Life imitating Cantr?

[Sho]

I've never seen one of those signs. Maybe it's because I've never spent any amount of time in Tokyo.

@|west|: Could be. It is quite possibly the most xenophobic of modern cultures. I wouldn't compare Japan to a fictional desert island with the entire US armed forces with "shoot on sight" orders, for example. The thing is, one doesn't see any foreigners in Japan, so even though I've been in Japan quite a bit, I've never seen any visible evidence of xenophobia.

[The Hunter]

The absence of foreigners might be a result of that xenophobia.
Anyway. Without being bothered by any knowledge on the matter I'd say that whereas the Germans seem to think of themselves as not as "uebermensch" anymore, but like a normal European people, the Japanese never really abandoned that thought.

I do know that it's rreally hard for any foreigner to get accepted in Japan. There's this famous judo dutch champion who earned a lot of respect by wiping the floor with the best Japanese champions in his time and earned their greatest respect. He's travelled in Japan a lot, tho not even he has been accepted fully and never will. At least that's what he said in an interview I watched.

[thingnumber2]

eh, here in yokosuka, nobody really hates the americans...prolly cuz they're everywhere....they're just kinda wary of americans...very helpful and friendly IMO....maybe it's what part of japan you're in...

[grayjaket]

lol, well, here's what I think. Sho doesn't frequent near military bases? lol...yeah the Japanese are pretty friendly, although I have gotten some weird stares, and I think some look down on Americans. They defintly don't like sitting next to you. I've seen people stand for quite a long time waiting for the train, when there was plenty of room on the same bench as me. They aren't comfortable around us I guess....

[Chrissy]

I had an interesting situation the other day, a friend and I were in a Detroit museum and we got on the elevator. There was group of tourist who were Japanese and they began to get in the elevator. After everyone was in, there was quite a few people in the elevator. It was so packed I just quietly looked down at my shoes for the ride. During the ride one of the girls says jokingly," We're not in Japan, we don't all have to crowd in." Momenterialy we reached our floor and I said something to the effect of," I feel like we all bonded, we all know each other better now." And we did. I meant what I said.

I feel like any of us could have been born anywhere. No one needs to apologize for anything. Just be a good human being where ever your at. That's my Mya Angelo for the day.

Chrissy

[David]

Some that may be due to the symbolism of military bases on their soil... and gettting a specific subset of the population of America to make judgements about, that being 18-35 year old males. (around the bases)

It would seem that if the Xenophobia thing is an issue, the idea of foriegn military bases would be more of an "affront" than any tourist. So maybe it depends.

I hear Americans go up in arms just by the fact that German and Japanese large car Corporations dot their community in some areas. Imagine if Germany and Japan established a sprawling military base in the middle your town. Now the flip side of this that that same military apparatus keeps defense costs down for Germany and Japan, the cost being shouldered by America, but it seems that Europe may be beginning to want to deal with there own common defense if they come to an agreement which seems difficult.

[grayjaket]

Yeah defintly that could be a huge cause of it. Also, punks from the high school here probably don't help much. lol, but than again there are all single japanese women who specifically look for sailors, any sailor to marry. It's kinda gross actually....

[Bowser]

Life really does immitate Cantr. About a year ago I loaded a rowboat full of carrots and then rowed around a lake. I started to run out of food, so I rowed back home.... and here I am.

Maybe there are giant lakes out there that would take a year to row around, but would someone really do that?

[Thomas Pickert]

Sure. I'm doing it right now. Got me a rowboat, built my house on it, and live in it since then. I even have DSL here now. Oh, wait, that's not yet released to the public.

[David]

Yeah defintly that could be a huge cause of it. Also, punks from the high school here probably don't help much. lol, but than again there are all single japanese women who specifically look for sailors, any sailor to marry. It's kinda gross actually....

That probably pisses off Japanese men even more than a military base, again if the insular Xenophobic thing is true. "Stealing our women view" ideology is very popular in many forms of racism and xenophobia.

[David]

I've been reading these books by Edward Said, "Orientalism" and "Culture and Imperialism"... sort of deconstructs the west's view of the east, showing that is less scholarship than power relationships that dictate what the West thinks of the East.

"Orientalism" is not really about what we think of as the "far east" it is a reference the old way that European and American Imperial powers considered what "Oriental" was, mainly North Africa and the Middle East.

[grayjaket]

That probably pisses off Japanese men even more than a military base, again if the insular Xenophobic thing is true. "Stealing our women view" ideology is very popular in many forms of racism and xenophobia.

Lol, yeah defintly....

[The Hunter]

Yeah defintly that could be a huge cause of it. Also, punks from the high school here probably don't help much. lol, but than again there are all single japanese women who specifically look for sailors, any sailor to marry. It's kinda gross actually....

Where would that be exactly?

[Chrissy]

lol



Chrissy

[David]

It may only be American Sailors they are looking for? lol I have no idea.