HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: tk81348@cs.tut.fi (Kauro Taina Kaarina)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: to all who have been in Japan
Date: 8 Jan 93 15:08:36
Organization: Tampere Univ. of Technology, Finland.
Distribution: soc
NNTP-Posting-Host: pikkusirkku.cs.tut.fi


Hello,

I am making a seminar on Japanese (business) customs and
etiquette. Because I have never been in Japan, I have to
take all my information from books. Therefore I would like
to get opinions from those who have been in Japan.

I have written below some questions, and I hope that
you would answer to them and mail the answers to me
to address
	tk81348@cs.tut.fi

You don't have to answer all the questions. If I get good answers,
I'll maybe send a summary of them into this newsgroup later on.

Some background information:
- what is your nationality?
- are you a male or a female?
- were you a tourist, a student or on a business trip to Japan?
- for how long did you stay in Japan?
- could you speak Japanese before you went to Japan? If not, did
  you study/learn it during your stay?

The actual questions:
- was Japan a culture shock to you? In what way?
- what was the most surprising/strangest/most awful/nicest thing that happened?
- did something funny happen, about which you could tell me? (something
  related to behavior and customs or language)
- did your knowledge in the Japanese language help you? How much?
- what was your first impression of the Japanese people/culture/customs?
  Did it change after some time?

- did you have difficulties in trying to behave the "right way"?
- is there something good in Japan/in the Japanese people? (your opinion)
- is there something bad in Japan/ in the Japanese people?
- what is the most important thing you would like to tell to persons who
  are planning to go to Japan for the first time (a warning or an advice etc)

Thank you for your answers!

Taina Kauro
tk81348@cs.tut.fi
--

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
  Taina Kauro		"Ela niinkuin voit, ellet voi elaa niinkuin
  tk81348@cs.tut.fi	 tahdot!"
  tk81348@cc.tut.fi	 
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
From: ee52fbc@sdcc15.ucsd.edu (Maiko Covington)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Opinions on the book, "The Hollow Doll"
Date: 7 Jan 93 17:48:05 GMT
Organization: University of California, San Diego

I also thought Dave Barry's book was really funny. I think that for
ME, a big part of the appeal is that the stuff in the book (Japanese
stuff) I'd always considered as perfectly normal and unconciously
"the way things should be" I guess, so to read about someone who
doesn't know about the stuff laughing at it was kind of like being
able to look at myself from a different angle, and laugh at myself
and the things I do. Sort of the "oh yah huh, I guess these things
I'd always taken for granted ARE pretty silly"... ^_^
		Maiko Covington

P.S. I also thought that although he was basically your 'dumb
tourist' (i.e. cannot speak the language and so has problems getting
around) he had a good attitude about it, not expecting everyone to
speak English and stuff like that. I guess he's just a funny guy.
^_^


Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
From: underdog@leland.Stanford.EDU (Dwight Joe)
Subject: Re: Chinese-cu/American-cu Cannabalism
Organization: Miners for a Heart of Gold
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 93 01:03:05 GMT

In article <93008.115855RSAYLC@rohvm1.rohmhaas.com> Larry E. Cravetz
<RSAYLC@rohvm1.rohmhaas.com> writes:
>In article <2610@usna.NAVY.MIL>, wdw@math2.sma.usna.navy.MIL (Wm. Douglas
>Withers -- math  FACULTY <wdw@sma.usna.navy.mil>) says:
>>In article <C0IB9B.8zy@newsflash.concordia.ca> davec@ECE.Concordia.CA
(Dave Chu) writes:
>>>>What form of cannibalism is practiced not infrequently in the USA?
>>>I believe it is the eating of the placenta after a woman has given birth.
>>Bingo!  Dave wins a jumbo placentaburger with all the trimmings!
>What about the millions of Catholics who eat the literal body of Christ each
>Sunday at Communion...?

This is getting ridiculous.

What Mr. Withers proposes is

(1) voluntary consumption of the placenta.

What the writer for the New York Times reports is

(2) In the 1960s, thousands of Chinese-cu people seized people, killed them,
and ate their flesh.

#2 is vastly different from #1.  #2 qualifies for the status of atrocity and
for the dubious status of the worst case of cannabalism in the past 2
centuries.

