What's your opinion about Japan?

[Prenny]

According to Country Ratings poll with RIAA and BBC, Japan the most admired country is losing it's popularity and admiration, In 2012 Japan was above all countries in the rankings now in 2013 Japan lost to Germany, Canada and UK and then in 2014 lost to France and i expect that in this year, 2015, Japan will lose to European Union and Brazil, Also Germans and Indians is starting to get negative views on Japan just like it's neighbors.

What's your opinions on Japan? Do you think Japan can fix this? what was the cause of the collapse of Japanese ''wave'' around the world?

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/country-rating-poll.pdf

 

[PeterJB]

@haitch40, I choose you!

 

[Exorcet]

It seems like an OK place. I guess my strongest opinion is that it should go back to having a full fledged military.

 

[Lizard]

According to Country Ratings poll with RIAA and BBC, Japan the most admired country is losing it's popularity and admiration, In 2012 Japan was above all countries in the rankings now in 2013 Japan lost to Germany, Canada and UK and then in 2014 lost to France and i expect that in this year, 2015, Japan will lose to European Union and Brazil, Also Germans and Indians is starting to get negative views on Japan just like it's neighbors.

What's your opinions on Japan? Do you think Japan can fix this? what was the cause of the collapse of Japanese ''wave'' around the world?

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/country-rating-poll.pdf

You will find that a lot of this new hatred is from Asian states as the Japanese government is starting to 1. Expand Japanese military and loosen restrictions on what it can do and 2. Question some of the things about the war that in the past it has always been bowing down in tears of apology over.

 

[Dotini]

I live in Seattle, which has had a substantial population of Japanese for generations. I have several Japanese friends and acquaintances, and I like them all. But the Japanese homeland is afflicted with an ailing economy, a troubled energy industry, and internal issues. There is the looming specter of neighbors China, Russia and North Korea. To be polite, I avoid bringing up these topics.

 

[VolkswagenX]

I only know Japan from what I see on tv and on the Internet. My ex lived there for a year and she says it's amazing. To me it looks like a kinda weird place but I do wan't to visit sometime (like many other places).

 

[Azuremen]

You will find that a lot of this new hatred is from Asian states as the Japanese government is starting to 1. Expand Japanese military and loosen restrictions on what it can do and 2. Question some of the things about the war that in the past it has always been bowing down in tears of apology over.

Don't forget there is also an increasing number of former Japanophiles that have started to realize the great many underlying cultural problems with Japan, at least when compared to the West, myself included. It is also becoming increasingly less relevant economically and technologically compared to South Korea.

But really, I was turned off from Japan as I become more aware of how xenophobic, homophobic, and misogynistic the culture is. Add in the cultural pressure to conform ("the nail that sticks out") and it explains the suicide rates and unpleasant stories I hear from various friends.

 

[Parker]

I've never been there but I would love to spend a few weeks on vacation in Japan.

 

[Imari]

Don't forget there is also an increasing number of former Japanophiles that have started to realize the great many underlying cultural problems with Japan, at least when compared to the West, myself included. It is also becoming increasingly less relevant economically and technologically compared to South Korea.

But really, I was turned off from Japan as I become more aware of how xenophobic, homophobic, and misogynistic the culture is. Add in the cultural pressure to conform ("the nail that sticks out") and it explains the suicide rates and unpleasant stories I hear from various friends.

Let's be honest, any Western country has just as many things wrong with it as Japan does. What makes the difference is which things you're willing to put up with and which you're not.

I find Japan's xenophobia, homophobia and misogynism a lot easier to deal with than Australia's, for instance.

Australians seem really big on the whole "I'm not racist, but..." type of thing. At least in Japan it's a known thing. They don't apologise for it, that's just the way things are if you're not Japanese and you need to deal with it. I can respect that, it's their country.

 

[Azuremen]

Let's be honest, any Western country has just as many things wrong with it as Japan does. What makes the difference is which things you're willing to put up with and which you're not.

I find Japan's xenophobia, homophobia and misogynism a lot easier to deal with than Australia's, for instance.

Australians seem really big on the whole "I'm not racist, but..." type of thing. At least in Japan it's a known thing. They don't apologise for it, that's just the way things are if you're not Japanese and you need to deal with it. I can respect that, it's their country.

