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What are your interests for Japan?

What are your interests for Japan ?

  • Manga & Anime

    Votes: 629 56.2%

  • Video games

    Votes: 439 39.2%

  • Martial Arts

    Votes: 350 31.3%

  • Culture in general

    Votes: 802 71.7%

  • J-pop

    Votes: 406 36.3%

  • Japanese people (friendship or more)

    Votes: 783 70.0%

  • Japanese language

    Votes: 810 72.4%

  • Japanese food

    Votes: 649 58.0%

  • Traditional Japan (tea ceremony, geisha, kabuki, noh, ikebana, ...)

    Votes: 564 50.4%

  • Religion (shinto, buddhism, zen...)

    Votes: 286 25.6%
  • Total voters
    1,119
dont get me wrong im not looking for trouble, i believe in stuff like ghosts, heaven, god etc, and i get quite annoyed when people try to turn me away from me beliefs or disrespect me beliefs!
 
I'd have to say film, language, culture, and history, in order of decreasing importance. I'm a film buff, so my initial, and most enduring, interest has been in the films of the "Golden Age" of Japanese cinema; Ozu, Kurosawa, Mizoguchi, Teshigahara, etc. That, coupled with my general interest in language, led me to attempt to learn Japanese, though in the past I wasn't able to dedicate as much time to that as I would have liked. And finally, traditional culture and history both interest me; modern culture, not so much. I have absolutely no interest in manga, anime, J-pop music, TV shows, etc.
 
I wrote a longer blog entry about what was my motivation to move to Japan and how my interests have changed after living here for a few years.
They have changed quite a bit.
You can find the blog post here: Why are you interested in Japan?
There's also a movie and a poll, so take part if you want to! ^-^
 
I went through you article. It was interesting.
When I was working in the izakaya, I met an American guy.
I asked him why he came to Japan.
He said he was totally in love with anime esp Evangalion and he was so excited explaining it to me.
 
I love everything about Japan. My husband is japanese and I have been try to learn japanese culture.
 
I've always had a deep interest in the japanese, and chinese cultures. More chinese than japanese, I am slowly learning about much of their modern culture, and their past cultures.
 
I could write an essay about what interests me about Japan, but I'm not sure if it will be either be short enough or too long, so I'll just state that I love about EVERYTHING about Japan. But I am also opened to other cultures as well like Chinese and non-Asian cultures like Irish and Greek.
 
I don't think I would succeed if I tried to find a Japanese person who loves everything about Japan. Nor would I expect to find any among Japan's foreign residents.

It is nice that they exist somewhere, I suppose....
 
Specific types of japanese video games. Mainly old fashioned fantasy games. I like the slow pace, the level grinding, and the soothing, suggestive music as well as the cute animals and slimes and everything. However, I also like games like Zelda which are more action but still very atmospheric fantasy.

For the same reason I don't like anime, because the pace is hysteric, the constant emotional outbursts are stressful, I dislike the victimization of women as love-struck, quick tempered, dependant, clingy etc, I dislike the sexual references, the flawed scripts and bad plot which builds entirely on trying to create overload of emotions rather than being well written etc etc... I would never classify anime and video games as "closely related". The spiritual experience is different between the two. Anime is shallow and unlike video games it doesn't do anything to the brain's reward system, so it doesn't stimulate any growth or will to improve on any plane.

In general, I am provoked by modern japanese "girl culture". Not that it really bothers me but I still find it annoying. I understand that traditionally, women did not fake their voices to sound cute and submissive. I also have a strong loathing for men who fall for these kinds of cutesy girls.

I also like macrobiotic and buddhist vegan food.

Some traditional arts and aesthetics. Religion too. Many of these are perfect opposites of western thinking and my growing disgust with the state of western culture today made me embrace more eastern ideas.

Tea is a major interest for me. I buy organic imported japanese teas from Shizuoka, Mie, Hoshino etc...
 
