10 Reasons America Is Better Than Japan
May 26th, 2008
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Last time, we looked at 10 Reasons Japan Is Better Than America. But don’t worry, the good ol’ US of A still has plenty going for it. Let’s look at 10 advantages of living in the land of the free and the home of the brave.
1. Credit cards.
Visa: it’s everywhere you want to be…except in Japan. With the exception of one major tourist trap (Kyoto Handicraft Center), I didn’t see a single place in Kyoto or Tokyo that accepts credit cards. And checks are almost unheard of too, so people just use cash all the time. My friends over there even have to pay their rent in cash each month. They might as well shortcut the process and have everyone wear a sign saying “Please mug me.”
2. Water.
In the U.S., every restaurant gives you water right away and will continue to give you as much as you want. In Japan, you don’t get cold water unless you ask for it, and if you do, it will come in something the size of a Dixie cup. At one place they were nice enough to bring us a pitcher of water because they knew that Americans are weird and need water to survive. They say that Japanese people get enough water from other things, but I don’t see how. I was thirsty all the time.
3. Napkins and toilet paper.
Most Japanese restaurants don’t give you napkins, which seems especially odd in a country where it’s OK to slurp your noodles. It seems even more odd since a few places give you wet naps, which is more than you really need. And Japan has only recently begun putting toilet paper in bathrooms. (Perhaps this is another reason why they don’t shake hands.) Some companies have apparently noticed an opportunity here, and they have people standing on street corners handing out tissues with advertising on the package.
4. Affordable fruit.
Fruit is outrageously expensive in Japan. I saw some melons that cost $50 and are given as graduation presents (I’m not kidding!). Excuse me while I go eat a 15 cent banana.
5. You can do things your way.
One of the kanji characters is simply a box. But you can’t draw it however you like. First you have to draw the left side in a downward stroke, then you pick up the pen, go to the upper left, and draw across and down, then you pick up the pen, go to the bottom left, and draw across. The process is more important than the results. If there’s this much emphasis on the right way to draw a box, I can understand why my friend has to go through 24 weeks of classes to have a rudimentary understanding of how to drink tea properly.
6. Relatively little discrimination.
I won’t say that there’s no discrimination in the U.S., but there’s a lot less of it than there is in Japan. Right now we have a black man and a woman running for the Democratic presidential nomination. Granted, that’s for the first time, but it shows progress.
In Japan, they discriminate heavily by age and sex. They even discriminate against people who were born and raised in Japan, who just happen to have some Chinese or Korean blood. And they even discriminate against pure-blood Japanese, born and raised in Japan, who have ever set foot outside the country. People who leave and come back have to go to a special school to be re-Japanized, and they are never fully accepted ever again.
7. You can breathe the air.
Say what you will about the air pollution in the U.S.; at least you don’t need to wear a mask. The Japanese cut down massive numbers of trees to rebuild the country after World War II, and they planted cedar trees to replace them. When the trees pollinated thirty years later, they discovered that a fifth of the population is highly allergic to cedar. For six weeks every spring, you’ll see many people wearing masks to protect themselves from the pollen.
8. Casual clothes.
While you do see some people wearing jeans in Japan, you also see just about every guy wearing a suit to work, you see every kid wearing their school uniform, and you see women wearing their elaborate kimono. A complete kimono outfit with all the accessories can cost over $20,000, which makes a $50 melon look like the bargain of the century. Women usually need a professional kimono dresser to choose the appropriate style and help put it on, and in the past the kimono had to be taken apart into twelve separate pieces, washed, and resewn. This all seems awfully elaborate for daily life. Now that Memorial Day is here, I’m allowed to wear shorts to work on Fridays.
9. You can eat cookies the first time you’re invited to.
In Japan, if someone offers you cookies and you accept right away, you’ve branded yourself as a greedy pig. A person with a reasonable amount of self discipline will wait until the fourth time they’re asked before finally giving in. It makes me wonder when you ever get to be yourself, without putting on a facade.
