Things you like better about non-Japanese culture & things you like better

[kireikoori]

I thought this might be an interesting topic to make. There are going to be a lot of people who find Japan as their favorite country, so for them it would be interesting to know what parts they actually don't like as much as a part of some other culture. And for those that don't like much about Japan, it would be interesting to know what those few things are that would draw them enough to Japan to be a part of this forum.

It's similar to other thread, but I think different enough.

This I like better about non-Japanese culture
- Individualism(I've been told Japan is a group culture)
- The tendency to bury and not cremate people
- Less gendered language(I've been told Japanese has more gendered language than several others)
-

Somewhat neutral side of this
- I like the religion of Japan, but I like some of the Native Religions of Norther Europe just as much. Shinto would probably make top three though.
- I'm a bit of a Viking Revival person as well as a Japanophile. There seems to be a few Japanese things based around this type of thing, like a few animated shows and comics and video games, but not anything major to really please me.
- I like the fact Japan is a first world country, like mine.
- Japan has most of my favorite parts of Chinese culture in it.
-

Things I like better about Japanese culture
- Language. Perhaps even my favorite in my top three favorite languages I don't yet speak fluently.
- Living breathing Pantheist religion from my top. Unlike the ones of Northern Europe, no revival is needed.
- The Tea Bottles I bought in vending machines in Japan was some of the best tea I ever had in my life
- The Tea I had at a Tea Ceremony in Japan was the best tea I ever had in my life
-

I'm going blank for now, sadly. And I haven't even made a very good list yet. But I want to finish this for now. Surely I think of some more I can add in the future.

 

[Shineko]

This list is going to be simple and easy.

Non-Japanese culture:

- Sauna, being a Finn it is a big part of my own culture and I have learned to love it, especially the original saunas.

- Salmiac, the poisonous candy sold in Finland and few other countries. They do not sell it in Japan; however, not like they sell it in many other countries. This has been around for so long in Finland that it has become part of its culture.

Neutral

Honestly, cannot think of any.

Japanese Culture

To stay simple, everything else. In fact, I have been called more Japanese than Japanese themselves, when I lived in Japan. My host family was laughing and said I am sometimes more Japanese then they are. I took that as a very big compliment. Oh well, I should give some points why I like it.

- The language, I am obsessed with the Japanese language. Partly, because I am dyslexic, which means I have way easier time with learning Japanese than any alphabet based language. The bigger part, because I just like the sound, the looks of the language.

- Green Tea, I am addicted to green tea and could drink it for days after days, especially maccha, the green tea served at tea ceremony, which I also like a lot.

- Igo, or more commonly known as Go in the western world, is one of my addictions. In Japan I can even watch in on TV.

- Temples, shrines, etc. I love the way Japan looks, the way the people are. Once you have been there, you do not want to leave it, unless you go on a vacation somewhere else.

- People are actually polite all the time.

There are more than this, but too lazy to start to think of more and more. There are not many things I do not like in Japan(none, is very little, is it not?).

 

[mr.unstoppable]

non-japanese:

Less rigid adherence to arbitrary rules. Anyone else ever been kicked off a beach for swimming one day before the 海開 (beach opening day)?

japanese:

variety TV

 

[captaingunkan]

Non-Japanese:
I heard that you get really sad in Japan after a while. Maybe because of just working?
And I might be mistaking, but there are racial issues in Japan. Not big ones, though.

Japanese:
I like how the Japanese do their best at everything. And, the advanced the Technology. The videogames. A lot of things about Japan o.o