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Germany most popular country in the world; Japan No. 4: BBC poll

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Japan's popularity is based on tourism, and nothing else. Tourists should try staying, working, and living, and then see the reality of Japan - still unable to accept foreigners.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

The poll isn't about 'best tourist spot' or 'best place to live' or even 'place with friendliest, most helpful shop assistants/joke-telling politicians'. It's people 's perception of whether their global influence was “mainly positive” or “mainly negative.” I think the countries with the higher scores are what the Hitchiker's Guide would rank as 'mostly harmless'.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Silly survey and inaccurate, Canada is not even in the same league as the other top 3.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

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

Germany is at the Bottom of the LIST. Nice try with this mock poll and mis-information campaign to boost tourism.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

The survey is about perceptions of influence, good or bad, not the merits or not of particular countries. Perhaps that does not come across enough in this article.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Not sure what Japan you are living in. Maybe you are living in the deep mountains of Nagano or some deserted island in Okinawa but the Japan I know is anything but relaxed. Its pretty hectic here. And Im not even living in Tokyo.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

WHy is the Netherlands and Denmark Sweden Norway and the good countries of Europe left out? I guess they are too irrelevant. Oh, well, but still they are the best places to be in Europe in my humble view. Open, tolerant, with a good economy. Germany is good too tho.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

i hope japan leaves the door closed and make it very hard for foreigners to come here and live here.

Are you deporting yourself, or are you an exception?

the only way to keep japan clean and the only place on the planet where u can find serenity, peace and a quite relaxed life

Really?

and please keep all those other religions out too.

That's been tried already somewhere else, but a bit too close to home, methinks.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Really? Have you ever traveled by train in Germany in recent decades? Maybe I'm biased because I live in Japan since a long time and train travel is top notch in Japan but traveling by train in Germany is just awful!

Yes. And we're spoilt here in Japan. Great public transport is well planned, punctual, good value and integrated. Deutsche Bahn's non-ICE rolling stock is a bit depressing, but it delivers. The ticket machines look like museum pieces, but are still fit for purpose.

The domestic air network is comprehensive and efficient. Compare the likes of CDG or LHR with FRA or the gorgeous MUC. No contest. OK, security @ FRA are neanderthals, but try getting off your plane and onto an inter-city express train, with a suitcase, within twenty minutes anywhere else in the world.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Canada #2, yaay!!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I've only got great things to say about my (way too short) time in Berlin, Germany. Helpful, self-deprecating folks, progressive, open-minded and multicultural - beer that is as good as anywhere - and citizens who work "smart" - not long hours. Lovely ladies, too! I'm sure there would be problems just like every other country - but I can understand why Germany was voted number one!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

These polls usually send the nationals of countries not at the top into a hissy fit.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

CGB spender- spot on! people who havnt lived there and moved a bit around have absolutly no clue whats going on there. country falls apart. one main reason is they open the door to everyone in the past. i hope japan leaves the door closed and make it very hard for foreigners to come here and live here. the only way to keep japan clean and the only place on the planet where u can find serenity, peace and a quite relaxed life. and please keep all those other religions out too.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Amazing how more people immigrated to the U.S. last year than #1 popular Germany

Source?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Though USA is not close to the most popular countries, I am still surprised to se USA that high on the list as it also was ranked as one of the 4 most disliked countries on this planet together with North Korea, Iran, Israel according to Pew Research Centre´s poll. Where only 37% of Germans had favorable views of USA and only 30% had favorable views of USA.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Like thkanner pointed out... Germany has a strange and naive idea about multi-culturalism, influenced without doubt by the guilt about German's history. There are some cities in Germany in which live more foreigners (mostly south-east European) than Germans. Like one German bank chief once wrote: Germany is erasing its lineage. Of course if you talk like this in Germany you are instantly branded as a Nazi no matter how much truth it actually has.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

@Get Real "great public transport"

Really? Have you ever traveled by train in Germany in recent decades? Maybe I'm biased because I live in Japan since a long time and train travel is top notch in Japan but traveling by train in Germany is just awful! The technology (like for instance ticket machines) is totally outdated, the personnel is rude (I have first-hand experience), and other travelers are, yes, rude too (again first hand experience). German's public transport is an absolute nightmare!

