Some people have been asking why I like China so much well I say it’s not that I like China it is just that in Japan, even Canada and Europe, they have strong feelings of uchi (inside) and soto (outside).
Really every country with a　majority people, Canada it is English. Even China, the
majority Chinese (Han Chinese) are just as bad as any other country but even so they still accept people more easily as　uchi　or nakama (friend) than most other countries. I think most minority Chinese (not Han) have even less uchi/soto feeling and will treat you more like uchi/nakama more readily. I realized I have one friend who is the first person to never called me “foriegner” or “outside” sometimes she tells me to don’t say I am foriegner “you’re Chinese” to avoid complicated issues.
Even her family never called me so, always uchi. Even minority in Canada will have a strong uchi/soto feeling as if to protect somehow themselves. Wait a second what are Japanese trying to protect?
They have nearly destroyed their language and culture and gave up so much to American culture. I notice I often get translation assignments from japanese and I noticed even their Japanese sentences are kind of strange. I guess the reason why minority Chinese tend to be more open to accept you is because they all ready know their language and culture is being buried by the majority culture. But a good thing maybe about Canada/Brazil is maybe its going to be the only place where Japanese/ other cultures are going to exist.

Personally, I think Japan's culture is unique, but what makes it unique is that it is so dynamic. There are few countries that accept outside influences that they think they can benefit from as much as Japan. (Well maybe the US unconsciously.) They have been accepting outside cultural influences since the Nara period, maybe even earlier, and they continue to maintain a uniqueness other countries have lost. Just one small example: Aren't Chinese newspapers written horizontally? Japan may be the last bastion of vertical writing.
» Onigiriman on 2008-06-24 05:49:24

comments
No matter what you say it is always possible for one to argue against you. One reason is because of your knowledge of the world -especially of Japan and China - is so shallow.
» bzhuo373 on 2008-06-24 08:44:55

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