Ex-Japanophiles

[eatenbyagrue]

Fellow Escapists, I have a confession to make.

For all my hatred of the culture, for all my anti-weeaboo rhetoric, for all my "No, katanas suck for this reason:" speeches, I have to admit I was once a Japanophile.

I was one of the throngs of pasty, maladjusted preteens who watched anime exclusively and listened to nothing but Japanese music, who tried to learn the language, who thought katanas were the most awesomest weapon EVER, etcetera.

I have since "recovered", although using the word implies that being a Japanophile is a sickness of some sort.

But I digress. The funny thing is, this puts me in an interesting position: having once been a Japanophile, and counting many of them amongst my group of friends, I have both the knowledge of what makes them tick, and why the culture is so enthralling, as well as the outsider's perspective of why the subculture is so bleeding annoying for the most part.

So I ask you, comrades and friends, do any of you have similar experiences? Have any of you ever been, or known someone who has been, a Japanophile, and has since, or is in the process of trying to shake the culture, and all the negative stigma attached to the label?

 

[Rigs83]

Japan is awesome from far away but must suck when you have to live it day in and day out. Maybe that's why it has such a high suicide rate.

 

[superbleeder12]

I had a passing interest in anime and Japanese culture, but that was resolved quickly after looking at japanophiles in my school. Problem is, I'm still friends with most of them and they sicken me, but I'm too socially inept to make new friends.

 

[theSovietConnection]

Japan is a very popular fad in my old high school, and I knew a few people who were so obsessed they actually believed they were of Japanese descent, which made things really awkward when my cousin became one such example (my family is entirely European descent, and I know her family tree from helping her research it about a month or so after she gave it up, she's as European-blooded as I am). It's quite annoying, particularly when they begin speaking to each other in the language. That usually ended with me swearing at them in Russian, gaining me a few strange looks, and a laugh from my friend who also knew Russian.

That being said, there are aspects of the culture I like, particularly the Samurai and the katana, a beautiful weapon regardless of how efficient you find it.

 

[MrSnugglesworth]

I dated one once...it was cute for about 10 minutes then she got on my nerves. Luckily that didnt last very long and she eventually grew out of it. That was a very annoying first 3 months though. I personally dont care for japan.

Me to.


I broke up with her on Thanksgiving.

It was AWKWARD.

 

[Metric Monkey]

I like how they use the internet. They make things like this.

Spoiler

But really I find them to be pretty cool, but I won't go into obsession.
I can however actually talk about them without getting weird looks because I am part Japanese.

 

[Mozared]

Funnily enough, I was looking at the Japanese flag earlier, realized their red dot probably stood for a sun and then figured they probably have the most awesome flag in the world (and the only at least slightly original one).

 

[eatenbyagrue]

It's quite annoying, particularly when they begin speaking to each other in the language.

Good gods yes. I still have friends who do this, and on top of being really short and immature for her age, gives the impression that she's a full 8 years younger than she is (to whit: I'm 21, she's 22). I still have male friends who do this, and while I bear no malice (they are after all, my friends), I have to say it's just sad.

 

[Pimppeter2]

I don't care much for the people or the culture.

I dislike anime.

And none of my friends are into it.

 

[Emphraim]

I was one of the throngs of pasty, maladjusted preteens who watched anime exclusively and listened to nothing but Japanese music, who tried to learn the language, who thought katanas were the most awesomest weapon EVER, etcetera.

This sounds exactly like me, except I don't think katanas are the awesomest weapon ever. Mechas are.

I never noticed I have a disease...

 

[Kiutu]

I genuinly like Japan, their culture, and their history. I like Anime, I like their tech, but I like traditional Japan too, legitimatly. They have alot I like. I see no reason to be ashamed. I like eastern culture in general, but Japan the most.

 

[Ursus Astrorum]

I'm interested in Japan in a much more in-depth way than the average weeaboo in that I actually look past anime and pop culture and into the country itself. It's not my favorite country, but they've made some things that I truly enjoy and they are a fascinating people. I have a great amount of Japanese music in my collection and I'm partially fluent (I haven't practiced in forever), but I also have a large amount of German, Russian, and American music and the same could be said for Spanish and Latin as well.

And as much as I like katanas, they're not my absolute favorite melee weapon. That goes to the rapier/saber family as well as polearms. I am quite fond of their longbows, though. Anything that's as tall as the person firing it is pretty awesome.

 

[Space Spoons]

I remember being absolutely infatuated with anime and all things Japanese around the time Dragon Ball Z made its way to Toonami. At some point, I became more interested in American animation and comic book culture.

Though I still enjoy anime now and again, I'm not anywhere near as obsessed as I used to be. I'm not one of those "OMG I WANT TO MOVE TO JAPAN AND TEACH ENGLISH AND BE 'THAT AWESOME AMERICAN TEACHER'" type people. I think what did it was learning more about Japanese culture. It's interesting, to be sure, but in a lot of ways, it's still pretty backwards.

