Negative opinions/stereotypes against Japan

[frostyg02uk]

In reality you will hear many things usually not true but some that are but i think when you visit Japan and you see it for yourselve only then your know what its about and its usually better if you approach it with an open mind rather then listening to people on forums who can distort the image.

 

[caster51]

here is another story
産経ニュース

According to Mass madia in USA,
1)The nationalism of Japan is uplifted
2)Gaining power of the thought police in Japan
It was analyzed that political atmosphere non-generous to the speech of Japan had occurred.

the newspaper in English reports that Japan is a bad country.
Why are Japan in English said and Japan of the reality different?

It is the media in English that tend to catch Japan in the image of something
eerie country.
And, there is power to which it is sent from Japan.
It swells "Distorted Japan" image.

why?
Japan is scary about Japanese potential for them?
I think they overrate Japan too much.
It cannot judge the reality by seeing only in the past by stereotype of prejudice.

anyway
why is it so biased?

 

[diceke]

the newspaper in English reports that Japan is a bad country.
Why are Japan in English said and Japan of the reality different?

It is the media in English that tend to catch Japan in the image of something
eerie country.
And, there is power to which it is sent from Japan.
It swells "Distorted Japan" image.

Because the mass media just give the audience an over-simplified skeleton of information, and the news reports are made into easily understood stories that fit into the unrealistic black/white opposites. (I believe this tendency to perceive the world as two opposites is found more in the west, maybe due to the dialectic tradition, but I'm not very sure.) The "past" you are talking about is easily understood as the conflict between the malignant and the benevolent. Also, the gullible audience who tend to take things at face value easily fall for rhetoric like this. ☝

 

[Glenski]

Im interested, what type of experience do you mean that would let a person by pass the degree requirement to let you work as an english teacher in Japan?

Sorry to have taken so long to get back to you, frosty.

Experience, whether you shoot for a work visa to teach or do other sorts of work, is related work experience. Want a teaching job but don't have the degree? You will need to show at least 3 years of full-time teaching experience. Want an engineering job but have no degree? You will need to show engineering experience (more years, though, I think). There is always a gray area in determining just what that experience is, but the number of years is usually non-negotiable.

 

[bakaKanadajin]

here is another story
産経ニュース
According to Mass madia in USA,
1)The nationalism of Japan is uplifted
2)Gaining power of the thought police in Japan
It was analyzed that political atmosphere non-generous to the speech of Japan had occurred.
the newspaper in English reports that Japan is a bad country.
Why are Japan in English said and Japan of the reality different?
It is the media in English that tend to catch Japan in the image of something
eerie country.
And, there is power to which it is sent from Japan.
It swells "Distorted Japan" image.
why?
Japan is scary about Japanese potential for them?
I think they overrate Japan too much.
It cannot judge the reality by seeing only in the past by stereotype of prejudice.
anyway
why is it so biased?

The bias is definitely cultural and there is also the issue of propaganda. Each and every country in the world is going to report the news to its people in a way that is favourable to that country. That favourable way may be influenced by the country's culture. So an easy example would be whaling. The Japanese government wants to hunt whales and the people have a cultural tie to it. So together, the government and the people's opinions work towards putting a positive spin on the issue.

In the West, where whaling is less of a traditional practice compared to Japan and there is less popular support, the goverment will take a negative stance against it so as to agree with the people and their cultural beliefs. This extends to many other areas, it's nearly impossible to find unbiased, objective reporting today. All you can do is listen to both sides and draw your own conclusions based on facts and probability.

 

[Glenski]

here is another story
産経ニュース
According to Mass madia in USA,
1)The nationalism of Japan is uplifted

why is it so biased?

Don't you think Japanese nationalism is on the rise, at least from the government's standpoint?

1) They want to teach patriotism in schools. Even the Japanese citizens are afraid of this leading to warlike nationalistic policies.

2) The government before Abe was all in favor of putting English in elementary schools, and now Abe's cabinet has canceled that. No valid reason, of course, but they claim students need to learn Japanese better first.

3) There is a move to establish an offensive army in Japan, instead of maintaining the Self-Defense Forces. Sounds pretty nationalistic to me.

4) History textbooks are being rewritten to exclude atrocities of war.

5) Government officials make blatant gaffes on the news about comfort women, Nankin, etc. This shows that despite their apologies, such older thinking still exists.

6) Prime Ministers still visit Yasukuni Shrine, despite public outrage locally and abroad.

