Young people and their attraction to Japan.

[cranks]

Originally Posted by Saradus

Yeah we british really don't view things through rose-coloured glasses. If anything we are overly realist and cynical! It's a common thing in schools to be told things will only get harder when we leave education! Albeit sometimes half-heartedly by teachers with dark humour (one of my favourite teachers ALWAYS told us how things would get worse in his jokey way)

It sounds like I'm not that far from the reality. Yeah, British are famous for their dark humor, not just your teacher I think Japanese people share some of that quality albeit they aren't as openly challenging to other people. I sometimes find Chinese people possess a quality that is similar to the people in the states. They like to talk, talk loud, and talk straight in your face. But their intensions are usually to settle the issue logically. Japanese people are, mmm, more subtle, and they don't raise their voices. But when things go really bad, it can create serious and long lasting rancor in the hearts of the people who are involved.

[GoNative]

There certainly appears to be, at least from my observations, a growing expectation by younger people in Australia that life should be easy. Or more to the point that they should be able to have it all right away. There's little recognition or understanding of the years and years of hard work it usually takes to get where you want to be in life. They don't want to start small and work their way up to living in their preferred suburb or dream home with their dream car. They seem to almost expect all that from their mid 20's and complain like hell when they can't actually afford it! As though they have some right to expect all that from a young age after barely a few years full time work. Older generations are certainly not like that.

[dirtyroboto]

After seeing this YouTube - BAKA Y2K8 Cosplay - Vocaloid
They know they must come to Japan to see the original.

[dogsbody70]

Originally Posted by cranks

When I think about it, there weren't many occasions where they specifically targeted British. It's usually more about the westerners and Anglo Saxons.

One thing I remember though is some people particularly mentioned Britain and said British were anti-Japanese in several occasions , and they usually had a pretty critical and sometimes one sided British newspaper article to back it up. My response was that British media criticize everyone and everything, not just Japanese.

I see 10 times more complaints about the culinary art but most of the time it's more of a jest.

Well memories of the war still linger-----------about the cruelty to so many Prisoners of War.


whereabouts were you in UK Cranks-- were you here working or studying?

[GoNative]

I think we all know one of the main motivations to come to Japan for the younger guys out there is Japanese girls. The charisma man phenomena is certainly still alive and well in Japan...

[dogsbody70]

Maybe students live a totally different existence compared to those out working, raising families etc.


Quite a few of the views on here seems to be from a students POV.

Obviously different generations have different experiences and aspects.

Hopefully the young can look forward---Times have changed so much.

Now with the internet-- communication is global---------- we are learning so much more than would have happened in the past.


from what I have read, school children in Japan work long hours. everything seems geared to studying--- do they have time to Play and relax, have fun.

my friend worked for the same company all her working life--------- so often working till midnight- isn't that crazy? No overtime paid.

[dogsbody70]

Originally Posted by GoNative

I think we all know one of the main motivations to come to Japan for the younger guys out there is Japanese girls. The charisma man phenomena is certainly still alive and well in Japan...

Love that Gonative.

Our women fell for the GI's that came over during the war-- they offered nylons and bubble gum-- plus leaving their babies behind.


I think we like some one who is different from ourselves. I once was in a cafe in a small village where many americans visit--------- A Huge western man came in with a beautiful asian girl on his arm.


She was diminutive-- really exquisite in form-- I wondered if she was Taiwanese-- I just wondered how she could be with this giant of a man who. seemed almost unable to keep his hands off her.

[GoNative]

In my area dogsbody it's pretty rare to see school age children ever out playing around their home or hanging out down the shops or wherever. Sometimes a bit on weekends but almost never on a week night. Besides seeing them all walking to school in the morning and coming back in the evening you'd almost think there weren't any kids in this town.

[Columbine]

Originally Posted by cranks

One thing I remember though is some people particularly mentioned Britain and said British were anti-Japanese in several occasions , and they usually had a pretty critical and sometimes one sided British newspaper article to back it up. My response was that British media criticize everyone and everything, not just Japanese.

I see 10 times more complaints about the culinary art but most of the time it's more of a jest.

Considering some of the things I've heard old people say about Japan, I'm not surprised if some people get the impression that Britain is anti-Japanese. Amongst the younger generations I guess there can be derision towards anime and japanese pop-culture, which might be taken as anti.

*laughs* Well they've got a point about the food to a degree. Some of it is truly terrible. Then again, I used to live in Oxford, and looking at what a lot of tourists i saw eating there were tucking into; cheap pub grub, chain cafe sandwiches and hotel breakfasts. No wonder they come away thinking British food is awful.

[Columbine]

Originally Posted by Saradus

Yeah we british really don't view things through rose-coloured glasses. If anything we are overly realist and cynical! It's a common thing in schools to be told things will only get harder when we leave education! Albeit sometimes half-heartedly by teachers with dark humour (one of my favourite teachers ALWAYS told us how things would get worse in his jokey way)

As Alan Bennet once wrote, it's probably because the English are "conceived in irony... joking but not joking, caring but not caring, serious but not serious." Generally we just like to sit back and declare as the bad stuff rolls by "bah, well that's just typical, isn't it!"