[dogsbody70]

excuse my comments I need more time to reread the original item on this thread.

Should we ever generalise about a country and its people?

Books I have been reading about the japanese are written by outsiders. Maybe outsiders can gather their opinions with an unbiased/or maybe biased eye.

I have a copy of the chyrsanthemum and the sword written by the anthropologist Ruth Benedict back in the forties and of course the pacific war had just been fought--------------

I also have other books but it is difficult to find one written by a japanese author about their country and society.


Ruth Benedict was American also. I like to read about the culture-- the Spirit of Japan.


Having read a lot about the Pacific war-- URGH------------ and American occupation in Japan-- the current problems over the american Base in Okinawa---. I have learnt a lot that I had been unaware of. The firebombing of Japanese Cities before the awful Hiroshima /Nagasaki.

IN Britain I hardly heard anything about that war and it is only recently that I have realised more of what happened-- and I pray it will never happen again.

I feel that much was hidden on many sides.


Perhaps this subject will not be allowed on here I don't know but I am genuinely interested to learn more about Japan the country and its culture.


Somewhere in the original message on this thread, something about not admitting sorrow for something that surely if one has hurt or upset somebody then surely a genuine apology is right.

I always find it hard to say "Sorry" but if I know I am in the wrong of course I will do so.

ALso surely a THANKYOU is good manners and polite. Surely it is rude to take everything for granted-- and not acknowledge kindness etc with a thankyou is very rude.

I have only met a few Americans--Although we speak the same language-- don't we-- in many ways we are poles apart.

I don't think its a sign of weakness to admit error. We only learn from mistakes or we should.

In our country many of the good manners I was taught as a youngster are disappearing and there seems not to be the common courtesy that I knew.

If JAPANESE desire good manners then surely that is a good thing we should all have them and also respect. Respect is rapidly disappearing here in England. I like the way my japanese friend is polite. she once told me that japanese people cannot show their feelings. I don't like to generalise as I feel we are all individuals but if the custom is not to show feelings then sometimes it can be hard to understand someone. I hope I have not offended anybody here as that is not my intention. with respect, Babs in UK