------------------------------------------------------------------+------------
Jinsei no imi wa nan desu ka.                Sister, can you      |   \|  |`
Shitte itara oshiete kuremasen ka.           spare a coin?        |    | -+-
                                                                  |   /| / \
Copyright 1992, 1993    Disclaimer:  1 + 1 = 3                    |
------------------------------------------------------------------+------------
From: keis@psy.uwa.oz.au (Keis Ohtsuka)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Recommend History Books/Authors?
Date: 11 Jan 1993 07:14:11 GMT
Organization: The University of Western Australia
NNTP-Posting-Host: wapsy.psy.uwa.oz.au

jwb@capek.rdt.monash.edu.au (Jim Breen) writes:

>I was under the impression that baseball was a post-war (dainijitaisen)
>arrival. Certainly I can't imagine it being tolerated in the 1930s.
>Has anyone firmer dates on this?

Baseball even predates Meiji Revolution. Kenzaburo Ohe, I believe,
has a novel based on this episode. West Australian or The Australian
recently (last week) carried an article of Koushien High School Baseball
Tournament which dates back to 1900. My father, 69 years-old, spent
every summer at Koushien Ball Park when he was a child watching the
Koushien tournament. Before 1945, high schools in Korea and Taiwan
sent their delegations to the Koushien HS Baseball Tournament. 

Indeed, a few of HSs came from the colonies won the championship
and their school names were inscribed in a monument outside
the ballpark. It was a quite surprise for me to find out that Koushien
High School baseball tournament is a sacred national institution that
trenscends even a petty boundary between the mainland Japan and her
colonies.  

During a height of xenophobic hysteria in 1939-45, the
government tried to force umpires to use native Japanese words for
"Strike" (Yoshi), "Ball" (Dame) and so forth but they often made
a call in English then meekly corrected in Japanese. People hated
it as it was not natural. The Koushien HS Baseball Tournament was
interrupted at the final years of WWII because of a logistic 
problem and lack of resources to invite HS baseball clubs to
Koushien ballpark.  

Baseball is played as an exhibition sport at Olympics since 1984.
Japan won Gold; USA silver in LA Olympics in 1984. In 1988, USA
won Gold; Japan silver. At Barcelona, Cuba got Gold, Taiwan won
a silver medal and Japan had to settle for a bronze after beating
USA. What a shame for the two countries that regard baseball as their
respective national institution!
From: z_ablesrl@ccsvax.sfasu.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: USENET BBSs
Date: 7 Jan 93 00:56:09 CST
Organization: Stephen F. Austin State University

In article <XB4VwB8w165w@tsoft.net>, bbs.lar@tsoft.net (Larry Greenfield) writes:
>    Hi all. I know this is off the subject, but please, I
> NEED YOUR HELP if you can help!
>    I don't think I can afford to call long distance from the
> LA area up to San Fransisco every day to get usenet/internet
> anymore.  Does anyone have a list of public access
> internet/usenet BBSs in the Orange County/Seal Beach area of
> Southern California? --- in the (714) or (310) area codes?
>    Please help if you can!  I've been on usenet for quite a
> while now, and I find myself suddenly facing the prospect of
> being without it.  Please email me if you can help in any
> way!  I know there is some board in Stanton, but I don't
> know the guest log-on or where to contact the sysop. 
> Please, any information you might have would GREATLY be
> appriciated!  Thanks very very much!   Please email me
> (auto-respond, or mail to    bbs.lar@tsoft.net)  
>    Thanks again!!!
> 
> 
> --
> Larry Greenfield (bbs.lar@tsoft.net)




Hello All,
	
	I am basically looking for the same thing thoughg for here in Houston,
Texas.  The area code here is (713). Any help concerning this matter would be
much appreciated.  

Sincerely,

Ron Ables
z_ablesrl@ccsvax.sfasu.edu

Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
From: jturley@netcom.com (Jim Turley)
Subject: Re: Offered: GIFs of Naked Rie Miyazawa
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 07:20:51 GMT

And another thing.  If talking about Rie is ok for this group,
then tell me please, what is wrong with showing Rie.  You mean 
communication by words is the only acceptable form or expression here.

I just dont get it.
From: jcliu@four-lab4.Berkeley.EDU (James C. Liu)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: bad idea to post pictures of Miyazawa Rie
Date: 12 Jan 1993 23:31:46 GMT
Organization: UC Berkeley Dept. of Nuclear Engineering
NNTP-Posting-Host: four-lab4.berkeley.edu

In article <1993Jan12.213235.19099@netcom.com> jturley@netcom.com 
(Jim Turley) writes:

  >This newsgroup is UPTIGHT. You wouldnt believe the requests Ive gotten
  >from Japanese netters, ladies too.  Over there, they JUST DONT SEE
  >WHATS MAKING YOU WHITE GUYS SO UPTIGHT!

