Does liking Japanese things alot mean you would like Japan?

[Littlelissa]

moronic questions

I apologise, that was rude and uncalled for.




It may make you smile to know that now I'm about to go out and get rained on for the second day in a row, humph!

 

[Eventhorizon]

 

[koizora]

Having lived in Japan for 5 months, I can tell that the cultural things you see from outside of Japan, are indeed, real. However, that is only the surface. Japan has such a deep and complex culture, that claiming popular cultural things are all there is to Japan, might come off as (extremely) ignorant.

I have seen it every year at my university: tens and tens of students with a liking to Japan that enroll to study Japanese. They have a certain idea about Japan but soon find that Japan is not all anime, idols, j-dramas, weird funny stuff, etc. A lot of them drop out in the first year. Even the students that didn't have those expectations would still be surprised during their time in Japan, because the longer you spend there, or in any country, you will be able to see beyond the surface. Some things are less nice than you expected, but there are certainly beautiful things too.

So anyway, I was wondering too if Japanese things are generally really popular with a lot of people or if it's mostly just a niche thing still and if you really like Japanese things if that really means anything at all, like for example you would like visiting Japan a lot?

Some Japanese things are really popular with Japan. Pokémon is still a big thing there. Anime too, but more for the younger generations. Technology, cute mascots (all cute things especially), are popular over there. Depending on the person and how long he/she stays in Japan, there is a big chance they will like it, especially if they just hang around the popular spots.. But if they stay for a long time, that bubble might deflate or even burst. I have heard about a student who came back from Japan and quit her studies, because she did not enjoy it. Watching anime or Japanese dramas will not show you everything about Japanese culture in real life. Even the Japanese culture classes in my university can't prepare you 100% for culture shocks (try using a Japanese-style toilet.. not that you will see a lot of them, but if you do and there is no other option.. it is terrible haha).

Personally, I enjoyed the politeness over there, but I also found that Japanese people will never show you what they really think, and it is extremely difficult to become accepted in their circle as a foreigner. The business culture is also very different. However, I love the country very much and would love to go back sometime.

Reminds me of this image:

 

[Littlelissa]

Personally, I enjoyed the politeness over there, but I also found that Japanese people will never show you what they really think, and it is extremely difficult to become accepted in their circle as a foreigner.

I've never been to Japan but I've had the good fortune of knowing quite a few Japanese people over time through my Buddhist practice, (which was revived in post war Japan). I liked them a lot, those that I met that had come to live in the UK seemed to me to be very individualistic in a way that I can't easily explain. I don't know how they can be such strong, individual characters but yet still taciturn in certain ways. Surely they also have the best manners in the world. I knew one young woman for several years, but whenever I asked (e.g. on her birthday) she would never tell me her age. No doubt she looked at least ten years younger than her age.

 

[Lurk]

No.

Next?

 

[Rcs6r]

Answering the title of the thread itself:

You can like a lot of things from a country, even enjoy visiting it. But that is not the same as moving and living there long-term, working there, fully embracing the culture. There may be more things you dislike about a place than like, or you may have a hard time adapting, and it may not be worth the time (or expenses) of waiting it out to see if things will change. This is true of anywhere one moves to.

 

[Rich]

Answering the title of the thread itself:

You can like a lot of things from a country, even enjoy visiting it. But that is not the same as moving and living there long-term, working there, fully embracing the culture. There may be more things you dislike about a place than like, or you may have a hard time adapting, and it may not be worth the time (or expenses) of waiting it out to see if things will change. This is true of anywhere one moves to.

This...

Visiting a country is VERY different from working there.

 

[SuperManda]

I loved Japanese language until I went to Japan. Then I stopped studying it. Odd folks. Everything is a faux-pas. Every feeling is concealed. Also, I don't want to stereotype, but I find that a lot of Americans who are into anime are "repressed," the same way that the Japanese are. Up until very recently, it was even illegal to dance in Japan because they perceived it as overly suggestive.

 

[sprinkles]

I loved Japanese language until I went to Japan. Then I stopped studying it. Odd folks. Everything is a faux-pas. Every feeling is concealed. Also, I don't want to stereotype, but I find that a lot of Americans who are into anime are "repressed," the same way that the Japanese are. Up until very recently, it was even illegal to dance in Japan because they perceived it as overly suggestive.

Yeah. I'm not sure if the fact that we have to heavily censor stuff that comes from there makes us more or less repressed.

 

[88chaz88]

Yeah. I'm not sure if the fact that we have to heavily censor stuff that comes from there makes us more or less repressed.

Less.

I mean I hesitate to make a direct comparison, while both American and Japanese cultures are pretty conservative there are differences that would make both go "gosh." However America has more of a tendency to favour individualism which itself lends to a slightly more liberal leaning society.

Also I wouldn't use anime/manga or videogame censorship as a good gauge on Japanese conservatism. Anime and manga started off as an art movement that rebelled against the conservatism of Japan, and this heavily informed the culture surrounding Japanese games. It would be like basing British culture off of punk rock, or American culture from early slasher movies, both would give you some insight but a heavily skewed perception of them.

