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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, 06:00:39 PM)
Miyagi;
thank you for your brief background on your language. Im a black male who has been to China and I have observed many Chinese and Koreans that speak biased truths about Japanese. I myself have never been to Japan and have had limited experience with Japanese. December 20, I will be in Tokyo Japan for touring.
Jing Cha
Sunday, June 09, 2002 at 16:39:41 (PDT)
Japan's economy........
What is gonna kill Japan is when China finally surfaces with its #1 Resource....CHEAP LABOR.
China has over 10 times Japan's population and can offer labor more than 70% cheaper. China is innovative and powerful in its own way. This forum calls them "impoverished" but I think poverty is a state of mind or a state of judgement. They wont stay that way for long. Shanghai and Hong Kong are just two examples yet there are far more.
Jing Cha
Sunday, June 09, 2002 at 10:37:05 (PDT)
> Modern Japan is now a nation committed to peace and pacifisism. We are now trying to foster good relations with our close neighbors, Korea and China.
That't easy to say when you had the last lick in. Before forgiveness and moving on, sincere admission of guilt and compensation must be made, otherwise old wounds lingers.
NYhomeboy
Saturday, June 08, 2002 at 07:40:36 (PDT)
Pride,
Please get your facts straight...China DID NOT conquer Korea. Korea started to used Kanji because they needed to learn and adopt Chinese writing in order to interpret the imported Chinese texts on Buddhism and philosophy and to record their own history.
Japan did NOT STEAL Kanji from China! It was brought over by Korean monks and emissaries to spread the wisdom of Buddha. Japan started to absorb Chinese influence due to necessity. At the time, the Tang dynasty was very powerful and Japan had to catch up or end up being conquered by Tang China. The Japanese have great reason to fear China because Tang armies were already invading Korea and Vietnam at the time.
For your information, we Japanese do have our own written language...its called Hiragana and Katakana and both are syllabic systems, not representational like Kanji. We continue to use Kanji mostly because it is useful...it helps you decipher the meaning of the word(s) if you just know the pronunciation. We also use it because it is beautiful. Japanese Poetry and caligraphy is most pleasant when written in Kanji.
We Japanese know much about our recent shameful history and I admit that as a society, Japan is very guarded and not very open to outsiders but please do not label us as racist or evil. Modern Japan is now a nation committed to peace and pacifisism. We are now trying to foster good relations with our close neighbors, Korea and China.
Miyagi
Thursday, June 06, 2002 at 22:38:26 (PDT)
"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."
Get real the homes are cramped because of its geography and population. The space that they have is utilized in creative ways and though it may be cramped is still clean and efficient.
Many Asian women fly to Western Man, and Japan is not the only case. You should remember that Japan and Korea have extremely homogeneous populations that certainly need a bit more of diversity. Since Japan is experiencing a negative birth rate this idea shouldn't be trashed.
"What little testosterone it possessed seems to have left with Ichiro."
Try the redlight districts and you will see testosterone. Man still being the main providers, but this obviously changing, does not support the testosterone theory.
The economy...Mmm. Let's put this way if Japan goes down it won't be for too long. The workforce has a work ethic like no other. Their customs allow for better business skills if applied with a bit of Western strategies. But most important of all, let remember their innovations. Japan is where ideas are born.
The other countries, for the exception of Europe and US, just copy and got nothing new to give..
There's a bright side to Japan, but it cannot be seen if you just concentrate on its flaws.
buen_latino@hotmail.com
buen_latino@hotmail.com
Thursday, June 06, 2002 at 21:37:54 (PDT)
Black gyrl in Japan,
Look the same argument can me made in the USA about political awareness and how little voter turn out actually exist in the USA. USA voter have the same feeling about our leadership.
But that does not excuses for any democratic society. Then get the Emporor of Japan to run things, if their so ambivalent about their governement.
Actually their parliment is debating whether to move forward with development of nuclear weapons in conjunction with expanding the military responsibility of the Japanese Defense Force.
Still doesn't matter what the poll says or their political indifference, those people put their leadership in place.
"Japan has one of the most sophisticated weapontry in the world."
I wouldn't be surprized if Japanese missles had an automated cup holders and lights up like a X-mas tree whenever my cell phone rings.
A country where they have text messaging contest for cell phone, and winner can type up 170 words a minute on a cell phone. Nothing about Japan's crazed tech-pursuits would surprise me.
AC Dropout
Thursday, June 06, 2002 at 11:23:51 (PDT)
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