10 Common Misconceptions About Japanese People
Japanese American blogger Lisa Shoreland of Go college provides fascinating insight into Japanese culture in the following guest post where she explores the common misconceptions that Westerners have about Japanese people. Born and raised in Hiroshima to an American father and Japanese mother, Lisa shares with us her top 10 list of mistaken beliefs about Japanese people based upon her own personal encounter.
My life is full of contradictions. My dad’s a US Marine and my mom’s a Hiroshima survivor. I was raised in Japan and went to college in America, and both times hated where I was. The following are 10 more contradictions in response to questions most commonly and carelessly thrown at in my direction by westerners.
Everyone watches anime. Maybe as little kids everyone watches anime, the way American kids grow up watching SpongeBob. Usually, kids stop watching anime and start reading manga, which is socially accepted even among adults in Japan. Like some American comic books, Japanese manga can deal with serious and realistic issues as well as get pretty violent (and sexy). Still, not everyone reads manga. Fanatics of anime or manga are treated in Japan much like they are in other countries—with neglect. In English speaking countries, they’re called nerds or losers; in Japan, they’re called otaku.
Japanese people are still angry about WWII and would plot the next Pearl Harbor in a heartbeat. Most Japanese I’ve known love western culture or at least show more interest in and respect for it than I’ve seen Americans show for Japanese culture (except for yuppies in Whole Foods). When I first got to America at age 19, speaking fluent English, a store clerk asked me where in Japan I was from. When I replied without thinking twice, “Hiroshima,” she went dead silent and all but ducked under her desk after bagging my merchandise. She must have read this article and feared retribution.
Everyone eats whales and dolphins. Thanks to the film, The Cove, everyone not in Japan thinks Japanese people either willingly or unknowingly eat whale and dolphin meat. In my 19 years of living in Japan, never once did I even encounter either types of meat in stores or restaurants. My mother ate whale meat after WWII because it was the cheapest meat available in post-nuke Hiroshima (thanks, Truman). For those of you bleeding hearts saying, “That’s because you didn’t know it was dolphin meat because it’s not labeled that way,” here’s a statistic: according to Greenpeace research, only one of five major supermarket operators said it continues to sell whale meat. The others don’t because there’s no demand. The only people who eat whales and dolphins are people who recognize that a cow is just as cute as Flipper and hold no prejudice for or against animals. These same people are usually uninformed about the sustainability argument, just like most Americans are unaware that 7 kg of grain goes into producing 1 kg of beef, and corn is killing the U.S. food industry, its people, and uses half a gallon of fossil fuels for just one bushel.
Japan is such a homogenous country, everyone’s racist! Most of this rumor is latent Yellow-peril from WWII. While Japan is a racially homogenous country and many gaijin are in fact gawked at by locals, Japanese are no more or less racist than anyone else. While it is true that some Japanese harbor suspicion against Chinese or blacks, no less can be said of Americans. Oh, and that Obama commercial back in 2008? That monkey is to EMobile as the gecko is to Geico. Moreover, Japanese people generally don’t know that black people and monkeys have a nasty history. We just think monkeys are cute and Obama is awesome.
Japanese people don’t celebrate Christmas. False. . . sort of. While some Japanese are Christian and celebrate Christmas, most are not . . . and still celebrate Christmas. Why? Presents. And Santa Claus is also cute. Thank you flat world for your commercial hilarity.
Japanese people are short and skinny. A traditionally Japanese diet keeps most Far East Asians slender and small (and lets us live to be, like, 200 years old). With the advent of globalization and increasing consumption of beef, however, Japanese are growing both vertically (3 to 5 inches since WWII) and horizontally. Now, we have more heart disease, breast cancer, and other rich-diet-induced conditions than ever before. Thanks for that, too.
There are used women’s underwear vending machines everywhere. I’ve never seen one but I know some who have, all of them scattered in the Tokyo area. Suffice it to say that Japanese pop culture is one obsessed with all things young and cute (hence the kawaii culture), and for creepy perverts who exist not just in Japan but all over the world, a used school girl’s underwear is a wet dream come true.
