The fascination with Japan around here.

[Moots]

Trulen, actually my buddy Ian moved to Hawaii before going to college. Lived there for a year, worked part time at a decent restaraunt and just hung out living a relatively easy going life the rest of it. Alot of hawaii, the smaller islands are very much laid back

 

[Akoji]

Well, for myself I always had an interest into Japanese culture. But I was always interested in history and cultures, I read a lot about history of a lot of countries. I would like to make a trîp to Japan, and yes it's quite sure I would make a stop at Akihabara, but not for acting like an Otaku. Yes I like mangas, yes I like japanese video games, some may call me some kind of weeaboo, but Im not obessed by it, im not doing cosplays or call all my friend -kun/-chan, I never say desu, or any other japanese word in my commun language. I would go there to see how Otakus acts in Japan, since I have a lot of Otakus friend here. Of course I might pick a cool MOTHER shirt, or something like that, since they cost so much here.

But I would also like to go there to see the country side and such.
But the same can be told about my interest into ancient Roma and ancient Greece. It's 2 other countries I would like to visit for they cultural background and for the heck of it.

 

[Moots]

Akihabara, otaku....I sadly do not know what they are.

But akoji I'd love to visit most of europe, amazing history.

Also do follow QJMHL Akoji?

 

[Akoji]

QJMHL? is it something related to hockey? lol

Otaku= here in the west it's used to describe someone who's hooked on Japanese Culture. In Japan it's a term used to talk about some one who's hooked too much on a subject, you could be an Airplane Otaku or a Food Otaku there. While here the term is mostly used for people who like Japanese Cartoons and Comics.

Akihabara= It's a part of Tokyo where's most of the Manga/Video games related stuff is sold.
Mostly an tourist trap for Westerner Otaku's, and the home of Manga/Anime freaks of Tokyo.

 

[Moots]

Yeah its the Quebec junior hockey league.

Baie Comeau Drakkar FTW

 

[Akoji]

Hahaha Nah I don't like Hockey... yes it exist, someone from Québec that doesn't like Hockey.

But to be back on topic, I think that it's normal that kids or other people get all lovey-dowey with Japan, since it's so mysterious and exotic to our eyes here.

 

[Moots]

I think kids think that Japan is all cute and bubbly, and that people there will accept them and think they are the awesome because they like anime/manga/video games, when in reality all we are just stupid tourists.

 

[Deadmon]

Well, talk about Japan...my family is planning to take a vacation there for a week this summer..
I'll admit, I was once obsessed with manga/anime when I was a younger teen, but just over the years, the fascination grew...dull. I watch the random or epic anime at times (TTGL womg), but I think because I'm older now, I can hang out more often with my friends etc., thus having less time to stay at home bored and looking up manga/anime.

Course, my top priority when I visit is to get some Nintendo collectibles.

 

[IBNobody]

I used to be into the whole Japan thing back in middle and high school. It tapered off in my college years. Now, it's completely dead.

I can't watch any anime without cringing. I have no desire to learn the language anymore. And Thai food is now my favorite Asian cuisine.

Apparently, I've even lost touch with their way of thinking. I just recently played FFX, and I couldn't understand why that game thought of as stellar.

My travel thoughts changed, too. I used to want to go to Japan. Now, I can't even think of going to a country where everyone looks different from you and speaks a language you can't understand. If I wanted that, I can just go to Mexico (or East Austin) for cheap.

- N

Screw Udon! Rice Stick Noodles All The Way! Pad Thai FTW!

 

[Hanafuda]

Just my point of view; a guy married to a Japanese woman for 10 years, learnt the language for 14 years so far and lived there on my own steam, not some lazy JET/Nova lamer..

hey watch it, I resemble that remark! I lived in Japan for two years (91-93) on the JET Program. I seem to remember it being a real damned job, especially the first year when I lived in middle-of-nowhere inaka in northern Hiroshima-ken. I was the only westerner for about 70-80 miles in any direction and I was 'on the job' from wake-up til bedtime every day, because everyone was so interested in the funny gaijin. I got transferred to Hiroshima-shi for the second year and it was more 9-to-5 than living in the country, but it was still real work.

My wife is japanese too, but i didn't meet her till about 6 years after I had moved back to the States. She's from Tochigi so whenever we go back for a visit we spend our time there and in Tokyo. I haven't been back to Hiroshima for 15 years now. damn, time flies.

 

[Mangofett]

Theres nothing wrong with an interest in a culture, most members here are sane and still know limits. There are however a few, test84, who have an unhealthy obsession with Japan. In my opinion watching a lot of anime or listening mostly to Japanese music is normal, but when you start to reject your own culture or superimpose Japan over your own culture, this is when it becomes problematic. Take test84, who is wanting to get involved in game development. He refuses to go to the US, and insists on working in Japan(even though there are a lot more openings in US... most likely at already high positions that are better paying).

