I guess it would depend on what part of America you are in and what kind of people you meet... But, from experience, I would consider that as a bit of an exaggeration.

Sometimes a simple "my bad" would suffice in America, just as it would in Japan.
And... Sometimes a Japanese person would be eager to beat the crap out of you, just as any other grumpy citizen would be, in any other country.

Within social sciences, there's the notion that observations are always clouded by ones psychological make-up. Therefore, even the most astute observer who has lived in Japan is bound to see Japan through the emotional/mental filters that cloud the eyes.

We are humans with a set of senses with which to experience the environment, to process the stimuli. The world is not what we see, only experienced the way our senses allow. A tree in the woods does not make a sound if no one os there because sound is a phenomena of ears attatched to a brain.

When in Japan we see what our brains allow us to see. So we are all of distorted views about Japan.

Yaaaay!

Boo.

I knew somone was going to give that answer. :p

That argument is too easy. It's harder comprehend when you consider that, in order for information to be distorted, real information has to be obtained.
Which means, somewhere in the process of producing illusions, we are aware of the truth.

... Perhaps it would be somehow logical to say that we rely on our senses in the wrong way.

I think it's impossible to know the truth. But of course, this is very philisophical. We know when there is a pebble in our sho, then we see it, move it and feel relieved. But what was the pebble? And can you snatch it from my hand, grasshopper?

When it comes to understanding a whole country or culture, all we have is our experience, study and extrapolation. All that is clouded by opinion. That's why we're all arguing on this forun all the time. Some of us witness the same stuff and come to very different conclusions. I'm sure if I asked my wife about some of our conclusions she would laugh histerically. Then stick her finger in my eye. But was that a finger, or a candy bar? Crispetty, crunchetty Butterfinger.

Yup. Life isn't simple.

We live life looking at others, relying on the assumption that they are looking at life in the same way.
Similar to how I can talk about what a person can think, when, in reality, the only thoughts that I have ever used were my own.
I can explain what another person sees, smells, hears, feels, or tastes... When all I am using is the knowledge given to me by experience of my own senses.

We are only limited to the world as we see it.
... And all we can do is do our best.

*snatches pebble*

Give me back my G-damn pebble!

I guess I should've worded that better. I just don't have a problem with being asked to do overtime or to stay back and help in a general sense, since I feel it makes you look good to your employer. There was another topic here about this, so I already know what you mentioned. If I'm not mistaken, I think MMM explained this when I first came to this board, but still nice to inform in a general sense just in case. I know they don't do OT over there without pay, just saying, I like being helpful, for the most part, and if I'm willing to help after work without the pay, then there's no problem if the opportunity to work OT comes up (with pay) and I'm asked to do so.

Yeah, a while back my views on Japan were a bit skewed. I've grown up a bit on anime and manga, and while I did know the country wasn't like "in the cartoons", I did have an idealized view on the country. Not only was I completly wrong, but completly ashamed of myself for thinking like that.

As far as generally distorted goes, I like the points that Paul touches on. Yeah, anyone from anywhere else is going to see normalcy as different. Sociology and psychology are a bit closer than we'd think, and our surroundings influence how we view the rest of the world. Someone from the laid back, no worries, no hustle and bustle countryside might not fully understand the inner workings of city living. On a more relevant note, our [insert country]ized lifestyle causes us to view Japan differently, strange, or awesome. Setting's important, but if you don't have character development, it's a boring story, no matter where you set the thing.

you've missed the obvious sarcasm intended in that statement. but that being said, there is a difference. people in america are so rude in general, when driving, on the train, in everyday life, whatever.

We do seem to have a reputation of being rude. I really hate that reputation, though. I hate rudeness personally, and go out of my way to be polite, especially when it comes to workers in stores and restaurants, etc. I wish everyone in general did.

i think ive got an ok view of the real japan mainly from seeing documentaries. of course the media and entertainment world is a fantasy land :D

I was generalizing :mtongue: of course all people aren't assholes. There's incredibly nice and rude people wherever you go. But in generalizations, there are far more nice people in Japan.