10. The U.S. isn’t too proud to import foreign goods.
If another country can make something better or cheaper, the U.S. will usually be happy to buy it from them. The Japanese people think that American beef isn’t compatible with the Japanese digestive tract, and that French skis don’t work on Japanese snow. It was a bit ridiculous of us to snub France with “Freedom Fries,” but we’d never pretend that French potatoes don’t work in American stomachs.
Japan has some wonderful aspects to their culture, but overall, I’m very happy to be an American. What about you?
May 26th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
[...] American car companies are proud to have some models that get more than 20 miles per gallon. The Japanese have recently built a robot that can play the trumpet. Who do you think is more likely to enslave mankind? Japan has its strengths, but it certainly has its weaknesses too. We’ll look at the flip side of the coin next time, and see why America is better than Japan. [...]
May 26th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Good list, but a couple of thoughts.
1. Credit cards.
Visa: it’s everywhere you want to be…
America as a nation lives on credit, and therefore debt. Japan has a current account balance of some $195,900,000,000, while the USA has -$747,100,000,000. Yes, minus. (Source.)
I’m not sure credit cards have ever been a good thing for Western societies. Debit cards, perhaps, because unless you have an overdraft with no limit there’s only so much you can spend, but credit cards equate to disaster for a lot of people, and even most successful people at some point in their lives (cutting up credit cards or overcoming massive debt is often the motivation those same people needed to rebuild their lives).
9. You can eat cookies the first time you’re invited to.
In Japan, if someone offers you cookies and you accept right away, you’ve branded yourself as a greedy pig. A person with a reasonable amount of self discipline will wait until the fourth time they’re asked before finally giving in…
While the Japanese way is, as usual, a bit odd, this again may go someway to explaining why the USA (and, indeed, the UK) has such problem with obesity. Perhaps we’d do better if we all turned down those cookies the first time they were offered? Just imagine the impact, in a ‘pay it forward’ kind of way, because not everybody offers twice, let alone four times!
Regarding the discrimination, Japan is a notoriously racist country but America is hardly a world leader in tolerance. Relatively it might be better (or appear so), but many nations have a history of racial tension and prejudice, and the USA is no different. It’s just perhaps not as blatant…
Sheamuss last blog post..The Problem Of Clutter (And What I Intend To Do About It)
May 26th, 2008 at 7:43 pm
OMG, I laughed so hard at “Perhaps this is another reason why they don’t shake hands”.
This is an interesting list, full of interesting – and funny – observations. The Japanese society is highly traditional, patriarchal, and quite afraid of progress and change, isn’t it.
As an immigrant woman who likes to drink water, breathe clean air and wear jeans almost every day, I must say I am very happy to live in the United States.
Vereds last blog post..A Peek Into My Portfolio: 5 Great International Funds
May 26th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
America sure can suck, but I still love it.
Nicoles last blog post..Stimulate This
May 27th, 2008 at 2:12 am
Hi Hunter,
I’m proud to be an American, but do feel we can also learn from other cultures.
Barbara Swaffords last blog post..NBOTW Teaches Simplicity
May 27th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Your post made me laugh!
Something both countries have in common is a strong sense of nationalism. It’s not something I’m overly fond of…
I visited Japan a couple of years ago and it struck me as a country where it would be hard to settle because it’s not a country with an immigrant tradition. That’s why there’s a lot more suspicion of and discrimination against foreigners than you find in immigrant countries like Australia, New Zealand, USA, Argentina, or Brazil – just to name a few.
cheers
Mary
May 27th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
@ Sheamus, those are some scary statistics! I’ve never seen credit cards as a means to buy more than you can afford, because credit card purchases don’t seem any less real to me than cash purposes. If credit cards put someone in debt, then yes, they’re a terrible thing. I use credit cards to reduce the risk of theft, to save trips to the ATM, to avoid dealing with change, and to have a record of my transactions. So I guess you can replace #1 with debit cards, which have those same advantages. To me, debit cards have always seemed identical to credit cards, except there’s a chance of having to pay an overdraft fee if you don’t transfer enough money into your checking account. And I guess it would take more work to balance your checkbook because of all the extra transactions.
