hikky said:ukonkivi said:
Old Japan was oppressive and horrid. Not that the political structure of current Japan doesn't leave something to be desired either.
Which is why I prefer the more romanticized prettied up versions of Japan's ancient past. Just like I do my own European history(yes I'm an American, even even our recent old history is pretty boring, interesting was stuff like the Viking ages, not those boring pilgrims). Europe > America. At least as far the interest of history is concerned. Imho.
Interest in history of Japan for me is concerned with the more mystical and the good elements of old Japan. I made a Shinto group after all.
And "obsessive" is a very subjective word, and most people use it in the case of Japan to mean "more interests for Japan than I have myself", such as food.
It's a matter of having tastes. If you have a cultural interest. It's a taste. It's a fucking goddamn taste. And staring and stuff about Japanese nationalism all day and experiencing some less than desirable aspects of Japan constantly, may not be enough to rewrite that taste. Just as much as Japan's problems may not be enough to make you stop from liking anime.
But apparently, people don't follow this logic. And a cultural interest it's as a subjective realm treated objectively. Just like some music is supposed to be superior to other music. Apparently we think things that have no objective truth have to be treated objectively.
Taste. Taste. It's not a grass is always greener thing. You're pinning people down to where they live. It's like liking the color green or the color blue more. And pinning down culture taste like that down on people from where they are born, and demeaning those who take interest in other cultures as having a "grass is greener" complex, or will need to "wake up and smell the whatever", is demeaning, rude, and nationalist.
I'm not inferring that having a cultural interest is naiive or whatever, I'm inferring that the person who posted about Japan's history didn't actually know much about Japanese history, and if he did, probably wouldn't find it all that nice. It's like if you said Europe was historically a safe haven for science, art, and reason, but you only actually knew about the renaissance.
And I don't see why that would be demeaning, rude, or nationalistic. The Japan that many anime fans love simply does not exist. How can one claim to know about or love a culture if they can't form an accurate depiction of it, including its shortcomings and troubles? As for nationalistic, that's hilarious. I'm inferring that Japan is a real place with real people and real struggles, it is not anime world and it is not the far-off realm of eternal happiness. It is different from other cultures, it is not better than other cultures as many anime fans imagine. Not suggesting my country is any better than Japan. If you want nationalism, one of the best countries to look to, even today, is Japan, though... and that is the fault of their culture and history, although it's changing for the better.
But then again, you're telling me it's a matter of taste. I was claiming that
living in Japan is a case of the grass is greener. I don't know that you can reprimand me for that and claim I'm being demeaning if you've never lived in Japan.