TOKYO - Japan will criminalise cannabis use and legalise medical products using substances derived from the plant under revised laws that will take effect on Dec 12, the health ministry said on Thursday.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Well, context definitely matters. We don’t know what you did, how you did it, if she was with her bf, how sane was her bf etc etc.
I don’t want to negate your personal experience but I doubt it was just normally casually “talking to a girl” that got you in trouble in a normal situation.
Also 2015 is almost 10 years ago, it’s not really accurate to define it as the current situation.
As for my source, I’m white, my wife is Korean, my ex was Korean, and I hang out alone with female Korean friends a lot.
Some very old grandpa may be not very happy about skinship in public, but that’s all.
Never to the extent of being attacked or harassed, it’s usually just looking at us a bit with a grumpy face.
This being said, it’s not all perfect.
Some families may be less open than others in accepting a marriage with a foreigner (old generations, young people just think it’s cool usually).
And not only about white people. The mom of a friend was grumpy about her son marrying a Japanese girl, for example (even if he lives in Japan)
But even so, nowdays is rarely open hostility.
Of course idiots are everywhere. So I’m pretty sure there are young guys saying “white guys steal our women!1!!” and getting angry.
Also, an important note is that these days the fight between “feminist” Korean women and men against them is getting bigger. This can influence especially the mind of young men.
I was approached by a Korean boy asking me about how women are in my country because all Korean women sucks and are terrible.
In that context, I’m sure some guy will use dating a foreigner as an excuse to say how shit and easy Korean girls are.
Anyway, exceptions aside the average population is pretty much fine with it, especially in big cities.
It’s not like Korean men don’t like white women too, after all.
Sorry if this is too long, but we’re all here to share knowledge about those countries anyway
I find this to be largely true, especially of older people, for foreigners who live there. But not to discourage a visit: you are very welcomed as a tourist in most places in Japan, and any Japanese you speak will be appreciated.
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”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
Wat? What do you think that word means?
Source?
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.
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.
Don’t know about the rest, but the South Korea part is simply complete bs
Wasn’t in 2015 when I hit on a girl for helping me navigate the subway system.
Well, context definitely matters. We don’t know what you did, how you did it, if she was with her bf, how sane was her bf etc etc. I don’t want to negate your personal experience but I doubt it was just normally casually “talking to a girl” that got you in trouble in a normal situation.
Also 2015 is almost 10 years ago, it’s not really accurate to define it as the current situation.
As for my source, I’m white, my wife is Korean, my ex was Korean, and I hang out alone with female Korean friends a lot. Some very old grandpa may be not very happy about skinship in public, but that’s all. Never to the extent of being attacked or harassed, it’s usually just looking at us a bit with a grumpy face.
This being said, it’s not all perfect. Some families may be less open than others in accepting a marriage with a foreigner (old generations, young people just think it’s cool usually). And not only about white people. The mom of a friend was grumpy about her son marrying a Japanese girl, for example (even if he lives in Japan) But even so, nowdays is rarely open hostility.
Of course idiots are everywhere. So I’m pretty sure there are young guys saying “white guys steal our women!1!!” and getting angry.
Also, an important note is that these days the fight between “feminist” Korean women and men against them is getting bigger. This can influence especially the mind of young men. I was approached by a Korean boy asking me about how women are in my country because all Korean women sucks and are terrible. In that context, I’m sure some guy will use dating a foreigner as an excuse to say how shit and easy Korean girls are.
Anyway, exceptions aside the average population is pretty much fine with it, especially in big cities. It’s not like Korean men don’t like white women too, after all.
Sorry if this is too long, but we’re all here to share knowledge about those countries anyway
I find this to be largely true, especially of older people, for foreigners who live there. But not to discourage a visit: you are very welcomed as a tourist in most places in Japan, and any Japanese you speak will be appreciated.
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”
Where do you hear those stories?
You may need to re-evaluate where you’re getting your information from
The only thing good about Japan is their transit system.
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.