Comments on: Japanese only manage it once a month, if they manage it at all http://whatjapanthinks.com/2008/01/10/japanese-only-manage-it-once-a-month-if-they-manage-it-at-all/ From kimono to keitai; research Japanese facts and figures through translated opinion polls and surveys. Sun, 12 Oct 2008 10:00:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Koichi http://whatjapanthinks.com/2008/01/10/japanese-only-manage-it-once-a-month-if-they-manage-it-at-all/#comment-52260 Koichi Fri, 11 Jan 2008 04:21:13 +0000 http://whatjapanthinks.com/2008/01/10/japanese-only-manage-it-once-a-month-if-they-manage-it-at-all/#comment-52260 I've definitely noticed a lack of commenting by Japanese readers. I get tons of Jp.youtube.com hits on my youtube page, yet you see very few Japanese viewers commenting anywhere. Same with my Japanese blog, koichiben.com. It's amazing how few comments you see on a lot of Japanese blogs, even when they have thousands of daily unique views. I think victorintheworld on Youtube talked about this once. It was a interesting. I’ve definitely noticed a lack of commenting by Japanese readers. I get tons of Jp.youtube.com hits on my youtube page, yet you see very few Japanese viewers commenting anywhere. Same with my Japanese blog, koichiben.com. It’s amazing how few comments you see on a lot of Japanese blogs, even when they have thousands of daily unique views. I think victorintheworld on Youtube talked about this once. It was a interesting.

]]> By: Alex http://whatjapanthinks.com/2008/01/10/japanese-only-manage-it-once-a-month-if-they-manage-it-at-all/#comment-52256 Alex Fri, 11 Jan 2008 03:11:35 +0000 http://whatjapanthinks.com/2008/01/10/japanese-only-manage-it-once-a-month-if-they-manage-it-at-all/#comment-52256 Actually, I've had a conversation about something similar to this with a good friend of mine who teaches Japanese and linguistics to foreign students at a national university in Japan. He commented particularly on Chinese students blogging habits, and he noticed a lot of them even write poetry, often, and share it! Both of us were embarassed to be offered to read this sort of thing. But he also doesn't understand why people write blogs at all. In his opinion, it's like allowing perfect strangers to read your diary. It seems like it'd be a good topic for social psychologists to research, and perhaps they already have. Even more of a mystery to me, though, is how it is decided what issues the average Japanese person doesn't feel comfortable stating their opinion on, versus what they do feel comfortable talking about. Often, those topics are very different from what Westerners may be used to. (Relationships, politics, religion, etc) I was asked countless times whom I voted for in the Kerry/Bush election; what my religion is; whether or not I am dating anyone, etc. I get a kick out of it all! If they are comfortable enough to ask, I don't mind answering. Actually, I’ve had a conversation about something similar to this with a good friend of mine who teaches Japanese and linguistics to foreign students at a national university in Japan. He commented particularly on Chinese students blogging habits, and he noticed a lot of them even write poetry, often, and share it! Both of us were embarassed to be offered to read this sort of thing. But he also doesn’t understand why people write blogs at all. In his opinion, it’s like allowing perfect strangers to read your diary.

It seems like it’d be a good topic for social psychologists to research, and perhaps they already have. Even more of a mystery to me, though, is how it is decided what issues the average Japanese person doesn’t feel comfortable stating their opinion on, versus what they do feel comfortable talking about. Often, those topics are very different from what Westerners may be used to. (Relationships, politics, religion, etc) I was asked countless times whom I voted for in the Kerry/Bush election; what my religion is; whether or not I am dating anyone, etc. I get a kick out of it all! If they are comfortable enough to ask, I don’t mind answering.

]]> By: Shari http://whatjapanthinks.com/2008/01/10/japanese-only-manage-it-once-a-month-if-they-manage-it-at-all/#comment-52246 Shari Fri, 11 Jan 2008 01:59:01 +0000 http://whatjapanthinks.com/2008/01/10/japanese-only-manage-it-once-a-month-if-they-manage-it-at-all/#comment-52246 I agree with Ken Y-N, particularly in light of the known problems with cyberbullying. The Japanese are not one big, happy, polite family of bowing, apologizing automatons. Despite the desire of western folks to stereotype them and put them on a pedestal, they are just as human as anyone in another country (as it should be!). They have their anger and pain, but just find different outlets for it than we might expect because of cultural differences. The fact that we are blind to those methods because we are only scrutinizing them for their use of the same outlets as us doesn't mean they aren't doing something to help them cope to which we are blind. Personally, I always feel that, unless it's in service of satire or humor (like the Onion), painting the Japanese as perfect examples of composure and self-control does them a long-term disservice. I'm not sure anyone should have to live up to the image westerners enjoy slapping on the Japanese. I agree with Ken Y-N, particularly in light of the known problems with cyberbullying. The Japanese are not one big, happy, polite family of bowing, apologizing automatons. Despite the desire of western folks to stereotype them and put them on a pedestal, they are just as human as anyone in another country (as it should be!). They have their anger and pain, but just find different outlets for it than we might expect because of cultural differences. The fact that we are blind to those methods because we are only scrutinizing them for their use of the same outlets as us doesn’t mean they aren’t doing something to help them cope to which we are blind.