Also they censor porn.

 

[sprinkles]

Less.

I mean I hesitate to make a direct comparison, while both American and Japanese cultures are pretty conservative there are differences that would make both go "gosh." However America has more of a tendency to favour individualism which itself lends to a slightly more liberal leaning society.

Also I wouldn't use anime/manga or videogame censorship as a good gauge on Japanese conservatism. Anime and manga started off as an art movement that rebelled against the conservatism of Japan, and this heavily informed the culture surrounding Japanese games. It would be like basing British culture off of punk rock, or American culture from early slasher movies, both would give you some insight but a heavily skewed perception of them.

Also they censor porn.

Yeah I know. I was being facetious. I'm actually slightly mocking the censorship because I think it is silly and overdone.

 

[bonfire]

I don't think it's uncommon or a niche thing to like Japan or Japanese culture. She certainly is a unique and beautiful country. I can see why you think Japanese culture if Fi. My personal theory is that Japanese is an Fi and enneagram 5 dominated culture--In general the people there are more introverted and individualistic than the rest of the world, and relying on their own system than looking for outsiders' influence. Japan traditionally has a culture of 'insider vs outsider' which sounds very Fi/Te to me. Even 'doing as Romans do' ethic is practiced strictly and punitively, not in a cordial and manipulative Fe manner at all. But there is a strong aestheticism and efficiency which yields great productivity and uniqueness at the same time. There is also a sense of innocence and purity in their way too, which is like a breath of fresh air for many, especially those from Fe and enneagram 3 dominated cultures, such as the US.

 

[Pin]

I don't think that enjoying Japanese things would mean that you'd enjoy living in Japan because the latter involves more variables.

 

[JennyDaniella]

Don't they look like natives though? I noticed that a lot of the japanese are brown skinned.



I get mistaken for a mexican sometimes, and I think a lot of mexicans think I am one of them. I know some of the mexicans are indgenious, and thus they are related to the natives of america (or are them) and likewise, i think many of the natives are related to some of the japanese. Japan has always been nativist though, so I find that interesting. I guess they've never switched the population around or whatever the opposite is...? ah ha, yeah.

I think some people think that it's impossible to keep a country and not do this once in a while, but they've managed to.

When I was growing up, I mean the white side of my family was kind of different too, but I swear to god, I was really wild, and I had way too much energy and I'd crazy things all of the time. I am not saying that the Japanese are the same way but when I see some of their pop culture, there's obviously something really wild about them. All the crazy karate, backflip kinds of stuff, they're really really wild (but apparently, they are one of the most intelligent races though and don't seem to have serious problems with ADHD) Not all of the indigenous people are of the same lineage or closely related to each other though, but I just have this strong feeling that I probably have some distance ancestry from asia or something, lol.

Actually you are right on track. There is a lot of Mexicans that do have Chinese and/or Japanese ancestry. I don't know the exact timeline but at some period, Chinese and Japanese immigrants arrived to Mexico sometime during the 19th century and early 21st century, and intermixed a lot of with the Mexican residents.

Did you know Mexican's has the greatest genetic diversity in the planet? Which isn't surprising, being Mexican is an ethnicity, not a race. I am Mexican myself; however, I am from the Northern part of Mexico (Cuahuatémoc to be exact) and the Northern part of Mexico has more European ancestry than Native. There is this German group called the Mennonites, and they lived near where I was from and where my parents lived. They make awesome cheese too lol. Mmm.

I have mostly Spanish origin, but from what I also know, possibly some Italian, German and French too. The Spanish weren't the only ones that immigrated to Mexico later on, and so Mexico is this huge melting pot of backgrounds.

 

[Wyote]

Mexico is this huge melting pot

No! Only 'Murica!

 

[JennyDaniella]

No! Only 'Murica!

Hahahaha! It's the funniest thing!

My brother is the whitest person ever, and whenever he has to clarify that he is actually Mexican to people around here in Arizona (hella Republican btw), people freak out. It's like they expect all Mexicans to look exactly the same, but that's so far from the truth.

 

[Wyote]

It's like they expect all Mexicans to look exactly the same, but that's so far from the truth.

 

[Fidicen]

There is this German group called the Mennonites, and they lived near where I was from and where my parents lived. They make awesome cheese too lol. Mmm.

so Mexico is this huge melting pot

Mmm-mmm.. Mennonites and their cheese... in a melting pot. *bear roar*
Bear hungry. Yum!

But if I like eating Mennonite cheese, does it mean I would like Mexico?

 

[JennyDaniella]

Mmm-mmm.. Mennonites and their cheese... in a melting pot. *bear roar*
Bear hungry. Yum!

But if I like eating Mennonite cheese, does it mean I would like Mexico?

Hahaha honestly, Mexico is extremely welcoming to foreigners! But for safety reasons, go to the areas that American tourists would go lol. Mexico isn't really the safest place to be right now, as sad as it is...

 

[Wyote]

But if I like eating Mennonite cheese, does it mean I would like Mexico?

This reminds me of a restaurant we have here called The Melting Pot. So. Fucking. Good.