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the lucky one · Joined: 28 Sep 2004 Posts: 5

To Kovac and some of the others that are 'embarrased' about the presence western culture in Japan...I think you need to look a bit deeper. As Homersimpson wrote, Men still hold the high positions in society and promotions are granted based on seniority rather than skill.
The influx of western culture - which give up the fight, it's bound to happen and obviously people here want it or there wouldn't be a market for it - can have a positive effect on the people. While sipping a Starbucks or Tully's latte and wearing legwarmers and other western fashions from the eighties, Japanese - youth especially - can see that they have choices, more than they used to and they're only getting more and more choices thrown at them by the day. They might not actually be thinking this exact thing while sipping their coffee, but the influence is there. The young women can choose western pop idols as role models - and while this can be a scary thing from our point of view - from theirs they might see these western women as independent, powerful and successful young women, and that there are choices for them as well. And that the young men can strive to be something more than just another dark suit in the salaryman parade.
I'm not trying to bash Japanese culture in defense of my own, I just accept that every culture has room for improvement. Mcdonald's burgers could be tastier, Japanese milk could be tastier...get it. My overall point is that instead of being embarrased about your own culture (which seems that there are some underlying issues for you there and you ought to look at what's fantastic about your own culture before being ashamed about it and if you've done that, then shame on) look at what positive things might come of it in another culture. There's no going back.

AgentMulderUK · Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2004 9:11 am Post subject:

Japan lost it's way a long time ago......if indeed it ever found it's way.

BradS · Joined: 05 Sep 2004 Posts: 173 Location: Tokyo, Japan

AgentMulderUK · Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2004 2:54 pm Post subject:

I have to agree Brad, particularly about your last point. But then should we be surprised when all many people are worried about is the brand name on their handbag/car?

Actually I have found the general lack of knowledge (in young people) is not only restricted to history. Their brains are worryingly full of nonsense about the current J-Pop offerings, various television 'personalities' (!) and misguided ideas about which country other than Japan that they want to live in.

This week, I had one girl tell me that she didn't like Japan because it's far too crowded, there's too much crime now and the people were not friendly. So, she has set her heart on living in New York.haha.

And what other country needs to send their kids to extra schools in the evenings or weekends? Our kids don't need it, so why do theirs?
What they learn in all these long hours totally eludes me. And them, it seems........

I'm rambling. Again.

king kakipi · Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 353 Location: Australia

TokyoLiz · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1548 Location: Tokyo, Japan

I'd have to agree with people here - there doesn't seem to be much spirit and energy put into things traditional in this country. However, I keep meeting people who have a strong interest in cultural revival, often young people with families, that earnestly believe in the esthetics and philosophies of past eras. Sure, they are heavily influenced by western ideals - interest in the "slow life" movement, revival of "tribal" lifestyles, etc. However, they do it in a genuinely Japanese way.

There are two kinds of tea ceremony, I feel. One, a chatty bunch of people who have no real clue about *why* tea is done a certain way, and the other, a group of dedicated people who have researched and sought out awesome teachers to get to the essence of the tea and what the gestures and symbolic objects mean. So often, the later tea ceremonialists have an interest in how people in other countries are keeping their cultural heritage alive.

You gotta seek it out...

spidey · Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2004 5:28 am Post subject:

Hmmmmm....

Very interesting topic and even more interesting responses.

If I may add my two cents worth...

Japan as all other cultures is going through a very natural process (societal evolution). Because now more than ever we are living in one global society, the influences of other cultures cannot really be catergorized as "outside influences." But strictly a process of one culture changing over time. Japan is considered a culture of about 2500 years. Its customs and traditions run very deep. The modern era that we live in is but only a short period of time compared to Japan's and the world's history. People are thinking and doing what they are supposed to be doing during this period in time. whether they are here in Japan or back home in Canada. To think otherwise is to lose sight of the big picture.

Sorry, that's about two bucks worth

S

BradS · Joined: 05 Sep 2004 Posts: 173 Location: Tokyo, Japan

Fair enough. But my point is Japan has lost sight of the big picture. The majority assume that the whole world wants to be like America, so they've thrown their culture out the window in an attempt to be "cool". That's a bit different than the eventual social integration that you are refering it too.

Take Australia for example. We have a great respect for other cultures but also a respect for our own history. Take a look at Sydney, it's pretty much 50/50. Japan is more 5/95. Sad

fromCanada · Joined: 20 Sep 2003 Posts: 48 Location: Ontario

taikibansei · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Posts: 811 Location: Japan

BradS · Joined: 05 Sep 2004 Posts: 173 Location: Tokyo, Japan

Lynn · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 696 Location: in between

What happened to the Samurai spirit?

WWII. That's what happened.

GeminiTiger · Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2004 8:18 am Post subject:

If you go back to the first post the author talks about living
in a country environment (aka rural) and compares it to an
urban (Tokyo) environment. Look no further for your explanation.

Urban = Twisted Evil

Sorry to cut in but that aparently needed to be pointed out. People
who want to talk about Aboriginals in Syndey being drunk criminals
might want to do some research on how native peoples across the
world have been destroyed by European culture and politics, some
thing about killing a people's poupulation, taking the best land from
them and then enculturating them into a distorted, hypocritcal value
stytem does that to people.

Eric · Joined: 08 Apr 2004 Posts: 44 Location: Hawaii

Thank you for the spirited debate. When I wrote my original post I hadn:t really been here so long. The wild Japanese pop culture took me for a bit of a loop because it was very different from the country environment I had lived in before.

Now that I have been here for a tiny bit longer I am coming to understand that you can seek and find what you like in this county. If one is interested in culture and tradition it is there, a quick train ride away from the craziness.

I really appreciate all of the posts so thanks.

Eric