I've been having some fun discussions with my girlfriend, who it seems accepts whatever she is told as a barefaced fact and thats that.

She was going on about the high levels of crime in Japan that are carried out by those nasty Korean and Chinese illegals, and that any Japanese person can spot them a mile away! So out comes http://www.alllooksame.com/ and she scored 3/18, which made her listen a bit better as I explained the last 200 years in Asia and the various going ons, covered basic Australian and American history and surprised her on a few points. "Why do the chinese and koreans hate us so much!?" google "nanking massacre" and the Jref news section. No apologies for this, no trials. I've met a few German people and they have always know about their countries past and the evils carried out by the Nazi party, the acknowledge it and are disgusted in the same way I am. But in Japan?...

Then it dawned on me, all I ever remember being taught in high school in Japan was ancient history in meaningless detail (ie. blow by blow account of the Byzatine empire, zzzz) or Japanese history with no holds barred! ("And what meal was eaten by the 4th Shogun at his 32nd birthday?"). Nothing modern or of any use. And when the often said idea of "Japanese people are unique and all the same" came up I asked "so where did they come from? Ainu? Or perhaps... KOREA?!".

Now you get an interesting reaction to this kind of statement, I suggest you try it some time. Makes for interesting discussion at the very least.

Got a few other things, but they can wait a day or so