Ask Japanese what they think about AMERICANS / USA / AMERICA

[yuiyoshida]

[MynameisBlarney]

1. I'll be sure to check this out as soon as I get home.

I bet this is going to be good.

[whathehell]

2. Ask Americsns, especially those who interact

with them regularly like my spouse, what they think of the Japanese.

[yuiyoshida]

4. I am not sure I want to know

I have heard more than my share of negative stuff.

[whathehell]

6. Yes, that's how a lot of us feel

about the "opinions" in your post.

Funny how that works.

[yuiyoshida]

7. Nothing negative in my posts

Maybe you should try ACTUALLY watching it rather than making assumptions about it.
or don't ...I d c.

[whathehell]

10. Why did you assume there was anything negative mine?

[yuiyoshida]

12. I wasn't speaking about you or your wife's experience

I was speaking of mine as a Japanese-American.

[whathehell]

15. and I was speaking of my experience & that of my huband

Lots of assumptions here.

[yuiyoshida]

16. well maybe your Japanese spouse has had a positive experience

and if so that's great. I have grown up here, in the states, and not all of my experiences have been happy ones especially traveling across this great land of ours. Hearing people mutter "chink" under their breath aimed directly at you, is not fun. I have experienced quite a few bouts of open prejudice from various places I have visited, including in Arizona, where I lived a few years. I was always happy to return to my neighborhood when I came back, to San Francisco, and learned the great lesson that maybe its better not to venture out too far... from home.

[whathehell]

19. Like me, he's had positive and negative experiences..

I'm sorry you've had those racist experiences in our country -- It sucks, for sure.

That being said, you must know that Japan and other Asian countries frequently display the same sort of ignorant racism

toward Caucasians. Long before his current job, my husband Mark worked in the Peace Corp in Malaysia.

I don't know what it's like now, but at the time, it was demographically comprised of three different

nationalities -- Native Malays, Chinese, and East Indians. When going into a Chinese store, Mark frequently heard

clerks refer to him as "that red-haired devil" -- They didn't know he understood them.

I waited tables in a Chinese Restaurant -- the only Caucasian there -- and was treated by the owner's wife

as so "different" that she blanched at lending me the sweater she had just let my Chinese

co-worker wear when the restaurant got cold. She also bemoaned her son's marriage to a white woman.

It goes both ways.

[StoneCarver]

17. Hey get off her case

Thanks for the post on Japan! We have hosted three Japanese students, and they were all different. We still stay in contact with Megumi. The whole family went to Japan last fall to visit. It was beautiful! I hope Japanese people have fun in the US and we in Japan. We love the Japanese.
Stone carver

[whathehell]

18. Hey I'm not ON her case!

and even if I was, how might that be your business?...I'm sure she can speak for herself,

and, in fact, already has..

[geardaddy]

3. Thanks!

Those were great!

[yuiyoshida]

5. I thought so too

and only one girl mentioned she loved California, I would love to give her a tour of San Francisco, she was cute.

[BlueJazz]

8. Would you say that the Japanese people are more polite than Americans.? I'm asking because..

...if they are, then maybe they're saying only the nice things and are "Pulling their punches"

[yuiyoshida]

9. Well perhaps...

but they won't lie to you. Yes they want tourists to come to Japan, and yes they would like to visit America, but they have some problems with some American tourists who tend to be too loud on a train, or walk into a house with their shoes on.

Its very easy to learn custom type things before going to Japan, like how not to put chopsticks up your nose, or how to serve your guest Beer first before you pour your own glass. Learning not to stick Chopsticks in your rice standing up, while you adjust your seat... or other so called Obnoxious things people can and will do.

Being polite and having manners is important for most countries.. even here.

[BlueJazz]

11. "put chopsticks up your nose" Please tell me they don't do that. If they DO, then the Japanese..

...should hire thugs to drag them to the airport!

[yuiyoshida]

14. No I was referring to

American kids on vacation with the parents in Japan, who some times will do such thing...
"Look Ma! I am a Walrus!" ...i have seen it at Japantown, and I am sure kids have done the same thing in Japan, embarrassing their parents.

[Skittles]

22. did I ever tell you the first time I tried to use chopsticks

a very old Asian lady come over my restaurant table and grabbed my hand and made me hold them right.......I think it was her grandchildren who apologized to me profusely, even though I thought it was pretty cool

[yuiyoshida]

23. That's cool skittles

I would love to teach you! But you are probably good at it by now

[miyazaki]

13. You got that right. n/t

[Dr. Xavier]

20. I think that they were being polite. n/t

[yuiyoshida]

21. nothing wrong with that ...

[Nitram]

24. My take on politeness is that Japan is a very formal and traditional society.

Politeness in Japan tends to regulated by rather rigid rules about the kind of speech that is used and certain, almost ritualistic, forms of behavior. Etiquette in Japan requires one to be aware of the age and social status of the person you are speaking to. As in every society, people are much more relaxed with friends and family, where politeness is not required.

[yuiyoshida]

25. spot on.

Honto desuyo!