It's the over-eating of red-meat and lack of fibre in the diet.  Too
constipated...that's why. 8-).  Recommendation:  2 Tablespoons of
Metamucil in orange juice. 8-).

Jaa, James
=======================================================================
James C. Liu |    KARAOKE Addict!     Karaoke: You're the STAR!!!!    |
             |    Wanna go? Need someone who sings worse than you do? |
             |    Know about a cool karaoke bar? send e-mail          |
=======================================================================
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
From: blamb@hri.com (Bill Lambert)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Japanese women, foreign men
Date: 7 Jan 93 16:05:59 GMT
Organization: Horizon Research, Inc.

In article <1993Jan7.050926.906@fuug.fi>, an3936@anon.penet.fi 
(Silly Question) writes:

=> I have a funny experience to relate on why some Japanese women like foreign
=> men. The most violent sexual response I have ever got from a woman was when
=> I (as a joke, initially) rubbed the bridge of my (definitely gaijin) nose
=> directly on my (Japanese) girlfriend's clitoris. I just about had my ears torn 
=> off (she was giving me "directions"), but the spasms going through her body
=> had to be seen to be believed.
=> 
=> Anonymously,

I thought this was common knowledge, transcending all
cultures and peoples, as all males have noses and all
females have those other things. Gives the word "nosey"
new meaning.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
From: cb522@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Cathy Atwood)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Recommend History Books/Authors?
Date: 7 Jan 1993 21:09:16 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
NNTP-Posting-Host: hela.ins.cwru.edu


For background reading, you could try:
Pat Barr, The Deer Cry Pavilion
Par Barr, The Coming of the Barbarians
Oliver Statler, Shimoda Story

Statler's book does not bill itself as history (as I recall), but
it was translated into Japanese by an historian, which I think
is a good recommendation.

Cathy
-- 
Cathy Atwood       Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S.A.
From: blamb@hri.com (Bill Lambert)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Brainwashied
Date: 4 Jan 93 19:28:34 GMT
Organization: Horizon Research, Inc.


> In article <34660@twics.co.jp> dcroz@twics.co.jp writes:

> >=}At present, whatever criteria people might have to rate cultures, I think,
> >=}is mosty biased toward their own.

In article <1i3srqINN4er@shelley.u.washington.edu>,
yoichi@carson.u.washington.edu (Yoichi Ii) writes:
> >     It would seem that you have a rather low opinion of other people's
> >intellectual capacities.
> 
> I include myself in "people".  But, yes, I think we all have tendency
> to believe that one's own culture is somehow "more natural" or "better".
> 
> [...]
> >=}According to your "rule" above, what works best in each society is the best.
> > 
> >     No, according to "my" rule above, what works best for the largest numbers
> >of human beings (with tolerance for exceptions) is the best.

<pre and post discussion deleted>

The discussion about whether or not particular cultures are better
than others is somewhat interesting, however, I wish that in this
discussion, the participants might be more careful so as to separate
what are truly cultural elements from other aspects of society
that are economic or perhaps technological when making such
comparisons. Advances in medicine, and such, for example, 
are societal... not cultural. 

Removing these types of comparisons from your discussion may 
lead you to the conclusion that indeed no one culture is
inherently superior to another because the infrastructure of
that culture works best for the largest number of people
within that culture... thus satisfying one debator... and
that in doing so, neither is superior... thus satisfying
the proponent on the opposition side of the argument.

The bridge between the two points is the fact that those
educated within a particular culture find it amenable to
accept the assumptions of that culture because they see it
work for other people around them. The aspects of living
in a given society, and conforming to its already existing
conventions is "culture". There is a lot of momentum behind
cultural issues... and history... and geographical adaptations,
and so it goes. Nor is culture a fixedly definable commodity,
as most cultures evolve due to both outside influences and
internal upheavals.

Some of this is happening here... right now :-)

- Bill Lambert
From: blamb@hri.com (Bill Lambert)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: on extraterritoriality
Date: 7 Jan 93 16:18:31 GMT
Organization: Horizon Research, Inc.

In article <MS-C.726401582.377401575.mrc@Ikkoku-Kan.Panda.COM>, 
mrc@Ikkoku-Kan.Panda.COM (Mark Crispin) writes:
=> The subject of the unequal treaties and extraterritoriality has been brought
=> up on multiple occasions, but with little understanding of what brought them
=> about.
=> 
=> Remember, Japan and China in the mid 19th century were feudal nations where a
=> member of the ruling class could kill anyone for no reason at all.  Torture
=> was the norm.  The common people stayed alive by avoiding the ruling class as
=> much as possible....