I used to like anime, but not now. I unexpectedly learned Thai by watching Saint Seiya while I was like 10 years old. I sometimes watches some random anime, but not frequently like I was crazy about them back when I was a child. But from now in order to improve my listening I think I have to pick up those DVDs from dust and rewatches them again.
Video games on the other hand are my main interest. I played a lot of Super Robot Wars series and hope in 5 years I could understand the story of the game. (I'm done with basics in almost 2 years and now move to intermediate level) But before that I think I need to pass JLPT N2 first, or maybe could be N1 in 2 more years?)
 
I've been interested in Japan since adolescence (now I'm 31), when I read a book about Miyamoto Musashi, and then a couple of zen books of Taisen Deshimaru and Musashi's book ﾅ津懌?氾鳴鞘? (the book of the five rings)ﾂ。I admit that i didn't really understand anything at that time, I was too young . I also read chinese books like Confucian dialogues and the tao te ching. I was a weird boy, I know, I was 12-15 years oldﾂ…
I also always liked anime, and in the last years with the internet I had the possibility of watching many series that I didn't know, or that I knew only in the Italian translation (and in many cases with Italian censorship, because almost all sexy scenes or nude scenes here are cut away). I love Evangelion, Kenshin, Monster, meitantei Conan (I've seen 650 episode of that in the last months), saiyuki, and the two that have dominated my children life: captain Tsubasa and saint seiya.
Now I'm what you can call an intellectual, a writer and a historian. And the knowledge of different cultures, religion, histories, societies it's very important in a world were westerners don't know much about themselves and their past, and don't know anything about others. When you have always lived and thought in your way, you can think that there is no alternative, or that all other type of organizations and beliefs are inherently wrong.
I think it's enough for an introduction on my interests
And I'm not used to write in English, I read it without any problem but I'm not used to write or talk in it, so I'm very slow (I'm also a perfectionist, especially when I write) and it take me 30 minutes to write all of this, I hope at least it's clear
 
I became interested in Japan from the stories my parents would tell me about when they lived in Okinawa; they would tell me about the culture, food, traditions, and many other things over in Japan, and that alone led me to research Japan and it's rich cultural traditions and I must say, I am so happy I did. Now I am learning Japanese and hope to visit there someday, maybe in about ten years or so, I'm still scared of the radiation.
 
It ain't like the whole country glows in the dark. Why not make erasing that bit of ignorance from your mind a priority in your studies?
 
Mike Cash said:
It ain't like the whole country glows in the dark. Why not make erasing that bit of ignorance from your mind a priority in your studies?
Click to expand...

If this post was for me, then I apologize if I've offended you, but I was not stating a fact; that was purely humor (my own twisted humor). Although radiation can spread and it has already, that would not stop me from going to Japan, we all die one day no matter what.

If this post wasn't for me, then please ignore everything I have just said.
 

You haven't offended me. I just thought you were one of the people who thought the radiation issue is more widespread than it really is.

I wish that had been the case. Instead I had to find out that you think the tremendous amount of suffering, death, destruction, forced relocation, and dispossession is something to make flippant wisecracks about. I would have preferred ignorant.
 

Come on now, he didn't mean anything by it.





As for myself, I have a lot of reasons for my consuming interest in Japan. I suppose it all started when I was in kindergarten and started having interest in robotics. I always loved having books about the world's most advanced robotics, and a lot of the time they were being developed in Japan, so that was a huge influence. As a grew up, I religiously watched and played Pokemon, and now that I look back on it, I learned quite a bit about Japanese culture without ever knowing it. I also took a huge liking to anime since they'd air Cowboy Bebop and all that jazz on Toonami.

More recently I've gotten into all sorts of Japanese media. I almost exclusively listen to Japanese music when I'm at home these days. One of my biggest reasons for my interest in Japan, though is the culture in general. I'm not sure I'd say it's all that philosophical, but I've been doing a lot of thinking for the past couple of years on life issues, like what it means to be a good person and such. I've grown incredibly fond of modesty and decency in general, and it just so happened that I started learning about Japan at about the same time. The more I learn about Japanese culture, the more it seems like the ideal place to live.