Omfg....
So your trying too say that there are NO 'super toilets' in Japan?!
And that Godzilla doesn't make weekly visits too Tokyo too battle King Kong?!
And that high school girls don't run around in super skimpy, yet amazingly adorable sailor fuku?!?!
Omfg...
wth is WRONG w/ this world?!!?!?!?!!?!?!

lol >.>'''


my view is pretty distorted x]
wouldn't ya figure? =3

me too, I go out of my way to thank people, SMILE (this is a big one) and just in general notice people for the things they do. Even just a small smile to someone can make them feel a lot better, yet if you smile to someone here, chances are they'll think you are crazy. :mtongue:

I walk around looking like a Visual Kei artist everyday I'm in Japan :ywave: :cool:

if i had the clothes and the make-up skill.....
that's ALL i'd be walking around in, lol

i knew you would say something like that >D lol

hehe x]
it's sexy
what can i say? xD

I guess I did.

... But, whatever the case, I don't deny that America is different from Japan.
I understand what you're saying, don't worry. ;)

of course, sometimes i can be listed as one of those "assholes" especially in car.
I'd be the person, everyone eggs. : D
naaah, i'm actually pretty mellow, until I'm really pissed, then I'm scary.

I would hope so!
I'm pretty sure I have a somewhat undistorted view of Japan, but I won't know unless I see 24 hour footage of every place :D
I won't ever know unless I get to see it for myself.

Actually, to make assauge your feelings: European tourist boards have done a lot of poling lately. It turns out that Americans have some of the best reputations as tourists in Europe. The ugly american stereotype has disapeared, thanks tou sensative people like you. We tip better, are moe polite and try to learn a few native phrases more than almost anyone else.

It turn out that the French and Chinese are the worst rated. They are rude, the chinese touch things i museums and the french are lousy tippers.

We are conscious of the old stereotype so we, as you say, "go out of our way" to et people know we appreciate thier patients. It has gone a long way.

Later.

I dunno, I grew up on Anime and Manga too, but wasn't the least bit interested in Japan until about 5 years ago (I'm 17) when I had a really good friend that tought me alot of stuff about th real Japan. At that point, I kinda learned to seperate fact from fiction.

If you want my honest opinion. The real Japan, not the fantasy world of Anime is truely interesting.

I can't claim to know what Japan is like, simply becouse I have never been there. But in all honesty, Japan isn't the "be all, end all" of my life. In fact I'm really leaning tward learning Korean instead of Japanese at this point (mostly becouse Japanese is a detriment to english teaching in Japan, they don't want your english being influenced.)

I think, as long as you know that you don't know, and that you don't hide it. You can find out the truth, and be truely knowlageable.

Yeah, but it didn't disappear,they are turning better only recently. It takes more than few years for stereotype to change xD
(I'm working at casttles and museums part time) Still the best tourists are japanese and german.

I have bad luck for american tourists too. ("Please don't make photos." "Yeah right *flash flash*", "Please don't touch anything." "But of course! *goes to sit on antique chair*") :)

Yeah, actually most americans I've met in my home country were allright (not better or worse than anyone else). American tourists usually just want to have fun and are polite in general (I know people that work in a museum, so atleast I get a little bit of insight).

Funny thing though is how it's kinda rare to meet repub's. Every single american person I've encountered through university etc have been "goddamn-I'm-tired-of-bush" dems.

As for the french I think their biggest problem is that they don't speak english too good (ofc I'm now generalizing, which isn't really a good idea but hey..), and more often than not aint interested in learning your language (ofc this is not so for all french).

I;m not into anime but i think people who are not interested in japan have a bigger distortion than the people who watch anime. I think most people knows what they are getting into =)

What are you talking about, anime and manga is what Japan is like for real! Maybe not.

I've been to Japan, so I have the "real" idea of what its actually like. However, I did notice that anime/manga is correct with a lot of "normal" things.

Such as, the way the houses and streets are set up, and the large schools with the chiming bell to call children to class. I felt like I was in a manga while walking down the street in Kita Koshigaya, lol. But no there are no flying wizards and witches, or magical creatures walking about.

