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Japanese attitude towards Irish?

2

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  • Registered Users Posts: 48 MrShine


    Balmed Out wrote: »
    OP one word of warning. If like a friend of mine who worked there for a few years, your overweight then they will actually point and laugh at you in public.

    I've been here in Tokyo for over two months now, and I'm fairly overweight, and this has never happened to me.

    I've found the people to be mostly polite and friendly. The customer service here is amazing. I don't speak any japanese, but the waiters or shop clerks do everything they can to help. I'm not looking forward to going back to Irish customer service.

    I have noticed people not sitting near me on the train though. Weirdly enough, it seems to happen more when I'm dressed for work in my suit, rather then when I'm just in a hoody/t-shirt and jeans. I don't mind though, more space for me!


  • Registered Users Posts: 273 ✭✭hibby


    MrShine wrote: »
    I have noticed people not sitting near me on the train though. Weirdly enough, it seems to happen more when I'm dressed for work in my suit, rather then when I'm just in a hoody/t-shirt and jeans. I don't mind though, more space for me!

    I envy your commute, where you not only get to sit, but there is so much free space that people can decide whether to sit near you or not!

    On my commute (Midousuji line, Osaka) it's pretty packed so people get to stand beside me and if they don't like it, tough! Anyway everyone's concentrating on their phones and ignoring their fellow passengers.

    About the Ireland/Iceland thing - I've only been here for a few weeks and I'm already tired of it.

    Them: What country?
    Me: Ireland
    - Iceland?
    - No, Ireland. It's a different country.
    - Is it very cold? Does it have a lot of volcanoes?
    - No, that's Iceland.

    Fair enough if they've never heard of Ireland (and most people haven't). It's a small country on the other side of the world. But why the heck do they all know about Iceland, which is even smaller?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,001 ✭✭✭Mr. Loverman


    hibby wrote: »
    why the heck do they all know about Iceland, which is even smaller?

    Because it's very cold, and it has a lot of volcanoes.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,589 ✭✭✭Tristram


    Because it's very cold, and it has a lot of volcanoes.

    Exactly. A lot more exciting than Ireland.


  • Registered Users Posts: 48 MrShine


    hibby wrote: »
    I envy your commute, where you not only get to sit, but there is so much free space that people can decide whether to sit near you or not!

    I get a train from the first station on one line, to the last station on another, so I'm generally one of the first people on the train. When I have to change lines, in Shinjuku-Sanchome, it's always packed solid too. It's horrible.

    I've gotten the Ireland/Iceland thing too, from a few of my students. When I asked if they know any famous Irish people, they often say Bjork.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,059 ✭✭✭Sindri


    MrShine wrote: »
    I've gotten the Ireland/Iceland thing too, from a few of my students. When I asked if they know any famous Irish people, they often say Bjork.

    I remember watching a Japanese movie, I can't quite recall the name of it. I think it may have been Love Exposure but I could be mistaken. Any way in the film one of the female characters says she will be a 'strong woman' from now on and she mentions a few female celebrities as examples, one of which is one of the Nolan sisters, who are supposedly quite popular in Japan.


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,252 ✭✭✭✭kowloon


    let's hope they're a little more in the loop than the Chinese:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,324 ✭✭✭Cork boy 55


    What would be Irish attuide to Tawianese?

    There is your answer?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,041 ✭✭✭cocoshovel


    What would be Irish attuide to Tawianese?

    There is your answer?

    This. I dont see why we should care so much either. I never got the whole thing of Irish people wanting to be known by other countries.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,009 ✭✭✭vangoz


    I was only there for two weeks and one thing I discovered was the change in attitude once they discovered you weren't American, especially in Tokyo. But still overall the friendliest country I've ever been to :D Loved it!!


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  • Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators, Regional Abroad Moderators Posts: 15,183 Mod ✭✭✭✭Atavan-Halen


    vangoz wrote: »
    I was only there for two weeks and one thing I discovered was the change in attitude once they discovered you weren't American, especially in Tokyo. But still overall the friendliest country I've ever been to :D Loved it!!

    Was it a good change in attitude or a bad change in attitude?


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,009 ✭✭✭vangoz


    Was it a good change in attitude or a bad change in attitude?

