Originally posted by Tiger
Ok, not true... But when are people going to stop making these sweeping statements along the lines of "all Japanese think this... all Japanese do that..." Forgive my raised eyebrows, but it's a bit rich to make comments about how Japanese people make "gross-generalizations" when your entire posting was exactly that.

By the way, many people think we have 5 seasons in Japan (summer being split into rainy and non-rainy seasons).
Tiger [/B]
Once a majority (over 50%) of the population think one way or another, it's not a gross-generalization to make the comments I make. What's more, ask any Japanese if these things aren't true for most people, even if it isn't for themselves. Or just make your own survey by asking people their opinion (or better get to hear them without asking, like me).

Besides, I've never said that all Japanese thought the same way about these issues, because 1) that's impossible, 2) I don't have this knowledge 3) I usually use "most people" or "a majority of people", but NOT "all people" when I want to speak of a general tendency affecting more than 50% of the people.

5 seasons

Once again, if you ask 1000 Japanese in the street if Japan has 5 seasons, can you frankly expect more than 5 answering "yes" ? I don't think so, except if you explain your logic that the rainy season is a season in itself. One of the word for season in Japanese (as I know 4 possible translations) is　"shiki" 四季, which literally means "the 4 seasons". But there isn't such a word as "goki" 五季 (the 5 seasons). With this logic, I could divide some countries' climate in 6 or 8 seasons, though no inhabitant of that country would ever think about it. What about the typhoon season, the hunt season, the "kouyou"
紅葉 season, the ski season and the cherry-blossom viewing season (10 days, not all Spring). Japanese also know these seasons and call them like that. But you are wrong to think anybody would seriously think they are seasons on their own, outside the 4 seasons. Ditto for the tsuyu 梅雨 (rainy season).