Australia is one thing, but the US isn't 99% the same racial and cultural identity. And everything I've heard about Japan is they kind of just don't acknowledge the issues, and they more just there but not discussed because it isn't appropriate.

 

[Imari]

Australia is one thing, but the US isn't 99% the same racial and cultural identity.

Australia isn't racially homogenous. It's as much of an immigrant country as the US is.

And everything I've heard about Japan is they kind of just don't acknowledge the issues, and they more just there but not discussed because it isn't appropriate.

Yep. Like I said, it's all about which things you're willing to put up with and which things you're not. I'm not convinced that Japan is any worse than any other Western country, it's just different in a way that conflicts with the lifestyle that a lot of Westerners would prefer.

I think that your former Japanophiles are becoming disillusioned and are swinging to the opposite extreme. Japan isn't and has never been some marvellous paragon of a country, it's just another country that works pretty well in many ways but approaches a lot of things in a very different manner to the Western countries.

Some stuff is pretty messed up, but that's true of any country. You can point at xenophobia and suicide, and they can point at US racism and prison population, or Australian immigrant detention policies and social violence. It's all just stuff. Which ones are worse is more or less subjective.

 

[Joel]

Overall I have a positive view but @Azuremen certainly highlighted some of the reasons it's been tarnished over time. I'd love to visit some time though, especially for the food.

I used to find people who went on about anime as god's gift to entertainment annoying, but I've realized the best thing about anime is calling it "Chinese cartoons" and getting hilarious reactions.

 

[kennylmao]

@Noob616 Here's something relevant for teh lols. (Language warning, and it's super offensive.)

Despite my avatar, I'm not one ok.

 

[Slash]

Nothing against them. But it's not the first place on my vacation list.

 

[a6m5]

You will find that a lot of this new hatred is from Asian states as the Japanese government is starting to 1. Expand Japanese military and loosen restrictions on what it can do and 2. Question some of the things about the war that in the past it has always been bowing down in tears of apology over.

Don't get me wrong, we are definitely loosening, or attempt to loosen the restrictions, but it is just as much, if not more about redefining what we can, or can't do. From what I understand, the controversial Article 9 of the Constitution is full of holes when it comes to rules of engagement.

(This isn't targeted at haitch)Secondly, yes, Japanese are upgrading the military(it's still a defense force, not proper army/navy/air force). According to the critics, this is because the Japanese are building up their military, like in the 1930's. Anybody who knows anything about military or weapons could tell that: 1) Older JSDF weapons are way overdue for upgrade/replacements. 2) Weapons being upgraded/replaced are not designed for power projection. They are defensive weapons. These aren't long range rockets, aircraft carriers, or bombers.

Let us not forget that it's the muscle flexing by the Chinese & North Korea that's causing their neighbors to upgrade their military(not just Japan). I'm not blaming the Chinese. They are growing up to be a Superpower, and their military buildup can't be helped.

Don't forget there is also an increasing number of former Japanophiles that have started to realize the great many underlying cultural problems with Japan, at least when compared to the West, myself included. It is also becoming increasingly less relevant economically and technologically compared to South Korea.

But really, I was turned off from Japan as I become more aware of how xenophobic, homophobic, and misogynistic the culture is. Add in the cultural pressure to conform ("the nail that sticks out") and it explains the suicide rates and unpleasant stories I hear from various friends.

South Koreans are achieving much success in retail related technology, but I don't believe that Japan has somehow become irrelevant. Economically, I'm not sure where South Korea stand, but they are much smaller nation, so I highly doubt that we have become irrelevant in this department as well. Let's not forget that much of those issues you imply about the Japanese you could say about the Koreans. Other than that, I totally agree with @Imari in that it's not so much that we are superior or inferior to anyone. Just different.

 

[kikie]

I don't know enough about Japan but from what I've have seen on television, Japan has a strange culture, way of doing things. Strange from my point of view because Japan differs a lot from how I live.

 

[Legro]

I'm okay with Japan, they have different culture, but that doesn't make the country or the people any worse than any others.

 

[dxm8975]

You will find that a lot of this new hatred is from Asian states as the Japanese government is starting to 1. Expand Japanese military and loosen restrictions on what it can do and 2. Question some of the things about the war that in the past it has always been bowing down in tears of apology over.

