People all over the world,
outside of Japan have a very low level of understanding of
Asia in general and Japan in particular. Such
countries as Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, The
Philippines, and India are relatively better understood due
to the widespread use of English. Japan, South Korea,
China, and Taiwan are still very poorly understood.
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 It
is not surprising that a lot of people, particularly in the
United States where we tend to be so America-centric, may not even find
Mongolia, Laos, and Cambodia on the map. The latest in
a series of polls on the subject shows that a majority does
not know that the capital of Afghanistan is Kabul, or that
U.S. naval bases are long gone from The Philippines.
However, a majority of the Americans see China as the major
concern in the region, while Japan and South Korea are seen
as allies. (Related article: Japan
through the eyes of an exchange student)
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 Our research indicates that similar
views prevail about Japan in other countries. While there are
an estimated half a million Japanese living in the United States, the
number is much smaller in other countries. Our members have
told us that in Asian countries, Japanese executives do not even
bring their families with them when they are sent to work there and
spend several months or even years staying in hotels.
Such
behavior does not promote good understanding of Japan since most of
these executives do not care to learn English and rely on
interpreters. Even when they do bring their families, which
they do in the United States, the women do not learn the language
and have very few opportunities to mix with the locals. They
think of their foreign assignments as demotions and are always
trying to return to Japan as soon as they can.
MYNIPPON is making an attempt to bridge this gap between Japan
and the world and it has been very successful so far. We are
highly encouraged by the response and look forward to closing this
gap. The members of the community appear to be committed to
promoting better understanding of Japan not only in Japan but also
outside of Japan.
Recommended links: Japanese art by Hiroko Okahashi
Fusion of
American and Asian fashion
Japanese
motor bikes in Asia
Dissolving
stereotypes of Japan What
to expect on your trip to Japan?
Discovering
Japan
Marrying
a Japanese man Japanese
castles seen through the eyes of a foreigner
Osaka trip |