Is it possible to have been led to anime, manga, music....everything by dreams? As young as 4-6, I had dreams. Things my family's pastor dubbed "visions of my future and past." He told my family and I to seek the aide of his friend. As it just so happened, the friend was an elderly man who had spent 20 years in Japan. Till his last days I spoke with him and studied under him. I know like many others that Japan isn't all anime-ish, the Japan of movies...or even the Japan of memories. As much as I wish I could have seen the countryside then; I'm satisfying my hunger by learning the trade of game design with the hopes of working in Japan under the SquareEnix Company.I hope to live out the rest of my life there, and I'm going no matter what anyone says. :vsign: Hope to see you there! :ywave:

im not really worried on how we view japan but on how japan views native americans....have you seen some of the stuff they put about us in manga and animes?

Yep, funny stuff.

... But, like I've said: Some of it, even in an effort for humor, can be true to a point.
There's no helping it; it's just an expression of the contrast between cultures.

Sort of like describing the big-nosed, white-skinned foreigners that talk unusually loud.
It seems blunt. It can be offensive... But it can also hold an element of truth, especially from the perspective of someone with an entirely different outlook on life. Minus racism.

We generalize others just as they generalize us.
It's one way of trying to understand the world around us in a form that we can remember, without possessing the knowledge gained from actual experience.

In the case of anime/manga, I don't think so. When I was younger, I didn't know what either was. When I was young, I watched cartoons/animated stuff in general. I didn't know where it was from, nor did I care, just as long as it entertained me. As silly as this may sound, when I first started watching Sailor Moon years ago, it didn't hit me that the show was dubbed over from Japan until older.:p I also never preferred one country's series over the other. If it entertains me, doesn't matter where it's from. I'm like this even now.

That aside, I wish you the best of luck. ^_^

thx...but i think i slightly mislead you (sorry it was 3 AM here, couldn't sleep...definetly shouldn't have been trying to type either, lol)...what i should have said is that as a kid I had these unusual, inexplicable dreams. Now that I've had time to search them through, I know they were possible repressed memories. But nonetheless. it was while studying with my friend (mentioned in my last post) I came across anime and manga. I had already been studying a little. Showing my friend things in my dreams by looking at a few books he had, while my mom helped him cook and get around the house.thx again for wishing me luck.

That's amazing, a really intresting story! Dang, I'm just speechless on what to say. : D Do you remember any of your dreams?

HAHAHA, same here. I didn't even know what dubbing was, I just was kinda confused when the words didn't match. : D

I see how you mean man, when I was 12 I made friends with a Japanese girl, Yakumo Yasuhiko (I forgot how to spell her first name:o ). And she tought me alot of stuff about Japan. About 3 years ago she had to go back to Japan and we lost contact shortly thereafter. After that I learned all I could about Asian culture. And found that I liked it. I also started Martial Arts, which gave me even more incentive to do what I already loved.

So now goal is to be a great Martial Artist and Teacher! I hope to see you in Japan, Thailand, Korea, China or anywhere else!

I find that they have many stereotypes about us, as well. Many Japanese people tend to believe stereotypes from movies. When I lived there I would develope questions to ask everyone I met and tally the results. According the stereotypes, all American's own guns (well, I do) and all they get several stereotypes a bout black Americans from movies, too. As we travel in Japan it is our job to correct those stereotypes with a good example.

I guess I can understand that concern, but it is also like being worried how Americans view the Ainu people. You can be concerned if you want, but there are probably bigger fish to fry closer to home.

When I was a kid and first got into anime, I had a very distorted view of Japan.
These days, after all the studying I've done, and talking to people, I've learned better. But it sure is obnoxious to me, in my search for friends who are interested in Japan, that the majority of people who say they are think that it's like anime in real life, or that all Japanese people are mangaka. ><; I guess you can't blame them, because that's all they know, and like I said, I used to be so ignorant too. But it does sort of make us look like ばかな外人.
I have yet to actually go to Japan, though, so I can't really talk about "what Japan is really like" because I don't know yet! ^^;

i meant cherokee(like me),and other indian races but i agree with some of what is said...maybe when i go to japan ill have a feather in my hair just to see what they say(in a non-racist way)

They will say, "Hennagaijin."

You'd be right if only you'd known I did this when I was a member full-fledged, you fail.