Hi Corocoro,
We don't want you to be Westerners. The point of this thread is to understand what it really means to be "Western". For example, do you think that Japanese-Americans (2nd, 3rd or 4th generation) are Wersterners ? If they were born there, speak English as their first language, think and behave like Americans, it doesn't matter whether their blood or name is Japanese, they are American, and thus Westerners.Originally Posted by corocoro
That is where you maybe be wrong. As Blessed said above, some (Western) people like so much Japanese products and culture that they actually want to become Japanese or do things like the Japanese. If someone can actually learn so much about Japan and behave so much like a Japanese, speak Japanese, live in Japan, get Japanese nationality, etc., can't they be considered to be Japanese and therefore Eatsern ?What would you think if we say you are easterner(or Japanese?) because you eat our food, watching anime and buying Japanese products etc... I'm sure that most of you would say "NOOOOOOOOO WAAAAAAY!"and start to laugh.
But where is the limit for someone to shift from Western to Eastern ? As I wrote 2 posts above, I don't think that only using or liking products from one country changes one's Westernness or Easternness. Otherwise Japan would be a Western country, because about 90% of all products in Japan are Western in origin (even Japanese cars or TV's, as they are originally Western inventions).
If we consider the State and not the people, Japan is very Western, as it has a Western-style constitution, legal system, parliament, ministries, courts, and most laws were copied on the West (driving rules, real estate regulations, commercial laws, etc.).
So, I guess the only thing that remains to determine whether Japanese people are Eastern or Western is the way they think and behave. Considering the huge differences of culture between Western (sep. European) countries, I think the only real important thing they have in common is the Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian heritage. And this is what Japan doesn't have. Well, partly, as it has learned and copied a lot from the West that come from it. There are also so many words from English or other European languages in Japanese, than the language itself is "slowly" Westernizing itself. What about Japanese people who have lived abroad, speak English and think more like Westerners than traditional Japanese ? Couldn't we say that this minority is actually Western ?
Thank you for you consideration.
That is funny and a bit sad at the same time. The US is only one of many Western countries. If Japanese people focus only on America, they will never understand what it means to be Western, as they cannot see the huge cultural differences between Western countries. By the way, there are about 500 million Europeans, but only 280 million Americans. Only the EU now has 20 official languages + many dialects or non official languages.
I often hear Japanese think that all Westerners are Americans or "like the Americans". I am shocked everytime I hear it. Stereotypes like "Westerners are individualistic", or "they speak too directly or frankly", or "they are more self-confident than the Japanese", are all false.
Greeks, Spaniards or Portuguese are certainly as collectivist (if not more) than Japanese. English people (esp. middle or upper-class) are famous for being polite, hypocritical and using a lot of understatement, making them very alike to the Japanese. Then many English or Nordic (Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish) people are quieter and often seem less self-confident than even the Japanese. As for such things as being well-prepared, meticulous, hard-working, etc. Japanese and German people are also very similar.
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