Regarding the cookies, I can’t be sure of this, but my understanding is that both parties know that one person wants the cookies and has to pretend they don’t, while the other person knows they have to offer them four times. If the outcome is the same, I’d just skip the charade.
@ Vered, so we appreciate some of the same things. I’m not an immigrant, but I still try not to take these things for granted.
@ Nicole, nice way to put it!
@ Barbara, I think learning from other cultures is key if we want to improve. When we get in a rut and forget why we do things, that’s when we get in trouble.
@ Mary, thanks for laughing! I think the attitude they have with foreigners is that they’re welcome to visit for a short while, but then they need to go back where they belong. Not such a good deal if you think you belong there, and they don’t agree. Sheamus said that America is hardly a world leader in tolerance, which I guess is true, but we’re certainly friendlier to immigrants.
May 28th, 2008 at 2:58 am
Hi Hunter – just wanted to let you know I’ve really enjoyed your 2 Japan posts – now you’ll have to come to Australia…
(BTW – did you know that water drunk with meals dilutes the digestive juices, leading to digestive problems? Just thought I’d share that with you – he he)
Robins last blog post..The Fountain of Youth
May 28th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
[...] At a time when it’s easy to hate America, Hunter pulls this out. [...]
May 28th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
Robin, I think Australia would be a great place to visit. Then I could write a post about apple pie vs. koala bears. I didn’t know that water leads to digestive problems…that’s a problem, isn’t it? But water also fills up your stomach and makes you less hungry. Hmmm…
May 29th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
Hi Hunter: I’m not from the States and I don’t currently live there, but I did live in Connecticut for two years when I was small and then I went to college and law school in Washington, DC. I agree with you that the whole offer a cookie 4 times is a bit much. I think life is a lot easier if you’re just open and direct. For example, when I ask my mother, my sister, or my brother what they want for their birthday they’ll usually say: “Oh, I don’t know, you don’t have to get me anything” (of course, they know they’re getting a gift and are looking forward to it). When they ask me what I want for my birthday I tell them exactly what I want, how much it costs, and where they can it. I also agree with Vered that water, jeans, and clean air are very important. That being said, I’d love to visit Japan.
Marelisas last blog post..Awakening the Warrior
May 29th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
Marelisa, you sound like you make it very easy for people to buy you presents! I like explicit instructions a lot better than the “oh, I don’t know” thing. But then again, I just don’t like the gift exchange rituals we do, and maybe some people really like to be surprised. I think it’s always good to be direct, when possible.
May 30th, 2008 at 1:07 am
[...] expected 10 Reasons Japan Is Better Than America and 10 Reasons America Is Better Than Japan to be slightly controversial, but I still didn’t understand why there were so many angry [...]
May 31st, 2008 at 8:19 am
Both lists were a fun read. I think you miss the biggest difference in the countries (though you do brush against it a few times). The big difference is the individualism vs. conformity. This really shows up in the creativity of both countries. The U.S. is always creating something new, whether it be good or bad. The Japanese don’t invent much new, but work to perfect the devices they acquire from other countries. Both have their merits.
Chads last blog post..Have a Great Weekend!
May 31st, 2008 at 6:36 pm
@ Chad, good observation. I wasn’t really sure how much creativity there is in Japan. The principle of kaizen, with each person striving to find a better way to do things, seems to conflict with the idea that there can be no deviation from the established procedures. If someone finds a better way to draw a box, should they tell someone and be rewarded? Or will they be reprimanded for not doing it the right way?
May 31st, 2008 at 7:56 pm
in response to #9
ITS A TRAP!
May 31st, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Thanks. Just to clarify my point a little more. I don’t have any doubt they are great incremental innovators. Toyota, Honda, Sony (in the 80’s), etc. are all great examples of companies that took inventions from other places and perfected them. However, I don’t think they are great at the BIG ideas. The risk required to go for broke on an entirely new idea seems to be a little foreign to their culture. The U.S. seems to be the opposite (Apple/IBM in the 70’s & 80’s, Google, investment banks, etc.).
By no means am I saying the U.S. can’t perfect a product or that Japan can’t create something entirely new. However, the odds seemed stacked in opposite directions for both countries.