My God! More informative stuff about culture and history in
this newsgroup! mrc has reappeared from some self-imposed
exile. Who knows? mlg may be next...
From: trent@cs.utexas.edu (Scott Ross Trent)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Actors and Bakufu Slump (was Re: First Love)
Date: 10 Jan 1993 13:19:21 -0600
Organization: CS Dept, University of Texas at Austin
NNTP-Posting-Host: tokio.cs.utexas.edu

In article <C0M6vH.Kv@NCoast.ORG> cmort@ncoast.org (Christopher Morton) writes:
>As quoted from <C0KuLw.I66@unix.amherst.edu> by jmfuchs@unix.amherst.edu (jesse fuchs):
>
>> 	Question: If they made a movie about Riki, who would play him? My
>> choices are either the guy who played the bandit in "Rashomon," or 
>> Tor Johnson. Any other suggestions?
>
>I vote for the guy who played the leader of the cannibals in "The Hills Have
>Eyes".

At the risk of being offending, I vote for the guy who played the ranch owner
in "Quigly down under".  He also plays the sherif in the latest Robin Hood,
and had a role in Die Hard.  I seriously like this actor, he is really good
at what he does.

This is starting to digress so I supose I should include something related
to s.c.j.  I strongly recommend Bakufu Slumps's "Dansu ni Goon" CD to those
who enjoy Japanese popular music.  I had the second track played at my
wedding reception.  :-)

Does anyone have recommendations for Japanese music or groups with a similar
sound?

-- 
scott                             /* We're the United States Government, we   */
trent@cs.utexas.edu               /* don't do that kind of thing! -- Sneakers */
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan,alt.sex,soc.culture.usa,soc.culture.african.american,sci.electronics,misc.consumers,misc.education,misc.entrepreneurs
From: kevin@clsi.COM (Kevin Cameron)
Subject: Re: DOES AMERICA SAY YES TO JAPAN? - Off track!!
Originator: kevin@dubhe
Reply-To: kevin@clsi.com
Organization: CAD Language Systems Inc.
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 93 17:25:13 GMT


In article <1993Jan5.041125.5726@pegasus.com>, tleylan@pegasus.com (Tom Leylan) writes:
> rainbow@ucscb.UCSC.EDU (Jennifer Lynn Hammond) writes:
> 
> >If tomorrow all the
> >social security was no longer taken out of your pockets prices
> >would soar to absorb your new-found wealth at exactly the same
> >rate of increased prices.
> 
> I guess somebody has to ask.  Is this the "Hammond Effect" we've heard
> so much about but nobody has heretofore identified ?
> 
> "Prices rise to the level of the compensation that people receive"
> 
> I didn't know that.
> 

It is particularly true in Real-estate. In the '80s in the UK when interest
and tax rates were cut house prices rose dramatically i.e. people will spend
a lot more on a piece of property than it is actually worth - particularly if
it is sold to the highest bidder.

Kev.
--
From: trent@cs.utexas.edu (Scott Ross Trent)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Gifts from America to Japan [COMMENTARY]
Date: 6 Jan 1993 09:14:46 -0600
Organization: CS Dept, University of Texas at Austin
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: tokio.cs.utexas.edu

In article <1idvrjINN180@shelley.u.washington.edu> yoichi@carson.u.washington.edu (Yoichi Ii) writes:
>dali@stein.u.washington.edu (David A. Lee) writes:
>
>>Tetsuya Nishimura was kind enough to mail me this list of 
>> 	 [...]
>>        *beef/buffalo jerky for those who drink
>
>Is it OK now to bring back jerkies?  I think it used to be forbidden.

As long as it's sealed, it is supposed to be OK.

>Someone told me staple remover was unusual in Japan. Is this still true?

??? Staple removers were not uncommon when I was in Japan a couple of years
ago...

-- 
scott                             /* We're the United States Government, we   */
trent@cs.utexas.edu               /* don't do that kind of thing! -- Sneakers */
From: ryoichi@athena.mit.edu (Ryoichi Hashimoto)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Recommend History Books/Authors?
Date: 9 Jan 93 06:39:00 GMT
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Oh! I did not know there were so many Japanese history nerds :-)

In article <1ihtqpINNs93@uniwa.uwa.edu.au> keis@psy.uwa.oz.au (Keis Ohtsuka) writes: 
>Actually the USA and Russia came and demanded the opening of 
>Japan's closed borders in 1850s about the same time.
>Japanese perceived two countries most threatening.

