日本の話し

[kester]

The west holds a very particular view of Japan. To many it is either looked upon as a mysterious realm filled with samurai (侍) , sumo (相撲) and kimono (着物) clad women performing intricate ceremonies involving hot green beverages, a country so entrenched in tradition and a beguilingly complex ettiquette that outsiders have no chance of understanding it, or as a land of suited men (サラリーマン), tiny electronic devices and school girl molestation (痴漢). Channels such as Discovery seem to produce endless documentaries concerning Japan's tea ceremonies or sword making prowess and the internet is full of short videos of Japanese TV shows showing bikini clad girls doing bizarre things with various food stuffs. I am unable to count the number of times I have come across a book or magazine about Japan that contains the cliche "Japan is a land of contrast" and has a picture of a woman in a kimono holding a cell phone below it. The perpetuation of these stereotypes is of constant irritation to me. I agree there are a lot of aspects of Japanese culture that people from the west may find a little odd at first. Some may have trouble eating raw horse (馬刺) or squid (烏賊) and the language may also appear daunting at first. The trains do get really crowded and every single advert on TV has a cute character and a jingle. However raw horse is great, the language isnt really that difficult (except perhaps for the reading), the crowded trains are a great way to keep warm in winter and who doesnt love cute Japanese characters. After having lived here for nearly eight years I see none of the stereotypes that are focused upon so prevalently in the media. I see only a city with people, cars and buildings, a city like any other. Tokyo (東京) is my home and a place where I wake up in the morning, go to work and have fun. I feel very comfortable (安心) here. It is exciting yet safe, convenient, mostly populated by polite people, has one of the best public transport systems I have ever experienced and is home to the most delicious food in the world. In my experience some Japanese are very proud of their culture being seen as mysterious and inaccessible to the rest of the world and maybe that is also part of the problem, but we should realise that we are not all that different from one another. My wife once said that she sometimes forgets that I am from England. I wish everyone would follow her example. 日本が大好きです。

[Bryan R]

I feel it's not a matter of racial stereotypes, but rather a matter of exposure. My impression of Asian culture is one of awe and respect, largely due to the fact that I watch a ton of Asian films which are far more original and creative than American films. That being said, I don't think there are ninja and samurai roaming the streets in an effort to keep the young schoolgirls safe from tentacled demons from space. By comparison, I'm sure other cultures think of Americans as ignorant, violence-loving xenophobes, since most of our exported media is just that. That, and the fact that the news is filled with ignorant, violence-loving American xenophobes doing ignorant, violent, xenophobic things. It's easy to see why some would cast us in this light, as well as why Asian culture would be cast in the light in which it's cast.

As long as there are people who are only exposed to one facet of a culture, there will always be confusion about that culture.

[kester]

Burr yes I totally agree. Japan is also guilty of racially stereotyping and its something I want to discuss in a later blog post.

[Burr]

I've taken a few courses in Japanese history, religion, and art as electives in college so I'd like to think I don't fall for those media stereotypes. There's so many things I find fascinating about the people and the culture besides even the things you've mentioned here. One day I'd love to visit the country, though I don't think I could handle living there. Maybe it'll surprise me like it did to you, hah.

It kind of goes the other way too though, don't you think? At least from watching some of their media, they sure love to stereotype Americans, too. Heck I'm a first generation American and when I go back to my "motherland" of Argentina I have to deal with a lot of preconceptions about us there..

[therobd]

I have to agree with you on this. I go to a university where the Asian demographic is around 30%. Many of those students are actually Asian and not just Asian-American. They're no different from the average student, and there's quite a bit of overlap.

However, I'm not sure if it's not a two-way street when it comes to the underrepresentation of people of Asian descent in the western world. It's definitely a problem, but here's the thing: At least where I live, I very rarely see Asian students actively trying to associate with people of another race. I don't think it's because they think they're better than anyone else, but I do think there's some exclusivism and isolation going on that is the fault of both parties.

[Scott Robbins]

I've been learning quite a bit about Japan lately. Mostly from my friend Mason who is studying Tea Ceremony, and the numerous Japanese girls he knows, and which I now know. It's all rather fascinating. I love talking to them, and learning about everything. It's kind of funny and sad to see how us Westerners view Japan, especially as I learn more about it.

[kester]

Yes you may, but I dont think I can really say. It just looked like a cool place to go. I only meant to stay for a year, but I couldnt leave. Cheers for the comment

[Mandie]

Great read. May I ask what brought you to Japan in the first place?