• JaggedRobotPubes@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    I always figured the stories about Japan, Norway, New Zealand, Germany etc being liberal paradises were simplistic and overblown, but it’s still surprising to see such a backwards position here.

    • CaptainSpaceman@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Japan? Liberal Paradise? Since when???

      Japan has been highly patriarchal, hating of foreigners, especially gaijin, and fairly conservative overall if only from a Shinto/Tao/Buddhist perspective than a Christian perspecitve like the rest of the west.

      The weabos who dream of living in Japan would be fairly ostracized unless they spoke perfect Japanese.

      There are growing trends in the youth, but their conservative patriarchy is still holding strong for now.

      On a side note, the massive amount of US debt Japan owns combined with the Yen carry trade means there could be a dramatic economic/societal shift in a short period of time, were anything volatile to happen.

      • tiredofsametab@fedia.io
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        2 months ago

        Japan? Liberal Paradise? Since when???

        My thoughts exactly. It is left of the US on a few things like social safety net and healthcare, but mostly the same (which, compared to much of the western world is still quite far to the right).

        hating of foreigners, especially gaijin

        Wat? What do you think that word means?

        would be fairly ostracized unless they spoke perfect Japanese.

        Source?

        There are growing trends in the youth, but their conservative patriarchy is still holding strong for now.

        Getting them to vote would help. Obviously anecdotal, but a lot of young adults I knew didn’t vote.


        I’m from the US and have been living in Japan almost a decade. I don’t speak perfect Japanese by any stretch, but I can generally handle myself unless we get into certain medical jargon or legalese. I own a house and a small farm. Your premise on being ostracized is false, however; racists gonna racist so policies or people that exclude others aren’t generally going to give a shit if the person speaks flawless Japanese. On the other hand, I think the internet has a kinda warped view of what living here is like and how foreigners are treated. There is racism, particularly in trying to get an apartment. I’ve also been treated like a normal person more than I’ve ever been treated like some outside or zoo exhibition.

        • Krauerking@lemy.lol
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          2 months ago

          Maybe excitement I get when I speak Japanese even just OK is a beautiful thing compared to France and Quebec trying to speak French.

          But I will say South Korea is racist as fuck and being white and talking to a girl will get you and the girl attacked but worse of all mostly the girl.

          And yeah clubs, dating, and housing in Japan are not great but it’s definitely as with always a nuanced gray that is hard to explain to people who like a simple answer.

      • atocci@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        This is the first time I’ve even heard the idea of Japan being a “liberal paradise”. I thought it was widely know Japan was super conservative.

      • NuXCOM_90Percent@lemmy.zip
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        2 months ago

        In fairness, “gaijin” is any foreigner. And a lot of laws in Japan are very much based on warped Christian values (can’t imagine who they got that from…).

        But yeah. One of my best friends is Japanese American and the way she sums it up is: You know you truly understand the culture of Japan if you realize why you only want to visit for a few weeks at a time.

        With bonus points for anyone who can read quickly realizing why the general stance toward APA is “Only if you get a REALLY good deal”

      • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        2 months ago

        Their cities do look clean af. The people there seem to have a higher baseline level of mutual respect than most Western nations. Unless you’re a foreigner.

    • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Where do you hear those stories?

      You may need to re-evaluate where you’re getting your information from