Chads last blog post..Have a Great Weekend!
June 1st, 2008 at 12:10 pm
@ maximus, yes, it’s a trap because most visitors would accept the cookies the first time, then wonder why everyone was staring at them with their jaw dropped!
@ Chad, thanks for the clarification. I think you’re probably right in your assessment.
June 5th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
hey hunter, i enjoyed this post. i “read” about it on barbara’s blog, but never made it over here. you are in my reader and i’m just getting to it. will pass it alone. very informative.
Naturals last blog post..What My Clothes Reveal About Me
June 5th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
@ Natural, this post (and the previous one) is certainly a good example for illustrating Barbara’s point about controversy, though I didn’t intend it to be that way. Glad you enjoyed it!
June 8th, 2008 at 11:59 pm
Suggestions from someone who lived in Japan:
#11 Mexican food – ok, so this isn’t only American, obviously, but I sure missed it.
#12 “Innocent until proven guilty” – the conviction rate is 98% in Japan, compared to 80% in America.
#13 No secret executions – family members are notified BEFORE the execution, not after, as in Japan. Also, criminals in Japan are notified on the morning of their execution, even if they’ve been sitting on death row for 30 years.
#14 The Humane Society – never, never go to a Japanese zoo; unless you want to cry.
#15 Open spaces and parks – yes, there are some parks in Japan, but compare Ueno in Tokyo to Central Park in NYC, and you’ll see what I mean.
Japan has a lot of positive things going for it too, but I wanted to throw out a few criticisms lest we Americans bow to self loathing.
June 9th, 2008 at 6:03 am
Wow! Some of those are rather serious negatives like no Mexican food…kidding. One good question would be the number of executions they perform in a year. You have any idea?
It would also be interesting to know how many suspects never get to court. Maybe they only take people to court when the evidence is overwhelming. I have no idea, but it’s just a thought.
Of course, we need to keep in mind, this is a culture that advocated painful suicide for certain casts of society if they dishonored themselves.
Chad @ sentient moneys last blog post..NO BONDS!
June 9th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
@ Algernon, thanks for those additions!
@ Chad, fortunately I didn’t get to observe the justice system while I was there, because I behaved myself! These are good questions though. I know that the samurai didn’t fear death in part because Buddhism blurs the distinction between life and death, so hara-kiri wasn’t such a big deal.
June 9th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
@ Chad, I’m not sure how many executions are performed per year, but they’re usually for multiple homicides. I remember one that involved a man who was arrested in the 1970s, sat on death row for about 30 years, and was told on the morning of his execution that he was going to die that day. His family and the press were only notified after his execution. I understand this to be standard procedure.
As for how many go to trial — I’m not sure, but if you’re arrested you’re presumed to be guilty, so it has to be a high percentage.
My only run-in with the law occurred when my bike light stopped working on the way home from the gym. I was stopped and searched by four police officers for 30 minutes. They were polite, but unbelievably thorough. They even counted my pocket change!
June 9th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
@ Algernon, that must have been pretty nerve-wracking, being searched so thoroughly by people who I guess were determined to find something, after you had done nothing wrong. We definitely enjoy a higher standard of due process in the U.S.
June 10th, 2008 at 5:16 am
That’s enough to drop Japan a few notches down the “must visit” list.
Chad @ sentient moneys last blog post..NO BONDS!
June 12th, 2008 at 2:28 am
Tell me you don’t believe a lot of what you’ve written above and i’ve totalled missed your sense of humour? I thought i must have until i read some comments where people are agreeing and believing you.
Then as i type this comment i wondered whether i was on the right post with my reply and then noticed there’s the opposite rebutal saying why Japan is better.
Hurridly i opened another browser and read that post … it fits a lot better now.
I must say i strongly agree with number 8 on the other post. There’s a LOT to be said for living in Japan if you like Japanese women!
I’ll be back to read more of your work in the future.
Neil Ducketts last blog post..Yakuza Moon By Shoko Tendo
June 12th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
Neil, yes, you really have to read both posts to see the big picture. A lot of people only read one of them and took it too seriously. The point is that both countries have their pros and cons. Hope to see you here again.
