# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/41 "2011-03-18T17:23:48Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Well, that explains their dominance in the field of karate. Well _I’m_ laughing at this one.😃 I’m picturing a hundred school kids buffing the floor chanting in unison, “Wax on…” ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/42 "2011-03-18T17:32:51Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > You think the US hasn’t done similar shit? Ever heard of the Tuskegee experiement? Did you know we gave Saddam chemical wepaons to hose the Kurds with? > > It’s asinine to suggest that one nationlity of people can somehow be more evil or more “disgusting” than any other group. That’s magical thinking. Yes, because torturing 399 people vs 780,000 people is exactly the same on the scale of evil acts. :rolleyes: Talk about magical thinking… ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/43 "2011-03-18T17:34:09Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#): > > Where’s the looting you read about in virtually every other disaster ? I agree that there has been a lot of heroism in the Japanese response to the disaster. But in regard to looting, I thought I’d mention this. On MSNBC last night, Ed Schultz had a response to Glenn Beck’s claim that there was “no looting” in Japan (Beck was using this as an example of how America, by contrast, has lost its moral compass). Schultz’ counterargument was: 1. Nothing to loot. Many of the areas hit by the tsunami now largely consist of piles of waterlogged rubbish. 2. Nobody to do the looting. In the area surrounding that nuclear plant, people have either evacuated or are closed up in their houses. 3. Actually, there has been looting; Beck was simply wrong. Probably the amount of looting has been small, but see (1) & (2). ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/44 "2011-03-18T17:40:59Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > …what country doesn’t have skeletons in its closet? The U.S. enslaved much of its own populace, massacred Filipino citizens by the thousand, annihilated Indian tribes. The British have even more blood on their hands. France’s history is drenched in blood. Hell, even Belgium has a lot of cruelty and murder in its history. Let’s not even get into Germany or Russia. I consider the histories of all countries in my picture of them. I have actually argued that Belgian colonial brutality is too little remembered. Of course I consider positive aspects of those histories as well as negative. The present is made of the past. ---
**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 19, 2011, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/45 "2011-03-19T00:28:56Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > 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. I don’t understand why you group them together as a people. They aren’t all of one mind. This is horrible. Horrible. I can’t believe you really think like this. It can’t be. > [@HazelNutCoffee](#): > > 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.) I teach in America(public schools). 7th Grade. My kids erase the board, change the date on it, and do tons of other stuff, too. They like to help. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![xoferew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/e9a140/32.png) [@xoferew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xoferew)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/46 "2011-03-19T00:43:00Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Women don’t get to smoke in Japanese schools? The head teacher’s wife smoked. Apparently no one in the town knew it because she would only smoke in her own home, in the bathroom, leaning over the toilet bowl. Apparently she and her husband both felt it was highly inappropriate for her to smoke. (People tell you all kinds of things when you are moving out of the country.) ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/47 "2011-03-19T01:41:50Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > 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. Now why, exactly, did I read that? ☹ ---
**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 19, 2011, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/48 "2011-03-19T01:46:59Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > 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. Plus, the whole Chinpokemon thing. ---
**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 19, 2011, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/49 "2011-03-19T02:38:56Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I’m boggled at the notion that people are still judging the Japanese by what happened in World War II. It’s apparently not just the OP - oh, rape of Nanking, Unit 731, and they never apologized! > > Aside from the fact they have apologized, Jesus Christ, guys; what country doesn’t have skeletons in its closet? The U.S. enslaved much of its own populace, massacred Filipino citizens by the thousand, annihilated Indian tribes. The British have even more blood on their hands. France’s history is drenched in blood. Hell, even Belgium has a lot of cruelty and murder in its history. Let’s not