I watch a lot of anime myself, yet I still watch American shows and some old Russian movies, but I can relate closer to ideas in anime. It seems they are more liberal and open towards private life(things that would never be mentioned on US shows) so maybe thats why so many people are attached.

Also anime gives Japan the name most weeaboos see it by. Blame anime.

 

[DarkAura]

Theres nothing wrong with an interest in a culture, most members here are sane and still know limits. There are however a few, test84, who have an unhealthy obsession with Japan. In my opinion watching a lot of anime or listening mostly to Japanese music is normal, but when you start to reject your own culture or superimpose Japan over your own culture, this is when it becomes problematic. Take test84, who is wanting to get involved in game development. He refuses to go to the US, and insists on working in Japan(even though there are a lot more openings in US... most likely at already high positions that are better paying).

I watch a lot of anime myself, yet I still watch American shows and some old Russian movies, but I can relate closer to ideas in anime. It seems they are more liberal and open towards private life(things that would never be mentioned on US shows) so maybe thats why so many people are attached.

Also anime gives Japan the name most weeaboos see it by. Blame anime.

Well said. As long as you're not obsessed to the point where it's stupid, then having Japan as a role model is fine. Everything good is Japanese. Like the electronics, the cars, everything's cooler. Just think though, if they didn't get bombed and American didn't come and introduce all the technology that they did, Japan would be almost third world.

 

[Bob Evil]

I would go there to see how Otakus acts in Japan, since I have a lot of Otakus friend here.

No, you don't.

You know people who act in the way they think Otaku act.

Otaku suffer from an anti-social personality disorder that cause them to focus on a specific subject, and to often separate themselves physically and/or emotionally and/or mentally from the real world.

It is not considered 'cool' in Japan to be Otaku, except by other Otaku, and then only if your fixation matches theirs.

 

[Hanafuda]

Just think though, if they didn't get bombed and American didn't come and introduce all the technology that they did, Japan would be almost third world.

I don't think so. Youre talking about a country that went from feudalism to full-on industrialized society in less than 50 years, well before WWII ever happened. The Japanese navy in WWII was kickass at the beginning of the war ... they just didn't have the raw material to keep new ships coming. The "Zero" might have been the best prop fighter in the war - it was better than most anyway. Their small arms (rifles, pistols) mostly sucked though. As for introduction of technology, the rest of the world had access to all that technology as well ... the japanese are the masters at refining though. Americans invent stuff like crazy, but the japanese always find ways to improve design and manufacturing processes to make their version of the product the better choice for consumers. The irony is that they eventually perfect things beyond most consumers' needs, so the 'premium' items are now usually made in japan, but the chinese or korean version is 'good enough.' They're kinda getting beat at their own game on some things now, even at home. My father-in-law is now all about buying 'made in japan' because of all the chinese goods in the stores there now. Kind of like how a lot of people in the USA were like 25-30 years ago.

 

[Talaria]

I kinda agree with ya moots but then I don't. I would love to visit Japan and in fact I am in three months but I have my own agenda. I'm not an obsessive gamer and susprisingly in total spend less than 10 hours playing video games each week. Japanese anime and manga's are alright but I'm not huge into them probably the only anime shows I have really watched are Pokemon and Dragon Ball Z from when I was younger. My interest in Japan came from other reasons. My elder brother learnt Japanese at school and so when I was younger we often had exchange students of Japanese origin staying with us and I got to know some of them really well and appreciate there culture more. Soon after that, my brother went on an exchange trip to Japan bringing back photo's and stories of Japan that inspired me to learn Japanese and visit there someday. My reasons behind going there are to help improve my pretty bad japanese, visit some place new and experience a different culture. I don't want to go countries like the U.S.A and the U.K which are basically a larger scale of my country, who speak the same language and is nothing different with no sense of reward after staying there apart from maybe eating a giant pretzel.

 

[Bob Evil]

Japan was able to become an economic power due to the war, ironically enough.

They were not allowed to have a real military, just a defence force, and the US provided, as part of their occupancy, a military force for the defence of Japan, also.

Not having to spend money on the military during the Cold War, like everyone else was, allowed them to concentrate their finances into other areas, allowing them to become leaders in certain fields.

 

[ojsinnerz.]

Younger kids, who believe that school and life in anime is exactly the same in real life in japan. That's also what weeaboos believe. Although I love anime and manga, I have no intentions of going to Japan. There really isn't a reason why I should. I've lived in Korea for 10 years, I'm good with that.

 

[moozxy]

Dude, hentai is fake porn ... no real people = fake.

Ya gotta sink pretty damn low when you can't even jack off to real people lol

Hentai does what porn aims to do, better.

 

[SavageWaffle]

Cause there isn't no 21+

 

[slayerspud]

Dude, hentai is fake porn ... no real people = fake.

Ya gotta sink pretty damn low when you can't even jack off to real people lol

Yeah I never got why hentai was so appealing either. It just reminds me of kinds cartoons when I see it.