0 ( +2 / -2 )

@caffeinebuzz - it's not exclusive to Japan. You can say the same for China and Korea. Their work places are strict and it's frowned upon to take vacation.

My wife used to work in Japan and she ended up working alot of overtime which was unpaid. I worked in Korea and HK occassionally as I move back and forth between Asia and North America and it was the same.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Germany is an absolute crap country! I must know, trust me! There is absolute zero service in Germany! For example staff in a shop will be grumpy toward the customers and generally people are rude (OK, on second thought, people are rude everywhere except for Japan and a few minor Asian countries). Anyone who votes Germany as their favorite has never lived there!

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

This just reminds me of South Park's episode where the Germans beat the Japanese in the awards for Earth's least funny people, and Merkel went on a tour trying to tell jokes :p

On the holidays issue, I found the Japanese attitude towards them to be like one big massive Catholic guilt-trip: Thou shalt not take lengthy holidays; Repent and shower your office in cookies, confess your sin and say 7 Hail Mary's to your shacho.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Amazing how more people immigrated to the U.S. last year than #1 popular Germany.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

the germans are the idiots and paying for all the other countries like greece, spain, italy...

I'm Italian and no, you are not paying for us. We are paying for us. You are not paying my taxes. I'm paying my taxes. Please, stop bashing South European countries like if we were sh*t. We have our problems, but you aren't saving us. And we bought tons of your cars, eletronics, etc., for years, thanks to the fact that we share the same currency, helping your export-oriented economy a lot. But many German people likes to forget this "detail". The complex of superiority of many Germans is what makes to seem Germany arrogant to many Europeans. I don't hate your country, but please, learn to respect your European partners.

Anyway, to people interested in this kind of polls, you could find interesting this site: http://amplicate.com/places/241-top-countries/ The ranking is costantly updated.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Germany ... also have a bizarre idea that holidays of more than 4 days are not exorbitant.

Most countries are like that. You know how bad it is when Cathay Pacific start boasting about a relatively cheap Tokyo-Hong Kong one day return fare.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

If you look at the actual poll, Germany overtaking Japan at the top was largly due to a relatively large negative swing for Japan rather than any great increase in Germany's popularity. Wonder if Mr Hashimoto has any thoughts on that. In the interests of fairness though, wasn't quite as bad as China's.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

you must be kidding... iam german and this is by far not the best country in the world. WTF... its good to go there for a holiday , best would be the south but than run run. its a shocking country where everything is falling apart. the germans are the idiots and paying for all the other countries like greece, spain, italy... workers get 3-5euros an hour and lots of trouble with multicultural aspects. hope japan learns and not let foreigners easy in the country cos they will destroy the unique japanese styl. thats the only thing i like about japan, they dont have many foreigners and hostile religions followers

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

Clearly none of those 26000 people ever lived in Japan or I suspect it would have a much lower rating. I guess if you just visit here, it's worthy of number 4 though.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Berlin 3 times for a total of 7 weeks and have driven all over it-Germans have a tendency to be officious and dour.... And the winters are absolutely freezing!!!!

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

if it will take more than 1 minutes to provide you with that service, you will be asked to return tomorrow.

