Youth violence has Japan struggling for answers

This weekend they had a big Heroshima memorial thing here.

I have had Japanese people ask me all of the following questions :

Do you know about Heroshima?
Why did America declare war on Japan?
Do you have cell phones in America? (unrelated, but it came next..)


Think about this and maybe you'll understand the circle of insanity over here:

Japanese poeple will say that "strong belief causes wars"
(Thats pure govt dogma they feed the kids in school. Christianity is viewed as an evil cult of brainwashed fools over here, more or less)
AND YET
Most Japanese couples prefer to get married "american style" in a fake chapel with an actor dressed up like a reverend who marries them with the bible, they all sing "what a friend we have in jesus" and go home.
AND THEN
some 14 kid cuts the head off of another kid and hangs it on the middle school gate and they blame it on America.
(by the way, thats how the japanese "Hero" Musashi got his start. He beat another kid to death when he was 14.)
AND SO
the japanese govt hires me and thousands of other Americans to come teach american culture in japanese schools to promote "internationalization."
DURING WHICH TIME
Tokyo governer Ishihara declares publicly that "all foreigners are sneaky thieves," never apologizes nor is publicly reprimanded by the prime minister for insulting Japans only ally, the US.
NOT TO MENTION
the world cup incident. they asked all visiting americans to wear t-shirts that read " I am not a foorigan."

(Apparently they confused us with the British and didnt bother to check the spelling)
 
Hey, don't dis on Musashi. :)
That's like blaming Jim Bowie for some kid who stabs someone.
The Japanese culture is messed up, I'll agree with that.
Have they finished paving all the streams with concrete yet? I read "Dogs and Demons: Tales from the Dark Side of Japan" a while back, it was very illuminating.
 
Good for you!
That's a serious book.
Yes, all streams are now lined with concrete waffles.I went fishing today, as a matter of fact.
I caught one little fugu.

But they're not done yet, they just had another nuclear accident today and that is bound to require 10 million cubic feet of cement to fix.
 
The other thing is people say Japan is overpopulated, but when you compare population density, it ain't so crowded. They are just propping up their economy with corrupt kickback construction projects. We do that in America as well, but on a smaller scale...
 
Hiroshima

are you spelling it Heroshima for a reason? A pun? Or is that a more correct spelling?


Anyway- simple- if the society is as diseased as you tell us, violence is inevitable. But kid violence is going to go up everywhere. We've just had a respite, but that'll end soon.

munk
 
this is just my theory, but it seems to me that a healthy society that can deal with corruption and adapt to changes requires a certain level of internal struggle, argument, if you will.
free speech, back and forth, tit for tat.
the same kind of Bullshit Firkin and I do all the time.

they dont have that over here, not nearly enough, in any case. they try to convince their kids that group harmony is more important than the truth.
( tatemae vs honne, hoben mo uso, those kinds of ideas)

the problem is, eventually you have to face problems and you have to change. but, unequipped to do so in an internal, factual, self-analyzing way, they have no choice but to put their problems on some other goups head.
(usually ours) and that means war, eventually.

Godzilla is explained by this, in a way. He is nobody in particular, but causes all kinds of problems in japan. He is not a japanese person. He is outside of the group.
The Group (the JEDI ((self-defense army)) deals with godzilla.

(oh wait a minute, the US caused godzilla too, didnt we? atomic radiation or something)

I think the worst part of this is the fact that if you press a japanese person on these issues, they will admit it.
They know all of this, but they just wont do anything about it.
Theyve had their spirits broken by the time they reach middle school and that breaks my heart so bad i have literally cried.

Munk,
I just misspelled it, but since it isnt english, it doesnt really matter how you spell it with the alphabet.
they actually dont even pronounce the first sound anyway.
"roshima"

Yes they are unhappy, and the rage levels in the kids is pretty freaking high.
Now I am starting to understand why guns are so heavily regulated and restricted from the general public.
this place would look like a mad max movie if they werent...
 
If you want to look at it like that, all our spirits get broken.

20 years of schooling and they put you on the day shift




munk
 
when you see a 14 year old girl who has the same eyes as a washed up barfly, you'll see what Im talking about.
 
Yeah, I see that in youth everywhere- except the barfly sometimes still has a spark.

When are you going to learn it is the same damn broken heart?

Frankly, the sins of the Japanese do not alarm me beyond our own right here in the good old USA- where form is substance.

munk
 
I think you're too close, and yet too outside to see. You are in culture shock and probably some other psychological ailments caused by isolation.

But I'm willing to believe Japan has problems.


munk
 
I dunno the day Japan apologizes, or even just admits, to the war crimes done by the Japanese War machine in WWII, is the day Ill start to take the Hiroshima memorial with some reception.

But on the flip side, there is depravity in every society. I always get a kick out of all my white friends who talk about how superior Europeans are to us Americans because they are so progressive, but then I ask them how bout if you aint white, and talk to the about Filipino maids and other workers in such progressive countries as Belgium, Germany, etc... Same BS all over the place, though it seems sometimes only the US is so willing to turn the hateful eye onto itself. Then again, that is what makes this country so great.

Anyways, Danny sounds like youre homesick. What you need is a good vacation from Japan, or in the very least a good box of ho-hos and a bottle of jim beam.
 
I'm a foorigan and proud of it. Don't be too harsh on Japanese culture or the lack thereof, Danny; they gave the world Ultraman. Certainly that counts for something. My friend Takeshi's claim to fame was that his home had been stepped on by Ultraman in the very accurate scale model of downtown Tokyo used in the show. Quite an honor from what I understand.

--Josh
 
They gave us Lone Wolf and Cub

They give us Dragon Ball Z

Dragon Ball is the most popular cartoon on the planet.

And if Japan is so dead, why did US vehicle manufacturers spend 20 years playing catch up to them?

.............

I think there is something to what Danny is saying. But I also envision a hundred Daisys in a planter; they're all the same, and each different. I think the Japanese celebrate smaller variation than we do.


munk
 
DannyinJapan said:
please dont get me started on europeans.
Click to expand...
So Danny what do you really think about Europeans :eek: :D :p

Anyways, I am just kidding, now just count slowly from 10 backwards, taking deep breaths with each count, picturing your happy place all the while. :rolleyes: :)
 
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