June 17th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
Hey Hunter, same as with your last “Japan Better than America”, article, I commented on this one at my blog:
http://www.homejapan.com/2008/06/commenting_on_10_reasons_america_is_better_than_japan
Sorry for putting my comments there; I just wrote too much to fit into a comment here. I wish I could have agreed with you on more points, but this time around, it’s mostly disagreement… : /
I do realize, though, that you’re not necessarily all that serious about every item on your list. The “rebuttal” on my site is mainly aimed at anyone who *does* take all your items at face value.
(Incidentally, I placed a comment on the last “Japan/Aemrica” article of yours, but it’s been “in moderation” for days now. I suppose this one will be in moderation a long time too. Will either of my comments actually appear on your site?)
A few comments on other comments here:
@Vered: “The Japanese society is … quite afraid of progress and change, isn’t it.”
Can’t agree with that at all. Japan is extremely open to progress and change, and has changed drastically over the years.
“As an immigrant woman who likes to drink water, breathe clean air and wear jeans almost every day, I must say I am very happy to live in the United States.”
Decent water, clean air, and jeans? Contrary to what you may have read here, those describe Japan just fine.
@Chad: “The Japanese don’t invent much new…”
Very untrue. An old stereotype that’s just not supported by patents, by technologies invented, by products hitting the market, etc.
@Algernon: “#14 The Humane Society – never, never go to a Japanese zoo; unless you want to cry.”
Don’t go to one of the bad, old zoos, true. Do go to nicer ones like Zoorasia near Yokohama. May or may not be world-class in terms of modern zoo practices, but I think it’s decent by any standard.
@Hunter: ” I know that the samurai didn’t fear death in part because Buddhism blurs the distinction between life and death, so hara-kiri wasn’t such a big deal.”
Hunter, without meaning to sound disrespectful, I would love to know where you get some of this stuff. The above is approaching Hollywood levels of “exotic Asia” goofiness!
Travelers last blog post..Commenting on "10 Reasons America Is Better Than Japan"
June 18th, 2008 at 12:24 am
@ Traveler, sorry for the delay in moderation; I was away for a few days. I left a note saying this on my most recent post, but I understand that you wouldn’t see that if you just stumbled across this post.
I’ll leave a comment on your blog to respond to some of your comments. For now though, let me tell you my sources for this information, since you asked. I don’t remember where I got that specific information about the samurai, but here are my main sources in general for information about Japan:
- my personal experiences during the 8 days I was there
- what I heard from my friends, Americans who had been living there for 8 months
- Wikipedia
- the book “Kata: The Key to Understanding and Dealing with the Japanese!” (yes, the title actually has an exclamation point)
- the book “Insight Guides: Japan”
I realize that none of these sources is perfect, and even all five together leave plenty of room for misunderstanding, but what I’ve said is accurate to the best of my knowledge. I’ll check out your blog now to see what you have to say about this.
June 18th, 2008 at 6:19 am
@ Traveler – “Very untrue. An old stereotype that’s just not supported by patents, by technologies invented, by products hitting the market, etc.”
I’m not saying they don’t improve on products or file patents (patents don’t mean you invented something brand new). I’m saying their specialty isn’t big break throughs. They are great at upgrading a product, such as the DVD to Blu Ray or at producing a product efficiently (cars), but the majority of the initial break throughs for computers, game systems (Ralph Baer), VCRs, MP3 players (Eiger Labs), GPS, first cell phone (Motorola), etc. weren’t invented in Japan. Even the initial DVD was a joint venture between roughly 10 global companies, with the majority being outside of Japan. I’m not saying they never have big break throughs, that would just be foolish, but if you had to bet where the next big leap will occur, I wouldn’t bet on Japan.
Chad @ sentient moneys last blog post..Financing a Start-up
June 21st, 2008 at 11:20 am
Chad, I understand what you’re saying, and it’s a common view. Not much point in discussing, though, as without defining a methodology for determining who is and isn’t “creative” or “innovative”, we’d just be throwing anecdotes back and forth.
