what's bad in japan?

[SSJup81]

Originally Posted by imlaughing2death

I thought U.S court was bad with giving people three consecutive life sentences (how would you serve that?) and the death penalty, but this is just shameful.I sure hope this doesn't happen often.

Because when you get consecutive life sentences, there's close to no chance at the person getting out on parole since each sentence is so long.

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by imlaughing2death

Hi, I'm new here and I just wanted to ask a few questions I haven't seen here yet.If you want more information on the topic, I have Youtube videos linked after the questions.

I`ll take the plunge and try to answer all of these.

1) How much of WWII do they teach in Japan?

Except for perhaps a handful of very conservative private schools, Japanese schools do cover WWII - in depth, with lots of information about the atrocities committed by Japan, often (if not always) using them as examples of what needs to be prevented at all costs in the future. This starts in the later years of elementary school, and they go more and more into depth as children get older and can comprehend better.

2) Where did this huge fixation with manga and anime even come from?

This huge fixation barely exists in Japan itself. So you`ll have to ask someone outside of Japan who is obsessed to find an answer for this one.

3) Just how bad is the academic system?

Not at all. I`d choose it any day over my experiences in the US school system, and choose it for my son.

I saw how schools would take little kids outside in near 0 degree whether and have them stand there freezing for some period of time (I think it was just a few minutes but I can't quite remember) .They said it was to toughen the children up.

For a minute in the morning, with a fluffy warm towel, when there is no wind, snow, rain, etc. It has been medically proven to be good for you - much much better than sitting inside with the heat on.

4)I saw that the rigorous school system drove some to become like hermits in their own rooms, and in some cases they finally snapped after a few years went ape-schist (I'm paraphrasing of course), and went on a rampage killing several people.

Is this any different than the US? (except for the hermit bit.) I hear plenty of news about school killings over there.

What's worse when the schools finally started to put more creativity to help kids try out things they might like and develop some individuality, many parents opposed it and sent the kids to ultra strict private schools where the teacher will regularly scream at and occasionally hit the child.I hope that's not that common.

You`ve gotten things a bit mixed up here. Japan instituted a new educational system for elementary and middle schools, which did not focus much on studying. However, standards for high school and universities did not change. Therefore, kids would have to spend all day at school doing pretty much nothing, and then come home to have to study like mad so that they`d be able to go to high school. It didn`t alleviate any problems, and created many more. You can`t reduce the level of study, reduce the amount of study time, and still keep the tests at the same level.
So parents had no choice but to do one of two things - send their children to after school study classes... Or put them into private schools that actually cover the necessary material.
I`ve never heard of teachers in private schools being any more violent than in regular schools. If a child is being hit, parents do get upset these days.
Luckily, they`re going to change the educational policy again, back to something similar to what it was.

5) What do they do with drug addicts in Japan? I heard they first put them in jail, and then if caught again, they're put into a mental hospital (it might be the other way around though, again, can't quite remember). I know they have a drug control policy like us (like that helps), but does that process actually work at all?

Keep in mind that there aren`t that many drug addicts in Japan. Yes, they exist, but nowhere NEAR the level that is the norm in the US. I could ask everyone I know if they know anyone who knows anyone who has ever done an illegal drug... And get no hits at all.

6) Just how much of the products they offer there are...well, pornographic?

Not that many, and well marked.

7) Whatever happened to those humanitarian relief workers in Iraq who were taken hostage and when they were released to got back were resented because they "endangered the government policies".Is that part of that radical conservative moment I've heard so much about?

They weren`t hostages. They were working with the hostage group. I think that`s a bit of a problem, don`t you?

8) What's with the whaling thing? I don't want to sound like some PETA nut, but why do the companies that still hunt whale in Japan say it's for "Scientific research" when the only use a small flake of skin for study, and the rest goes to restaurants?

Because saying that it`s for research is the only way to continue providing the meat to the market. I can`t say I particularly like whale meat, but to some people it`s a very important traditional food.

