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Japanese Opinion of Americans

LovableLeo

後輩
24 Apr 2006
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I'm just wondering if anyone can give me an idea of Japanese feeling towards Americans...the guidebooks I've read have given an impression of them thinking you're a wierd novelty, or that you're very strange and not too bright. I also wonder if there are any feelings carrying over from WWII I should be aware of? I'm traveling to Japan in July for two weeks as an exchange student, and I'd like to know if there are any negative feelings I should watch out for. It'd also be interesting to know what the Japanese think of my country. If anyone can put in their two cents, I'd appreciate it! :)
 
I kind of agree with nurizeko on that one, solely based on historical reasons mostly centered around the French langauge... a lot of people from the states make the mistake of thinking, "Oh, the Japanese, especially Japanese girls, are all really into Americans... they should love me...", I wouldn't be surprised by apathy.

That said, I've never seen any open hostility, quite a bit of wary looks from mothers & old women at the gaijin (me) in their prefecture, and of course--- you tend to stick out when you aren't Japanese... but you're not some sort of hot comodity.
 
Like the rest of the posters, I never encountered open hostility, except for in certain seedy areas and among drunk louts. The thing that stood out were some of the assumptions some people made regarding American attitudes towards the rest of the world...which isn't an exclusively Japanese things of course.

On a two-week exchange, I wouldn't expect anything but politeness and congenial small talk.
 
nurizeko said:
The Japanese considor France and the French the height of civilization and culture.

This is one aspect of Japanese society that has puzzled me. I really don't know where the all theses French affections originated from...
 
click me!
click me too!

Godppgo san, these links should help some in showing why the Japanese are fond of the French.

Throughout history, Japan and France have a cordial relationship, each culture being extremely curious about the other. This is true even today. My guess is that it's a case of opposites attracting or two entirely different cultures being attracted to each other.
:)
 
sl0thmachin3 said:
click me!
click me too!

Godppgo san, these links should help some in showing why the Japanese are fond of the French.

Throughout history, Japan and France have a cordial relationship, each culture being extremely curious about the other. This is true even today. My guess is that it's a case of opposites attracting or two entirely different cultures being attracted to each other.
:)

Thanks for the link sl0thmachin3 san!
I was under the impression that historically Japan only had close relationship with European countries such as Holland, Protugal, and Britain. I guess I need to brush up my Japanese hisotry!
 
yukio_michael said:
I kind of agree with nurizeko on that one, solely based on historical reasons mostly centered around the French langauge... a lot of people from the states make the mistake of thinking, "Oh, the Japanese, especially Japanese girls, are all really into Americans... they should love me...", I wouldn't be surprised by apathy.

That said, I've never seen any open hostility, quite a bit of wary looks from mothers & old women at the gaijin (me) in their prefecture, and of course--- you tend to stick out when you aren't Japanese... but you're not some sort of hot comodity.

Theres been a few times when this woman in the same apartment building as my girlfriends place was comming downstairs or up with her kids and would look at me almost wide-eyed as if she thinks im going to pull a knife on her...lol i just found it funny...stupid woman.

Everyone else in Japan didnt take much notice of me, but im fairly short (for a westerner) with black hair and brown eyes so i can blend in easier then some.
 
nurizeko said:
Theres been a few times when this woman in the same apartment building as my girlfriends place was comming downstairs or up with her kids and would look at me almost wide-eyed as if she thinks im going to pull a knife on her...lol i just found it funny...stupid woman.
I remember cringing every time there was a news report, always sensationalized on televsion about a certain gaijin committing a violent crime, I knew that I might get a few extra stares that week. :eek:
 
I've just thought of an awsomely amusing Gaijin event.


For one day, all gaijin wear a black T-shirt and plain jeans, no fancy hair-do, and on both sides of the T-shirt printed in white lettering, it reads "Murderer" in Japanese.

That'd be amusing, but i dont know if the Japanese would appriciate the western sense of humour... :p
 
nurizeko said:
I've just thought of an awsomely amusing Gaijin event.
For one day, all gaijin wear a black T-shirt and plain jeans, no fancy hair-do, and on both sides of the T-shirt printed in white lettering, it reads "Murderer" in Japanese.
That'd be amusing, but i dont know if the Japanese would appriciate the western sense of humour... :p

I am western, and don't see the humour in this ☝
 
Tell your fellow Scotish wearing a GOUKAKU, "success in an examination", Hachimaki headband is not an appropriate one, Hisshou 'surely win' is better, now in the football match, Scotland v Japan, though I like his sense of humor.
 