7) Morons like certain math teachers print books like this. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fb20070708a2.html

 

[caster51]

Don't you think Japanese nationalism is on the rise, at least from the government's standpoint?

I dont feel it at all.
Do you feel it in reality concretely

1) They want to teach patriotism in schools. Even the Japanese citizens are afraid of this leading to warlike nationalistic policies

we need it.
However it is not nationalism.
2

) The government before Abe was all in favor of putting English in elementary schools, and now Abe's cabinet has canceled that. No valid reason, of course, but they claim students need to learn Japanese better first

Of course.
it has nothing to do with that.
peter Frankl
Péter Frankl - Wikipedia
ピーター・フランクル [official web site]
according to His Nihongo( japanese language) theory, the most important thing for the japanese is to master the difficult Japanese language perfectly first.

3) There is a move to establish an offensive army in Japan, instead of maintaining the Self-Defense Forces. Sounds pretty nationalistic to me

.
are not there movie such like that in USA?
these movie were not drawn with hostility
It is an enterteiment
there were many movie like that in 60' 70' 80' 90'

4) History textbooks are being rewritten to exclude atrocities of war

.
HOw?
there were no comfot women Issue and Nanking in 80'
it was also rewritten.

5) Government officials make blatant gaffes on the news about comfort women, Nankin, etc. This shows that despite their apologies, such older thinking still exists

.
so bring an evidence.
it has nothing to do with Japanese nationalism.

6) Prime Ministers still visit Yasukuni Shrine, despite public outrage locally and abroad

it is a natural to pray for peace in front of them.
you got it?
if you have more objections, you would have a purpose of ideology.
can not you read this?
産経ニュース

 

[FrustratedDave]

7) Morons like certain math teachers print books like this. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fb20070708a2.html

Granted I am in no way defending any of this, but these fully fledged morons are a minority, thankfully.

Half the young kids today don't give a rats *** about politics, that in itself is a problem.

2) The government before Abe was all in favor of putting English in elementary schools, and now Abe's cabinet has canceled that. No valid reason, of course, but they claim students need to learn Japanese better first.]

I have to agree with Abe's thoughts on the school thing in regards to the fact that they need to learn and master their own language, b/c standards have certainly droped over the years. In reagards to that being a point for nationalism I don't know.

3) There is a move to establish an offensive army in Japan, instead of maintaining the Self-Defense Forces. Sounds pretty nationalistic to me.

This also has some meaning to it. In the past Japan has been unable to send troops to aid the wolrd council, instead giving huge amounts of money. This has largly gone unnoticed on the world stage and they are indeed making an effort to improve their image to the rest of the world in regards to this.

As to the other problems, I think it is the same stuff that just keeps getting rehashed over and over again. I am not saying I agree with it b/c I don't , I just don't see the nation as a whole moving towards natinalism???

 

[undrentide]

This article might be interesting for those who think that nationalism is rising in Japan.

産経ニュース

 

[The7thSamurai]

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fb20070708a2.html

Morons like this guy make for good conversation though. I've met my fair share of "nihonjinron" types in Japan, both young and old, and if there's one thing that all of them share in common, it's that they reek of inferiority complex. I read the other day in a book called "Lost Japan" that of all the countries in the world, Japan has written the most books about how unique a country it is. The author went on to say that this is because almost everything about Japan came from overseas, thus the cultural inferiority complex. These types of Japanese people are constantly trying to convince themselves that they're "special" because deep in their hearts there is the niggling voice telling them things like how their writing system came from China, modern technology came from the west, much of their culture and mannerisms came from China, they lost WWII, despite the huge population nothing significant has been invented in Japan, etc etc.

Someone needs to tell them to stop being so proud because they really do look rediculous. The four seasons thing is probably the most rediculous thing I've ever heard.

 

[FrustratedDave]

Morons like this guy make for good conversation though. I've met my fair share of "nihonjinron" types in Japan, both young and old, and if there's one thing that all of them share in common, it's that they reek of inferiority complex. I read the other day in a book called "Lost Japan" that of all the countries in the world, Japan has written the most books about how unique a country it is. The author went on to say that this is because almost everything about Japan came from overseas, thus the cultural inferiority complex. These types of Japanese people are constantly trying to convince themselves that they're "special" because deep in their hearts there is the niggling voice telling them things like how their writing system came from China, modern technology came from the west, much of their culture and mannerisms came from China, they lost WWII, despite the huge population nothing significant has been invented in Japan, etc etc.

