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elliot_spencer · Joined: 26 Feb 2007 Posts: 495

Hey guys, I've heard a lot of people saying Japan is like America (in terms of things to buy, houses, TV etc). After visiting Japan I beg to differ... I personaly think Taiwan is more like America.

Anyone else got an opinion? Which out of the two is Asia's America?

markholmes · Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Posts: 661 Location: Wengehua

That, Elliott, is a very strange question to which there really is no answer............other than neither. What aspects are you refering to specifically?

elliot_spencer · Joined: 26 Feb 2007 Posts: 495

culture and living habits also... the way in which country looks through eyes..... ie: Japan or Taiwanese houses resemble US houses etc.... American products availble to buy etc...

tedkarma · Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2007 1:32 am Post subject:

It's difficult for me to relate two countries to each other based on the products for sale in their shops.

Hit the back streets and night markets and I suspect you will find LOTS of interesting things that you would never find in American.

But, yes, the world is getting smaller and certain products are finding their way around the world.

How about all the people who think Red Bull is an American product when it really came from Thailand?

We should name some other common products that people mis-identify as being "American". I remember when many Japanese folks thought McDonalds was a Japanese company . . .

MomCat · Joined: 02 Dec 2004 Posts: 297

Never been to Japan, so have no opinion there but Korea reminded me a lot of the US in the 50's. I was in a suburb of Ulsan so it wasn't very crowded. Different, I realize than a lot of the country.

They seem to be more aware of the comparative social status, there's a "keeping up with the Joneses" mentality. The sudden flush of prosperity, The non-working wife with a lot of free time. The love of progress to the detriment of everything else. The "Main Street" feel to the part of town I was in. Mega Malls. Burger joints.

Also Korea's the only place I've seen a lone drunk in public. A guy sitting at a bus stop so smashed he fell off the bench. And the mumbling of voices coming through the walls could have been in English, don't know why it carried that way, Chinese never does. Women seem to take themselves more seriously, they dress like women, not like little girl dolls.

StayingPower · Joined: 18 Aug 2006 Posts: 252

I'd say that the highly materialistic penchant towards living life is the only 'real' comparison that connects both the US and Japan, Japan being even moreso. But in terms of housing-No way!!-the Japanese are very minimalistic and lack that 'two-feet' comfort zone when meeting someone and a 200 foot comfort zone when living near anyone.

As for electronics and technology and stuff. . .Well, America helped rebuild Japan after the war, didn't they? Yet the Japanese took a little from all of the developed Western countries, not just from America, and I'd have to say No, their country doesn't reflect America in and of itself.

But I have to agree with you that Taiwan does reflect-if not in appearance but living standards and commodities-the American way of life. This is not only apparent, it's inspiring to see, and nice to witness something positive come from America, perhaps in light of democracy and political ideologies that the two countries have shared, but which a lot of the other devoloped nations refer to as 'baloney.'