It is so obvious

godppgo said:
This is one aspect of Japanese society that has puzzled me. I really don't know where the all theses French affections originated from...
Why this question it is soooo obvious:
After the invention of Cinema, hot air balloon, Dom Perignon, Human rights, the modern of olympic games. La deux-chevaux, statue of liberty etc....
There is also these famous people:
Charles de Gaulle
Louis Pasteur
Abb・Pierre
Marie Curie
Coluche
Victor Hugo
Bourvil
Moli鑽e
Commandant Cousteau
ノdith Piaf
Marcel Pagnol
Georges Brassens
Fernandel
Jean de La Fontaine
Jules Verne
Napol駮n Bonaparte
Louis De Fun鑚
Jean Gabin
Daniel Balavoine
Serge Gainsbourg
Zinedine Zidane
Charlemagne
Lino Ventura
Fran輟is Mitterrand
Gustave Eiffel
ノmile Zola
S忖r Emmanuelle
Jean Moulin
Charles Aznavour
Yves Montand
Jeanne d'Arc
Mar馗hal Leclerc
Voltaire
Johnny Hallyday
Antoine de Saint-Exup駻y
Claude Fran輟is
Christian Cabrol
Jean-Paul Belmondo
Jules Ferry
Louis Lumi鑽e
Michel Platini
Jacques Chirac
Charles Trenet
Georges Pompidou
Michel Sardou
Simone Signoret
Haroun Tazieff
Jacques Pr騅ert
ノric Tabarly
Louis XIV
David Douillet
Henri Salvador
Jean-Jacques Goldman
Jean Jaur鑚
Jean Marais
Yannick Noah
Albert Camus
Dalida
L駮n Zitrone
Nicolas Hulot
Simone Veil
Alain Delon
Patrick Poivre d'Arvor
Aim・Jacquet
Francis Cabrel
Brigitte Bardot
Guy de Maupassant
Alexandre Dumas
Honor・de Balzac
Paul Verlaine
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Maximilien de Robespierre
Renaud
Bernard Kouchner
Claude Monet
Michel Serrault
Auguste Renoir
Michel Drucker
Raimu
Vercing騁orix
Raymond Poulidor
Charles Baudelaire
Pierre Corneille
Arthur Rimbaud
Georges Clemenceau
Gilbert B馗aud
Jos・Bov・
Jean Ferrat
Lionel Jospin
Jean Cocteau
Luc Besson
Tino Rossi
Pierre de Coubertin
Jean Renoir
G駻ard Philipe
Jean-Paul Sartre
Catherine Deneuve
Serge Reggiani
G駻ard Depardieu
Fran輟ise Dolto
 
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I find it very amusing that when someone asks me a question about what its like in America, the first questionn is almost always about food.
:)
 
xerxes99 said:
I find it very amusing that when someone asks me a question about what its like in America, the first questionn is almost always about food.
:)
Yeah the Japanese like to talk about food.. No wonder really, as the Japanese cuisine is so good! Especially compared to our deep-fried culture..:(

Anyways, I am sure all Japanese people will be polite to you as an exchange student, but I know many Japanese people that would rather see all Americans, or other foreigners for that matter, leave Japan. But it's really a personal question and I'm sure you'll notice zero hostility; even if someone wants you dead he or she probably be polite and not show it..
 
nurizeko said:
The Japanese considor France and the French the height of civilization and culture.

That explains why I heard stories of Frenchmen being chased by Japanese women, my husband is one of them!:p

In France, there are indeed lots of Japanese tourists, but then again in France we get tourists all over the world.
 
Interesting how this thread turned. I don't think the hostility, if any is necessarily directed to Americans (except in some parts of Okinawa, where bases overrun the land), but rather to foreginers, especially people who look non-Japanese. Japan is not quite the land of enlightment when it comes to dealing with foreign 'visitors/residents', but generally is a benign tolerance as long as you don't plan to stay too long (hey, that's my impression anyway).
 
godppgo said:
This is one aspect of Japanese society that has puzzled me. I really don't know where the all theses French affections originated from...

This goes back to Meiji Restoration Era,Japanese ruling elite decided JAPAN SHOULD MODELED on French for art and culture,MODELED English for democratic political process,and lastly MODELED Germans for sciences.

Japanese,Chinese,and Koreans generally see Europe as THE GENUINE Western CIVILIZATION.
 
ricecake said:
This goes back to Meiji Restoration Era,Japanese ruling elite decided JAPAN SHOULD MODELED on French for art and culture,MODELED English for democratic political process,and lastly MODELED Germans for sciences.
Japanese,Chinese,and Koreans generally see Europe as THE GENUINE Western CIVILIZATION.

Yes there is a lot of difference btwn us and europe i would like to understand the japanese opinion about the difference btwn these 2
different western style of life
Europe is an ancient and traditional world meanwhile Usa is a modern country....perhpas we european are a little closer to Japan than Us
especially in culture and history....Us is a young country a mix of european central and south America cultures
 
xerxes99 said:
I find it very amusing that when someone asks me a question about what its like in America, the first questionn is almost always about food.
:)
Followed quickly thereafter by, "Can you eat sushi?"
 
yukio_michael said:
Followed quickly thereafter by, "Can you eat sushi?"

Most of western are eating for pleasure and taste
as i am italian I like pasta and 100s of fish plates or meat etc
we have marwelous ice creams that foreigners enjoy a lot
in Us you have burgers kfchiken french fries potatoes etc
almost a big push for cholesterol and heart deseases...
also for us wine cakes etc....
meanwhile in the orient expecially in Japan and Korea the meal has also a meaning for the health for this reason is important for them in a different way.
 
Japanese ruling elite decided JAPAN SHOULD MODELED on French
🙂 🙂 🙂
According to Jean-Jacques Rousseau ,
Jean-Jacques Rousseau - Wikipedia

he said
" If I choose my home country optionally,I would choose The country where the interest doesn't conflict between the monarch and the people.
However, there is actually no such country. Therefore, I unavoidably choose the democracy country as the alternative thing. "
The monarch is always conflicting with people's interests at the dynasty of
Europe.
However, Japan never includes the confrontation of the
interest etc.
 
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