Yes, Takako is 100% Japanese.
"How much of the myths about America (and Japan for that matter) has she (and other people you are good friends with) overcome? "
Does she/they think America is overly dangerous?
Does she/they recognize that Japanese culture is not THE BEST culture in the world? "
To a large extent, the myths are founded in linguistic mistakes and conceptual misunderstandings. Your average Japanese person is not afraid of being the victim of a crime in America. They are afraid of being caught and killed by an American police officer while in the commission of a crime.
Cops over here dont do anything, and they sure dont go looking for problems.
This realisation was a shock to me, but I couldnt avoid that conclusion.
(The Japanese identify with the criminal, not the victim or police officer)
They say and do many things every day that are extremely offensive, ignorant, backwards, racist and stupid. When you call them out for it, as I have, they will usually explain the remark as being a "linguistic misunderstanding." When that is not feasible, they claim that they "did not think deeply" about what they said and therefore they are not guilty of any offense.
They will use the phrase "America is very dangerous" the same way we say "how's the weather?"
The truth is that what they really meant to say was "America is very free. You have to use your mind and take responsibility for yourself and your own words and actions."
To them, that IS dangerous.
The Japanese are like the last uncivilized tribe discovered by Anthropolgists. Their culture, identity, religion, beliefs, all of it is rolled into one big thing and not viewed or even understood as being separate. Technically, they have a democracy and separation of church and state.
In practice, mentally speaking, most of the country is a kurosawa film.
My wife and the rest of my Japanese family have learned so much since we got married, I am very proud of them. I never asked them to disown any part of their own "Japaneseness," but they have thrown away their Japanese baskets full of assumptions about the USA.
The modern myths are not traditional things in Japan. They are recent (since WW2) That's the weird part. Older Japanese people are very friendly and fearless people. It's the younger generations (50 and younger) who are full of fear and myth and superstition and ignorance.
Alex Kerr believes that this is a reflection of the government's brainwashing that was necessary to create a selfless work force that is the source of Japan's economic power. I am inclined to agree.
There is a television program on every night here where they do dramatic recreations of violent crimes in America. (graphic, horrifying stuff) That's fine to talk about. Apparently, however, if you talk about violent crime in Japan, then you must "hate Japan."
But, like I have said before, There are things I love about Japan.
Old Martial arts (Ninjutsu, kyudo, I love my Senseis, they are great men. They dont carry those common assumptions for the most part, and are considered "strange" by other Japanese people.)
Horimono (old style japanese tattooing)
Music (old style like Biwa and hichiriki)
Castles
brilliantly colored seasons
cute girls
cool vinyl figurines (i have the entire onmyoji demons and gods collection)
cool movie props (i have the all-metal Blade runner blaster and leather holster)
access to japanese antiques and weapons
and other things...
(If you send an email to them I bet they can help you find a school. I know there are several guys up there teaching...)
.
. But really I am glad at least some people in japan choose not to be ignorant.
or would no one care either way?
