Comments on Keeping Pace in Japan: Do I Generalize Japanese?

You are absolutely correct in your conception of t...

2011-05-16T18:26:25.002-05:00

You are absolutely correct in your conception of the Japanese condition as it pertains to issues of race and identity. I'm afraid that your friend, in making such a loosely-defined conclusion about a country she knows nothing about, is the racist. Even more so if she actually does have experience with Japan.

Haha! The type of racism definitely has a differen...

2010-12-05T18:11:51.179-06:00

Haha! The type of racism definitely has a different flavor than North American "racism"... Very touchy topic,and certainly fun to read... sort of speaks to a question of on what basis cultural phenomena can be generalized, and when should they not? That's a tough one to untangle, but when you're living any foreign place for a period of time there are stages... I start to

As a writer, you are expected to distill your thou...

2010-11-01T20:28:37.632-05:00

As a writer, you are expected to distill your thoughts and experiences into some drops of insight. If you want to call that a generalisation, fine. Don't be too worried about it.

I do find, as a ex-pat in Japan for 7 months now, that at work especially, I have to sit through lunches where Japanese to make sweeping and often wildly incorrect negative generalisations about various

Whatever the country you choose to live in you hav...

2010-10-22T04:55:44.191-05:00

Whatever the country you choose to live in you have to make a life for yourself. If people want to make groups and leave you out then you have to make your own group if it hurts so much to be in a country and feel alone and unwanted.If you are a group of one so be it. Also in my opinion we are all taught to be racist growing up. What the hell is a Country after all? The ultimate symbol of

I agree with you! We foreigners are the ultimate o...

2010-10-19T01:07:49.232-05:00

I agree with you! We foreigners are the ultimate outsiders in Japan and we will never fit in no matter how well we speak Japanese, talk the talk or walk...not going to happen. If we try, we will be repeatedly frustrated with our failures.

I am a soon to be 35 year old American woman married to a Japanese man and raising my 2.7 year old son in the country side in Japan. I have lived

I don't think you are being racist or overly g...

2010-10-18T04:56:51.366-05:00

I don't think you are being racist or overly general. People who live in foreign countries (expats) have a unique perspective on their new homes, one that cannot be shared by natives or non-expats. Compounding this problem is the wide gap between American individualism and the culture of some community-focused countries, especially those which are extremely nationalistic. Some countries are

I'd chalk it up to Nihonjinron (sumimasen, bak...

2010-10-16T14:47:56.127-05:00

I'd chalk it up to Nihonjinron (sumimasen, baka BlackBerry ha Nihongo wo kakaremasen).

My observations, and those of friends include some similar to mariko's. An Asian-American friend of mine taught at one of the national universities on Debito's blacklist for 5 years, and got called out quite a bit for 'not speaking/reading Japanese better' by merchants and others

I think you've hit the nail on the head with t...

2010-10-12T18:48:54.762-05:00

I think you've hit the nail on the head with this one. It's incredibly easy to just pass off these cultural differences as racist. And, I get comments from people from time to time who seem to think that I'm not entitled an opinion after living in Korea for 8 months. I think there's a middle ground; I have never once proclaimed that Koreans are racist, but I usually tell my

Whatever, cracker! Just kidding. I think you have ...

2010-10-12T10:38:38.057-05:00

Whatever, cracker! Just kidding. I think you have been in Asia long enough that your opinions and observations are well thought out. It is irritating when people who have hardly spent any time in a foreign country jump to conclusions, but I don't think you fit into that category.

I am Japanese American and lived in Japan for a year. I remember once someone said she knew I was &