# My Opinion of Japanese People **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 18, 2011, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091 "2011-03-18T00:34:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/1 "2011-03-18T00:34:05Z")
If you asked me many years ago, I’d say they were a disgusting people based on their WWII record. But now, having faced a tripple disaster worse than anything I’ve witnessed in the news, I just have to admire them. They are so calm and disciplined in the face of this disaster. Victims wait in line for food and water in an orderly fashion Where’s the looting you read about in virtually every other disaster ? Workers taking huge risks on behalf of their people. Real heros Simply incredible. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/2 "2011-03-18T01:04:17Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#): > > If you asked me many years ago, I’d say they were a disgusting people based on their WWII record. Wait. All of the people in the country are disgusting because of what happened then? That’s terrible. 😕 :mad: ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/3 "2011-03-18T01:06:17Z")
Do you think that Americans are a disgusting people based on their slavery record? ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/4 "2011-03-18T01:06:48Z")
I’m sure the Japanese people will be heartened to hear about this. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/5 "2011-03-18T01:13:04Z")
I really hope that by “many years ago”, you meant 60 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/6 "2011-03-18T01:14:37Z")
LOL ‘a disgusting people’. What an ignorant way to think. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/7 "2011-03-18T01:17:07Z")
No comment on them being inscrutable? ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/8 "2011-03-18T02:54:42Z")
What exactly did they do in WWII that was so disgusting that the U.S. has never done? Get nuked? ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/9 "2011-03-18T02:55:37Z")
I’d say you’ve really grown as a person! ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/10 "2011-03-18T02:58:24Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > What exactly did they do in WWII that was so disgusting that the U.S. has never done? Get nuked? The OP is Canadian, btw. For all we know, he thinks the US is just as disgusting. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/11 "2011-03-18T03:43:35Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > What exactly did they do in WWII that was so disgusting that the U.S. has never done? Get nuked? Rape of Nanking, anyone? Plus the Japanese are unrepentent while the US and Germans have shown apology for their previous evil-ie their imperialist revanchism over Dokdo. Your moral equivalence of the US and Japan is disgusting. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/12 "2011-03-18T03:44:30Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > What exactly did they do in WWII that was so disgusting that the U.S. has never done? Get nuked? I don’t think the US (or Canada for that matter) has done anything (at least in the last 100 years) as, um, unfortunate as [the rape of Nanking](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanking_Massacre), which is controversial to this day in Japan and there is denial in some quarters that it ever happened. That said, I have a deep respect for the Japanese people, based on the post-war history of that country, and of the Japanese individuals that I know personally and/or work with. ETA: whoops, I see **Qin Shi Huangdi** beat me to the punch. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/13 "2011-03-18T03:44:41Z")
A friend of mine [who is currently living about 300 miles away from the disaster area] explained why- From the time they are in kindergarden, they are assigned little ‘tasks’ as part of school, like wiping the blackboard, putting away art supplies, hall monitor, lunchroom monitor, in small groups. Mainly to teach them responsibility and working together. This basically makes sure that when there are problems, they are able to work together in small groups on assigned projects, and they are used to working with each other. When your training tells you to help others it kicks in during disasters. They aren’t all saints, and there are always going to be people that are just assholes about things, but in general it works. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/14 "2011-03-18T04:13:15Z")
the children in the US don’t do that? who does it then? ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/15 "2011-03-18T04:20:14Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#): > > If you asked me many years ago, I’d say they were a disgusting people based on their WWII record. > > But now, having faced a tripple disaster worse than anything I’ve witnessed in the news, I just have to admire them. > > They are so calm and disciplined in the face of this disaster. > > Victims wait in line for food and water in an orderly fashion > > Where’s the looting you read about in virtually every other disaster ? > > Workers taking huge risks on behalf of their people. Real heros > > Simply incredible. **Dutch** , I don’t think you realize how poorly you come off here. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/16 "2011-03-18T04:21:19Z")
> [@shijinn](#): > > the children in the US don’t do that? who does it then? Teachers and staff. (Although in third grade the students did clean the blackboards as a reward - for some reason everyone wanted the privilege. And the 6-7th graders did hall monitor duty.) When I first started school in Korea I was horrified to learn that the students were expected to sweep and mop the floors themselves. In American schools you have janitors for that. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/17 "2011-03-18T05:19:52Z")
They can make a fine motorcycle. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/18 "2011-03-18T05:20:08Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Dokdo Liancourt Rocks. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/19 "2011-03-18T05:22:56Z")
Moving thread from IMHO to MPSIMS. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/20 "2011-03-18T06:23:15Z")
Wow, how generous of you, **Dutchman**. I’m sure Japan will be very pleased to hear this. :rolleyes: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091.md?page=2)