 

[Ursus Astrorum]

I'm not one of those "OMG I WANT TO MOVE TO JAPAN AND TEACH ENGLISH AND BE 'THAT AWESOME AMERICAN TEACHER'" type people.

Oy, my mother teaches English there and she started with that very aspiration. Them's fightin' words, pal.

... No, I'm not joking. She does.

 

[Ultrajoe]

Maybe that's why it has such a high suicide rate.

That's more to do with their cultural attitudes than any ambient happiness in the nation.

 

[Aardvark]

I tried the whole anime thing and there were a few I did actually enjoy, but when America is producing such wonders as Invader Zim, Metalocalypse and Venture Bros, I don't see why so many people just flatly refuse to watch anything that doesn't require English subtitles.

 

[Space Spoons]

I'm not one of those "OMG I WANT TO MOVE TO JAPAN AND TEACH ENGLISH AND BE 'THAT AWESOME AMERICAN TEACHER'" type people.

Oy, my mother teaches English there and she started with that very aspiration. Them's fightin' words, pal.

... No, I'm not joking. She does.

If that's her aspiration, more power to her. I'm just saying, it ain't really my thing anymore.

 

[Ursus Astrorum]

I'm not one of those "OMG I WANT TO MOVE TO JAPAN AND TEACH ENGLISH AND BE 'THAT AWESOME AMERICAN TEACHER'" type people.

Oy, my mother teaches English there and she started with that very aspiration. Them's fightin' words, pal.

... No, I'm not joking. She does.

If that's her aspiration, more power to her. I'm just saying, it ain't really my thing anymore.

No worries at all, friend. I know that's what you meant, I just like to poke fun at people.

She does teach English there, though. From what she says, the place is pretty awesome.

The yearly murder count of the entire country is less than that of the monthly count in one of our cities, and bank robberies stir news shows like major kidnappings and murders do here. If someone drops the keys to their motorbike, a stranger will likely come along and place them on top of the seat, where they will stay until the owner returns. It is common to see small children wandering about alone, without any fear of kidnap or worse.

The place is certainly very well-kept, even if it's done so with a tight grip on its folks

 

[Akas]

You want to know the best (albeit a somewhat expensive) way to cure Japanophiles? Send them to the country, but make them go outside of the normal circuit (i.e., more than just Tokyo or Kyoto/Osaka). I used to be a Japanophile big time, but after heading there twice, I'm not sure I'd want to go back there again. It's definitely cool, but it's a bit backwards and very sad at the same time.

I'd tell you why, if you really want to know, but it's kind of depressing so I won't say straight away.

 

[NeutralDrow]

I probably should be a little more offended at the term "Japanophile," but oddly I'm not. I find extremely shallow fans of anime who automatically assume everything out of Japan is a godsend and think the place is a paradise are annoying. If I'm in the same room as one of those people and some actual Japanese people, I've been told you can actually feel the shame radiating from me.

I'm actually happy to say I never reached that stage, personally. Considering my dad spent three years of his life in Japan while he was in the Navy, I was practically raised on the food and heard stories of his time there. Also feeding this interest were my linguistic pursuits (starting to teach myself the language while I was learning French), reading through my dad's old college textbooks on Japanese language and history (including a very influential one by Edwin Reischauer), and, yes, anime.

And guess what? My interest hasn't dulled.

I've now been studying the Japanese language for five years in college. I have Japanese friends and acquaintances on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. I still have a strong interest in the culture. My interest in most anime has given way to several manga, but my interest is still for reasons other than "it's from Japan." I spent a year there myself, studying. I want to go back. Badly. I would leap at almost any chance to return to Yokohama, even for a week.

I know about the problems and concerns. The xenophobia. The prejudicial treatment of Korean natives and Burakumin, and the plight of the Ainu. Their current problems with illegal immigration (or rather, illegal overstaying), especially with regards to Brazilian and Filipino immigrants, and many of the problems faced by said immigrants. The aging population and the generation gap. The only-slowly increasing acceptance of women in economic areas traditionally dominated by men, and the rising divorce rates (and rising numbers of unmarried people, but whether that's a "problem" is beyond me). The economic downturn they've been in for the last 20 or so years. Bullying in schools, and the still-too-high suicide rate. The soul crushing (from an American perspective) corporate culture. That's not going into pop culture, because no country's pop culture is free of silly shallowness. I'm willing to admit that I'm sort of happy I wasn't born there.

I also know about the long and interesting history, the traditions that are kept alive and how they influence the culture today. I know that many of the greatest minds in the world came from the country. I know that many of the Japanese I've met are among the warmest people I know, and many of the rest are among the politest. I know that Japanese taxi drivers are some of the most helpful and considerate people alive. I know that, shallow or not, there's still much of Japan's pop culture I find wonderfully appealing. I know that no country is without its problems, and few are in any position to judge, let alone my own U.S.

I know that <url=http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/1028/1000876.jpg>Ueno Park is absolutely beautiful in April.

...

In conclusion, I now find this thread offensive.