Bucko I not trying to down play your oppinions, but how well can accurately say that what the person you were talking to was infact a so called "Nihonjinron type" as you put it? I have been here for a long time now and watched how my views have changed with my ability to understand and comprehend the complete picture. Most of us gaijin get a one sided story that is dirrected at us in particular as it makes for good reading or publicity. Anyone feed the a one sided story will eventually think in a one sided manner.

As for your statement in bold, is it also a coincidence that Japan actually has the highest rate literacy in the world in reagards to how much they read in the form of books? Just going by this statistic alone it would be fair to say that that information is biased, don't you think?

In the end people want to hear what they want to hear, especially when times are tuff.

 

[diceke]

Bucko, I don't get it. In your OP, you said that those negative stereotypes against Japan are not true, but then you defeat the purpose of your own thread by reinforcing them.

 

[The7thSamurai]

Bucko, I don't get it. In your OP, you said that those negative stereotypes against Japan are not true, but then you defeat the purpose of your own thread by reinforcing them.

Well in my whole time here I've probably met no more than ten people who outwardly expressed these views. Of course these people exist, they're just a strange minority though.

 

[The7thSamurai]

As for your statement in bold, is it also a coincidence that Japan actually has the highest rate literacy in the world in reagards to how much they read in the form of books? Just going by this statistic alone it would be fair to say that that information is biased, don't you think?

Frustrated Dave, sorry could you clarify this please? Are you saying that Japanese read more books than people of other countries? If so, then I don't doubt that it's true, but surely the difference couldn't be so great as to warrent so many "nationalistic" books? I just thought it was an interesting thesis, that's all.

 

[The7thSamurai]

Bucko I not trying to down play your oppinions, but how well can accurately say that what the person you were talking to was infact a so called "Nihonjinron type" as you put it?

How would you define a "Nihonjinron" type? My definition is a Japanese person who thinks that Japan is "more unique" than other countries, and that Japanese people have "special" connections to things that people from other countries are unable to experience (e.g. connections to nature, harmony (ﾋ彗) etc). Going by that definition then I have definately met people who believe it.

 

[FrustratedDave]

Frustrated Dave, sorry could you clarify this please? Are you saying that Japanese read more books than people of other countries? If so, then I don't doubt that it's true, but surely the difference couldn't be so great as to warrent so many "nationalistic" books? I just thought it was an interesting thesis, that's all.

You pretty much got the drift of it, Japanese are way above most countries when it comes to reading. And are these books in fact "nationalistic" or just books providing information to the masses about the wonders of Japan? Does Australia not do the same thing? They advertise overseas useing many means of media and in fact within Australia too on how beautiful and relaxing it is among other things, I believe this is regarded as tourism.

Again I go back to my point about the validity of some of these sources, I know you have heard the term "don't believe everything you hear!".

 

[FrustratedDave]

How would you define a "Nihonjinron" type? My definition is a Japanese person who thinks that Japan is "more unique" than other countries, and that Japanese people have "special" connections to things that people from other countries are unable to experience (e.g. connections to nature, harmony (ﾋ彗) etc). Going by that definition then I have definately met people who believe it.

I don't think I have met a person who thinks their own country is pile crap with nothing special to offer? There is certainly people who think like that in this world, but I have yet to met them here or back home. Even if it is only a small thing that they might consider good. You have to remember that these kinds of things are conversation topics. What do you talk about in Australia when talking to a stranger, usually it is the weather, footy , what happened yesterday in the news or the cricket. When you stop comparing what you are used to ,then you may find out that no one is trying to ram this info down your throat to try and make themselves feel bigger and better than everyone else, it is just a conversational topic that most people find they have in common when talking to a gaijin.

 

[The7thSamurai]

You pretty much got the drift of it, Japanese are way above most countries when it comes to reading. And are these books in fact "nationalistic" or just books providing information to the masses about the wonders of Japan? Does Australia not do the same thing? They advertise overseas useing many means of media and in fact within Australia too on how beautiful and relaxing it is among other things, I believe this is regarded as tourism.
Again I go back to my point about the validity of some of these sources, I know you have heard the term "don't believe everything you hear!".

I agree that Australians are just as guilty of ﾂ坂?ｹﾂ州ﾂ人ﾋ彑 as the Japanese are of 窶愿ｺ窶怒ﾂ人ﾋ彑. And don't get me started on 窶｢ﾃ?坂?伉人ﾋ彑 The focus of my last post, however, was the peculiarities of 窶愿ｺ窶怒ﾂ人ﾋ彑.

