What do you think is best to protect Japan Culture, or any culture?

[Chiodos]

I am in Sweden. I am not fully Swedish but from Thailand. Maybe 100%. Don't really know.
The "lolitas-whatever" people are usually clean Swedish individuals. They may or may not but have a different backround, I don't really know.
I'm just going to say that their all white considering their covering their faces in white make-up. (usually)

[masamuneehs]

how best to protect the "culture" of this thread?

Move it to the Flame Pit?

or would that be some kind of effort to try to protect the "culture" of General Discussion?

[Sapphire]

Seems fine where it is. FP would just turn it into spam. This is actually a discussion somewhat.

[David75]

I'd rather have this thread cleaned a bit from hatred and remarks regarding cleaning, if possible.

[Turkish-S]

Save culture.? culture itself is a living thing. with daily additions and things removed from your so called "culture". nobody can "protect" a culture. trying to protect it will change it.

[rockmanj]

I think I mostly agree with Masa (oh gosh!); insofar as that culture is a large, collective consciousness type of thing that is mostly shared. However, I also think that no one person is the totality of a culture, and they can choose to integrate things from different "cultures" into their personal life without it affecting their inborn values; and that they have a right to do that as an individual, even if others don't agree with it (I in fact, see many things that I don't agree with, but I respect a person's rights to express themself).

That being said, I don't see any of the Confucian cultures being "perveterd" or changing on a huge scale anytime soon. I mean, I can see, and I have heard that some countries are becoming more tolerant of other ways of thinking (which is a good thing, in my opinion), but for the most part, the system is so ingrained in these societies that its a bit ridiculous to think that the whole system is going to collapse in the near future; if anything, it just seems like its subtly evolving, for lack of a better word, into more modern versions of similar ideas.

[Animeniax]

Well here's something to consider concerning the unhealthy rapidity of changes to a culture: the McDonald's Mega Mac (4 patties on a big-mac) sold millions during a recent trial run of the new product in Japan. With its success, it is now a regular menu item. How long before the Japanese are no longer svelte slim people and more like the chunky folks in the US?

[XanBcoo]

Hmm...

Avoiding personal responsibility by throwing blame at the media and large corporations.

That's awfully American of you, Animeniax.

[Animeniax]

They've infected me with their propaganda and Americanness! Dang, they made me do it again with this post! They are a wily foe indeed.

Influences are a funny thing. People are sheep, and while I like to hold people responsibly for their own folly, large corporations that herd sheep with their proverbial sheep dogs, horses, and guns are also to blame.

But my point is not about who is responsible, it's about culture change due to foreign influence. McDonald's is as foreign an influence as you can get, and a great example of a bad influence on east Asian culture.

[Board of Command]

You can only blame the Japanese for that one. Japan, and other Asian countries in general, really relish western stuff. Macdonald's is a huge hit in China. Pizza Hut is being sold for $100 each in China and it's really shitty stuff.

I guess it's part of their culture to enjoy western goods because they're viewed as exotic items. It's what happens in a mono-cultured society.

You can say, "Well the big western corporations can help preserve Japanese culture by not introducing their products over there." However, they're not in the business to be good samaritans. They're in the business to make money. Ironically, the Japanese people are also happy to pay these corporations and eat their horrible food. Everyone's happy the way things are right now.

[XanBcoo]

Macdonald's is a huge hit in China. Pizza Hut is being sold for $100 each in China and it's really shitty stuff.

I took this picture when I went to China in 2006
And then I took this one the very next day

Only now, 2 years after the trip, have I just noticed that there is also a Starbucks in that first picture. Wow.


Edit to below: Oh also I noticed that every KFC in Sichuan made their Popcorn Chicken extremely spicy. I guess that completely fits the "catering to local tastes" argument to a T.

[Animeniax]

I'm not happy, and that's what matters most (to me). I think the policymakers can be held accountable as well. If they didn't allow a foreign company like McDonald's to enter their marketplace, that would alleviate some of the problem. Even in the states, schools are cracking down on kids' access to colas and unhealthy food. It's all about crowd control.

You're right about how Asian cultures idolize the West and therefore flock to places like McDonald's for their relative exoticness. But you can also see how these places still have to cater to the local culture, offering items you won't find in the US, like side salads instead of fries and things like teriyaki and Ebi Filet-O (shrimp) burgers. I've found most of their sandwiches are smaller portions as well.

[Kraco]

As long as you talk only about protecting Japan from us, and not protecting us from them it's nothing but empty chatter. No (real, excluding hackers and bots) member of this site wants to be protected from many elements of the Japanese culture. So, it's pure hypocrisy to say they should be protected from us. Just like we want their stuff, they want our stuff.

[Animeniax]

Shrug, the title of the thread refers to Japanese culture. Really I want to preserve all cultures that make contributions to human kind (not necessarily influencing other cultures, but development within their own culture) so if someone were to visit that country, they would get a good, well-defined taste of that country's culture. We just happen to be talking about Japanese culture in this thread.

