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ASIAMS.NET |
ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
JAPAN'S IMPACT ON THE ASIAN IMAGE
t has long been seen as the fountainhead of consumer electronics technology. Its cars are consistently among the world's most admired. Its corporations own two major Hollywood studios. Its kiddie culture has all but killed off Mickey Mouse and Barbie. Its $4 trillion GDP is number two behind the U.S. and its workers earn 25% more per head than Americans.
Bravo Castrati!
That's how many Asian Americans see Japan. A nation that should command the stature of a powerhouse -- and elevate the image of all Asians in the process -- possesses the geopolitical profile of, say, Switzerland, a nation a thirtieth its size. Japan's leaders are seen as mere hand puppets in a sad half-century charade of democracy. Its homes are cramped. Its men function as soulless drones whose women fly into the arms of western males. Even its vaunted economy has been on the ropes for ten years and looks ready to go down for the count. What little testosterone it possessed seems to have left with Ichiro.
A nation that should champion the Asian image has only reinforced every insulting stereotype. To many Asian Americans, Japan has done less than its smaller, poorer neightbors. Little Hong Kong exports asskicking action stars. South Corea exports people who take hooey from no one. Taiwan exports tech entrepreneurs to Silicon Valley. Impoverished China, Vietnam and even nutcase North Corea showed balls in standing up to the west. But mighty Japan? Spiritually it seems never to have recovered from its defeat in World War II.
Is Japan carrying its weight or slacking in the Asian image department?
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WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 06:00:43 PM)
Japan's decline should act as a warning to the United States and all those segregationists that rigid homogeneous societies would struggle in the global age. Japanese birth rates are declined, and the Japanese government refused to let in foreign workers. As a result Japanese corporations began to move their operations abroad (to the foreign workers), and Japan's long decline began.
Germany did not learn from Japan's mistakes and all major German corporations began moving abroad, including Volkswagen and BMW and Germany would follow Japan into oblivion.
You forgot Singapore. True, so far Singapore universities have shown a white bias. But, the attitude in the government is very different...very Asian. As a result "little" Singapore has thrived. Although it is now mired in a recession, the prospects are bright. Furthermore, Singaporeans do not have the xenophobic mentality of Japan. Many Indian students who got their visas rejected for being prospective immigrants to the US found employment and high paying jobs in Singapore and to the great consternation of the bigoted American Consular officers evenutally found their way to the US.
Would the US want to go the way of Japan or does it go the way of Singapore? Failure to allow foreigners to work in this country at a time of labor shortage would not lead to higher wages for Americans, but would lead to loss of jobs to other countries in a global economy. This is the lesson American policy makers have yet to learn from the Japanese experience.
Asian American Male
Saturday, December 01, 2001 at 11:38:53 (PST)
FOP,
Ummmm. OK… How about:
Robotics – Japan has been the LEADER (by far) in innovation, development, and implementation of industrial robotics. On non-industrial front, Honda has developed the first robot to mimic walking by man. If you know anything about AI and robotics you would know how many all over the world have tried and failed, and you would know how complex it is. Now, they have developed it to enable the robot to walk up and down the stairs much like man.
Subatomic particle studies, especially in the field of mysterious particle called neutrinos – Japanese University was the first to discover the theoretical particle called neutrinos, and it took many innovations and creativities to observe such subatomic particle. Further, it is the leader in studying this mysterious particle that could explain numerous shortcomings in the Big Bang Theory.
If you know anything about the car industry, you cannot say anything about lack of innovation beneath the skin of the car. Ceramic material mechanics, VTECH, HISCAS system, etc, to just name a very few out of many, were innovations other companies copied from Japanese automakers. When Honda was in full force in Formula1 (race series with highest technologies available) during the late 80s and 90s, not one company from all over the world could follow its innovative technologies and performance.
Structural Engineering – Japan has spearheaded earthquake resistant engineering of building structures. Although it was very unfortunate that Kobe city, not known for earthquakes had huge damages, cities like Tokyo has buildings far superior to others around world for earthquake resistance.