I think most of Western countries were felt to be uniformly
threatening existences for Japanese in 1940's and thereafter.
Although Japan's trade door was almost closed, its eyes and ears were
not sleeping.  The news of Opium War propagated among the intellectuals
in 1840's.

It must have been very shocking for them, for, until then, Japanese
had believed that protestant countries were not so wicked as to invade
a civilized country such as china.  But after that, all the
westerners, (except for Dutch ?), were assumed to be invaders.  It was
(and especially the way UK provoked the war was) a tragic trauma for
Japanese intellectuals.

>>> Japanese sent massive numbers of young students to 
>>>Western countries ....

Among them was an eight years old girl, Umeko Tsuda, who, later,
established Tsuda-Juku University, one of the most eminent women's
university in Japan.

>>>...  and imported what they considered 
>>>suitable for the countries. (The decimal currency and a system of 
>>>the central bank from the USA;

There were some trials and errors to establish national bank system,
for Meiji government dumped the licenses of national banks, and a
monetary panic followed it.

-- ryoichi
From: wdw@math2.sma.usna.navy.MIL (Wm. Douglas Withers -- math  FACULTY <wdw@sma.usna.navy.mil>)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: bad idea to post pictures of Miyazawa Rie
Date: 12 Jan 93 19:04:09 GMT
Organization: U.S. Naval Academy

In article <7606@bigbird.hri.com.hri.com> blamb@hri.com (Bill Lambert) writes:
>There are places around the net for posting such things, if you
>must, but I think that the lecherous comments that have accompanied
>this issue are sometimes pretty thoughtless and surely offensive
>to many readers.

Perhaps we're not reading quite the same newsgroup, but:

1.  I haven't seen any pictures posted to this group.

2.  The most lecherous comments I have seen respecting THIS issue involve
describing certain individuals as `naked', `sexy' and `outstanding.'  I
wouldn't describe these comments as anything worse than questionable.
(Actually there was one individual who went into personal anatomical
details such as the presence or absence of cellulite, but I'm sure he
had nothing but the purest of motives.)  Perhaps you are wishing that
Jim Turley would show restraint on the net.  Having read some of his
comments on private email, I can assure you that he _is_ showing restraint.

Personally, I thought the `nasal intercourse' story was much more seriously
offensive, but the world at large seems to disagree.

>Please note: there is some difference between standing up at a
>meeting of those who enjoy looking at gifs and saying, "Wow...
>that one has really great... (whatever), and doing the same
>with a more general audience present.

Again, I haven't seen any comments like this (except the cellulite remark).
I feel like life is passing me by.

It may help to put this into perspective if I mention that in the past _week_
I have seen the following discussions on various newsgroups:

soc.culture.japan:  how to get nude GIFs of Rie Miyazawa
rec.arts.disney:    how to get nude GIFs of the Little Mermaid (No kidding!)
rec.arts.startrek.current:  how to get nude GIFs of Marina Sirtis and Denise
   Crosby
rec.pets.dogs:      how to get nude GIFs of Lassie (No kidding!)

Well...actually I did make the last one up.
-- 
Els Withers                   email: wdw@math2.sma.usna.navy.mil
Department of Mathematics     phone: (410)267-3192 / fax: (410)267-4883
United States Naval Academy
Annapolis, MD  21402-5002     Senri no tabi mo ippo yori...
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
From: blamb@hri.com (Bill Lambert)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Chinese-cu/American-cu Cannabalism
Date: 11 Jan 93 15:29:41 GMT
Organization: Horizon Research, Inc.

In article <1993Jan9.010305.27696@leland.Stanford.EDU>,
underdog@leland.Stanford.EDU (Dwight Joe) writes:
=> This is getting ridiculous.
=> 
=> What Mr. Withers proposes is
=> 
=> (1) voluntary consumption of the placenta.
=> 
=> What the writer for the New York Times reports is
=> 
=> (2) In the 1960s, thousands of Chinese-cu people seized people, killed them,
=> and ate their flesh.
=> 
=> #2 is vastly different from #1.  #2 qualifies for the status of atrocity and
=> for the dubious status of the worst case of cannabalism in the past 2
=> centuries.

I didn't take Mr. Withers little quiz as any particular commentary
on your posting of Chinese cannabalism at all, which was a stretch
to post to this newsgroup in any case. I believe his post was in
response to cultural peculiarities being discussed in another thread.

- Bill Lambert