The Japan obsession

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The Japan obsession

Postby Sukunai » Mon Apr 27, 2009 11:42 am

Hmm, I like anime, I like it a lot.
About as much as I like models of tanks.

That said, Japan is of course where anime comes from. But, does it make you have an inordinant amount of obsession with wanting to go there?

I mean, myself I don't speak Japanese. I'd not be able to talk to anyone. I wouldn't be able to read anything, or watch anything.
I am not actually into sushi at all. In fact I don't like their diet at all. I suspect I would be very bored with my food intake.
Anything I might buy there, I can buy from my home if I am so damned interested. And postage is a lot less than a weeks vacation there.

I don't actually mind enjoying my anime while sitting in the dull not even similar Kawarthas of Central Ontario.
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Re: The Japan obsession

Postby The Origonal Head Hunter » Mon Apr 27, 2009 12:16 pm

I have been to Japan. The only memory I have is an airplane with pokemon painted all over it and a picture of a naked woman hanging over a crowded street. Nothing interested me there, but then again I was 8.

No need for me to go back, I like anime but not that much.
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Re: The Japan obsession

Postby hasteroth » Mon Apr 27, 2009 12:29 pm

Yes... In fact I'm going on a Rotary 9 month exchange program to Japan in Grade 12. I'm moving over there when I graduate, I'll probably end up continuing my training with the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai. I love the language, I took Japanese class in my school last year (my new school doesn't have one) and now I have Rosetta Stone (though I still prefer being taught by another person).
Sukunai wrote:Hmm, I like anime, I like it a lot.
About as much as I like models of tanks.

That said, Japan is of course where anime comes from. But, does it make you have an inordinant amount of obsession with wanting to go there?

I mean, myself I don't speak Japanese. I'd not be able to talk to anyone. I wouldn't be able to read anything, or watch anything.
I am not actually into sushi at all. In fact I don't like their diet at all. I suspect I would be very bored with my food intake.
Anything I might buy there, I can buy from my home if I am so damned interested. And postage is a lot less than a weeks vacation there.

I don't actually mind enjoying my anime while sitting in the dull not even similar Kawarthas of Central Ontario.


Well here this, if you live in Japan, you are bound to learn the language pretty damn fast. Full-immersion is the best way to learn a language. I hail from the West Coast, I used to live in Victoria, BC (I was born there). There is an incredible Japanese influence there. I live in Ontario now and there is significantly less influence from Japan out here, so little that it annoys me, after all I lived in BC for 12 years of my 15 year life.

And it's not just an obsession with wanting to go there for me. It's an obsession with the country in general.
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Re: The Japan obsession

Postby Vivaldi » Mon Apr 27, 2009 1:02 pm

It intrigues me about as much as any other unique country, so yeah, on my list of places to go before I die, it's on the list.
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Re: The Japan obsession

Postby Coffee 54 » Mon Apr 27, 2009 1:46 pm

I've actually been to Japan on vacation twice now. Interestingly, while there I've engaged in a grand total of zero anime related activities. With the possible exception of model shopping, which as you mentioned can be done online from home.

Really my choice in Japan as vacation location stems more from a childhood fascination born from Godzilla movies, WWII documentaries, and my father's fond memories then from an anime/Japanissoawesome obsession. I had a lot fun both times I was there, and Tokyo is a breeze to get around in, even if you don't speak Japanese. Although I feel its worth mentioning the most fun I had was when I escaped the hustle and bustle of Tokyo and got out into the country. I know in my case, and probably most other peoples', peaceful countrysides can likely be found a whole lot closer to home then a foreign land on the other side of the planet.

I could definitely go back, though not for a years I think. For my next major vacation I was planning on Europe. Perhaps delve into my own cultural roots a bit. See peaceful countrysides on the other-other side of the planet.


hasteroth wrote:I love the language, I took Japanese class in my school last year (my new school doesn't have one) and now I have Rosetta Stone (though I still prefer being taught by another person).