even get into Germany or Russia. > > Why is Japan getting picked out? Why are they different? Oh… oh, right. Because they are still revanchist over their former imperial territories. You don’t see Germany calling for East Prussia back despite it having been German for centuries as compared to Dokdo which Japan annexed only in the last century. > [@Raguleader](#): > > Because the topic is about the Japanese? Going on about Naziism would just be an off-topic invocation of Godwin’s Law. And I haven’t heard Japan’s misdeeds in WWII get dragged out in general any more than I have those of Germany, Russia, or the US during the same war. Rather less than those of Germany, obviously. > > For what its worth, the Japanese were also ultimately responsible for providing haven for tens of thousands of Jews during the Holocaust, due to both official actions and individual government agents working independently. You might be interested in reading about Chiune Sugihara and the Shanghai Ghetto (two different topics, actually) Incidentally a German Nazi at Nanjing protected several hundred Chinese lives and spoke out for them-it worked both ways apparently. > [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Would you like a list of American atrocities the US hasn’t apologized for? We could start with Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Are you seriously saying the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were war crimes? Japan wasn’t going to surrender so our only three options were 1) drop the nukes, 2) blockade and bombard Japan, or 3) launch an amphibious invasion of Japan and the latter two options would have dragged out the war longer and cost millions of more lives on both sides. > [@](#): > > > [@Rigamarole](#): > > > > The very foundation of our country was based on rape and murder. Remember all those Native Americans that used to live here? Yeah. > > It was never the policy of the US government to kill every Indian or even to slaughter them in general-they wished to “get them out of the way” not good obviously but not morally equivalent. > > > [@](#): > > > > Even if you want to limit yourself to the last 100 years (which is a little bit arbitrary), it’s not like U.S. soldiers have never raped, murdered, or used biological weapons. Maybe not as many all at once, but the point that we have no claim to overall moral superiority remains. Canadians though, I dunno. They do have free healthcare. Are we responsible for the actions of every US citizen? US soldiers did not rape or engage in wanton slaughter by the policy of the US government in the last century and did those who did were often punished. In Japan it was the exact opposite. > [@Mahaloth](#): > > I don’t understand why you group them together as a people. They aren’t all of one mind. > > This is horrible. Horrible. I can’t believe you really think like this. It can’t be. No I don’t obviously. I’m speaking of a large portion of the Japanese population. ---
**Author:** ![dhkendall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@dhkendall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dhkendall)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/50 "2011-03-19T02:44:43Z")
> [@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. So, let me get this straight, 66-ish years ago, after the bomb was dropped, you would have said “Good, those bastards had it coming! I hope they stay bombed into the stone age!” But now, after faced with similar devastation (only caused by God/Mother Nature/forces of nature/whatever instead of man/the US government) you feel pity and want to help? No judgment calls, just checking. Personally, I never judge a whole nation of people based on the actions of its government. I don’t blame the Germans during WWII (screw Godwin!) for the Holocaust, but I have a major beef with the people in the government who decided on the “Final Solution”. I don’t blame the everyday Japanese of WWII for the Rape of Nanking, but their government’s decision was barbaric. I also don’t harbor any resentment towards the average 19th century American, but the travesty of the “Trail of Tears” (to name one) rests on a few politicians’ shoulders. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/51 "2011-03-19T03:45:41Z")
Flying Dutchman - can you share your approximate age and nationality? Were you or any of your relatives involved in the WW2 Pacfic Theater. It helps give a context for your post. (hell your post could be my father, WW2 Pacific Theater and Korean War combat vet). ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/52 "2011-03-19T04:02:56Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Because they are still revanchist over their former imperial territories. You don’t see Germany calling for East Prussia back despite it having been German for centuries as compared to Dokdo which Japan annexed only in the last century. Curtis, you do realize that it is a tiny proportion of the right wing nutbags that hold this view? Most of ‘em drive a big ol’ honkin’ bus too! 😃 The Japan That Can Say No epitomizes these freaks. They are worst and more fringe than the birther born agains. ---
