ideas of maturity are so essential in my own self-definition, I can't help but apply it on others as a standard.

    And yeah I know it is different for all cultures, but that will be something I will learn and not just know after I grow more mature in my own culture's eyes.

  23. #98
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    This is a very interesting thread. There are many observations, opinions, and perspectives expressed here. I would like to comment on a few items mentioned in this thread. Mind you, these are the very generalized opinions and individual mileage may vary.

    1. There are always some people in each and every country who have shut off outside world and are happy to live in his/her own conclave.

    2. In general, lower working class is not known for higher education and worldly knowledge. (there are always exceptions as there are knowledgeable people in the lower working class). If you evaluate the culture or country based on its lower working class (I am using this term very loosely), the outcome is going to be less than stellar.

    3. Like other forum members mentioned, Japanese people tend not to express his/her mind freely so as not to deviate from the social norm/expectations. For example, the Japanese language tends to incorporate some ambiguity as you can change "Do (positive)" or "Do Not (negative)" at the end of the sentence by evaluating how the other party is responding to you.

    4. Reading the other party's mind is considered a necessity and virtue to be socially functional in Japan. It's difficult to coax what's in his/her mind as you cannot solely count on what he/she says; facial expressions, tone of voice, and such can convey more meaning and accurate thoughts and can aide you with better understanding of what the other party is really thinking.

    5. I also feel some Japanese are not comfortable with people who are from different cultural backgrounds or countries. Shima-guni (island nation) mentality still dies hard.

    6. Those so-called compliments (you can speak Japanese, you can use chop sticks, you can sleep on futon, and etc) can be part of the cultural expectation as "Odateru (complimenting or sucking up)" is considered a good thing to some extent. Odateru has a bad connotation; so it is more like "Kuchi-ga-umai (good with words)" in this context.

    7. Once we start doing which nationality asks most stupidest and dumbest questions imaginable, the contest will be a draw among all the humanity on earth. There are always some people in each culture and country who has no clue about even asking a question, let along understanding and accepting there are other cultures and other perspectives, because they lack knowledge or education or they are simply intellectually challenged (PC speaking here).

    8. Like any other people, Japanese will keep some thoughts/opinions to themselves or their inner circle and some to be broadcasted to the general public. Since many Japanese do not say what they are really thinking (this is good and bad as you don't want to say anything which comes to your mind) so that they don't break the social norms, I feel the appearance of ambiguity can be put in the spot light.

    9. In general, the Japanese value consensus building and prefer fitting in the mold the Japanese society shapes. There is a saying "Deru kugi wa utareru (The nail which sticks out will be hammered in)" in Japan. I think this psyche is getting weaker and less prominent as the Japanese have to be more progressive, excel at what they do, compete more with other people in this global economy we are in, and become more individualistic. But, I feel it is still there deep down. I think this national psyche somewhat contributes to the general unease with foreigners (who are of course from other countries which are different from Japan) among Japanese people.

    10. I believe the topic of 4 seasons the previous posters mentioned can be misunderstanding and misinterpretation by some Japanese people. When I was a student in Japan (up to high school and one year in college), I was taught and studied the world geography including climate conditions in each geographical regions (and more, of course). I used to memorize all of the names/locations of the major nations/their capitals along with other high lights of each country when I was in junior/high school years. I believe Japanese textbooks may have over-simplified this topic by comparing the Japanese climate with the world at large (which includes the tropical weathers and all). People tend to have selective memory and will always remember the easiest and simplest things even after years of no use (it is quite rare for people to brush up on their geography, math, science, history, and other subjects after they are done with formal education). I think the "four seasons" misconception by Japanese some forum members met can be one of those cases.

    11. Some Japanese people still consider their mother tongue (Japanese) as un-crackable code which can be understood only among their follow countrymen/women. I also think the Japanese education system portrays Japanese language as complex compared to other Western languages (it's possible this is to drum up the national pride by looking down on other countries/cultures). Of course, learning Japanese is not harder than any other new languages you may decide to study; any language people speak can be learned. I work at a Japanese subsidiary company in USA and I came across with situations where Japanese transplants (managers transfered from Japan for 2 to 10 year assignments in the foreign countries) do a quick surveillance on the people working in that office to know who speaks/understands Japanese. In general, most of the local hires do not speak nor understand Japanese; so they are able to freely express their thoughts in Japanese, which oftentimes are Japan-centric in nature. But, there are some awkward moments when some local hires understand Japanese and those managers are a little taken aback.
    Last edited by JerseyBoy; Jan 8, 2006 at 05:23.

  24. #99
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    I should have found and joined this forum earlier...

  25. #100
    Twirling dragon Maciamo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gaijin 06
    Hasn't happened to me once yet. Either the Japanese who I meet are different to the ones you meet, or .......
    Or you ask a fork and a knife when you eat out. Or you don't eat out in Japanese restaurants with Japanese people ?

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