TVTropes Now available in the app store!
Open

Follow TV Tropes

Following

General Japanese Culture Thread

Go To

GAP Formerly G.G. from Who Knows? Since: May, 2011 Relationship Status: In love with love
Formerly G.G.
#5801: Dec 9th 2019 at 5:13:24 AM

We Americans pretty much say anything we want regardless of politeness. tongue

"Fan, a Mega Man character."
GoldenKaos Captain of the Dead City from Cirith Ungol Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
Captain of the Dead City
#5802: Dec 9th 2019 at 5:16:13 AM

The lower down the class system in Britain you'll get more of that, certainly. But we quite like the surgical use of the Stealth Insult.

"...in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach."
Euodiachloris Since: Oct, 2010
#5803: Dec 9th 2019 at 6:02:32 AM

There are ways of being polite while outwardly being as rude and uncouth as all get out... And there are ways of being seriously uncouth while being painfully polite.

It's easy to say that it's a class thing, but that's a trap; class is only packaging-deep.

The real skill... is timing when to switch your gears between the contradictions inherent in the system, both for added effect and for the giggles. Both Osaka and Kyoto have that down pat. From both sides.

Edited by Euodiachloris on Dec 9th 2019 at 2:04:54 PM

KarkatTheDalek Not as angry as the name would suggest. from Somwhere in Time/Space Since: Mar, 2012 Relationship Status: You're a beautiful woman, probably
Not as angry as the name would suggest.
#5804: Dec 9th 2019 at 7:56:00 AM

It’s funny, people talk about how rude Americans are, but I honestly don’t experience that much rudeness on a face to face basis, at least when I’m at my job.

Of course, there’ve been times where I’VE been rude, but that’s more of a personal issue I think, and one I’m trying to improve.

Oh God! Natural light!
SpookyMask Since: Jan, 2011
#5805: Dec 9th 2019 at 9:36:16 AM

Well in my experience in person at least Americans are overly friendly and always doing great despite evidence to contrary tongue

PhysicalStamina ain't nothin' but a party y'all (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
ain't nothin' but a party y'all
#5806: Dec 9th 2019 at 9:44:51 AM

I'm probably something of an outlier as I'm not outgoing nor especially friendly and I don't like random people coming up to talk to me.

Do not spare the feelings of those who would not spare yours.
SpookyMask Since: Jan, 2011
#5807: Dec 9th 2019 at 9:46:33 AM

Yeah you do the talking to strangers thing a lot too for some reason

GAP Formerly G.G. from Who Knows? Since: May, 2011 Relationship Status: In love with love
Formerly G.G.
#5808: Dec 9th 2019 at 6:53:35 PM

I guess I exaggerated somewhat but in my experience most people are polite or nice. I am not sure about everyone else's experiences though.

Edited by GAP on Dec 10th 2019 at 4:25:50 AM

"Fan, a Mega Man character."
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#5809: Dec 9th 2019 at 6:57:42 PM

In truth, the "rudeness" of the people of the USA is greatly exaggerated. Heck, we aren't even the worst tourists.

Disgusted, but not surprised
TheNohen roaming, lurking, arguing from Leipzig, Saxony Since: Feb, 2016 Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
roaming, lurking, arguing
#5810: Dec 10th 2019 at 1:17:16 AM

Doesn't that depend on the location anyway? I remember, that germans for example are loathed on Mallorca nowadays, while in Scandinavia opinions are generally positive.

So, cultural dissonance can certainly lend itself to japanese perception of Americans as rude and loud. Heck, here in germany we tend to have the same view, while japanese are generally seen as non-obstrusive, with the "worst" example maybe being the crowd of japanese tourists running around with cameras.

Not to mention spoken languages and how they are perceived differently by various cultures. I am looking at the many, many "screaming german" videos here...