Yeah, the Japanese government is now setting their hands to expanding their own military(the defense force that they can wield only in case they are intentionally attacked by foreign forces/neighbours) but as a6m5 points out above it is the political intimidation from the neighboring countries such as South Korea and China(and Russia which has been occupying the Northern territories of Japanese archipelago since the end of World War II) which kinda makes the impression of Japan for people in other countries seem pretty bad at some point, and most portion of the hatred rate can be attributed to those in China or South Korea who grew up receiving Anti-Japan education in the generation younger than 50's(or 40's in China who spent their school days after the second Tienanmen square incident, and for that a lot of the young in Japan are on at them as well).

But really, I was turned off from Japan as I become more aware of how xenophobic, homophobic, and misogynistic the culture is. Add in the cultural pressure to conform ("the nail that sticks out") and it explains the suicide rates and unpleasant stories I hear from various friends.

Most of us ain't quite "xenophobic" though, actually. However, from what I can see and figure out looking around how our classmates/school pupils/people react, many Japanese people just tend to get awkward to speak to foreigners when it comes to getting to know each other, without intention of lambasting them after they encounter in the spots open for all to see, and in a direct/noticeable manner that others can find out at once, unlike in other countries where the racial discrimination is already a serious problem, and people often raise up riots about that.

About the second term "homophobic", I'd say not quite. We generally don't really care about sex since our country is relatively open-minded about the matters concerning gender, so I think being homosexual ain't too much of a trouble as long as it's not flaunted in public.

As for "misogynistic", I'm not sure what to answer for what you mean by the word, but surely if you mean the Japanese society is "harsh" for women or behind in respecting the roles of women I would say.... hmm yes(in terms of encouragement of women's participation in society compared to Western countries, at the least).

Add in the cultural pressure to conform ("the nail that sticks out") and it explains the suicide rates and unpleasant stories I hear from various friends.

One of the primary/typical reasons why people get turned off about Japan. Most of the Japanese are disciplined to act in a formulary/conventional manner which deprives them of adequate occasions to ponder what they have to do next themselves - as we have a saying explaining about this characteristic - "A protruding nail gets hammered down".

 

[Rage Racer]

My opinion about Japan? Very good. Not the country I'd like to move in to live (since it's impossible for me to integrate into that society), but would love to visit sometime.

To me, it's a very attractive country with adorable culture,
but the Kuril islands are ours

 

[kennylmao]

One of the primary/typical reasons why people get turned off about Japan. Most of the Japanese are disciplined to act in a formulary/conventional manner which deprives them of adequate occasions to ponder what they have to do next themselves - as we have a saying explaining about this characteristic - "A protruding nail gets hammered down".

I can understand old people being that way but I'm curious, is that attitude prevalent among the younger generation?

 

[Prenny]

But can Japan fix their image and popularity?

 

[Lizard]

Don't get me wrong, we are definitely loosening, or attempt to loosen the restrictions, but it is just as much, if not more about redefining what we can, or can't do. From what I understand, the controversial Article 9 of the Constitution is full of holes when it comes to rules of engagement.

(This isn't targeted at haitch)Secondly, yes, Japanese are upgrading the military(it's still a defense force, not proper army/navy/air force). According to the critics, this is because the Japanese are building up their military, like in the 1930's. Anybody who knows anything about military or weapons could tell that: 1) Older JSDF weapons are way overdue for upgrade/replacements. 2) Weapons being upgraded/replaced are not designed for power projection. They are defensive weapons. These aren't long range rockets, aircraft carriers, or bombers.

Let us not forget that it's the muscle flexing by the Chinese & North Korea that's causing their neighbors to upgrade their military(not just Japan). I'm not blaming the Chinese. They are growing up to be a Superpower, and their military buildup can't be helped.

Of course there is the very real threat from China and it can be argued quite easily that Japan is forced to expand it's military because of the Chinese threat. The 2 countries are in a security dilemma. Neither trust each other so when one expands their military the other gets nervous. I am hoping to do my dissertation on something around this issue or similar issues next academic year.
My post wasn't criticism it was just stating what I saw as possible reasons for neighbours to hate them. Personally I think the Japanese deserve a full military again.