Japanese people will never learn to use the ‘R’ and ‘L’ sounds right. Many Italian- and Spanish-speakers do well when learning Japanese, as the tongue-rolling for the R/L sound translates. Let’s see you English-speakers pronounce the Ra Ri Ru Re Ro part of our alphabet without sounding like you just stepped out of a bad comedy sketch.
Japanese people invented the hibachi steakhouse. A hibachi is actually a traditional heating device involving an open-topped container made from porcelain or something heatproof in which charcoal is burned. In North America, the term “hibachi” is used to refer to what we actually call shichirin or teppan, which are used in teppanyaki restaurants. Unlike westerners, most Japanese don’t go to these restaurants to eat steak or be impressed by skilled cooks. These were popularized after WWII, and we trained these cooks just to distract you Americans while we plot our next Pearl Harbor attack.
Japanese people can’t hold their liquor. Got me there, but we can’t help it. Genetically, those of European descent have a higher tolerance to alcohol than Asians due higher body mass and higher levels of alcohol dehydrogenase (the stuff that lets your body break down the alcohol you chug). In fact, one in three people in East Asia have an alcohol flush reaction, in which the body can’t break down the alcohol because we lack a specific genetically coded enzyme, making us grow red in the face, laugh uncontrollably, and often pass out on stranger’s couches.
Bio: Lisa Shoreland is currently a resident blogger at Go college, where recently she’s been researching Nursing Grants & Scholarships and blogging about student life. In her spare time, she enjoys creative writing and hogging her boyfriend’s PlayStation 3. To keep her sanity she enjoys practicing martial arts and bringing home abandon animals.
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There are geographic, linguistic, and cultural walls that surrounds Japan, it’s undeniable. Due, I think, to the paucity of real interaction between Japan and the west (aside from the extremely hazy lens of the TV camera), you could make pretty much any claim you want about goings-on in either sphere and people in the other would believe it. Only time and exposure are going to change things, I think. But there’s a long way to go. I recently spent five weeks in Toronto after five years in Tokyo. The #1 thing that amazes me about Canadian misconceptions about Tokyo: they think it’s in China.
Man, that comment doesn’t parse well.
Thinking about the OP and the “Tokyo is in China” thing, I think perhaps that I could add that people in the west rarely if ever consider Japan. It’s largely irrelevant outside of being a source of cars, cameras, and sushi. Mention Japan and people for some reason volunteer “I don’t like raw fish.” Japanese people themselves are treated as something of a curiosity.
Thank you for posting this awesome article Lisa, well written with a touch of humour, I really enjoyed reading and learning!
@ Emuu 90% of people in Jamaica think Japan is China too!
Bull-$#@%…..Where in Jamaica did u go to school? Geography is taught in our school since grade 1 thru grade 9…
That’s such a blatant unnecessary lie….
8. and 10. aren’t misconceptions, then
Also 6 and 5 which is “sort of”. More like “7 Common Misconceptions and 4 Fact About Japanese People”.
That was meant to be “6 Common Misconceptions” but I’m sure you’ll spot the typo
Nice article. I even got a few stares when i laughed aloud at
“While some Japanese are Christian and celebrate Christmas, most are not . . . and still celebrate Christmas. Why? Presents.
Japan has a very positive image here in Peru, largely due to a somewhat shared history and there are thousands and thousands of Peruvians working in Japan. As for me personally, i`m always amazed at the success of `Hello Kitty` around the world!
Good job!
Hmmm that was an interesting article, and it’s always good to hear from different perspectives (sometimes we agree with them, sometimes we don’t). But we should always be thankful to hear their voices. So thanks for a nice article. Only one thing missing… a date for PH – the Sequel (don’t wanna ruin any upcoming travel plans).
Good article — I enjoyed the playful, humor writing style too.
Hi Lisa, thank you for your cool contribution to the site. A great top list topic coupled with an enjoyable writing style. Couldn’t ask for more. Muchas gracias.
Awesome post.
Concerning number 10, I’d say there are two kinds of Japanese people: those who will pass out after two drinks, and those who can outdrink any Westerner.
Sounds like you were trying really hard to get to 10. I’ve never heard most of these.