Edited by TheNohen on Dec 10th 2019 at 10:24:51 AM

Kayeka (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#5811: Dec 10th 2019 at 1:53:54 AM

I remember back when I worked at a supermarket here in Amsterdam, apparently some Japanese travel agency made our business part of "the tour", so every week we'd get a busload of Japanese tourists browsing our shop and taking pictures of everything.

This wouldn't be a problem, if there weren't so many of them creating a crowd in front of our displays, and if they would actually buy anything. The one time someone bought something was when they accidentally broke a bottle of beer and insisted they'd pay for it.

SpookyMask Since: Jan, 2011
#5812: Dec 11th 2019 at 3:17:36 AM

There is also that you don't see American tourists in some countries at all since they either go to another state for vacation or the really popular vacation spots tongue I think Russian and Asian tourists are much more common in Finland at least

ciyinwanderer Since: Dec, 2018
#5813: Dec 12th 2019 at 9:48:35 AM

I'll post this to the general LGBT thread (once I find it), but this showed up on my twitter feed today:

https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASMDD4G3SMDDUTIL00N.html

A transgender government employee was awarded roughly $13,000 after suing for discrimination; despite living/presenting as a woman full time her office required her to use the women's facilities on another floor (not sure why, maybe no women worked on that floor so it wasn't used, or it was a single stall restroom?).

Edit: Here's an English news article: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/12/13/national/social-issues/court-rules-limit-toilet-use-transgender-government-official-illegal/#.XfOwaPxcPIU

Edited by ciyinwanderer on Dec 13th 2019 at 7:41:00 AM

This signature was thumped to preserve the dignity of the moderators.
Pipcard Since: Aug, 2009
#5814: Dec 13th 2019 at 10:33:19 AM

https://old.reddit.com/r/geopolitics/comments/ck9uss/inside_the_loselose_trade_fight_between_japan_and/evl4mx7/

Korean antipathy against Japan for its colonial atrocities and historical rivalry is well known, but what is less known is the creeping sense of Japanese insecurity compared to Korea or China. Even as late as the 90s, Japan was ridiculously far ahead of its Northeast Asian neighbors. Today Japan faces a diminished international stature as China has far outstripped it in total economic power, while Korea rose to be a deadly industrial rival that does better than Japan in fields as diverse as electronics and pop-culture. This has led to a flowering of cottage industry in Japan that relies on anti-Korean or Chinese sentiment, with TV and print media showcasing numerous pundits that regularly prophesize doom for either of the two countries.

https://old.reddit.com/r/geopolitics/comments/5j2jr4/why_south_korea_and_japan_dont_get_along/dbd2i17/

It boils down to economics and perceived soft power.

These two countries are very similar in what they produce and there's bound to be bitter rivalry.

Sony has been replaced by Samsung, Honda has been replaced with Hyundai, Korean movies are overshadowing and better than Japanese movies, and Jpop has been replaced by kpop.

With Korea's rise they still feel like second fiddle to Japan and that Japan is more well-liked and respected around the world.

Japan is bitter than Koreans are beating them at everything and worry they are no longer relevant.

It's about national pride, mixed with centuries of humiliation for Korea at the hands of Japan.

I know that these are some of those 'unreliable internet comments,' but I am interested in this notion, that the stubborn nationalist sentiment (like war crime denial) coming from Japan is the result of insecurity/an inferiority complex coming from the stagnation of Japan's economy and its industries (especially the tech industry), and concerns about being surpassed by Korea and China. I just want to know if there are any academic or official news sources talking about that.

Edited by Pipcard on Dec 13th 2019 at 2:31:39 AM

LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#5815: Dec 13th 2019 at 11:10:22 AM

Almost literally every southeast asian country hates almost literally every other southeast asian country.

That whole section of the planet is basically held together by the United States holding everyone by the ear and telling them to get their shit together and cooperate before China eats somebody.

Our current President is very much not doing that and as you can see, relations between South Korea and Japan have almost entirely collapsed and intelligence agreements are being torn up in increasingly petty and childish spats between their two governments.

