General Japanese Culture Thread

So how is life for the typical Japanese citizen nowadays, considering the whole economy downturn there and all that?

I'm interested in an answer to that question, too.

On another note, does anyone recognize the outfit worn by Rei Ayanami here, from one of the Multiple Endings of the Neon Genesis Evangelion spin-off game Ayanami Raising Project? I have the vague impression that it's supposed to be something commonly worn by some Japanese "modern-day rebellious youth" type or the other, especially given the chain that she's wielding.

That stuff reminds of the Bosozokus still roaming around this time of the century.

Where do I find a white longcoat like that? I've been looking for those forever!

Also, about noisy motorcycle raging gangs:

edited 21st Sep '14 3:40:05 AM by TheHandle

Sadly, bosozoku + white clothes or white (long) coat isn't turning up any similar results. The closest ones are this (which claims that the white coats are military-style; how is Rei's coat "military"-style?) and this◊.

edited 21st Sep '14 8:29:59 AM by MarqFJA

It's a long gakuran. According to the link, they're derived the French military uniforms.

They come in a variety of lengths as well, but longer ones do happen. here◊ and here◊

And here◊ are some◊ bosozoku specific◊ versions. (Found by searching "bosozoku" and "gakuran")

edited 21st Sep '14 3:41:42 PM by KnightofLsama

Can anyone tell me more about the whole 'Don't interfere with someone's elses problem' that the Japanese have? How much of it is cultural and how much of it is legitmate?

Superman is so impolite!

Yeah. The Japanese consider it extremely rude to trouble someone else with personal problems.

On top of that, there's the problem of "totomae" (aka "Face"), which is basically like Social Currency or reputation. They do everything possible to "save Face" for others (overtly, at least—it's not unheard of to try to sabotage them).

So Superman would catch Lois Lane, then very quickly place her on the ground in a Three-Point Landing pose so everyone thinks she did it on her own.

edited 29th Sep '14 3:36:17 PM by MarqFJA

That's kind of confusing, because I can think of several anime, mostly ones aimed at kids, that have a protagonist who goes out of his/her way to help people and so far as I can tell, that is treated as a good thing in those stories. The two main examples I can think of are Pokemon and Pretty Cure. Ash Ketchum (or Satoshi, as he is known in Japan) often is shown helping random strangers with stuff in many of the "filler" episodes, and I don't remember the story treating it like he's doing something bad for helping people. Also, several Pretty Cure lead characters are often shown being very helpful to random strangers in their civilian forms, particularly Love, Mana and Megumi. I know that Mana is sometimes scolded for it by Rikka, but that's usually in the context of Rikka worrying that Mana is overextending herself rather than "you'll embarrass people if you help them!"

Also, Japanese fiction has superheroes too, like the Sentai and Magical Girl genres, so it's not like they don't have their own stories about heroes who habitually rescue and help people who are otherwise strangers. Is the difference between them and characters like Superman that they're usually shown fighting supernatural monsters that normal humans wouldn't be expected to fight on their own, whereas Superman fights against ordinary criminals sometimes? So far as I know about him, which isn't that much because I'm not that familiar with most American comic book heroes. I guess another difference would be that Japanese heroes are more likely to have an authority figure who gives the heroes the job of fighting evil, whereas American superheroes are more likely to have decided to get into crimefighting on their own (although there are probably several exceptions to both of those generalizations).

edited 29th Sep '14 4:38:01 PM by Rainbow

Same difference. You're dishonoring them by presuming they can't handle their own problems, and their problems caused you to go out of your way to butt in. Basically, you're in the wrong for barging into their lives, and they're wrong for making their problems visible to an outsider.

Also, Japanese fictional heroes tend to be an idealized version of a compassionate person. While it's not uncommon to see a Japanese hero to helps others, it's also not uncommon for the people they help apologize for causing them trouble, or swear Undying Loyalty to their savior for doing what any decent person should do. That's because of the values I mentioned, alongside others like Giri and Ninjo.

edited 29th Sep '14 5:24:00 PM by KingZeal

The key in such shows is that they often are friends with these people at first. It's always a "new friend" that the Pretty Cure help out, another classmate or local figure that hasn't been mentioned before and often isn't mentioned again (Heartcatch has been doing a good job of conserving detail so far, though). One Piece is much the same: Luffy's heroics come because he makes friends with practically anyone very quickly: "This dog's my friend now!" "Buggy's henchman abused it." -> "Well i'll kick Buggy's ass!"

Oh wow. You're right. I never noticed that before.

And then there's the likes of Kisaragi Gentarou who has made it a goal in life to make one thousand new friends while being in High School... and he's very good at that.

Spoilers for Kamen Rider Fourze.

But, come to think of it, doesn't embarrassment come into play when Superman saves people or gets into their problems in comic books?

In the comics I've read generally, "I got saved by Superman!" isn't something embarrassing, it's the ultimate bragging right.

edited 29th Sep '14 7:05:36 PM by Parable

@Ogodei: That's true, too, about the Cures who are extremely helpful like that being the type to consider the people they help as being their friends, particularly the ones I mentioned (Mana especially). Good point, and that seems to apply to Ash as well, being the kind of person who would consider the average innocent stranger to be "a friend I haven't met yet."

Is there an in-group vs. out-group distinction in this as well? As in, someone stepping in to help a member of their in-group would be seen differently than someone stepping in to help a member of the out-group?

edited 29th Sep '14 7:20:27 PM by Rainbow

http://kotaku.com/anime-cat-is-an-attack-on-china-says-journalist-1640225665

Something for a fun read.

@King Zeal

That actually makes as some authors kind of have it out with some of those Superman types.that is not to say that we don't have thosekind of auhtors here, it is just that the Japnese are less tolerant of this kind of thing.

How is Doraemon an attack on China? What game are they trying to pull with this? Do they think that the show has some hidden political agenda to subvert China and the world?

They always think the Japanese have a covert agenda to subvert China. After all, China would do the same if their positions were reversed.

Always Lawful Evil?

Why Japan's beaches are deserted - despite the sunshine — Nature is being disrespectful...

Nope, it's called propaganda. The best way to secure the public's allegiance is to give them an external enemy to band together against; it's the oldest trick in the book.

edited 1st Oct '14 6:50:05 AM by amitakartok

Ainu, Okinawans join first U.N. indigenous peoples’ conference

I wondered why some events like Music Media-mix Market do not bother with English language version of its website (or at least a page for visitor's information) despite the organization committee acknowledging that there are significant presence of foreign attendants.

What's making this weird is that after I managed to get a Japanese staff from Japanese National Tourism Organization in a local travel fair to send inquiries about whether foreigners are allowed to attend the event, the reply is entirely in English and it says something in the lines of a lot of foreigners has attended our event in the past. Perhaps it is not super-popular with foreigners like Comiket?