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Japan Bashing

How far can a foreigner take criticism of Japan before it becomes inappropriate?

  • No criticism is valid because it is not your culture and foreigners can't understand it.

    Votes: 20 6.6%
  • A minor amount of criticism is acceptable, so long as it doesn't offend anyone.

    Votes: 38 12.5%
  • Polite criticism is acceptable, as long as you take into consideration cultural differences while ma

    Votes: 200 65.8%
  • Anything goes.

    Votes: 38 12.5%
  • No opinion.

    Votes: 8 2.6%

  • Total voters
    304
I find the premise of this thread interesting.

How much can a foreigner criticize Japan before it becomes inappropriate?

Is the amount a foreign person can criticize another country (for example France) different to the amount they can criticize Japan?

And if so, what is the difference?

I am assuming that one can criticize the chesce eating surrender monkey's (French) more than we can the Japanese.

Is this simply down to the fact that the French (along with many Europeans) have a long tradition of satire and making fun of each other?

e.g. I can assure you any French person reading "cheese eating surrender monkey" would not get offended and take it with the good humour it was intended.

And if we take extra care to not criticize Japan as much as we would any other country, is that doing Japanese people any favours?

Is that not akin to treating intelligent people as children?

Also I find the top answer quite amusing.
and it reminds me of what a lot of people sometimes say as an excuse
"oh but you don't understand the culture!"

ok and here i am going to say something contentious (on my first post too)
Sorry to break it to you Japan-o-philes,

But Japan has no more or less culture than anywhere else.
My country is next to France.
I have been there more times than I can even remember.
my family has French God parents.
I have French friends.
I have studied their history, I have studied their language,
though sadly, Je ne parle paux le francais to any real degree :)

Do I fully understand French culture?
Is there such a thing as French culture?
Paris and Marseilles are two very different places.

Where does Japanese Culture exist, Is it in Tokyo, or perhaps Sendai?
And if it is neither could it be that in reality there is actually no such thing?

OK this is turning into a rant but i do want to adress something i read earlier in this thread.
I think a lot of the criticisms that people do put towards Japan are actually aimed at the Government (which lets face it, You certainly wouldn't put in the top 10 of all time greatest governments in the world)
Governments and people are different.

So if you see someone criticize Japan, before you start up the outrage bus it's worth asking, is this person having a go at Japan the people, or Japan the Government. If it's the latter, let it go.
 
IMO, people overly criticize the culture more than the government. Again, IMO that's because they impose their own culture on what they see and think it is the only one.
 
In many cases, people criticize stuff without an adequate knowledge of what they're talking about, never mind an adequate understanding of what they're talking about.
 
In many cases, people criticize stuff without an adequate knowledge of what they're talking about, never mind an adequate understanding of what they're talking about.

Though the only people I have genuinely heard bash Japan, and proclaim how much better the west is, sometimes for entire evenings. are the Japanese Expats.
 
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