“While Japan is a racially homogenous country and many gaijin are in fact gawked at by locals, Japanese are no more or less racist than anyone else.”
Well, yeah, you’re basically saying that Racism still exists. It existed 10 years ago on Spin City, 100 years ago during the War, 5,000 years ago in the cradle of Civilization, and it exists in Japan where there’s hardly any White people.
Do you think it’s weird that in most huge Western cities, there are Chinese people everywhere but hardly any Japanese? I used to live in Vancouver, Canada, where we have tons of Koreans, Indians and Chinese, but hardly any Japanese. It’s weird because Japan has about 5 times the population of South Korea, and has been developed for a few more decades than SK and yet there are hardly any Japanese in Van. It’s no mystery, when you take a homogenous culture and introduce gaijin, waiguoren, wuigookin, yea, there’s gonna be staring, and there’s gonna be racial slurs.
But why is Japan so homogenous? Solve that one, and you’ll have your answer for putting Japan on the path towards.. you know.. 20th Century integration.
Japan’s population: 127 million
South Korea’s population: 49 millions
Japan has 2.5 times more population than South Korea. So first get your facts straight.
Secondly, why would Japanese immigrate? Unlike China in the 20th century, Japan was one of the fastest growing economies in the world. They were no 2 economy for decades and where was China in the 1960s? Their economy was in shambles.
I’m not sure, why I’m replying such nonessential comment, but well. I’m a Bone.
A bit of a stretch lumping whales with dolphins. They’re two different beasts.
A handful of my students from the North (Hokkaido/Aomori) told me they ate whale growing up.
I’ve seen whale meat at a sushi restaurant in Tsukiji. You can search YouTube to see people eating it.
Granted it’s still not /that/ common, but it’s hard to believe you’ve been in Japan 19 years and haven’t seen whale meat once.
“in my 19 years of living in Japan, never once did I even encounter either types of meat in stores or restaurants. ”
Lisa,
Your a liar OR you never go out OR you can’t read Kanji/Katakana. The kids in my School eat it at least 3x a year at their public school and I saw it at the store next to my School 2 days ago.
19 years huh??
The good or bad is another debate but you acting like it’s some rarity like seeing a real Geisha is laughable and possibly a flat out lie from a closet racist. How do you put Truman and the bomb in that? Japanese were eating whale way before the Bomb.
Japan should stop hiding under a “research” shield and demand it’s cultural rights which I support.
“Japan should stop hiding under a “research” shield and demand it’s cultural rights which I support.”
I nearly fell asleep whilst reading your unconvincing rant *boring* but then snagged this little gem. So, since we are on the subject of total and utter bullshit, what are Japan’s cultural rights? Is it their unique ability to harvest beached whales or is it their mastery of hand-thrown harpoons? Because I am pretty sure that traditional Japanese whale hunting didn’t include a commercial whaling operation out of the Southern Ocean.
Heck, on the topic of reinstating some Japanese cultural rights I got some good ones. Why don’t they bring back ceremonial disembowelment as a form of capital punishment. That would certainly be a cultural right. Or maybe you prefer the practice of shudō, the Way of the Young? You can never have too much pederasty these days, right?
“I nearly fell asleep whilst reading your unconvincing rant *boring* ”
Not only did you not fall asleep but you managed a response and rant of your own. Su-weet
I have been in Hiroshima once a year for the past 7 years and i have had Whale meat every time
Keep writing articles as vapid as this and you’re sure to make it to the morning talk shows.
East is East and West is West…and never the Twain shall meet. But, you like me are East and West. We’ve got the best of both worlds,
Linda Joyce
Not sure where to draw the line of sarcastic humor and some sort of defense tactics against westerners and what they MIGHT think about Japan. It’s difficult to stuff any entire country into any stereotype or misconception. That should be common sense. Articles like this are what cause misconception and closet anger to attach them in their own way. Not every Japanese person thinks the same things about westerners. Not every westerner thinks the same about every Japanese person. To a point it seems most misconceptions stem from some form of truth in a small amount of the population in a given place. If you hate living in Japan, and you hate living in the west, why should we believe anything you say is legitimate about either.