From: ntetsuya@lamar.ColoState.EDU (Nishimura)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Phobia (was Re: The Russo-Japanese War (part 2))
Date: 29 Aug 92 03:23:41 GMT
Organization: Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO  80523

In article <1992Aug28.233257.15187@u.washington.edu> yoichi@milton.u.washington.edu (Yoichi Ii) writes:
>masuda@fcs280b.ncifcrf.gov (Michiaki Masuda) writes:

[stuff deleted]
>
>>   I also heard that there are some Japanese families living in my area
>>that declared, "Nihon-jin no kata to wa amari otsukiai shitaku arimasen
>>node (We are not willing to socialize with Japanese)."
>
>This is a different situation from vacation travel. I could only surmize that 
>the people you mention are trying to absorb as much American culture as they 
>can while they're here. In other words they might be missing other Japanese 
>but are trying hard not to see them.
>
	There is another possibility that I can think of.  As many of the 
	netters have felt or experienced (if not, it's OK  :> ), many Japanese
	tend to "admire" western things whatever they are.  And at the same time	they might "look down" our own culture and custom.  These people usually	feel that they are "special" and have some kind of superiority over the
	other fellow Japanese, and over the other Asian nationals, too. (Don't
	flame me.  This is from my observation.  ;->)

	People like this in Masuda-san's statement would never say "We don't 
	want Japanese" in, say, Korea, China, and all other countries except
	in some western European countries. (no offense intended)

	The reason I can think of for this is that since the opening of the
	country in 1986 and after WW II, almost all Japanses have been longing
	to catch up with western countries, especially the US.  A manga artist
	Kenichi Kitami often had his characters in his work "Yake ato no 
	Genki-kun (Genki-kun at the ruins of bobming): on Chu^nichi Shinbun
	Sunday version" say something like below:

		"They say that every American family has a TV set."
		"Let's go to the restaurant for dinner like Americans."
		"When I grow up, I will have a car like Americans."

		(The story itself is about a very fun-loving boy and his family
		 and his friend with many funny life-related episodes.)

	This kind of "longing" and "admiration" toward western cultures, 
	especially can toward America have been enhanced by many US movies with
	romantic and joyous party scenes where people with "blue eyes, blonde
	hair and tall noses" are in a large house and having beautiful dinner,
	enjoying their lives.

	Now people who have watched those movies and have longed for that kind
	of lives in foreign countries (exclusively in the US) find themselves
	in the same situation.  Except one thing: they do not have the same 
	looking as "white" people.  Then what would they do?  Avoid meeting 
	people of their kind, with the same looking as themselves, and probably
	would try to speak just English most of the time.  And actually it is 
	these people who are not eager to teach their kids Japanses.  (able to
	speak "fluent" English with "native-like accent" is one of the biggest
	social statuses in Japan, you know  :-/ )(but at the same time it's one
	of the biiigest reasons that many of those kids are having hard time
	going together with ther "native" Japanese peers.)

	Well, my statement may be on an extreme end, though, it could be the 
	case for some people.

	What do you guys think?


					Tetsuya Nishimura
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan