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[nomadder]

I am often amazed at worldwide perception of Japanese. Many people I've met have a perception of Japanese that doesn't match mine.

I've heard things like they are mean, dirty, eat anything(sounds like Chinese) or that they hate Westerners. Many don't think it is a very developed nation.

THat said, the Japanese girl at a restaurant recently with a hat pulled over her eyes at night, eating furtively did nothing for the image.

Have you heard strange misconceptions from those who haven't lived in Japan and how would you describe the average Japanese to others?

[Brooks]

I remember a class I had in Warsaw.
I asked my students what they thought of people from various countries, and they thought that Japanese people were hard-working and polite, even though they had never met Japanese before.

Japanese people are individuals like anywhere, and I have met polite, hard-working people but I have met rude, lazy Japanese too.
I don`t know if this is because I work in Tokyo, but Tokyo Japanese don`t always have a good reputation (like what Americans think of New Yorkers).

I do see a big generation gap between teenagers and middle-aged people here.