 

[a6m5]

Of course there is the very real threat from China and it can be argued quite easily that Japan is forced to expand it's military because of the Chinese threat. The 2 countries are in a security dilemma. Neither trust each other so when one expands their military the other gets nervous. I am hoping to do my dissertation on something around this issue or similar issues next academic year.
My post wasn't criticism it was just stating what I saw as possible reasons for neighbours to hate them. Personally I think the Japanese deserve a full military again.

I just wanted to clarify. I didn't think you were critical on the issue, and I apologize if I gave you that impression. 👍

Much of the distrust between Japan & China is caused by the Chinese attempt at reclaiming the Senkaku Islands, which China claims is historically theirs. Japan, understandably(yeah, I don't have a dog in the fight lol), have no intention of giving back territory they've administered since 19th Century(uninhabited before that). It is also suspicious to us that the Chinese claim of these islands didn't start until 1970, as soon as the prospect of natural gas deposits were discovered in the area.

Just to prove I'm fairly fair minded, my opinion on territorial dispute with South Korea is consistent with my position on Senkaku Islands. The island in dispute with the Koreans is called Takeshima, and Japanese have historical claim to this island, but the island has been under the control of the South Koreans since after WWII(I believe in the '50's), when South Korea snatched the island from Japan. Japan did not respond militarily(again, Constitution with many holes on rules of engagement). While the island was snatched from us, you snooze you lose as far as I'm concerned. South Koreans rather die than give up this island. Unless you are ready to wage war on them over this rather irrelevant piece of real estate(considering), Japan should just cut their losses & start patching things up with the Koreans. Historically, we invated them, colonized them, they took a small island. Big deal.

but the Kuril islands are ours

No offense, but Russians are ruthless, man...... I'm surprised we got to keep Hokkaido.

I think in this dispute, you guys want to give us two islands back, but we want all four back? The Chinese claim, I side with Japan. Takeshima, with the Koreans. On the Northern Territories, I'm kind of neutral. We did lose the war after all. If Russia wants to give us two back, I think we should settle. *shrug*

 

[Slash]

I think after thinking about this my views are mostly positive but WWII holds it back a lot.

 

[Legro]

but WWII holds it back a lot.

WW2 makes a lot of countries look bad.

 

[Omnis]

Things I don't like about japan:

"High-tech" reputation, but really everything is just novelty and stupid, or old-fashioned.
Tight spaces and living quarters.
No regard for fishery preservation.
Previously mentioned xenophobia/cultural issues.
Reluctance to accept cheap and safe nuclear energy.
****ing it up by not properly maintaining the nuclear energy they have.
Central banking policy and economic stagflation history.
Generally **** banking.
Wabi-sabi.
Adult Video. (seriously... it's just gross.)
Otaku and the things they consume, (anime out of their age group, etc.)
Stupid hair and fashion.
They drive on the wrong side of the road.
All the politeness bullcrap where people get pissed at you for talking on the phone within earshot of someone else.
Public baths.
No air conditioning.
Smokers everywhere.
No air conditioning.
Completely awful beer industry.
The shame and pressure society.

I'm pretty much convinced that if the Portuguese didn't land in Japan, it would have been a total hell hole.

 

[Lizard]

I'm pretty much convinced that if the Portuguese didn't land in Japan, it would have been a total hell hole.

Not going to go over all your points as I don't have time but what do you think the Portuguese did for Japan?

 

[Liquid]

Not going to go over all your points as I don't have time but what do you think the Portuguese did for Japan?

Helped/forced them to open up to the West much like Goa and Macau. Pretty much all of east Asia was closed off and sewn up shut until the 18th and, more likely, 19th century.

 

[Lizard]

Helped/forced them to open up to the West much like Goa and Macau. Pretty much all of east Asia was closed off and sewn up shut until the 18th and, more likely, 19th century.

The Portuguese landed in 1545. Then got chucked out again 100 years or so later.

It was the US who shelled Yokohama in 1853.

 

[Omnis]

Not going to go over all your points as I don't have time but what do you think the Portuguese did for Japan?

Let's see... Catholicism, art, trade, beef and cattle, bread, wine.