I've used Rosetta Stone too, in fact I have to hit a lesson later today. I also see exactly where you're coming from as regards being taught by an actual living breathing person. By way of comparison my brother is studying Mandarin in a class with actual people, and he can run circles around me despite starting lesson a year or so after I started toying around with Rosetta Stone in my spare time.
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Re: The Japan obsession

Postby hasteroth » Mon Apr 27, 2009 1:57 pm

I wanna go to Akihabara. And Comiket (I'm ready to be overwhelmed).
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Re: The Japan obsession

Postby Vivaldi » Mon Apr 27, 2009 2:14 pm

Interestingly enough, My music teacher lived in japan for around three years while studying music. She speaks japanese fluently and loved the whole culture. I don't think she has even the fainest Idea if I care about japan or not. But I imagine back when she lived there anime wasn't quite as popular.
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Re: The Japan obsession

Postby Rubystars » Mon Apr 27, 2009 2:24 pm

I would like to visit Japan one day but there's no way I would want to live there. I don't belong there. It should be for Japanese people of Japanese descent. I respect their nation and their pride enough not to want to move there. I think it's wonderful that they keep their culture and people Japanese and I wouldn't want to do anything to sabotage that. I think the best way to love Japan is to allow them to be Japanese.
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Re: The Japan obsession

Postby hasteroth » Mon Apr 27, 2009 2:51 pm

Rubystars wrote:I would like to visit Japan one day but there's no way I would want to live there. I don't belong there. It should be for Japanese people of Japanese descent. I respect their nation and their pride enough not to want to move there. I think it's wonderful that they keep their culture and people Japanese and I wouldn't want to do anything to sabotage that. I think the best way to love Japan is to allow them to be Japanese.


Wow.... um yeah what? I mean I get what your saying but it's too late for Japan. The current generation of Japanese people don't really seem to care about any of that, they are the most Westernized of them all.
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Re: The Japan obsession

Postby The Origonal Head Hunter » Mon Apr 27, 2009 3:43 pm

hasteroth wrote:
Rubystars wrote:I would like to visit Japan one day but there's no way I would want to live there. I don't belong there. It should be for Japanese people of Japanese descent. I respect their nation and their pride enough not to want to move there. I think it's wonderful that they keep their culture and people Japanese and I wouldn't want to do anything to sabotage that. I think the best way to love Japan is to allow them to be Japanese.


Wow.... um yeah what? I mean I get what your saying but it's too late for Japan. The current generation of Japanese people don't really seem to care about any of that, they are the most Westernized of them all.

Thank you for that very professional and informed opinion.
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Re: The Japan obsession

Postby hasteroth » Mon Apr 27, 2009 3:45 pm

The Origonal Head Hunter wrote:
hasteroth wrote:
Rubystars wrote:I would like to visit Japan one day but there's no way I would want to live there. I don't belong there. It should be for Japanese people of Japanese descent. I respect their nation and their pride enough not to want to move there. I think it's wonderful that they keep their culture and people Japanese and I wouldn't want to do anything to sabotage that. I think the best way to love Japan is to allow them to be Japanese.


Wow.... um yeah what? I mean I get what your saying but it's too late for Japan. The current generation of Japanese people don't really seem to care about any of that, they are the most Westernized of them all.

Thank you for that very professional and informed opinion.


It's speculation :roll:. Most of the complaints and other stuff you see about Japan trying to isolate itself don't come from the younger generation. You see what I'm getting at?
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Re: The Japan obsession

Postby Vivaldi » Mon Apr 27, 2009 4:07 pm

They recently passed a law to Deport (legal) brazillian workers to make more jobs for ethnic Japanese didn't they?

If I go to denmark, I want to see Dane's, not arabs, If I go to pakistan, I want to see arabs, not chinese, and if I go to japan, I'll be going to see the japanese, not the americans who want to be japanese.

