Hybrid4 comments

@tmarie

Bura, you would think but actually it was minorities (specifically black and Hispanics) that opposed gay marriage in California. They tend to be more "Christians" than your average white folk. Shocking, isn't it. You'd think if anyone would have more tolerance it would be those that also face discrimination but sadly, that isn't true.

So, "Christian" is a bad word nowadays? They are the easy target, aren't they. I'm wondering if you would be as easily and openly critical about another religion (guessed which one?)...

Your comment just shows how you think in terms of minority vs. majority. That is very limiting in my opinion.

Did they include in the calculation an estimate of people dying from tsunamis and earthquakes? More disasters means less people making babies. I's be more worried about that, but there nothing can be done...

@Ranger_Miffy2

Sorry, with 7billion on the planet now, birth rates have to decline somewhere. Here is just as good a place to start as any.

Birth rate declining in a small country will definitely lead to the gradual disappearance of it's culture. Don't you like Japan for its particularities? Why not hope for a decline in an overpopulated country?

@UnagiDon

I think a smaller population is not necessarily a bad thing. We are too mired in the old models of economic development that say big pop = bigger GDP = better economy. We have moved beyond that, and the future economies of the world should look at individual wealth and GDP, and so long as relative standard of living can be maintained, individuals should be better off in a smaller-sized populace. THAT is the real challenge, for Japan and all developed countries, not reversing a shrinking population.

It seems though that we're stuck in our economical system, and that it's going to be quite painful to get out of it, if it's possible the way you describe it (which would be ideal). Governments resort to immigration anyway, and when a certain level is reached, the local culture is in danger of disappearing. Not right away, but we're already seeing tensions in Europe. I believe that's what they worry about, and it's natural. People want to preserve their culture. (but of course, I'll be called a racist by the Benetton ideology worshippers...)

@USNinJapan2

District maybe? Leave Shakespeare alone if you can't get the geography right...

Some people always value the form over the content. So you're limiting tmarie's rights because of a mistake on geography? How pretentious.

@Madverts

I don't know if you've caught on yet, but the thread is about an American president in the USA. Other countries positions on gay marriage have absolutely zip to do with it.

Yanee was responding to some comments that came up concerning other countries. Why this sarcastic tone of yours?

It is just a story showing the racism of the Japanese against the Korean.

@Timtak

>Huong is on the money. I guess at least it is funny that there are some people here criticising/commenting on the internet critics/commentators mentioned in the article, while telling them to get a life.

Just like you're doing?

@Blackbagger

>Anyone who thinks the standards of beauty around the world are all essentially the same needs to open their eyes. I think it's not so much the standard of beauty not being the same, it's more about the standards of health being the same in general around the world. Crooked teeth simply aren't an ideal for your health.

Any medication you won't use should be brought to a pharmacy, not discarted in the trash...

“I want to use the rest of my life to apologize to her and her bereaved family.”

I seriously doubt that the family wants to keep hearing from this sicko. They'll never forget their daughter of course, and the trauma that her murder caused. But they probably want to forget everything about him.

He really has a sick inflated ego to think that a life long apology from him would make a difference in their lives. He should just disappear forever, never to be heard from again. Narcissistic pervert, just crawl back in your hole.

@gogogo You're clever, I hadn't thought of that.

I hate that kind of fake, forced romanticism.... Women can be such fools.

"People who do things constantly to appear cute to others tend to annoy me." That part was my comment....

-The slurping sound is really annoying to me too. My japanese mother also finds it appalling. Her parents never did it.

-The Vee sign... for me that's a herd thing. "They do it so I do it".

And the Vee sign, with it tilted about 80 degrees is considered cute. I do it when with my JP friends, and do not when not. People who do things constantly to appear cute to others tend to annoy me.

Also, I usually try not to offend people who have different manners, but I certainly wouldn't want to mimic them.

@Samantha & tmarie True and so so sad.

Otherwise I agree with a lot that's been said.

I really enjoyed Ivan and Shinjuku's comments, and can relate to Nicky's comments too....

My little list :

-The avoidance of conflict at all cost. I'm an easy going person, I certainly don't look for conflict. But I like to clarify things for better communication, or better relationship. In a couple, I think it's even more important. I gradually started to walk on eggs with my japanese mate, choose super-carefully my words and the tone in which I say them, otherwise any even small tiny issue is perceived as an attack. It baffles me. In fact, it seems like I should only show content all the time. The danger is that, without knowing how the other feels truly, two mates can grow apart, and become like roommates.

-The "shoganai" attitude really gets me too. It starts to feel to me like a lack of passion for life.

-The whole "Valentine day" farce where female co-workers offer chocolate to their male co-workers. Makes absolutely no sense to me, unless they have affairs, but that's another issue....

-The feeling that the family is something of a lesser value. It's embarassing and perceived as rude to talk nicely about the wife, or to even mention her.

-The so-very-often recurring praise of the superior japanese character (implying that whoever is foreign isn't kind, doesn't work well, is lazy, is dishonest, is out of wack, might be big but is soft under the belt(!), etc).

-Discontent hidden with a mask-like smile (the one that's pinched in the corners)...

One day, a japanese girl with her natural hair color will be thought of as... extremely original.

I think that in a case such as this one, many factors must come into account. We often link diseases of the body with physiological causes, and diseases of the mind with purely psychological causes. There might just be a combination of reasons that lead to such behavior. It would be interesting to look at irrational violence of people, encompassing different aspects such as food (nutrients deprived industrial foods), chemical or metal poisonings, lack of outdoor activities, sociological environment, psychological environment, stress, etc.

@Antonios_M

There is a great 2003 French film called "Fear and Trembling" about power harassment in the Japanese working environment. It's very funny and very close to how things are done here.

I laughed so hard when I saw it, because it reminded me of two Japanese girls I worked with in a japanese store in Paris. They were my sempai (they were sent from the branch in Japan), and they sure made me feel their little power every single day (even at our clerk level). The first one was a pure nightmare, she'd go from power crushing to irrational anger (when we were alone), to a very sweet and friendly attitude when the managers were in. The second one was devious, stealing my ideas to present them as her own (she then got a promotion when she returned to Japan), or blaming me for mistakes she was responsible for. In between, of course, there was that very sweet smile, right after a betrayal. A french co-worker had had a bad experience when she was sent to the branch in Japan for 3 weeks. Some girls would ignore her completely and never answer her "Good morning" the whole time she was there. My mom also had a really hard time working in japanese restaurants (the chef pulling her tank top down, ignoring the orders of the customers she dealt with, etc). I also heard countless stories from my japanese friends.... Harassment exists everywhere, but it is so strong in Japan. I'd think twice before applying to work in a japanese company.

@tmarie

What I find strange? The obsession this country has with trying to be strange and different from every other country on earth. The need to be unique. Japan isn't that different from other countries. Thing is, other countries don't obsess over and have an identity crisis because of it.

So true. Could it come from a superiority complex? I believe that the Japanese are afraid to loose the superiority status they think they had for a long time in the asian world. I think that when they opened up to the western culture, there was a fascination mixed with fear and at some point resent. If they were so confident about their own identity, why do so many people dye their hair, and get double eyelids... Yet, on many instances, I've heard japanese people say "Japan, really, is the N°1 country", and despise the way foreigners can be. Obviously, Japan should be the best country for a Japanese to live in, like France for the French, America for the Americans, etc. We are all attached to our culture. But in my opinion, their obsession is strong and deep settled.