You seem to know a decent amount about Japan. Unfortunately, you seem to know little about the Western world and their perceptions about Japanese culture, or Japanophiles for that matter. You also sound like a total Japanophile yourself. Practically your entire post is such a gushing praise of Japanese culture it would make most Japanophiles you seem to hate blush.
It takes quite a Japanophile such as yourself to rattle off against a bunch of stereotypes about Japan that a lot of the West holds, and then attempt to attribute it to some Japanophile minority other. A lot of this stuff is only stuff a Japanophile would know or notice. You're going to be disappointed that it isn't so much Japanophiles that think many of these things, but the average Joe.
Also, just about anyone who chooses to live in Japan is a Japanophile. It sounds like you've gone out of your way to live in Japan. I know enough about Japan to know that I don't want to live there.
Terramax said:
utter trite J-pop like Hatsune Miku, AKB48
"A Japanophile is someone who likes music that I don't!"
And here we get started with an obnoxious trend you'll start doing for the rest of your post. Whining and whining about Jpop you don't like. What an utter trite opinion.
Terramax said:
- They think that all the Japanese listen [I have to insert my trite opinions about music taste everywhere] Hatsune Miku, AKB48, and similar sounding pap
Find me even a single person who thinks that. If there are any, they're probably someone who doesn't know much of anything about Japanese culture and have little interest in knowing. And thus not even close to a "Japanophile".
Oh, and Hatsune Miku and AKB48 are both popular in Japan. Not everyone in the United States listens to Gangnam Style, but a lot of people do.
Terramax said:
- Assume everyone there performs cosplay, and that people literally walk around the normal streets every day in strange clothing
Oh come on, seriously, find me someone who actually thinks that.
Terramax said:
Think there is nothing wrong with maid cafes
"Japanophiles are people who like something I don't."
You've made the decision to
LIVE, in Japan. But people who "think there is nothing wrong with maid cafes" are Japanophiles? Oh come on.
Terramax said:
They like EVERY anime under the sun
You know, I've met people who like every black metal artist under the sun. I've never met someone who likes every anime under the sun.
Terramax said:
think that all the Japanese are perverts. That every man is a Chikan (a type of person that gropes women on trains)
That's NOT Japanophiles. This is a common misconception about Japanese widespread in the West at large. Most people in the West also aren't interested in knowing the difference because it is a fun stereotype to
other Japanese people with. Most people who actually disagree with this sort of thing and get emotional about the stereotype are Japanophiles.
You are
all mixed up on some of these things. This is sadly what most Westerners think. And this has nothing to do with Japanophiles and everything to do with stereotyping.
Terramax said:
- That all all Japanese television is of weird game shows, which are all about perversion, or 'wtf' moments, as are all their adverts
Again, this is not Japanophiles, this is the average Westerner. You clearly don't know enough about Western countries if you think this is a Japanophile thing. The whole "those crazy Japanese" is a Western stereotype thing.
I'm shocked that you know so little about the West that you think this has anything to do with "Japanophilia".
Terramax said:
Men/ boys don't perv over women all day long. On the contrary, they're WAY more mature than most Western societies I've experienced (they could teach England a thing or two about maturity and self-respect).
"I'm not a Japanophile, but English people totally ought to learn a lesson from Japan."
Terramax said:
They're stupid, narrow-minded, or are only interested in bizarre, Otaku-style culture
The only people who think that are people who hate otaku culture. I think that's what you think about otaku culture, that it's "stupid" and "narrow minded" and "bizarre". It sounds like you hate otaku culture as a way of justification and self-rationalization for your Japanophilia.
Terramax said:
Most Japanese people are ridiculously clever. The great majority of them go to University and receive degrees. From an early age, children work seriously hard. Many of them will go to after school clubs, or even go to school on Saturdays and Sundays, to study further. It's very competitive.
I can't reiterate enough that the Japanese are, as a whole, a group of extremely intelligent people. Much more sophisticated than many people in countries like England.
The difference is, they're not arrogant about it in the slightest. They are either way too modest about, or they simply don't realise how clever they are.
Well, you sound more like a Japanophile right now that most anime fans.
I haven't met too many people who gush about Japan as much as you.
Terramax said:
Not everyone listens to this shit.
"It's shit because I don't like it, my opinions are super important."
Terramax said:
And regardless as to whether you like such pop music (nothing against you if you do), we can all agree that it's not art.
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Oh wait, you're serious. Let me laugh even harder.
Terramax said:
to those absolutely atrocious tunes that often play at the beginning of anime TV shows.
"Everything I don't like is horrible. Everyone must share my horrible taste in music. Stop liking what I don't like."
I listen to primarily underground music, both when from Japan or America or Europe or whatever. But your opinion on stuff like this is so elitist it isn't even funny. Also ironic, you talk down about how all this otaku anime stuff isn't mainstream, but then go ahead and praise the Japanese indie music scene.
So according to you otaku culture is weird bizarre stuff and anime music is the worst subversive nerdy junk. But Japanese hardcore punk is totally awesome. Anime figures, totally the nail that sticks up that deserves to get hammered back down. But seeing Envy in concert, no, that's totally acceptable.
I listen to Hatsune Miku and The Stalin in equal doses. What what now Holmes?
Coaltar of the Deepers is pretty cute, amirite?
Terramax said:
But, my god, why is it that there are people out there that obsess over it so much?
Why do people obsess over My Little Pony?
Why do people obsess over Homestuck?
Why do so many people in Japan obsess over anime?
Why do so many people obsess over idols?
Hobbies, how do they work?
I guess it is totally normal to be obsessed with My Little Pony but not anime, huh?
I'd rather be watching anime than be putting up with living in Japan.
I'm not addressing all of your OP in one post. I don't want to make a wall of text that nobody will ever read. But, haha, no. I'm glad that you understand Japanese culture as well as you do. But I wish you understood some other things better.