I also went to Japan not knowing much about it... So it was easy finding an appreciation for the culture as it was, plainly presented in front of me.

Life in reality is less graceful than life as portrayed in the movies... But, taking into consideration that most movies are based on aspects of reality, there has to exist some truth.

I don't feel I have a distorted view of the country. My interest in Japan started as young as six years old because of watching the Hiroshima video, "I wish" and being fascinated by the woman dancing with the fans, which I think was Odori style, only because she had on that Kabuki makeup. Don't know why, but I was completely mesmerized by the dance and highly interested in Asian cultures in general after that time.

Anywho, even though I've never been there, I know not to expect the country to be like an anime or manga setting and I know that the country, like any country, has its good points and bad points, I just haven't had the opportunity to see it for myself.

Yakuza are criminals. They are organized crime famolies. They are a huge part of slavery and illegal trafficing in slaves. All organized crime groups are ruthless. The hells angels started wearing suits and put out a corporate image. It's a false front. A ruse. The Yakuza putting out boxes for victims is nothing more than PR for a savoy group of thugs who understand the use of media and public relations.

They achieved thier objective: You think they're swell.


As MMM hinted at, if you recognize your ignorance about another country and keep an open mind you will not develop such distorted views. But it's the same everywhere. Some J-folk come to the U.S. and think it's like the movies until theyt get here.

I don't think I have a distorted view at all. I've been on here long enough and read enough to have a fairly good idea. A lot of people here are living in a Japan and have posted about their experiances, which I think is probably the most accurate picture that can be painted - actual experiance. I never once believed anime or manga was extremely popular there, it is more popular than here, but like you'd be seen as a geek for liking that stuff here, you'd be seen as an 'otaku' there. I never believed it was so popular, the same with the fashions, because of how unpopular they are here. I could never imagine that it would be different anywhere else. Turns out, it's pretty much right. There are some things I don't like about Japan, and some things I probably won't like when I visit. All in all I think I'm looking at it pretty realistically because that's how I look at most areas of life.

I have to say that I have never been a fan of manga and that my attraction to the country has never stemmed from that. I think it's a bit "distorted" to say that most people become interested in Japan through manga and anime. Perhaps people in this forum. . .but obviously we're dealing with a biased sample.

I became interested in Japan for a variety of reasons: religion, art, and nature just to name a few. I've been living in Japan some years now and am currently doing research in a small moutain village in Nagano. Manga nor anime have never been a part of it.

We need to be careful in our characterizations of Japan. . .it's not a homogenous country--not everyone has the same cultural or social traits. That's not to say we can't talk about "Japan", but I think such a complex country (as all countries are) deserves more nuance.

Anyway, that's my $.02. You can read about a different kind of Japan on my blog, where I write about my life in "inaka".

Giving you my 2¢ (as we Mac users say), I would like to echo the thoughts of MMM and Paul11. Don't romanticize the Yakuza. They're not nice guys. They're pricks who make their money shaking down honest shopkeepers, holding foreign women against their will to work in brothels and sharking loans that drive honest salarymen to suicide. They have far too much influence in Japanese society and need to be rooted out and crushed.

What type of research?

My views on Japan are not set in stone as although I'm studying the language and culture, I haven't been (yet).

Of course I have an idea on what it might be like based on what I've experienced and heard. But there's nothing wrong with that no?

Sounds like the workings of ahealthy brain. When your there it's almost overwhelming how different everything is. Everything down to the door-hinges.