    Good :D Not that anyone had a bad attitude in the first place, it went from polite courtesy to genuine friendliness. Happened in quite a few bars we were in. I'm heading back this September :pac:


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,958 ✭✭✭Chad ghostal


    MrShine wrote: »
    I have noticed people not sitting near me on the train though. Weirdly enough, it seems to happen more when I'm dressed for work in my suit, rather then when I'm just in a hoody/t-shirt and jeans. I don't mind though, more space for me!

    Just curious, but has the train been packed ? i.e. the only seat left is next to you?
    I thought the same for a long while, but noticed that people just don't sit close to each other here, it's impolite, they give each other as much space as possible. When the train is packed people have no problem sitting next to me, nor standing next to/on me.

    Also, if space is made available by people getting off the train, it's polite to re-seat yourself so that your not sitting next to someone. People will always scoot to the edge/by the door if that seat becomes free. Even when it's not full people have sat next to me, old/young/people with kids..

    If you watch how local people behave to each other on the train, I think you'll notice there's plenty of overlap on stuff people deem racist.

    I'm not saying there aren't plenty of ignorant people here (same as anywhere), but a lot of the actions people say are racism, are just cultural differences or big city/low space considerations.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,515 ✭✭✭LH Pathe


    Attitude is probably sympathetic, there right now in the wake of the rapes / murder two of our girls suffered by some Americans


  • Registered Users Posts: 25 Freefaller


    I think their are two ways to look at this. People in the west sometimes expect everything to be the same as their home country when they go away. Its very important when you are in Japan or any Asian country for that matter to not go their with the intent that they should know you, and know where you are from. Have a big hello from the plane haha

    The west is very individualistic. Japan is a nation where people are very together and working together, individualism is frowned upon to an extent. The togetherness and working together for good can be seen in how quickly they recovered after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

    So they don't know where Ireland is, and you feel that you are looked upon unfavourably by the Japanese, or that they are racist. I don't think that at all. I think you will be given opportunities to show that you respect the Japanese and their culture. And when you are respectful, you will be all the more favourable included. I guess it is the same for everything, just be respectful. (que too idealistic comments :-) )


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 16,096 ✭✭✭✭the groutch


    apparently it's because of the fact that almost all petty crime (theft,assaults, etc) are committed by Americans, that there is a distrust or at least weariness of all caucasian gaijin.


  • Registered Users Posts: 25 Freefaller


    I agree groutch if it wasn't for the westerners Japan might even have a lower crime rate, if that is possible


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,041 ✭✭✭cocoshovel


    People really want to talk to you, and will make an effort but once they ask you where you are from and you tell them, their attitude doesnt change at all. They seem to mostly indifferent really. White is White I guess.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,589 ✭✭✭Tristram


    apparently it's because of the fact that almost all petty crime (theft,assaults, etc) are committed by Americans, that there is a distrust or at least weariness of all caucasian gaijin.

    Please provide some evidence to support your assertion.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,164 ✭✭✭Konata


    Tristram wrote: »
    Please provide some evidence to support your assertion.

    I would just like to re-iterate Tristram's post here. Sweeping statements are completely fine as long as you have some sort of source to back it up with. Otherwise those statements may be considered racist and offensive to the people mentioned.

    the groutch, I will allow you a chance to post evidence for your claim. Otherwise I will be removing your post and - this is for everyone - any more posts of that nature will be dealt with accordingly.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 386 ✭✭shindig-jp


    Konata wrote: »
    I would just like to re-iterate Tristram's post here. Sweeping statements are completely fine as long as you have some sort of source to back it up with. Otherwise those statements may be considered racist and offensive to the people mentioned.

    the groutch, I will allow you a chance to post evidence for your claim. Otherwise I will be removing your post and - this is for everyone - any more posts of that nature will be dealt with accordingly.

    I'm not jumping in to defend the Grouch and the last thing I want to happen to this thread of ... innocents and go off topic , Maybe this will settle the problem and we can all carry on and enjoy the forum on Japan. It may be suited to another topic on the Japan forum but certainly not this thread. There are huge problems in Japan which need to be addressed both in Okinawa and Yokota air bases where crime is rampant with service personal and their expat school brats with the finger pointed at those of us who look American whenever a headline in the news comes up.

