Japanese Opinion of Americans

nurizeko said:

The Japanese considor France and the French the height of civilization and culture.

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How anyone can feel that way about a country who worships Jerry Lewis is mind-boggling.

caster51 said:

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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This has to do with " structural differences " of European and Japanese monarchies.

Japanese Emperors " never ruled " politically or philosophically through out much of Japan's history,except for one notable 7th century Emperor XXXtakashi ( 673-686 ) with utmost executive powers during his reign according to my Chinese language translated book titled " Chronology of Japan's Royal House " written by Hidehiko Kasahara.

2 words: Bush, Iraq

Japanese people don't dislike Americans, but any unpopularity America may have as a country is for the same reasons as in most other countries right now. Whether or not this is justified depends on your politics.

Stinger said:

2 words: Bush, Iraq

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This isn't directed at you, personally, but...

I really wish people would quit beating a dead horse about this crap. Christ. I'm starting to wish we would just pull out and let the country rip itself apart just so I can stop hearing people blathering on about it.

This has to do with " structural differences " of European and Japanese monarchies.

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European monarchies have their roots in the military. The feudal European monarchies were essentially militaristic in nature, and more similar to the samurai class structure. Japan, unlike the West, had a separate caste of administrators and courtly nobles who stuck around. However, with the establishment of the office of shogun, they became politically impotent. As a result, they were evolved to be much more authoritarian.

Japanese Emperors " never ruled " politically or philosophically through out much of Japan's history,except for one notable 7th century Emperor XXXtakashi ( 673-686 ) with utmost executive powers during his reign

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Actually, there were some emperors who did have a great deal of power, which they exercised through religion. That's why many retired Emperors who lived in Buddhist monasteries still pulled strings back in the court at Kyoto.

If you really want a Western analogy, the Catholic Church hierarchy and its relationship to a European king/emperor is kind of like the Japanese emperor's relationship to the shogun, in theory. In practice, well, the pope was pretty damn powerful, and sometimes the shogun could outright refuse the emperor's bidding.

GodEmperorLeto said:

This isn't directed at you, personally, but...
I really wish people would quit beating a dead horse about this crap. Christ. I'm starting to wish we would just pull out and let the country rip itself apart just so I can stop hearing people blathering on about it.

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The OP's question was about what Japanese people think of Americans. I answered the question by pointing out 2 key issues that affect the Japanese peoples' judgement of America (and therefore the American people). I didn't make any judgements nor expressed any kind of opinion. I didn't bash you, criticize your politics, or make any suggestion whatsoever about whether or not Bush did the right thing. It was just a statement of fact to answer the question at hand.

If you would prefer people not to answer threads honestly and accurately because it offends your sensibilities, or you think we'd all just be better off burying our heads in the sand, feel free to follow your own advice. Personally I would rather have a debate that accurately reflects what is happening in the world, even if beats a dead horse.

If you asked what do other Europeans think of Germans, you'd find that there still exists a degree of resentment about the Second World War, despite the fact that it happened 60 years ago and most of the people involved are dead. This is a horse with considerably more flies on it than your President or current military engagement, but it doesn't stop it being true, or contributing to the image of one group of people which is held by another.

If I may ask in this thread, what is the "general" Japanese opinion on swedes and Sweden?

Veidit said:

If I may ask in this thread, what is the "general" Japanese opinion on swedes and Sweden?

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I would suggest that it might be a better idea to start a thread on your own.

This thread would turn into a question(s) about "What is the "general" Japanese opinion on(Fill in the blank with your country).

Hachiro said:

I would suggest that it might be a better idea to start a thread on your own.

This thread would turn into a question(s) about "What is the "general" Japanese opinion on(Fill in the blank with your country).

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Ah yes you are right,

I think it's easy to settle this one quickly. If you asked the average Japanese to point to Sweden on a map, they'd probably have trouble finding it. I'd say there's no "general opinion" about Swedes, because generally there's no opinion at all. Sorry if that sounds rude, but there aren't that many countries outside of Asia that figure prominently in the Japanese mind.

That's not to denegrate the Japanese. It's the same anywhere else in the world. You tend to have the strongest opinions about the countries nearest yours, plus the USA by default because it's so prominent.