Oh, so no tolerance for overtime also - that's what I love about the country. Next time go shopping in a reasonable time, not 1 minute before closing, and don't cost anybody his/her free time.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

I'm half German and was born and raised there. Indeed a beautiful country, relatively safe though not the safest in the world. Clean and generally nice people. I say generally because I'm here to say that Germany has the worst customer service of all the countries I've been to. Very poor service but very good products. Try walking into a shop 1 minute before it closes and then ask for assistance...if it will take more than 1 minutes to provide you with that service, you will be asked to return tomorrow. It's really true. Other than that...yes, Germany is great. I return there every year.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Never mind that one can drive faster than 100 km/h in Germany - last time I was shocked to reach a city 400 km away in about 2 hours, 15 minutes - and there were no autobahn fees

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@shiningfinger: "Fact remains more people travel to places like Turkey than Germany" Yes this is true if you compare the tourist figures May till September. This is due to the fact that Turkey has wonderfull sunny summer weather with 35 degrees and acess to the mediterranean sea in comparison with Germany. Please compare the tourist figures October to March between Turkey and Germany and you will be surprised :-)

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Germany is one of the most desirable places to work for the foreign staff at our Japanese office. Beautiful environment, great standard of living, friendly people and fantastic beer. They also have a bizarre idea that holidays of more than 4 days are not exorbitant.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

To be sure this type of thing is a superficial popularity contest, at best it just gives a rough idea of whats on peoples mind, no need to pay much mind to this haha

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Hooray for Germany:

clean towns and cities

short workweeks

workers councils

great public transport

and the autobahn!

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

...and a quick table rounding up the results...

http://www.globescan.com/news_archives/bbc2010_countries/images/custom/BBC10_M1_agg.gif

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The full results, including methodology

http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/brglobalmultiregionra/734.php?nid=&id=&pnt=734&lb=

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Canada #2 :)

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

This poll is fundamentally flawed. After reading this article i realized how cleverly disguised news articles like these create mis-perception and mis-information. This poll was conducted with bias, and only selected countries were given to people within 16 nations. This seems like a mock poll to boost tourism in certain countries with low tourist numbers.

A better poll would have taken into account places where people travel to more and/or spend more tourist money. Germany maybe 1st in this poll but actually people travel there far less. Fact remains more people travel to places like Turkey than Germany. How can a country be considered the most "popular" country when tourist travel there in much lower numbers than other countries??

World Tourism Rankings -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Tourism_rankings

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Interesting how the Canada doesn't make the headlines even though it tied with Japan...

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

@Moonraker, no I don't miss your point. Every country, developed or under-, are really producing more than needed and disposing of this surplus in a wrong way. What I meant is that if these developed countries are guilty somehow, then the underdeveloped are doing worse.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Me thinks this survey is slightly flawed.

16 countries were ranked, and by coming out on top, that makes Germany the "most popular country in the world"?

I had the impression there were slightly more countries in the world than just 16...

4 ( +5 / -1 )

More than 26,000 people from around the world were asked to rate 16 countries on whether their global influence was “mainly positive” or “mainly negative.”

How do you get from that the "most popular in the world" in the headline".

"most >>> in the world" or "most >>> of these 16"

Popular vs. positively influential

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Even been to Germany? It's full of dour Germans!

I've been many times in Germany - the Germans (especially those under 60 y.o.) are very easy going and warm people.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

I think you missed my point, LostinNagoya.

-3 ( +5 / -8 )

@Moonraker: come to live in the hell - which nowadays is also called Latin America - of bankrupt Argentina, corrupt Brazil, inneficient Venezuela, and forgotten-by-God countries like Ecuador and Bolivia, and all of a sudden the developed countries look, well, really developed. And then you will stop whining.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

All the highly "developed" nations on the list are a net negative influence on the world because they use up way more than their entitlement of resources and also produce far more than their fair share of waste products. Thanks to them the Earth becomes progressively unlivable.

-5 ( +5 / -10 )

Even been to Germany? It's full of dour Germans!

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

nethids = methods

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Whoever wrote the title to this article seeems to have difficulty with numbers.

Was the sample set 26,000 random subjects in the EU or were other countries inckuded? I wish the article gave a few nire details an the nethids. Was China included? The US?

0 ( +3 / -3 )

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