Edited by LeGarcon on Dec 13th 2019 at 2:11:20 PM

Oh really when?
vicarious vicarious from NC, USA Since: Feb, 2013
vicarious
#5816: Dec 13th 2019 at 11:52:29 AM

I’m assuming the trade war between Japan and Korea is still ongoing

It does make me sad, both countries are being hurt by this

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#5817: Dec 13th 2019 at 1:49:30 PM

And the CCP bastards are the ones benefiting.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
unknowing from somewhere.. Since: Mar, 2014
#5818: Dec 13th 2019 at 4:10:16 PM

[up][up][up]Yeah, I starting to call this east asianing, were one of them condemn other country for some racist or outrighous shit they said...right until they do so themselves.

"My Name is Bolt, Bolt Crank and I dont care if you believe or not"
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#5819: Dec 13th 2019 at 4:18:49 PM

I've made the comparison before that East Asia in the present are a suburb full of people who hate each other but like to put up a front for outsiders.

Disgusted, but not surprised
Ominae Since: Jul, 2010
#5820: Dec 13th 2019 at 6:17:41 PM

As of now, Seoul announced that GSOMIA is still in place.

I honestly don't know how it happened... but it makes an interesting editorial worth doing.

Imca (Veteran)
#5821: Dec 13th 2019 at 9:19:14 PM

Its.. not a new thing that deals with modern economics... its an achient thing that extends back to before Japan was Japan, and Korea was Korea.

Every one was trying to appeal for China's favor, which lead to a lot of backstabbing... and even once parity was starting to be obtained we decided we wanted to show off by invading china, but Korea was in the way for that... and no I am not talking about WWII... that story happened.... many times through history, WWII was just the latest....

Oceans are hard to cross, naval landings are hard to pull off, so to invade China we first had to invade Korea first.

On China's end, they had a manifest destiny thing going on, and the Korean peninsula was quite antagonizingly definitively NOT china.

And on Korea's end, there was piracy... sooo much piracy, that needless to say annoyed two ocean dependent nations.

And its just been going on like that for hundreds of years, right up until WWII... but unlike in Europe, it was never relay worked out... the old grudges remain.

Its not something you can just blame on the past few decades, its literally over a thousand years of bloody history between neighbors.

[up] I get the feeling it was a game of political chicken, and they realized it was too costly to not cancel the bluff.

Edited by Imca on Dec 13th 2019 at 9:22:01 AM

unknowing from somewhere.. Since: Mar, 2014
#5822: Dec 13th 2019 at 9:59:25 PM

Yeah, WWI and WWII is pretty much europe relasing all the pent out anger and arrogant on each other until nothing remain except wrecked contry that ask themselves "okey, maybe we when overboard" for what I see east asia didnt see that way, and when they did, mayor players like CIA ensure the deck stay in place.

"My Name is Bolt, Bolt Crank and I dont care if you believe or not"
Pipcard Since: Aug, 2009
#5823: Dec 16th 2019 at 11:32:28 PM

One pet peeve: protests against the Japanese whaling industry (or that one town that has yearly dolphin hunts) that feel the need to boycott the entirety of Japan, as if every company had ties to the whaling industry or was responsible for that. It reeks of stereotyping.

Edited by Pipcard on Dec 16th 2019 at 11:54:48 AM

CookingCat Since: Jul, 2018
#5824: Dec 20th 2019 at 6:35:29 AM

By the way, I've seen it been stated that Japan are actually closer to Southeast Asians than to other East Asians. Is this true?

GoldenKaos Captain of the Dead City from Cirith Ungol Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
Captain of the Dead City
#5825: Dec 20th 2019 at 7:01:46 AM

By "other East Asians" I guess the only candidates are China and the Koreas, who they committed the war crimes against, so I wouldn't be surprised if they got on better with other people.

"...in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach."

Total posts: 7,058
Top