    This guy is very much a part of my experience of 25 years in Japan

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debito_Arudou

    I trust this will be the end of the matter as I find the topic of Japanese attitude V Irish to be racist in nature anyway.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,001 ✭✭✭Mr. Loverman


    I don't know if this applies to Japan, but I live in China and would consider racism to be part of the culture here. But whereas in Europe we all know racism is wrong, in China it isn't considered racism - they simply believe as a matter of fact black people are dangerous and sleazy. They generally have a high opinion of white people.


  • Registered Users Posts: 50 ✭✭JapanZone


    Whether or not an Irish person will experience racism in Japan depends very much on one key question - what is racism?

    If you subscribe to the Debito Arudou (see above post) line of thinking, then racism is viewing a person as in any way different because they have a racial profile that is different to your own. Debito is US-born but has naturalised as a Japanese. Therefore he expects to be treated as a Japanese in every way. A noble and morally defensible idea. He works very hard to shine a light on any incident which runs counter to this idea and to hold the Japanese government to international standards of human rights, etc. But it's also idealistic and so his newspaper and blog articles tend to divide people into those that strongly support him and those that hate him. Check out his recent writing about "microaggression" for a perfect example.

    The other line of thinking is that if you're a caucasian, black, non-Japanese Asian, whatever, then you're visibly not a native Japanese (though the increasing number of international marriages and bi-racial kids has really started to blur the lines) and therefore will always be seen as an "outsider." And then it's down to whether you're a "glass half full" person or a "glass half empty" person. Do you enjoy the fact that you can get away with things a Japanese wouldn't, always standing out from the crowd, etc? Or do you feel constantly threatened, looked down upon, excluded? There are of course many shades of grey between the two extremes.

    I suppose my main point is that racism in Japan is a very subjective thing and (relative to other countries) rarely a dangerous, violent encounter but more of a subtle, cultural experience. You know the adage, "Wherever you go, there you are"? I take it to mean that no matter what country you visit you bring your own emotional baggage with you. So Japan will be different for every single person, because its seen through their own personal filter.

    I'm writing this in a hurry and it hasn't been properly thought out, so pardon any flawed thinking :o


  • Registered Users Posts: 850 ✭✭✭ordinary_girl


    shindig-jp wrote: »
    Be careful on your return .... re-entry to Irish culture is a major shock so try avoid coming home.

    I'm curious about this, what exactly is it about Irish culture that strikes you when get come back over here? Is it generally good or bad?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,001 ✭✭✭Mr. Loverman


    I'm curious about this, what exactly is it about Irish culture that strikes you when get come back over here? Is it generally good or bad?

    I would be pretty sure he meant generally bad.

    Two simple examples:

    Customer service
    Scumbags


  • Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 42,362 Mod ✭✭✭✭Beruthiel



    Customer service
    Scumbags

    Two more:

    Lack of respect for others.
    Dirt.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 9,441 ✭✭✭old hippy


    My wife (before coming to Ireland) often confused Ireland with Iceland. There's plenty of Irish pubs in Tokyo and other big cities, so they do have some idea of us :D

    We were on a small island, a distance from Okinawa and when I told this fellow I was from Dublin, he said "ah; Easter 1916, the GPO, Oscar Wilde, Trinity College etc". I was impressed!


  • Registered Users Posts: 386 ✭✭shindig-jp


    old hippy wrote: »
    My wife (before coming to Ireland) often confused Ireland with Iceland. There's plenty of Irish pubs in Tokyo and other big cities, so they do have some idea of us :D

    We were on a small island, a distance from Okinawa and when I told this fellow I was from Dublin, he said "ah; Easter 1916, the GPO, Oscar Wilde, Trinity College etc". I was impressed!

    Confused OR lack of general knowledge ? The World cup hosted by and between Japan & Korea in 2002 Japanese officials were bewildered by English football fans sporting the George cross painted on their faces and producing British passports at immigration . The first batch off the planes were all held on suspicion of having false passports . The reason ? Football fans should have the union jack painted on their face .


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,151 ✭✭✭kupus


    Two more
    Drinking and pub culture
    They fixed the road type politics.


    and to those who got called Icelandic, try being called Iraqi.
    oh you're from Iraq, how did you escape???


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  • Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 42,362 Mod ✭✭✭✭Beruthiel


    kupus wrote: »
    try being called Iraqi.
    oh you're from Iraq, how did you escape???

    Are you ever tempted to make up a big, long convoluted story on how you escaped? :D


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