I don't see a problem with loving another culture, and I don't inherently see a problem with wanting to be immersed in that culture. But there's a fine line of the people who love the japanese, and the people who want to be japanese. It's the latter kind who bother me, because They're slowing destroying what they love.
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Re: The Japan obsession

Postby Draw it blank » Mon Apr 27, 2009 4:27 pm

[quote] I don't see a problem with loving another culture, and I don't inherently see a problem with wanting to be immersed in that culture. But there's a fine line of the people who love the japanese, and the people who want to be japanese. It's the latter kind who bother me, because They're slowing destroying what they love.
They recently passed a law to Deport (legal) brazillian workers to make more jobs for ethnic Japanese didn't they?

If I go to denmark, I want to see Dane's, not arabs, If I go to pakistan, I want to see arabs, not chinese, and if I go to japan, I'll be going to see the japanese, not the americans who want to be japanese.

I don't see a problem with loving another culture, and I don't inherently see a problem with wanting to be immersed in that culture. But there's a fine line of the people who love the japanese, and the people who want to [i]be[/i] japanese. It's the latter kind who bother me, because They're slowing destroying what they love. [/quote]


I agree with you all the way, I've been to Japan twice and, even then I have no wish to be Japanese. I would much rather be around the Japanese who truly ARE Japanese!
Then again to each his own
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Re: The Japan obsession

Postby hasteroth » Mon Apr 27, 2009 5:44 pm

yuzo-haro wrote:
Vivaldi wrote: I don't see a problem with loving another culture, and I don't inherently see a problem with wanting to be immersed in that culture. But there's a fine line of the people who love the japanese, and the people who want to be japanese. It's the latter kind who bother me, because They're slowing destroying what they love.
They recently passed a law to Deport (legal) brazillian workers to make more jobs for ethnic Japanese didn't they?

If I go to denmark, I want to see Dane's, not arabs, If I go to pakistan, I want to see arabs, not chinese, and if I go to japan, I'll be going to see the japanese, not the americans who want to be japanese.

I don't see a problem with loving another culture, and I don't inherently see a problem with wanting to be immersed in that culture. But there's a fine line of the people who love the japanese, and the people who want to be japanese. It's the latter kind who bother me, because They're slowing destroying what they love.



I agree with you all the way, I've been to Japan twice and, even then I have no wish to be Japanese. I would much rather be around the Japanese who truly ARE Japanese!
Then again to each his own


I love Japan. I want to live there, but I'm an anti-conformist and that could be a good thing and/or a bad thing. I have no desire to be Japanese, I just want to be with the Japanese, speak Japanese, and be where the Japanese are. I personally see absolutely nothing wrong with a Canadian from the West coast wanting to cross the ocean and live in harmony with the Japanese in their homeland (instead of being with exchange students and tourists who want to be in Canada :| ). I have a friend who moved to Kyoto (he's from Canada) and he's having a wonderful time. I know some 8 people from my Mom's University classes who are from Japan (very friendly people). And besides, I'll be teaching ENGLISH when I move over there, I doubt they'll have a problem with that.
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Re: The Japan obsession

Postby Ishbalan » Mon Apr 27, 2009 6:18 pm

I hear the Japs don't take too kindly to us who move there because of anime. They don't like the otaku plague in general, and its only worse when its foreigners.
A friend of mine went to Japan for a month last year. He said the only thing worth mentioning was that he bought soiled women's underwear from a vending machine on the street.

Meh. Maybe I'll go someday. Frankly, I just don't like to travel. I don't see the point of seeing something just to say you saw it. I'd rather stay right where I am.
Ironically, the university I just enrolled in is on the other side of the country and has an international program that requires me to study worldwide for three months, but whatever.

hasteroth wrote: I'll be teaching ENGLISH when I move over there, I doubt they'll have a problem with that.

Have you met Kionon? I think you should probably introduce yourself.

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