DannyinJapan - What do Japanese think about us?

DannyinJapan said:
Every European person I know likes to say "All Americans do this " and "Americans like that."
That is an unfortunate habit amongst European people and not an endearing one.

My Australian buddies dont do that too much, but the European guys sure do.
To me, it is a sign of ignorance...
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As far as I know most Australians like Americans for the most part, and vice versa. Of course, stereotyping is common and not always bad. You can bet if you ask an American what an Aussie is like the first thing that comes to mind is Crocodile Dundee - independent, tough, honest, somewhat naive.

You know if you travel across America you will meet a diverse group of people, and not only because of race but also dress, speech, customs, etc. However, for people from other parts of the world who have never been here but only know what they see on TV an American is either from New York or a cowboy.

I've been fortunate to travel to other parts of the world and this year I will travel to Scandanavia. Four years ago when I was in Berlin, some people couldn't believe I was an American. They thought I was from "Japon".

Thanks for sharing your experiences Danny. I take it that you like Japan or you wouldn't be working there.
 
Hmmm
seems that almost every American I have met thinks that New Zealand is part of Australia. Although I did attend a wedding deep in rural Ohio where everyone thought I came from California( it was the funny accent I guess)
It can be a very strange world!!!
Phil
 
pmel018 said:
Hmmm
seems that almost every American I have met thinks that New Zealand is part of Australia. Although I did attend a wedding deep in rural Ohio where everyone thought I came from California( it was the funny accent I guess)
It can be a very strange world!!!
Phil
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No, I know it isn't part of Australia! I know at least some geography anyway. From the pictures I've seen I think NZ is the most beautiful place on the planet. I understand that you can go from the snow to the beach in no time at all. Some of the photos I have seen of mountains and forests there are just stunning. God knows what it would cost to move there, not that they probably want many folks moving there in any case.

You do all have the stars wrong-way around in the sky, and water drains out backwards in the wash basin, and I'm not sure you have the right directions on your roads, but other than those small points I could get used to that place very quickly! (-:

Regards,

Norm
 
pmel018 said:
Hmmm
seems that almost every American I have met thinks that New Zealand is part of Australia. Although I did attend a wedding deep in rural Ohio where everyone thought I came from California( it was the funny accent I guess)
It can be a very strange world!!!
Phil
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Hey, I've been to New Zealand north and south islands. Beautiful country. Besides the fact that I can't tell the difference between an Aussie's accent and a Kiwi's, and the fact that you both drive on the wrong side of the road, I know the Kiwis are arch rivals of the Aussies in rugby and cricket. Also, do you still have our America's Cup down there?
 
Svashtar said:
No, I know it isn't part of Australia! I know at least some geography anyway. From the pictures I've seen I think NZ is the most beautiful place on the planet. I understand that you can go from the snow to the beach in no time at all. Some of the photos I have seen of mountains and forests there are just stunning. God knows what it would cost to move there, not that they probably want many folks moving there in any case.

You do all have the stars wrong-way around in the sky, and water drains out backwards in the wash basin, and I'm not sure you have the right directions on your roads, but other than those small points I could get used to that place very quickly! (-:

Regards,

Norm
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don't forget their seasons are all backwards;)

Jake
 
I like some parts of Japan, the MArtial arts training and other arts training I receive are worth living here.
But do I like it? Modern Japan ?
No.
Even Japanese people dont like Japan.
New Zealand?
I know guys from there too.
They say it is a flyfishers' paradise, so I gotta go there someday.
 
Hi Guys
yes there is intense sporting competition between Aus and NZ. The accent thing is weird, there are many regional accent in Aus and at least 5 in NZ. Many Kiwi's confuse American and Canadian accents so I guess we are equal on that one.
hdwrlover- we lost the Americas Cup to the.............Swiss!!!!!!
Danny there is great fishing and hunting here if that is your thing. I was brought up in the south of the South Island, we all were mad keen on outdoors activity. Not so easy in a large city.
Phil
 
Only part of NZ that I've seen was in LOTR. :footinmou

Beautiful country.

If you tell a German you're from Dallas, they ask if you know JR. :eek:

Thanks for the insight, Danny. Food for thought.