I could go on and on but this is not a place for a book. But let me add one more by saying that the “improvements” the Japanese are known for require innovations and creativity on its own. If you don’t understand that, you don’t know science, engineering, or epistemology.
Certainly some subjects are open to debates. However, to say that Japanese as mere copiers indicate one or more of the following:
1) You are repeating the same slogans used by American industrialists during the 70s and the 80s.
2) You are not in the field to know even few of the many innovations being born around the world
3) You do not understand what innovation and creativity means
4) You believe falsely that all things that come from Japan are copies of something
5) You just hate Japan
BTW, you mentioned Japan copying mature technologies. Yes Japan did, and improved many of them. However, more amazingly, Japan has used many technologies and processes that were still on theoretical chalkboard or thought to be useless in applications.
Furthermore, Japan has developed the same way ALL nations have entered industrial nation status (although they have done it faster than any before them). It was not too long ago in the history when United States started it's industrialization by producing cheaper knock-offs of European products. So study a little more before you open your ignorant mouth.
World Traveler
Friday, November 30, 2001 at 08:55:21 (PST)
World Traveler,
Travel more and study Japan in depth. Japan, from head to toe, is the spitting image of other cultures. Can you name any complex contraptions or epoch-marking scientific theories that were originally invented by Japanese? Her so-called economic wonder is delusional and certainly fleeting. Japan modernised herself thru adopting mature technologies from western nations & churning out cheap industrial products and selling them to western nations.
FOP
Thursday, November 29, 2001 at 00:26:11 (PST)
Hirohito ....,
You are only repeating the same things others have posted before. Yes, yes, we know you hate Japan and Japanese. It’s really frustrating when people think you are an idiot, when you truly know you are the genius. Isn’t it? (Bwhaaaaahahaha!) Now, go and sing YOUR Asian heritage national anthem and keep telling yourself how great your Asian country is. Go, the Japanese don't mind, and the Japanese certainly don't care.
Yes, genius, Hirohito is not god. and neither are Jesus, Mohammed, and Buddha. All religions are concept of man.
Boston ....,
Your generalized observation of Japanese females is pathetic and sad. Obviously, you haven't yet learned the concept of objective observation and analysis at the Boston College yet. Furthermore, I see that you haven't taken any economics class. Perhaps your objective mind is absent on the counts that those “soulless” women have rejected you too many times?
World Traveler
Wednesday, November 28, 2001 at 10:54:09 (PST)
Japanese are the ultimate self haters. While they pretend to respect self displin, honor, teamwork and all other garbage they are so fond of sprewing about their society but in private they really hate themselves. Japanese can't bare to lose face in the eye of the world. They will do all they can to cheat, deny and outright lie all that is unflattering about Japan. Japanese are masters of copying and adapting other cultures. They owe much of their culture to China and Korea yet they look down on them. Now they do all they can to kiss America's ass.
Well, it won't be long when China will dominate Asian affairs. What will Japan do when America is no longer paying any attention to them?
I can't believe that some of you Japanese are so stupid that you say such things like "why are other Asians immigrating to America? And we Japanese don't"
Japanese no longer have to since you hypocrite assholes built your wealth of the backs of other Asians by exploiting them. You had a one hundred year head start modernizing before other Asian countries. DUHHHHHHHHHH???????
Hirohito is not god, you morons! hahaha
Monday, November 26, 2001 at 21:38:31 (PST)
To: Yuzuru
Least Koreans or Korean women who settle has permanent residence in United States has a goal to succeed in there life. Unlike Japanese FOB's or Japanese girls come to Hawaii or California to sell there souls to blacks, hispanics, and whites. Least Korean women don't give Americans that asian women are bunch "Yellow Cabs" like Japanese girls do. Japan is a disgrace in Asia. Japan is a heart of Economic power? Yeah, help from U.S. and Korea!!!
from Boston, U.S.A.
Boston College, Eagle
update as soon as possible
Monday, November 26, 2001 at 16:48:04 (PST)
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