9) My friends said the Ainu were shunned in Japan because although they are one of the first people of the island, they were reluctant to assimilate,were racist (against who?), and too old fashioned. It took them hundreds of years to get a representative for this group who was just finally named a minority about a decade ago.

Where is the question here?

10)Anyone ever hear of Issei Sagawa?Why did he get out of prison after just 15 months?I thought U.S court was bad with giving people three consecutive life sentences (how would you serve that?) and the death penalty, but this is just shameful.I sure hope this doesn't happen often.

He got out of prison because France didn`t follow the necessary procedure to have the charges secured against him in Japan.

Of course I don't mean every Japanese person is mean or a right wing wacko, but I think it's kinda sad that Japan is displaying itself as this great happy paradise while blatantly ignoring these critical issues.

The Japan of reality doesn`t ignore any of these issues. The Japan of fandom and BBC documentaries doesn`t exist in the real world. Those programs are produced to incite a reaction in the viewers, not to present reality. The western media only takes two approaches to Japan - that it`s a heaven on earth, or that it is an awful place with horrible practices. Neither is true.

[blimp]

there r four things in japan that is on par with a developing country (according to me):

the respect for traffic rules
the view on women
smoking
the service banks offer

are there any other developed countries with these traits? yes, certainly.
does the country where i come from have any of these traits? as a matter of fact no, but there r plenty of other less good things.
r there any good thing about japan? yes, plenty.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by blimp

there r four things in japan that is on par with a developing country (according to me):

the respect for traffic rules
the view on women
smoking
the service banks offer

are there any other developed countries with these traits? yes, certainly.
does the country where i come from have any of these traits? as a matter of fact no, but there r plenty of other less good things.
r there any good thing about japan? yes, plenty.

the respect for traffic rules

Driving in Japan is frightening for me. The "rolling stop" is the rule. I don't know what you mean.

the view on women

I don't know what you mean.

smoking

I don't know what you mean.

the service banks offer

I don't know what you mean.

[mangapunkrocker]

Y'all just freaked me out. I wanted to go to Japan to live there for a few years, now I'm kinda scared to go, especially since I'm a girl and mexican, and I want to go alone. I"m thinkin' it's not a good idea anymore. I still like Japan, but maybe I'll hold off on going to live there.

[TalnSG]

Excuse me, but when did YouTube videos become the the definitive source of cultural information on any country?

This line up presents a very warped view of Japan, just as I could create an extremely perverted veiw of the US or any other country using only a "fan-based" source.

Eever hear of a library or any of the many cross cultural organizations which promote accurate understanding between real people, face-to-face?

[TalnSG]

Originally Posted by mangapunkrocker

Y'all just freaked me out. I wanted to go to Japan to live there for a few years, now I'm kinda scared to go, especially since I'm a girl and mexican, and I want to go alone. I"m thinkin' it's not a good idea anymore. I still like Japan, but maybe I'll hold off on going to live there.

This is a good example of why using a source like You Tube is a bad idea!

Mangapunkrocker, don't forget what you read that upset you, but temper it drastically with the fact that every first world country has some of these problems. But they are not the norm, but any stretch of the imagination.

According to my friends who have either visited or lived in Japan, it is generally one of the safest foreign countries you could ever visit, especially Tokyo.

[mangapunkrocker]

Thank you! I'm so glad someone has a good opinion of Japan, cuz the others were kinda freaking me out.

[kyo_9]

don't forget kyoto as well.. the people here is very modest.. I like to hear the woman speak in their dialect.. very soft.. huhu

[MMM]

Originally Posted by mangapunkrocker

Thank you! I'm so glad someone has a good opinion of Japan, cuz the others were kinda freaking me out.

Don't be so easily spooked. You really have nothing to worry about.

Originally Posted by kyo_9

don't forget kyoto as well.. the people here is very modest.. I like to hear the woman speak in their dialect.. very soft.. huhu

The Kyoto dialect soft? First time I have ever heard it described that way...