This actually begs a new question - are the Japanese attacked more than other countries regarding their own self belief? Or maybe it's about the same? I know people love bagging Americans, and I've heard many bad things about the French (although I'm not too familiar with their culture). Unfortunately for me Japan is really the only foreign culture I've experienced so I can't really compare.

 

[FrustratedDave]

I agree that Australians are just as guilty of ﾂ坂?ｹﾂ州ﾂ人ﾋ彑 as the Japanese are of 窶愿ｺ窶怒ﾂ人ﾋ彑. And don't get me started on 窶｢ﾃ?坂?伉人ﾋ彑 The focus of my last post, however, was the peculiarities of 窶愿ｺ窶怒ﾂ人ﾋ彑.
This actually begs a new question - are the Japanese attacked more than other countries regarding their own self belief? Or maybe it's about the same? I know people love bagging Americans, and I've heard many bad things about the French (although I'm not too familiar with their culture). Unfortunately for me Japan is really the only foreign culture I've experienced so I can't really compare.

Hey, I don't think everyone is perfect and everyone should have pride in their own country and heritage. Experience is just that, the more you get the more you will understand. Don't be hard on yourself for feeling the way you do, I can remember in my first years here how my feelings towards living here and its people went up and down like a yoyo. I don't care what anyone says, living in a different culture has a lot of hidden pressures that do take its toll in the form of stress. even if you don't notice it ,it is there.

 

[Glenski]

I dont feel it at all.
Do you feel it in reality concretely

Yes.

it has nothing to do with that.
peter Frankl
Péter Frankl - Wikipedia
ピーター・フランクル [official web site]
according to His Nihongo( japanese language) theory, the most important thing for the japanese is to master the difficult Japanese language perfectly first.

That theory has been proven so wrong in other countries that it is ridiculous to even think about it. Try again, caster.
.

There is a move to establish an offensive army in Japan, instead of maintaining the Self-Defense Forces. Sounds pretty nationalistic to me
are not there movie such like that in USA?
these movie were not drawn with hostility
It is an enterteiment
there were many movie like that in 60' 70' 80' 90'

You need to read more carefully. I wrote MOVE, not MOVIE. Go back and reread my post.

4) History textbooks are being rewritten to exclude atrocities of war
HOw?
there were no comfot women Issue and Nanking in 80'
it was also rewritten.

What do you mean "how"? It was practically written out of the nationalistic textbook completely. That's "how".
Are you saying there were no comfort women and no rape of Nanking?
.

5) Government officials make blatant gaffes on the news about comfort women, Nankin, etc. This shows that despite their apologies, such older thinking still exists
so bring an evidence.
it has nothing to do with Japanese nationalism.
it is a natural to pray for peace in front of them.
you got it?

No, I don't "got it". I don't even know what you are talking about.
Bring evidence for what? The gaffes or the topics they are about? The gaffes are public knowledge if you can read a newspaper or turn on a TV. The topics themselves have been proven well enough (by Japanese historians as well as foreign ones) that Japanese government officials often try to sweep them under the rug. Why do you think Abe got in hot water over his silly remark about comfort women (and the J news lambasted him)? (and why else would "Japanese leaders have since repeatedly apologized, including former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi", if there wasn't evidence? People's Daily Online -- Abe: 'Comfort women' not coerced
Don't even think of starting this "no evidence" argument, caster. You lose the moment you open your mouth.

6) Prime Ministers still visit Yasukuni Shrine, despite public outrage locally and abroad

it is a natural to pray for peace in front of them.
you got it?

Please stop with the insulting, condescending "got it?", ok?
It may be natural to pray for peace, but you know as well as I that many Japanese citizens, plus Chinese and other nationals, strongly object to the PM making such a prayer at a shrine that houses war criminals. The kicker, caster, is that, as you know, your Japanese government actually tried to keep that a secret, and they collaborated with the shrine to do that. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070329a5.html

Besides, if a PM wants to visit on his own time as a private citizen (as Koizumi tried to say to worm his way out of news reports), then why do they go in government vehicles and sign their names with full government titles?

if you have more objections, you would have a purpose of ideology.
can not you read this?
産経ニュース

Dead link. Pretty much sums up your case, too.

FrustratedDave,
Nationalism has deep roots. I'm not saying that ripping out English in elem schools is a sign of it, but it is the nationalistic cabinet that is in charge right now who has made a 180 degree change from a policy that was nearly put into place. There is no solid evidence to show that kids can't learn 2 or more languages at the same time. Happens all over the world. Do Japanese kids need to get better with Japanese? Yes. My own previous HS experience confirms that, but to rip it out of elem ed when it was a hair from being established, and to do it moments after taking office????? Fishy.