Brian
 
pmel018 said:
Hi Guys
hdwrlover- we lost the Americas Cup to the.............Swiss!!!!!!
Phil
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Shame on you guys! Switzerland is a landlocked country. How did they learn to sail? Did you Kiwis teach them?
 
Jeez, Hardwarelover...

Switzerland is a landlocked country. How did they learn to sail?
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think it through. They build the sailboat. They have to practice going fast. They are on top of mountains. They jump in, push it over, and go downhill in training.

just logical.
 
DIJ

You seem like the man to ask. Is the opinion of Canada a carbon copy or is there a subtle difference?

I've enjoyed this thread. Thanks guys.
 
I saw a show on PBS about population growth problems around the world. Japan was said to have some serious problems because there are disproportionately many elderly people, younger people are not having children due to work habits and cultural ideas about marriage, and they don't allow much immigration. Because of this reasons, they claimed that the number of work-age Japanese is decreasing too fast. Do you know anything about this DIJ?
 
Khukuri Monster said:
I saw a show on PBS about population growth problems around the world. Japan was said to have some serious problems because there are disproportionately many elderly people, younger people are not having children due to work habits and cultural ideas about marriage, and they don't allow much immigration. Because of this reasons, they claimed that the number of work-age Japanese is decreasing too fast. Do you know anything about this DIJ?
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Yes, if you think we're going to have problems with Social Security in this country, Japan is there now. Imagine what would happen if there were as many retired people as there are working people, and the working people had to pay all the Social Security taxes. I hear Japanese farmers who are a powerful political block cannot find Japanese wives because modern Japanese women don't want to be farmer's wives - the life is too hard.
 
Yes Japan has a negative population growth.
It is the result of a combination of factors.
Im not worried, though, it will make life so much better for those of us who do live here.
Prices will drop on everything...
 
The problem with negative population growth in general seems to be that those who you'd never wnat to multiply still do :( ;)

regards, Keno
 
hdwrlover said:
Shame on you guys! Switzerland is a landlocked country. How did they learn to sail? Did you Kiwis teach them?
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Hmm, ever hear of Lake Geneva??

BoldOr015_200.jpg


link to bigger pic:

http://www.boldor.ch/photos/BoldOr015_800.jpg

That is the start of Bol d' Or race on...Lake Geneva. 500-600 boats starting at once for a 93 mile run up from the Swiss end to the French end and back.

The large lakes in Europe are home to some of the most advanced sailboat racing in the world. The wave and wind conditions never approach the extremes of the ocean, and the boats are designed and built to be as light and fast as possible, some are quite extreme.

Pretty much the description of an America's Cup boat. They cancel AC races when the wind gets much over 25-30 knots. Some lake racers are more extreme than the cup boats.

Here's a lake racer, and yes that's 10 people hanging from rails off the side wearing trapeze harnesses connected to lines partway up the mast.

avaa0119.jpg




Human ballast as far out as possible means less weight in the keel, and a faster boat. On this thing the humans are all of the ballast--the keel is basically an unweighted foil. Add on a ridiculous ammount of sail area. Canting keel, movable water ballast, you name it it was probably done in a lake racer. Some events are like car racing, so there's corporate sponsorships, and pro crews like car racing. And yes, they wipe-out.

http://www.navimeteo.it/navimagazine/04_inverno2004/trofeogorla.html


BTW, winning America's Cup skipper Ted Turner leaned to sail on Lake Lainier in Georgia.
 
I recently read Martin Cruz Smith's novel, December 6 -- about an American who grew up in Tokyo and discovers the plans for the Pearl Harbor attack. A good thriller and it does show the Japanese attitudes that led up to the war. I'd like to read Danny's take on it.
 
Many people, including the Japanese, think that Japan decided late in the War to get involved.
These paople are usually not aware of the Japanese "fishermen" who were caught taking depth soundings up and down our Eastern Seaboard harbors in the mid 1930's.
We quietly took their data and deported them....
 
I think he paints a really convincing picture of Japan in 1940, right before the attack. The militaristic mania, xenophobia, and - their hatred for the Christian missionaries all over asia. Most of it was new to me, actually. You would enjoy it, but I bet it's not in the Japanese bookstores :D
 
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