[diru1]

Well... everything aside, I believe some of you took things a little too much to heart,

when I read "japanese men are perverted etc" I didn't assume the majority are or take it in a bad way, my knowledge tells me this. But you have to keep in mind, the media makes Japan (Tokyo in particular) to be this wacky, weird place... Shows such as Japanorama by Jonathon Ross for example, episode about 'otaku', grown men watching girls dance for them in school girl uniforms as young as 12 only makes you think certain things, why does a show dedicated to things in Japan show this? I know their purpose & intention and don't fall for it, by no means does this reflect an entire race/country, but I can see why people are offended as there are simple minded people who may get the wrong idea. Some westerner's are HUGE perverts, this is coming from a person who lives in the UK, but its just the way it is, but saying that does not mean everybody is perverted.

Realjames tried to do a decent thing for the newbies from a western perspective, so ease up on the guy, he may not be socially "correct" but somebody like me who is going to Japan for the first time later this year took into consideration a few points from his post.

Maybe one of the members on here who knows Japan well could offer a Japanese perspective of what a westerner can expect when coming to Japan for the first time?