I can't read what the last part of the 3 picture says. Dang font...

julianjalapeno wrote:

安心

the last part said 心？ Man the font gave me a completely different kanji then what I thought it was. I got the first part but the last part. Guess it's ok.... was anyone else able to read it correctly?

Judging by the context I`m guessing its anshin.

@Tzadeck i have only been to Japan for ten days - Do you think Japanese men are sexist too?

HonyakuJoshua wrote:

@Tzadeck i have only been to Japan for ten days - Do you think Japanese men are sexist too?

Sexism is a hard topic for me to talk about because it’s very complicated and because I don’t agree with most of the things I’ve read or heard from others about sexism.
   
Japanese society is more sexist than America in the sense that there are fewer things that women can do when they are mistreated by men, both socially and legally.  If they are being sexually harassed at the workplace the social expectation is that they just kind of ignore it, and it’s hard to break that social norm.   But, when it comes to sexism, the lack of laws or institutions to support women’s rights is always more important than social norms, and that is really lacking in Japan. 

I know a Japanese girl that was the victim of domestic violence twice in her life (that is, two different men), and I was close friends with her at the time of the second incident and tried to help her.  I quickly realized that there were not a lot legally that could be done in that situation, that nobody really cared about it, that in her prefecture there was only one large organization to help her and its staff couldn’t really provide any concrete help, and that her moving in with me (to get her out of her bad living situation) would have been frowned upon by the company she worked for and in general.

I also was an acquaintance with a girl (one of my ex-girlfriend’s good friends) who was a nurse and was heavily sexually harassed by the more than one doctor she had worked for in the course of her career, and there wasn’t really anything she could do about it.

Things like molestations really are super-frequent in Japan, as well.

But, I don’t really think that Japanese men are sexist, so much as Japanese society is more sexist, if you know what I mean.  I think that there are societal norms about how men act, how women act, and how they act towards each other.  These societal norms are more sexist in Japan than in America.  Both men and women, unfortunately, fall into perpetuating these societal norms.  (I don't mean to blame the victim by including women here.  The opposite, actually, I mean to criticize the norms themselves rather than the men or the women.)

There are individual men who are sexist or do awful things to women in Japan, and I think the percentage of the male population who do such things is probably higher in Japan than in America.  But individual men and their sexism or immorality should be judged individually.  Only the social norms, lack of laws protecting women, and lack of institutions to help women should be judged in a more general way.

Last edited by Tzadeck (2012 February 29, 6:47 pm)

Tzadeck wrote:

But, I don’t really think that Japanese men are sexist, so much as Japanese society is more sexist, if you know what I mean.  I think that there are societal norms about how men act, how women act, and how they act towards each other.  These societal norms are more sexist in Japan than in America.  Both men and women, unfortunately, fall into perpetuating these societal norms.  (I don't mean to blame the victim by including women here.  The opposite, actually, I mean to criticize the norms themselves rather than the men or the women.)

Its hard to say, but I would say its abuse of power more than anything else. I think there is enough info in the media and while you grow up to solidify an idea that DV and sexual harassment are bad things. Its because of the Senpai/Kohai system and just a general "those above" and "those below," and the level of respect you give them, that opens the door for abuse.

There are some societies where you could say that there are no norms or rhetoric about not abusing women/being sexist, and in the instances I believe you could say many don't see anything wrong with their actions. I'm thinking about a number of middle eastern countries here on this. Japan is fast becoming a country that can't use an excuse like this.

Tzadeck wrote:

Japanese society is more sexist than America in the sense that there are fewer things that women can do when they are mistreated by men, both socially and legally.  If they are being sexually harassed at the workplace the social expectation is that they just kind of ignore it, and it’s hard to break that social norm.   But, when it comes to sexism, the lack of laws or institutions to support women’s rights is always more important than social norms, and that is really lacking in Japan.

I was thinking the opposite before reading that line, because even if there's laws and institutions that support women's rights, with the wrong social norm, women won't speak, because they will fear the society's look! In that area, Japan seems (from what I selectively gathered from the Internet) like a backward third world country! I hope they don't have tribal thinking and always look at one's family name!

Last edited by undead_saif (2012 February 29, 6:10 am)

Shakunatz wrote:

I totally agree. I remember when I first came to Japan I was excited about 六本木・渋谷・秋葉原. I remember taking photo of vending machines and electric toilets because they were so unusual to me. But now, the more I understand Japanese the more I got interested in normal things as literature, laughter show, etc... The biggest advantage of speaking a decent Japanese is that I can enjoy adult conversation with my father in law. However, the big(?) disadvantage of speaking Japanese is that I finally see Japan as just another country (as it was supposed to be from the beginning, though) as I am finally aware of their politics, television programs, rigid/hierarchical social structures/mentalities, amount of sexual-related crime, condensed living design, etc..
However,　most of those things are the ones I dislike of my own country so I think that`s not a great deal.

That's almost to the letter what I would have answered.  The more Japanese you speak, the more Japan stops being a fantastic place and starts becoming, well, just a place.  You can more clearly see both good and bad.  But maybe that comes with just living here for a while too, regardless of the language.

weak?

@Inny Jam I have heard "Empty vessels make the most noise" but your examples sound a bit clunky... Not having a go or anything

Last edited by HonyakuJoshua (2012 February 29, 10:23 am)

there is only so much the human mind can do...

I think the way society treats the role of women in Japan is a huge factor in a lot of Japan's problems, economically and socially. If a country is underutilising half of the human resources and overworking the other half it's obviously inefficient and unhealthy.

It would have made sense when most jobs were physical, but now when so many jobs are more based on mental skills the model of working husband and housewife is outdated, but that's where Japan seems to be stuck. Not everyone, but most people...

Just thought I'd throw that out there.

Inny Jan wrote:

kainzero wrote:

the puns are strong with this one...

LOL, that's the best pan I've heard ever, no need to SRS it.

It sounds like you guys are trying to take a swipe at me, but I honestly have no idea what you are talking about.