An interesting thought regarding complaining about Japan.

So, usually if a thread about some 'negative' aspect of Japan gets big enough one person at least trots out the tired old 'its not your culture, you're not part of it so stop complaining' line.

Really annoying.

Now I had this thought the other day. How far would that viewpoint extend?

Does that apply only to complaining about Japan and things therein?

Or would a person who uses that argument agree its perfectly valid to use the exact same argument on a non-American complaining about America? Eg An Aussie complaining about US gun culture? Or a brit complaining about US christian morality? Or its growing conservative mindset.

Non-americans (like me) don't belong to their culture and aren't american so do non-americans have a right to complain?

Or is that argument only applied to complaining about Japan for the people taht use it? Is anyone who ever used said argument to defend something about Japan ever complained about an element of culture in a country that isn't theirs?

Hmmmm. Thinking...thinking...

Everyone's entitled to an opinion. I think they are fascinating. We just tend to ignore opinions from sources that seem irrelevant.

America's negative aspects such as those you mentioned have a much more influence on the global scale then say, Japan's public televison broadcasters charging people without TV's.

It all deppends on what is being complained about.

Timsan said:

America's negative aspects such as those you mentioned have a much more influence on the global scale then say, Japan's public televison broadcasters charging people without TV's.

It all deppends on what is being complained about.

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Eg gun culture...

Me being charged to sue a TV I never watch warrants me complaining about it I do think as its something that affects me directly, as opposed to complaining about America and its guns or british soccer hooliganism.

We all live in the same world and in an increasingly globalized economy and society. Products consummed in America, Europe, Japan or Australia are basically the same from food and clothes to music and movies (well, at least one can buy imported products from almost anywhere). The media keep us inform or problems, events and new trends all around the world, and therefore the argument that we do not belong to another country's culture is rather old-fashioned.

Alright, 200 years ago, an Englishman coming to Japan would have had almost nothing in common with the locals, from the way of dressing, haircut, food, customs, language, religion, etc. Nowadays, most Westerners and Japanese alike don't care about religion much (Americans are a case apart), wear similar clothes, listen to similar music, study the same subjects at school (maths, sciences, as opposed to Chinese classics and confucianism vs Latin/Greek in the past), and most people can speak at least some English almost anywhere in the developed world.

It's easier now with airplannes to travel to any other country, and more flexile visa requirements have recently facilitated the exchange of students between universities or people who want to live and work abroad.

As a result, I really don't think there is much difference in criticising another country (especially the government) than one's own country. Europeans have always compared, criticised and copied each others, and from a European point of view, there is little difference doing the same with the US, Australia or Japan.

My opinion is that people should care as much, if not more, about what happens in the country where they live than their "home country", if that happens to be a different one.

Hi FirstHousePooka.
Are you refering to my post? If it's me, I'm sorry that I Annoyed you. I shouldn't have posted here with my poor English.

By the way, It's totally ok to complain about Japan as long as it's reasonable. I meant the "you don't understand us" comment is only to people who judge us or act like "know-it-all" about Japan. And I think it's apply not only to Japan but everywhere. Because ,literally, I don't think I can fully understand other cultures.



窶把ﾅｽ邃｢窶｢ﾃ?窶堙昶?堙娯?ｰpﾅ津ｪ窶堋ｾ窶堋ｯ窶堙??ｪﾂ青ｶﾅ椎凪?督ｽ窶堙可鞘?倪?堋｢窶堋ｽ窶堙娯?堙嫁陳ｩ窶懌?突?｡窶堋｢窶堙戸?ｪﾅ陳ｾ窶堙??督ｳﾅｽ窶ｹ窶堋ｳ窶堙ｪ窶堋ｿ窶堙｡窶堋､窶堙娯?堋ｩ...ﾅ?m窶堋ｩ窶堙嫁陳ｩ窶懌?突?｡窶堋｢窶堙遺?ｰpﾅ津ｪ窶堙俄?堙遺?堙≫?堙??堙ｩ窶堙ｱ窶堋ｾ窶堙ｫ窶堋､窶堋ｯ窶堙?ｽc窶抂...orz
窶堙??愿ｺ窶怒ﾅ津ｪ窶堙?催?津｣窶堙俄?堙や?堙披?堙｢窶堋｢窶堙??堙昶?堙ｩﾂ。

I think if your complaining about something to do with you (sucky tv tax for the bs channels, high prices etc) is fair enough. Complaining about Japanese society in general (i dunno.. that whole 'porn in newspapers', is more our of your field unless you have something intelligent to say either way (which you did, and so did some other people, I was quite impressed).

Baseless whining = something to ignore.

Intelligent complaint; criticism = something of value.

corocoro said:

Hi FirstHousePooka.
Are you refering to my post? If it's me, I'm sorry that I Annoyed you. I shouldn't have posted here with my poor English.

By the way, It's totally ok to complain about Japan as long as it's reasonable. I meant the "you don't understand us" comment is only to people who judge us or act like "know-it-all" about Japan. And I think it's apply not only to Japan but everywhere. Because ,literally, I don't think I can fully understand other cultures.



窶把ﾅｽ邃｢窶｢ﾃ?窶堙昶?堙娯?ｰpﾅ津ｪ窶堋ｾ窶堋ｯ窶堙??ｪﾂ青ｶﾅ椎凪?督ｽ窶堙可鞘?倪?堋｢窶堋ｽ窶堙娯?堙嫁陳ｩ窶懌?突?｡窶堋｢窶堙戸?ｪﾅ陳ｾ窶堙??督ｳﾅｽ窶ｹ窶堋ｳ窶堙ｪ窶堋ｿ窶堙｡窶堋､窶堙娯?堋ｩ...ﾅ?m窶堋ｩ窶堙嫁陳ｩ窶懌?突?｡窶堋｢窶堙遺?ｰpﾅ津ｪ窶堙俄?堙遺?堙≫?堙??堙ｩ窶堙ｱ窶堋ｾ窶堙ｫ窶堋､窶堋ｯ窶堙?ｽc窶抂...orz
窶堙??愿ｺ窶怒ﾅ津ｪ窶堙?催?津｣窶堙俄?堙や?堙披?堙｢窶堋｢窶堙??堙昶?堙ｩﾂ。

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Oh no no no.
Not at all coco.
First your english is quite good. Trust me, I'm a fully qualified Nova teacher (Hehehehe).

Second its quite a general comment and believe it or not I hear it mostly from non-Japanese.

What's wrong with America's growing conservatism.

It's putting the rest of us in danger when you start hitting everything that doesn't please you

but hey, your dollar is so weak now, swedes are starting to talk about going to america on vacations cuz everything is so cheap there compared to here.. just like it used to be in Spain before they got properly industrialized!

good work on smashing that dollar into the ground, guys

( in may 2000 the dollar versus the swedish krona was worth between 8.9kronor for a dollar and 9.1kronor for a dollar (FRB: H.10 Release-- Foreign Exchange Rates -- May 8, 2000), now it's 6.6kronor for a dollar.. the swedish krona has not moved alot in value by itself (which many swedish experts see as a problem)).

but that's off topic... well, not entirely... but still..

I've never used that argument, so I reserve the right to be the opening of a rectum.