Quote Originally Posted by Stinger
I'm still unclear as to why a Japanese who hasn't lived abroad will find it difficult. Do Belgians find it difficult to identify their own national characteristics unless they live somewhere other than Belgium?
Yes, of course ! If you only know your country you forcedly have false stereotypes about other countries, and cannot determine how much more of less of something (e.g. polite, anxious, clean...) people are elsewhere. It is only by opposition that it becomes clear. Maybe that is why so many Japanese have such strong prejudices against foreigners, as too many of them have never lived abroad or interacted with foreigners in their own cultural environment (foreigners in Japan often don't behave as they would in their home country, justly because they are in a different culture and society).

As for Belgium, I find it much harder to define its national character, even after living in many countries, than defining the one of other countries where I have lived. But maybe that is because there is more than one dominant culture in Belgium.