Japan General Thread - Japan-related news, happenings and thoughts

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ToroidalBoat said:
The copying "stealing" of intangible ways is part of Japanese ways, and has been for awhile. I think there was some guy in the 19th century who said "may our country, copying what is good and rejecting what is bad, be not inferior to any other" or something like.
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I am ok with people copying the good things. But I am concerned Japan will become another shitty UK/Germany in the future.
 
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Sinner's Sandwich said:
This is not going to work. Japan is stealing everything it can get and turns it into bug eyed anime girl shit.
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They're fascinated with European culture and clothing. So many animes and games have this aesthetic. So many characters with odd French and German inspired names.
 
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ToroidalBoat said:
In that Japanese Wikipedia article on "cultural appropriation", it says the concept of "cultural appropriation" hardly exists in Japan, but now there are "movements to introduce the concept of cultural appropriation in Japan"... hopefully SJWs fail at trying to grift people into thinking intangible "culture" itself as physical stuff.
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The Japanese ability to culturally appropriate and often improve something by adding their cultural touch to it is one of the best parts of Japanese culture. Ramen (China), kimono (China), the entire culinary genre of 洋食/洋菓子 (Western-inspired cooking/sweets), entire fashion styles like lolita (English/French inspired) and so on and so forth are all the result of Japan "stealing" things from other cultures. After all, taking something from a different culture and tweaking it so that it becomes your own is how all cultures develop.

I hope these movements (that are culturally appropriating a political concept that was created in America) fail and that Japan continues to commit acts of cultural appropriation.
 
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Silence of the Troons said:
After all, taking something from a different culture and tweaking it so that it becomes your own is how all cultures develop.
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Before "political correctness" and then "identity politics" were cooked up, "culture" itself was not usually seen as a sacred thing that "needs to be protected" from others copying it? The idea that "culture" itself can be "stolen" or "appropriated" seems to have evolved from the Western idea of copyright, and copyright was originally invented as a form of censorship. BTW and IIRC, copyright was originally some exclusive right to print anything granted by British government because they feared the printing press.
 
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ToroidalBoat said:
Before "political correctness" and then "identity politics" were cooked up, "culture" itself was not usually seen as a sacred thing that "needs to be protected" from others copying it? The idea that "culture" itself can be "stolen" or "appropriated" seems to have evolved from the Western idea of copyright, and copyright was originally invented as a form of censorship. BTW and IIRC, copyright was originally some exclusive right to print anything granted by British government because they feared the printing press.
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Copyright goes back to the dawn of time. If you ever hear about Native Americans complaining someone "stole" a design or whatever, sometimes said designs literally are copyrighted under ancient tribal law. As in back before white people times, someone doing that could be beaten half to death by the chief's thugs the same way they might beat a normal thief. Medieval Japan had it too. The imperial court eventually stopped governing the country and became keepers of cultural arts. Some of this was very guarded, and it was forbidden to copy certain styles of calligraphy or certain pieces of music (for instance) without having paid the family for the privilege of studying it.
 
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Save the Loli said:
Copyright goes back to the dawn of time.
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Any laws resembling copyright before the last few centuries appears to be anomalies rather than usual ways in the history of this world. At least with ways that weren't kept secret. Or at least it was that way before civilization appeared anyway. Anyway, it's good that the Japanese overall seem to have overcome any "cultural appropriation" mentality that they may have had in the past...
 
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https://nitter.poast.org/Slatzism/status/1868330456930029881#m
https://archive.ph/BU7Yt
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What is the Japanese attitude towards the mentally disabled? I want to take my 50-something year old visibly disabled relative to Japan because she loves trains (not autistic) and has never been out of the country. She doesn't know what an anime is and I'm not a weeb, main interest would be checking out the countryside where she would probably be less overwhelmed. Would people generally be friendly/helpful?
 
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There She Glows said:
What is the Japanese attitude towards the mentally disabled? I want to take my 50-something year old visibly disabled relative to Japan because she loves trains (not autistic) and has never been out of the country. She doesn't know what an anime is and I'm not a weeb, main interest would be checking out the countryside where she would probably be less overwhelmed. Would people generally be friendly/helpful?
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Speaking from experience after travelling the countryside, they will generally leave you alone or not even notice you. The locals are friendly; they'll probably wave and smile. Just bring a translation app for reading any signs, as a lot of people in the countryside don't speak English, or very well.
The countryside, or less populated areas of Japan, are especially great for new travelers, as there are fewer tourists, and it's more laid back. A lot of people hit up Tokyo on their first visit and then go more outwards to Osaka, Kyoto, etc.
 
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Uphold Kumquats said:
Just bring a translation app for reading any signs, as a lot of people in the countryside don't speak English, or very well.
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She has a severe enough speech impairment to where she is used to people who aren't family being unable to understand her so I was thinking it might actually be a cool experience for her to be somewhere where they don't understand me either and we're both relying on the translation app. All good info appreciate your reply.
 
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There She Glows said:
What is the Japanese attitude towards the mentally disabled? I want to take my 50-something year old visibly disabled relative to Japan because she loves trains (not autistic) and has never been out of the country. She doesn't know what an anime is and I'm not a weeb, main interest would be checking out the countryside where she would probably be less overwhelmed. Would people generally be friendly/helpful?
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Japan still has asylums, and when mentally ill people represent a danger for society or others, they are put in a psychiatric facility until they are cured (they won't ever be).
There are 15x more people confined in a psychiatric facility in Japan than there is in the US per 100,000 people, meaning that all the schizos, bipolar, and otherwise potentially violent mentally handicapped people will never be free to roam outside again.

As a consequence all the mentally handicapped people you see outside are the downies or those with an otherwise debilitating mental health issue that makes them simply dumb or mellow, not the unstable violent type, so everyone treat them very well. They are treated like children, with tolerance and care. Most people ignore you because they don't care, and some of them will be extra kind and offer you their seat or hold the door, that kind of stuff.

Pretty much all the handicapped here carry a Help Mark, it's a strap you put on your clothes or bag and everyone around you see that you're either fragile or "different", and thus people won't be surprised or worried if you start talking alone or acting somewhat weirdly, they won't suspect you to be drunk or anything.
You can ask for the mark at any (big) train station and they'll give you one for free. You also get priority seats, yay.
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Of all the countries I've lived in, it's clearly the one that treats non-violent mentally handicapped people the best. If I had a 'tard child I would absolutely raise him here.
 
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Armor of God said:
Just when I thought that I couldn't hate street shitting sand niggers any more than I already do...
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You can never hate them enough; sure, they'll learn the language somewhat, but in the end they'll only associate with other street shitters and demand your country be the exact same as India, completely glossing over the fact their country is that way because of them.
 
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