**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 19, 2011, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/53 "2011-03-19T04:52:34Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#): > > Flying Dutchman - can you share your approximate age and nationality? Were you or any of your relatives involved in the WW2 Pacfic Theater. It helps give a context for your post. (hell your post could be my father, WW2 Pacific Theater and Korean War combat vet). Sixty, Canadian and born Dutch. Had relatives in Indonesia during the war. My past attitudes reflect influence by Hollywood as well as older relatives, articles and television documentaries. I don’t believe my attitude at the time was all that unusual. I’m not going to be sorry about it. In fact it coincided with an attitude that Japanese internment on the west coast was a bad thing, so I hope that will allay any fears that I’m a racist on the issue. Its too bad so many want to focus on the negative side of my OP. Outrage must be so compelling. ---
**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 19, 2011, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/54 "2011-03-19T05:12:00Z")
**Dutchman** , it’s because you come off like those who say “well, those Jews are so smart and well-educated!” Or, “blacks are always such good dancers!” Or, “they’re a credit to their race!” :rolleyes: ---
**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 19, 2011, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/55 "2011-03-19T07:17:57Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Women don’t get to smoke in Japanese schools? Nor in Korean schools. Those women, especially teachers, who are smokers never smoke at shool or in the neighoring areas. > [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > Well _I’m_ laughing at this one.😃 I’m picturing a hundred school kids buffing the floor chanting in unison, “Wax on…” Get with the times! 🙂 The new mantra is “Jacket off, jacket on.” & I do not want to know what it will be if they remake that Karate Kid 4. ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/56 "2011-03-19T09:04:07Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > What exactly did they do in WWII that was so disgusting that the U.S. has never done? Get nuked? How about enjoying our downed aviator’s livers with some fava beans and a nice chianti? [Link](http://www.amazon.com/Flyboys-Story-Courage-James-Bradley/dp/0316105848) ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/57 "2011-03-19T15:05:36Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#): > > Sixty, Canadian and born Dutch. Had relatives in Indonesia during the war. My past attitudes reflect influence by Hollywood as well as older relatives, articles and television documentaries. Thanks for that. I get your post and where you’re coming from, but suspect the younger board members do not. When you grew up, Japan had been the enemy and was the defeated enemy that had committed an awful lot of atrocities. Also by virtue of being Dutch with relatives in Indonesia, where the Dutch were to say the least poorly treated during the war, you had influence people with personal baggage. It is also likely that you did not have interaction with the Japanese community in Canada. The unparalled crisis in Japan showed you a very different side of the Japanese, and has changed your view to a much more positive light. Fair statement me thinks. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/58 "2011-03-19T15:33:33Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#): > > Its too bad so many want to focus on the negative side of my OP. Outrage must be so compelling. Even the “positive” side of your OP is offensive. You used to think the Japanese people were disgusting for events that happened many years ago, and a single event has changed your mind - now they’re “heros” (sic). Are you not aware that the world and nations are more complex than that? Your distilling the attributes of millions of people to simplistic concepts is gross. ---
**Author:** ![Nadir](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nadir/32/7302_2.png) [@Nadir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nadir)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/59 "2011-03-19T15:53:36Z")
Sometimes I read a thread like this and think “OMG.” And hit the back button. This time it was so bad I typed this first… ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091/60 "2011-03-19T16:09:01Z")
> [@dhkendall](#): > > Personally, I never judge a whole nation of people based on the actions of its government. I don’t blame the Germans during WWII (screw Godwin!) for the Holocaust, but I have a major beef with the people in the government who decided on the “Final Solution”. What about the citizens who helped the Nazis by doing things such as reporting their neighbors who were Jews? I’m certainly not saying that all Germans were participants in the atrocities. There are many stories of people trying to help the persecuted or resist the Nazis at great personal risk. But it’s not like all the wrongdoing was done by government officials in that particular case. Ordinary people are very capable of doing terrible things unfortunately. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-opinion-of-japanese-people/575091.md?page=4)