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Some years ago I had a resident engineer working for me in Japan at a company we partnered with. He kind of drove the Japanese nuts. He was Taiwanese but educated in Japan during the war at a prestigious technical college. The Japanese found him a real problem. He represented the Americans, but could switch cultures instantly from high end Japanese to American gaijin. He made things very difficult as he was completely fluent in both language and culture.
In my view the Japanese are a very nice people and enjoyable to visit. But don't forget that they are likely the most xenophobic people on earth. And you can't really ever penetrate the veil the put up for guests.
Some years ago I had a resident engineer working for me in Japan at a company we partnered with. He kind of drove the Japanese nuts. He was Taiwanese but educated in Japan during the war at a prestigious technical college. The Japanese found him a real problem. He represented the Americans, but could switch cultures instantly from high end Japanese to American gaijin. He made things very difficult as he was completely fluent in both language and culture.
In my view the Japanese are a very nice people and enjoyable to visit. But don't forget that they are likely the most xenophobic people on earth. And you can't really ever penetrate the veil the put up for guests.
You're not kidding. I used to travel to Tokyo a good bit. Some aspects of the culture are fascinating and their sense of history is to be commended. They have some wonderful museums if you enjoy more than oil paintings and sculpture. Their work ethic is second to none. BUT, with just peeling the skin back on the onion you start to see how odd it is. The whole honor thing on the surface appears to be quite impressive, but they engage in some really questionable practices and whitewash everything after the fact if at all possible.
Spending time with my clients, it felt like everything was choreographed. Each person had a role to fill and that's all they did. Even after work, we'd go out, the boss would get drunk and tell stupid jokes while the staff would emit obviously fake laughs. It was all very predictable. I won't get further into the social weirdness because honestly I was not there enough even to begin to understand it.
This is what I am talking about. I've never been to Japan, but I grew up with Japanese-American friends, boyfriends and practice Buddhism so I am around Japanese people all the time.
Some of the cultural beliefs and societal rules are just too extreme IMO, and there is a superficiality to friendships that I still don't get. It's almost like you cannot get 'too close,' but then there is like a pretending that they WANT to get close to you. It is weird.
I also don't like the extreme obsession with being so 'different,' some people admire that, but to me it gets a little creepy.
This is what I am talking about. I've never been to Japan, but I grew up with Japanese-American friends, boyfriends and practice Buddhism so I am around Japanese people all the time.
Some of the cultural beliefs and societal rules are just too extreme IMO, and there is a superficiality to friendships that I still don't get. It's almost like you cannot get 'too close,' but then there is like a pretending that they WANT to get close to you. It is weird.
I also don't like the extreme obsession with being so 'different,' some people admire that, but to me it gets a little creepy.
It applies more to young people and fashion. Following Japanese fashion trends to the T, almost in a religious way. Working hard to look quirky. That is what I meant. I have friends who are obsessive about this.
I do also admire many things in Japanese culture. Their cleanliness, orderliness, work ethic, the way they host guests, their food culture and presentation, their art.
It's like with any culture, once you really get to know it, you see it all- the good, the bad, the beautiful, the ugly. All cultures have it.
Ha. Besides the Burakamin, there are Ainu in northern Japan (almost never mentioned), & the survivors & descendants of the Koreans & other nationalities (from Japan's 1920s, 1930s, WWII adventures in Asia & nearby). The Koreans are interesting - they're fluent in Japanese, culturally they can fit in. But the Japanese marriage brokers - charged with preserving Japanese bloodlines - can't or won't arrange Japanese-Korean marriages.
& the Japanese workforce won't even accept Japanese women into permanent slots leading to management. PM Shinto has been trying - ever since he saw the stats on Japanese employment participation. Japan is losing workforce, they're not reproducing generally - & a large, educated, healthy workforce of women sits @ home. Of course, the Conservative Party traditionally held back on allowing women to enter the workforce permanently.
I like Japanese graphic work, animation, movies. Their social day-to-day strikes me (as a US citizen) as far too controlling, & requiring a degree of self-abnegation that I would find extremely trying. Of course, Japan suffered a lot of violence (social & otherwise) once upon a time. Perhaps that is the answer to the riddle.
Last edited by southwest88; 01-07-2017 at 12:31 PM..
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Karma, ne?