Personally, I always feel that, unless it’s in service of satire or humor (like the Onion), painting the Japanese as perfect examples of composure and self-control does them a long-term disservice. I’m not sure anyone should have to live up to the image westerners enjoy slapping on the Japanese.

]]> By: Chris Giddings http://whatjapanthinks.com/2008/01/10/japanese-only-manage-it-once-a-month-if-they-manage-it-at-all/#comment-52168 Chris Giddings Thu, 10 Jan 2008 17:44:06 +0000 http://whatjapanthinks.com/2008/01/10/japanese-only-manage-it-once-a-month-if-they-manage-it-at-all/#comment-52168 @Ken Y-N I agree. Generally ignoring 2chan and affiliated sites and knock-offs such as 4chan, 7chan and fapchan has become second nature, at least to me. The culture purveyed through those forums-based sites has consistently been found to not reflect the actions those individuals would take when the anonymity is lost. Though it is rather scary that 2chan can actually influence election results via mass voting. At least they choose to participate in their democracy. ;-) @Ken Y-N

I agree. Generally ignoring 2chan and affiliated sites and knock-offs such as 4chan, 7chan and fapchan has become second nature, at least to me. The culture purveyed through those forums-based sites has consistently been found to not reflect the actions those individuals would take when the anonymity is lost.

Though it is rather scary that 2chan can actually influence election results via mass voting. At least they choose to participate in their democracy. ;-)

]]> By: Ken Y-N http://whatjapanthinks.com/2008/01/10/japanese-only-manage-it-once-a-month-if-they-manage-it-at-all/#comment-52138 Ken Y-N Thu, 10 Jan 2008 14:52:49 +0000 http://whatjapanthinks.com/2008/01/10/japanese-only-manage-it-once-a-month-if-they-manage-it-at-all/#comment-52138 On the whole Japanese blogs are rather characterless, I feel, but 2 channel (look it up!) has many a reader willing to join in in mass flame wars or comment spamming on blogs or whatever that displease them. It is wrong to ignore 2 channel just to make a point about all being happy and light in the Japanese internet world. On the whole Japanese blogs are rather characterless, I feel, but 2 channel (look it up!) has many a reader willing to join in in mass flame wars or comment spamming on blogs or whatever that displease them. It is wrong to ignore 2 channel just to make a point about all being happy and light in the Japanese internet world.

]]> By: Chris Giddings http://whatjapanthinks.com/2008/01/10/japanese-only-manage-it-once-a-month-if-they-manage-it-at-all/#comment-52137 Chris Giddings Thu, 10 Jan 2008 14:42:10 +0000 http://whatjapanthinks.com/2008/01/10/japanese-only-manage-it-once-a-month-if-they-manage-it-at-all/#comment-52137 I have to say my thoughts lean to those of Candadai Tirumalai on this one. I think it natural that the Japanese 'want to know' things... and also natural to their culture that they would 'mind their own business' by not injecting their opinion without having been asked to do so. I have to say my thoughts lean to those of Candadai Tirumalai on this one. I think it natural that the Japanese ‘want to know’ things… and also natural to their culture that they would ‘mind their own business’ by not injecting their opinion without having been asked to do so.

]]> By: Candadai Tirumalai http://whatjapanthinks.com/2008/01/10/japanese-only-manage-it-once-a-month-if-they-manage-it-at-all/#comment-52129 Candadai Tirumalai Thu, 10 Jan 2008 14:02:07 +0000 http://whatjapanthinks.com/2008/01/10/japanese-only-manage-it-once-a-month-if-they-manage-it-at-all/#comment-52129 An article in "The Washington Post" a month or so ago about Japanese blogs made the point that people do not comment much on other people's blogs. Your survey establishes that quite a few read blogs. Perhaps the relative lack of comment comes from a certain reticence in the Japanese character. I would be surprised if readers commented as acidly or venomously as some do in America and Britain. An article in “The Washington Post” a month or so ago about Japanese blogs made the point that people do not comment much on other people’s blogs. Your survey establishes that quite a few read blogs. Perhaps the relative lack of comment comes from a certain reticence in the Japanese character. I would be surprised if readers commented as acidly or venomously as some do in America and Britain.

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