[Sangetsu]

People in Asia have long memories, and a lot of angst from the war still resides. The feelings which Japanese show towards foreigners are subtle, but are discernible if you pay attention.

Chinese are thought to be more rude than other peoples. There is probably some truth to this, and it may be intentional, as the Chinese have a lot to resent about Japan. Koreans are not held in high esteem, as Koreans generally filled up service related jobs in Japan. Filipinos have an even harder time, and have the most difficulty here.

On the other hand, the Japanese too have long memories, and those from the war still linger. Japan was defeated by America in the war, but rather than feeling resentment (aside from the dropping of the A-bombs), there actually exists some respect. To this day, Americans are probably the group of foreigners which have the easiest time in Japan.

The Japanese have always been proud of their culture, and during the pre-war times, they assumed their culture to be the greatest on earth. Their victories in Asia, particularly in China, the Dutch Indies, and British Singapore reinforced this pride. The dropping of the bombs in 1945 changed everything. Japan had lost. To the Japanese way of thinking, they could not have been defeated by an inferior culture. Their pride prevented this kind of thinking. American culture was embraced after the war, and it was reflected in the music and fashion of Japan in the later 40's and 50's, and still exists to an extent even today.