I have lived in Japan about 9 and a half years now, and there is one alarming trend I see happening. In the past, Japanese used to think of the West as a fun place, if the letter 'D' described it, it would be Disneyland. Now that has changed--it is now 'Dangerous'. I get a lot of questions like 'Do all Americans own a gun?' and 'Isn't your city dangerous?' etc. The sensationalist Japanese press, which splatters it's tv shows with the west as some warzone, doesn't help.
Likewise, there HAS been a number of events that make the West (especially the US) look bad--right-wing kooks blowing up buildings, Koresh burning his own compund down in a fiery blaze, the shooting of Hattori, etc.
But I must inject one more piece into this--the massive influx of non-professional westerners lately,
playing their guitars or flutes for pocket change, jugglers at shopping centers, etc. What's next--staight panhandling?? Then there are others hawking trinkets on the streets... Is it surprising the Japanese increasingly look at westerners as economic migrants, fleeing a diseased society (as opposed to'safe' Japan). What should be done?

1998/1/24

In Australia the USA is either rightly or wrongly being see more and more as a dangerous place. At the moment I feel safer walking the streets of Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur than I would do a USA city. This is the impression the media here give to us.

1998/1/24

To Alan, again,

I will agree with you that Japan has more of a cohesive society, and it has positive effects. When disaster breaks out in the US, suddenly God just made everything 'free' and there is looting and stealing. You never see that in Japan. Never. This is NOT to say that Japan is the model society for all of us to follow, as there are benfits like peace and stability, there are also strong negatives like a lack of freedom. So it cuts both ways.
But first, to compare the media, while the US has its tabloid shows it also has good investigative reporting as well. You will find none of that in Japan though--there are no whistleblowers, no exposes, only what the gov't approves, thanks largely to a potty-trained press. So to say the media of both are largely the same is a big error.
Secondly, the US is NOT in the center of the world, if it is 'watched', is more than likely 'baywatched',
since the US exports tons of TV and movies.
Thirdly, it is rather smug of you to say that if I am working in Japan, I am a 'migrant'. There are many ex-pats here who are SENT by their companies back in the US to a subsidiary here--that hardly makes them 'migrants', now does it? I myself could go back anytime. Eventually I probably will. I first came to Japan when the US$ was 250 yen--hardly a good reason to chase money, now is it? I have been involved with Japan for over 15 years now--it is no love of money or the only way I can get a job that I am here,
and it's rather arrogant of you to make such a sweeping assumption.
At any rate, regarding Japan's immigration laws, they HAVE been changed. In particular with regard to 3rd world countries like Iran, where Japan dropped its visa requirement and got flooded with unemployed.
Japan recently reversed its decision. Yet Japan needs such workers to keep its factories and kitchens functioning.
The people I have seen on the streets and trinkets are operating illegally, by the way, you are now allowed to work on a tourist visa or landing permit.
I am not a Japanapologist. Japan has many characteristics, and often there are good as well as bad consequences. Yet my concern has been Japanese views of westerners has fallen lately, some of it has been the fault of their media, others because the west (or the US) have had a number or violent events
of late.

1998/1/24

First of all Rob, we can blame most of this' alarming' trend that you see happening on the presses of both societies. That's how the press makes money, by reporting to you the worst of the worst and sensationalizing it the best they know how so no one gets a clear picture of anything. And whether we like it or not Rob, we as Americans are the most watched society in the world. And as far as these 'awful truths' about U.S. society you are concerned with, I think every country has a few. But what Japan has that we're losing is a sense of family that is woven into the fabric of their society whether it's in the workplace or home and to fail at anything is a terrible embarassment to the 'family.' And when Japan gets enough of these 'non-professional westerners', they'll change their immigration laws. And if you're working in Japan, then I would consider you an 'economic migrant' That's the real TRUTH Rob.

1998/1/24

To Alan,
You seem unable to distinguish between what I feel (which I didn't concentrate on much) and what the Japanese are made to feel through their 'press'. Is America sick and and all Americans gun kooks? Well, I don't own a gun myself. If you look, you will find a lot of awful truths about US society. And if you look hard enough you'll find a right-wing zealot who thinks everyone otta carry an Uzi with them to stop crime. I DON'T think that is representative of the whole US, I DIDN'T come to Japan as an ecomomic migrant (if I did, I wouldn't criticize those that did), and as for who or what I am trying to protect, I would say it's the TRUTH--and the Japanese are not getting a clear picture of the West.