Same with the military. Yea, Japan has given tons of lip service to the UN (along with money) to buy its way in. So, having an offensive army is a proper way? How about taking care of that 1995 UN human rights treaty against discrimination first? Japan signed it, but is has yet to enact any laws to give it teeth. Know why? They say such laws would be hard to enforce!

I'm not saying the whole bloody country is going nationalist. I'm just saying if one looks at the nation's leaders and their policies, it has a strong tendency to lean in that direction.

Pardon me while I stand for Kimigayo so I don't get fired...

 

[caster51]

I'm not saying the whole bloody country is going nationalist. I'm just saying if one looks at the nation's leaders and their policies, it has a strong tendency to lean in that direction.

could you tell me it concretely in reallity as a real movement of nationalism from nation's leaders and their policies.
I mean violence demonstration, burnt other countrire flag and so on

what do you feel your environment somthing chaged for that?
indeed,I think your environment is getting better in reality.

産経ニュース

 

[caster51]

There is no solid evidence to show that kids can't learn 2 or more languages at the same time. Happens all over the world.

in case of Singapore, they tend to forget chinese language.


What do you mean "how"? It was practically written out of the nationalistic textbook completely. That's "how".
Are you saying there were no comfort women and no rape of Nanking?

in case of comfort women


there was no forced comfort women by Japanese army organization though there were many comfort woman as prostitutes in their Business.

 

[Glenski]

could you tell me it concretely in reallity as a real movement of nationalism from nation's leaders and their policies.
I mean violence demonstration, burnt other countrire flag and so on

Nationalism does not have to be shown in violent demonstrations. I've already shown non-violent forms of such movements.


Re: no forced comfort women
You need to read this.
http://www.amnesty.org/resources/slideshow/comfortwomen/
Comfort woman 1. One day the Japanese came - nine soldiers and one officer on horseback. They said 'come with us' - they dragged me and hit me on the head with a hand gun (she still has a scar). I lost consciousness. A Japanese officer then kept me in a room for eight days and raped me repeatedly. I was so scared and tired. I was 14 at the time.
Comfort woman 2. Lola Maxima was 15 years old when she and her mother were dragged inside a big house, used as a garrison by Japanese soldiers, in the town of San IIdefonso. They were kept locked inside a room for 3 months.
Comfort woman 3. The Red House, the Japanese garrison, where the women and girls of Mapanique were raped.

"We awoke to the sound of mortar and canyons. We ran from our houses and didn't return until it was light but we saw the Japanese Imperial Army raiding our houses. The whole village, men, women and children were taken to the school house. When everyone was outside the school house and no one else was around, they burnt all our houses. The men were shot and bayoneted and their bodies were tossed into the fire.

After that, the women were told to gather all that was looted and take it to the 'Red House'. So we took everything to the Red House. We asked the soldiers to let us go so that we could check on our relatives. At midnight soldiers entered our room・e thought we'd be freed."
Comfort woman 4. At the age of 18, Park Ok-ryeon and a friend were fetching water from a well when two Japanese soldiers abducted them. They were loaded onto a truck with about 20 other girls and taken to China where they were kept in a "comfort station" for four years.

In the interests of saving space, I won't go on. Just read the links below.
http://www.comfort-women.org/v2/activities.html
http://web.amnesty.org/actforwomen/comfort_women-eng
http://www.cmht.com/cases_cwcomfort4.php
http://www.comfort-women.org/Unfinished.htm

Diaries and memoirs from Japanese soldiers have also supported the claims of coercion. You can't deny the facts and expect people to believe you.

 

[Davey]

Back to the topic you guys!!!

 

[frostyg02uk]

Sorry to have taken so long to get back to you, frosty.
Experience, whether you shoot for a work visa to teach or do other sorts of work, is related work experience. Want a teaching job but don't have the degree? You will need to show at least 3 years of full-time teaching experience. Want an engineering job but have no degree? You will need to show engineering experience (more years, though, I think). There is always a gray area in determining just what that experience is, but the number of years is usually non-negotiable.

Sorry sorry. i just re- found this thread and realised you replied. i was staying away from it and forgot about it lol. Anyway...the part i didnt get about experience for teaching is that dont we also need a degree to teach in the UK and US? But then i guess in some countries having a E.G TESOL Cert. is enough to get a job so maybe working there for 3 years would be OK. Sorry to drag the topic way back but i didnt want to be rude after asking you. so thanks.