To elaborate on your concern, I think the East has plenty of areas that need improvement, including individual freedom, value of a human life, women's rights, the concept of what is beauty, the concept of what is success, etc., that I do not miss, being from the West myself. The thing is to not wish one was more like the other, but more that they each grow in their own way.

People always want stuff that's not good for them. Doesn't mean they should get it.

[Buffalobiian]

East has plenty of areas that need improvement, including individual freedom.

Shortly after.

People always want stuff that's not good for them. Doesn't mean they should get it.

By not exposing ourselves to other culture, we breed misunderstanding. By exposing ourselves to other cultures, we learn and change our own.

[Board of Command]

Shrug, the title of the thread refers to Japanese culture. Really I want to preserve all cultures that make contributions to human kind (not necessarily influencing other cultures, but development within their own culture) so if someone were to visit that country, they would get a good, well-defined taste of that country's culture. We just happen to be talking about Japanese culture in this thread.

To elaborate on your concern, I think the East has plenty of areas that need improvement, including individual freedom, value of a human life, women's rights, the concept of what is beauty, the concept of what is success, etc., that I do not miss, being from the West myself. The thing is to not wish one was more like the other, but more that they each grow in their own way.

People always want stuff that's not good for them. Doesn't mean they should get it.

Population control would solve all problems in the East. Deportation is one method.

[Animeniax]

Shortly after.

What's your point? There is an appropriate level of individual freedom. Currently there is too much in the West and too little in the East. Can't they each tend toward the proper amount without help from the other?

By not exposing ourselves to other culture, we breed misunderstanding. By exposing ourselves to other cultures, we learn and change our own.

I disagree. If each side kept to their own side of the planet or continents, there would be no need for encounters, and thus no need for misunderstandings. It's a little extreme and not exactly what I'm advocating, but reduced exposure to one another accomplishes the same thing. Plus, those looking to mingle will be more accepting of the other side anyway, which will relieve some misunderstanding as well. I believe cultures can change on their own. Plus, I'm not saying there should be zero influence, just control what influence there is. Eg, no more MTV or McDonald's allowed in Japan, but cool stuff is allowed.

[Board of Command]

The growth of cultures has almost always been fueled by promise of wealth. Even if you look back hundreds and thousands of years, the only reason different cultures interacted with each other was for trading purposes and nothing else. It just happened that they often did a bit more than just trade stuff when they're over at someone else's land.

In this sense it's very difficult for a culture can grow and develop all on its own. They can change, but probably for the worse.

[Animeniax]

Yes the trade issue would be tricky to get past if a country closes its doors. I've read that already Japan is having potential issues with trade, with former trading partners looking to countries like Korea and India for products once exclusive from Japan. It also doesn't help that they are proposing a law that business men dealing with Japanese (not sure if it was government or private companies too) would be required to be proficient in the Japanese language.

But I think they'd be ok if they were just more discerning of who they traded with, and to what extent. The Asian (yellow) countries could trade amongst themselves, and raise tariffs on Western goods.

Looking at the other side, would US automakers be in bankruptcy if Japanese and European cars weren't readily available in the US? Would the US textiles industry be in the sad shape it is in if not for cheap Chinese and Central American made products? There is a lot to be gained by being self-reliant on your own country's products and manufacturing power.

[David75]

Yes the trade issue would be tricky to get past if a country closes its doors. I've read that already Japan is having potential issues with trade, with former trading partners looking to countries like Korea and India for products once exclusive from Japan. It also doesn't help that they are proposing a law that business men dealing with Japanese (not sure if it was government or private companies too) would be required to be proficient in the Japanese language.

But I think they'd be ok if they were just more discerning of who they traded with, and to what extent. The Asian (yellow) countries could trade amongst themselves, and raise tariffs on Western goods.

Looking at the other side, would US automakers be in bankruptcy if Japanese and European cars weren't readily available in the US? Would the US textiles industry be in the sad shape it is in if not for cheap Chinese and Central American made products? There is a lot to be gained by being self-reliant on your own country's products and manufacturing power.

Regarding the Car industry in the USA, the main problem of US car makers is that they missed lots of customers by not giving them cars to the level of their needs and/or dreams. Some European and Asian cars were readily available for those purposes, hence the USA car makers lost sales.
On the other hand, the Corvette C6 Z06 and Viper for high end cars and the Chrysler 300C for a larger market did really impress in Europe and they sell well for US cars.

You can't blame people for buying better products outside... Plus in the end local cars may become better.
We had this in France 30 years ago, car makers were producing sh*t.
Then arrived japanese. Then french car makers then produced more beautiful (still somewhat sh*t) cars over the years.

In the end, it's possible that a loss today, becomes an improvement in 10 or 20 years from now.
Close doors, and you'll have what Romania was before Ceausescu was "fired". A country clearly far behind every other, with totaly rusted industry and so on..