On top of all that, I think that the language is beautiful and somewhat exotic. I also love traditional Japan -- I'm absolutely obsessed with kimono. (Oh, and Asian women are gorgeous.. ._. )
 
Tamayo said:
Come on now, he didn't mean anything by it.
Click to expand...

Oh, what is known as THOUGHTLESS....I see now. Sort of like "Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the show?"

It may have been just a news item where you two live, but over here it is very real and we're still dealing with it.

(Oh, and Asian women are gorgeous.. ._. )
Click to expand...

I wish I didn't hate emoticons so much. This would be the perfect place for an eye roll. Asia has its share of plain and even downright ugly women.
 

Yes, where I live it was a "news item" as you say, but do not misinterpret or assume that I have no sympathy for what has happened to your country. My humor is twisted as I stated but you have overlooked that piece of relevant information, some people think it's funny, others don't, to each his own. But I will not be insulted like that and made into a bad person just because I make a joke, how many people made jokes about tragedies that have happened in the USA? I can assure you many have and will keep on. To the Japanese people on this site, and the people who live in Japan or have relatives there, I apologize if my "humor" has insulted you, but you can always ignore it and me if you deem me a bad person. Thank you for reading this, I don't think I have to explain myself anymore or apologize (as I've already done that).
 
Thoughtless perhaps, Mike, but he certainly didn't have any bad intentions. So let's stick to what keeps people interested in Japan. And the "fair gender" is a legitimate interest, too.

Mike Cash said:
I wish I didn't hate emoticons so much. This would be the perfect place for an eye roll. Asia has its share of plain and even downright ugly women.
Click to expand...



If emoji don't cut it, what about facepalms then? All the rage across the fora these days...
 
Mike Cash said:
Oh, what is known as THOUGHTLESS....I see now. Sort of like "Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the show?"
Click to expand...

You're completely overreacting. We both know he didn't intend to say "Japan's misery makes me happy", so why are you blowing it out of proportion? Calm down, Mr. Cash.


Mike Cash said:
It may have been just a news item where you two live, but over here it is very real and we're still dealing with it.
Click to expand...

We know it's real -- after all, how would so many people have gotten the idea that all of Japan is dangerously radioactive? Annoyingly enough, there are a lot of people here who try to discourage others from going to Japan because of the accident.


Mike Cash said:
Asia has its share of plain and even downright ugly women.
Click to expand...

I never said all Asian women are gorgeous. You have a bad habit of assuming that everyone is generalizing and spewing some sort of racial/political/religious agenda, you know that?

Anyway, I don't think I said it correctly, so my fault. I didn't mean gorgeous girls in the sense of supermodels with loads of makeup and "perfect" features, I simply appreciate common Asian features, such as the wider/flatter nasal bridge, the darker eyes, darker, straighter hair, being shorter, etc. I find these features to be attractive regardless of how "pretty" or "ugly" a woman is.

As odd as it may sound, I also like some qualities of Asian men, too. Not that I'm attracted to it, but they're qualities that I'd like to have myself, if I had the choice.
 
I like visiting the temples, shrines, and some parks. I enjoy taking pictures of them and I also enjoy much of the food. Going to electricity shops is fun too. My wife doesn't see what I'm so fascinated with at those shops but then again I don't see what is so fascinating about clothing shops...

I have been missing Japan lately as I wasn't able to make the trip last year and this spring isn't looking good either. One of these years I really hope to be able to attend the MarsMan get together!

Emoticons avoided just for you Mike! (imagine a smiley here)

By the way Mike, how is the clean-up coming along near you? I seem to recall you live very close to the tsunami area. I was in Matsushima back in 2007 and it was nice, but rainy. I would love to visit again but I'm not sure how bad they got hit.

Take care everyone!
 
My area got by with mere minor inconveniences.
 
I admire japanese people because Japan is a leading nation in science and technology..
I also like their looks because they are different in a nice way..
and off course their animations.
 
I completely love everything about Japan ^o^
Specially anime and language .. and not to forget the Sakura blossoms! .. I would love to see those for real once ..
 
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