1998/1/24

Rob, I get the idea from your post that you are some kind of 'protectionist' trying to protect the Japanese society from us 'bad gun-toting westerners' Maybe 9 and a half years in another society other than your own 'diseased society' has made you that way. And the last time I looked, the American press was just as much if not more 'sensationalist' than the Japanese press. We have to remember that westerners, especially Americans are observed very closely all around the world. After all, it's American action movies,with everyone owning a gun, the world watches (dubbed or not), American restaurants, American fashion and American sports. Sure, there are other movies and restaurants etc., but none so closely in 'vogue' I might say. Maybe you were the first of these so called''economic migrants' to hit the shores of the land of the rising sun. After all you've been there for 9 and a half years. So don't try to protect a society that is not your own. Let the Japanese society protect itself which it has been doing very well at for the last thousand years. And don't ride any subways, there might be some kind of gas waiting to explode.

1998/1/24

Rob, my first message 'Careful' was concerned mostly with the comments of Gillian form Australia, not yours. I should have mentionned that more clearly. I don't want to complain anything about your comments. In contrary, I find your first message extremely interesting.

Nevertheless, I would like to point out a thing about carefulness in judging: you say: '... it is hard to pinpoint what you're saying exactly, other than to be careful. Needless to say.'

I don't think at all that this is needless to say. Nowadays, many people do not think before they judge. Some do not think at all. When writing comments about cultures one is not very familiar with, he must be very careful due to a great danger that comes with concious and inconcious ignorance and often arrogance.

1998/1/24

To Steve--

Your post seems to contradict itself os it is hard to pinpoint what you're saying exactly, other than to be careful. Needless to say.
But Japanese Groupthink is alive and well--and every person who asks me--every SINGLE one--who asks me about life in the U.S. asks some question like 'isn't it dangerous', or 'does everyone own a gun'. It never used to be like that.
And the Japanese media is one of the biggest culprits that promotes this attitude.
Nowhere in my post did I state one culture is superior to another!! But the Japanese are sure getting the message that it sure is great to be born a Japanese, where everything is 'safe'.
But as far as 'western values' are concerned, I think most cultures on the planet would embrace democracy, liberty, freedom, and privacy--if their governments would allow them to.
And I hardly think such things are western inventions or monopolies.

--Rob

1998/1/24

Judging the view of the Japanese towards the west is a very difficult thing to do. One has to be careful.

Still it is an extreme majority of Westener people who are not able to understand the Japanese language well or at all, and should, therefore, not even try to judge Japanese mentality.

The danger of generalizing ignorantly is huge.

The westeners are very west-centred and most of them do not even realize that fact. They unconciously think of their ideas to be universal truths.

When a Westener person, with an arrogant undertone, points out Japanese feelings of superiority towards the West, I just have to protest.

1998/1/24

I don't think we'll make much of difference trying to show the Japanese the better side of the West (or South if you're from my part of the world!). They seem to have a fascination with only seeing the weird and the terrible, and even those hawkers on the streets encourage that view. But then, the reverse is true. The images coming out of Japan are so pure and culturally 'rich', stereotypes the Japanese themselves perpetuate about themselves that aren't necessarily true. I've eaten more sushi since I've come home than I ever did while living in Japan! The Japanese view of the West as interesting but essentially bad (or dangerous) is just their superiority (and defensiveness?) coming out. Of course nothing or nowhere could ever be as good as Japan... let them hang on to that belief. We all know the truth (warts and all!) about our home countries, and I think we're healthier for it.

1998/1/24

The US is not that bad and I can say that having lived her all my life sure it has gotten worse out on the streets but it is safe that fact is is there are not that many people with guns and there are not that many people doing drugs and stuff like that. in fact as I get more and more involved on the streets getting to now the people that hand out and look all bad and stuff they really arn't that bad. But yes every once in awhile something will happen and then that one thing will be put on all the papers and all the news chanals and then it seems that the hole US is a big Gang war but it is an OK place. And I plan to live here for a long time more.

1998/1/24