Barriers to Americans understanding the Japanese

[Clephas]

A lot of that is changing though. Japanese kids are becoming similar to American kids, mostly because we consume the same media. Globalization has certainly touched Japan in the past few decades.

[caiooa]

Something that was kind of created in japanese due to class distinctions and changing family structure brought by globalization, but now is seen more and more in the rest of the world is the "Kyoiku mama".

 

I'm using the world in the sense of

"(...) a stereotyped figure in modern Japanese society portrayed as a mother who relentlessly drives her child to study, to the detriment of the child's social and physical development, and emotional well-being.(...)

The stereotype is that a kyōiku mama is feared by her own children, blamed by the press for school phobias and youth suicides, and envied and resented by the mothers of children who study less and fare less well on exams.(...)

Ordinary people, including mothers, feel powerless to change this system (the educational).

As a result, there is a clear map pointing students to the right nursery school that leads to the right  kindergarten, the best elementary school, junior high school, and high school, all of which may be associated with prestigious universities. To ensure these results, some parents have been known to commit unethical and/or illegal acts to promote their child's success.(...)"

 

The issue is complex and had to do with a lot of social transformations and Japan's educational system. But it pass up to a lot of people as just "this mother is a B#$%". And it's kind of a driving force in various animes/mangas/vns/lns

[LinovaA]

Does anyone else know about that whole public computer thing or is it just heresay?

[reyaes]

So honestly...as I was saying... it would not surprise me. There is a certain amount of trust that goes on over there. Trust that is just not present over here in not just America, but here in Canada as well. With these civic responsibilities there is no need to worry excessively about people stealing a computer out in public like that, or hell, even littering. I couldn't tell you how many times when I was over there where people (one person) in my group would accidentally leave one of their bags and a Japanese person would come running to bring them what they had forgotten. Like... that just doesn't happen as much over here I feel. I mean it does happen, but nowhere near as much.

[reyaes]

I'm not saying that either way of living is any better, they both have their strengths and weaknesses. Still, it'll be interesting to see how I'll live when I eventually go to Japan in a couple of years.

[Zalor]

Japan has always cannibalized other cultures, taking in what they like, adapting it, and throwing away what they don't like (kanji, Buddhism, industrialism, railroads, nationalism, etc.).  That tendency has just grown more pronounced over the last few decades.

[reyaes]

The university I'm going through has many exchanges to Japan, so I'll definitely be staying there for at least a year. I've also considered China too since that's my father's side of the family. While I was never taught Chinese, I'm teaching it to myself in addition to my Japanese studies. Growing up with a Chinese father and a Canadian mother while living in the US, I have a pretty multicultural background. I understand both sides, so I'm glad that I was able to experience two different cultural ways.

[reyaes]

I want to become a translator, foreign journalist correspondent, or diplomat. Something that allows me to use Japanese (and perhaps Chinese) every day as an occupation. This is the program that the university I'm going to offers. It's one of the best in the nation.

http://www.ucis.pitt.edu/asc/

I haven't decided yet what year I'll travel to Japan, but it will likely be the second or third year. I'm dying to escape where I currently live, because I'm really unhappy here. A change of scenery and studying what I want where I want is what I need.

[RinXD]

Another important issue is that of immigration.  Immigration is commonplace in America and even arguably the backbone of many parts of our culture.   Japan, however, is extremely averse to immigration and still continues to severely limit it despite their rapidly shrinking population.  

 

While this may be beneficial to preserving their cultural heritage, it makes it extremely difficult for outsiders to reach an emic perspective and is a major blockade to cultural understanding.  

There shrinking population is attributed to the fact that the birthrate is down immensely over there due to personal pleasure toys. Another thing the us Lacks that japan does not is a solid education system. Here in the US every goes to high school with out much thought on the matter Japan has entrance exams for highschool and a private high school over there is a big deal while over here it just means you have money.

[RinXD]

Yeah but they can take naps after lunch o.o

[reyaes]

Japan is a very tired country.

[Clephas]

The fact that the word karoushi, which means 'death by exhaustion caused by overwork' came into common use says a lot about the Japanese, lol.

[reyaes]

I heard of a Japanese kid who marathoned a video game so long he just died.

[Clephas]

Miyazaki has enough money to keep servants to feed him a good diet, even while he is working himself to death, lol.

[RinXD]

I heard of a Japanese kid who marathoned a video game so long he just died.

[EldritchCherub]

I heard of a Japanese kid who marathoned a video game so long he just died.

That's the first I hear of someone from Japan losing their life over something like this. One of the ones I remember the most is this one from Taiwan. I can barely go six hours without eating a snack, he must have been doing some serious grinding...

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/18/diablo-3-death-chuang-taiwan-_n_1683036.html

[reyaes]

That's the first I hear of someone from Japan losing their life over something like this. One of the ones I remember the most is this one from Taiwan. I can barely go six hours without eating a snack, he must have been doing some serious grinding...

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/18/diablo-3-death-chuang-taiwan-_n_1683036.html

 

That's what I'm thinking of. Lol whoops. RinXD's more correct on his logic.