The following does add some flavor to the topic, though:
“The surprising results of a global innovation study by the
Economist has found that Japan leads the global rankings
for innovation, followed by Switzerland, the USA, and
Sweden. The study looked at the per capita number of
patents a given country has made as well as executive
opinions about innovation in general. The study found that
Japan has 3.5 time the per capita submission of patents
visa vis the USA. In terms of research commitment, Japan
spent US$130m last year, behind the USA at US$330bn, and
China at US$136bn. (Source: TT commentary from ibtimes.com,
May 18, 2007)”
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20070518/japan-innovation-leader.htm
June 24th, 2008 at 8:29 am
Traveler, our definitions of innovation are obviously different. I don’t consider a better button on your electronic gadget to be innovation, but it would still have a patent.
Chad @ sentient moneys last blog post..Is Popeye Out of Spinach?
June 24th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Chad, I don’t know that our definitions differ, as neither has offered a definition.
But the key point: When claiming the existence of a thing – Martians, cold fusion, deities, whatever – the burden of empirical proof is upon whomever claims the existence. In this case, the claim is existence of a difference in innovation between two nations. Any empirical ( anecdotal) evidence out there?
Guessing at possible responses, one might be “No, I don’t have empirical proof; it’s my opinion.” If so, no problem; opinions labeled as opinions are perfectly fine and good! (I’ve got more than a few myself. : )
July 30th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
This jumped out at me and really surprised me:
“With the exception of one major tourist trap (Kyoto Handicraft Center), I didn’t see a single place in Kyoto or Tokyo that accepts credit cards.”
For a place that prides itself on development and use of technology, not accepting plastic payment seems strange. I wonder what the cultural background to that is?
True, debt is evil and ought to be avoided whenever possible, but credit cards (if payed on time and in full) can be a great convenience. Plus, if they don’t accept credit cards, they probably don’t take debit cards either (which don’t put you in debt).
I can’t fathom it.
Although, a cash only society is kind of cool.
July 30th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
@ Jesse, I agree that debt is bad, and I only use credit cards for convenience, not credit. Someone told me that the Japanese love technology when it makes things easier, but they think cash is working for them, so there’s no need to change.
July 30th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
@Jesse Hines: Japan DOES use credit cards. Left and right, up and down. I use credit cards here in Japan at restaurants, grocery stores, clothes stores, electronics stores, online stores, etc. etc., EVERY DAY. There are huge Japanese credit card companies, like JACCS. Credit card offers flow in through the mail. Even many taxis here take plastic!
A writer stating “I didn’t see a place that accepts credit cards” means exactly what it says, and nothing more: the writer didn’t see a place that accepts credit cards.
Thus, there is no “cultural background” to “not accepting plastic payment”. Japan does use credit cards.
July 30th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
Here are some links I just dug up about credit cards in Japan:
Credit card usage in Japan
“Although most guides to Japan tell you that credit cards are not widely accepted in Japan, that is becoming less and less of a problem every year as people start using credit cards more often.”
Japan’s Credit-Card Society:Killers and Victims
“‘In the old days, Japanese thought it shameful to borrow money,’ said Miyuki Miyabe. ‘This feeling of shame has declined and is almost unknown among the young. Today we live in a credit-card society where people panic when they get asked to repay their debts. So they take out another credit card and borrow money on it.’”
$5,000? Put It On My Cell
“In Japan, credit cards are used in just 8% of transactions, compared with more than 20% in the U.S.”
July 30th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Traveler,
Good point about the difference between the writer stating what he’s seen and what actually goes on.
Interesting that many taxis also use plastic.
Although, if you look at the links Hunter dug up, it appears there used to be a cultural issue with debt and credit cards in Japan and there may still be some residual effects from that. I say may because I don’t know; just asking questions.
Hunter,
Interesting links. Thanks for finding them.
Jesse Hiness last blog post..How Reading Blogs Almost Made Me Sick
July 30th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
There used to be a cultural issue with debt just about everywhere. Debt, borrowing, bankruptcy… You can go around the world, and find older people who really have an aversion to these things, and younger people who take them in stride. Easy comfort with debt is a modern thing.
I had a college prof long ago who tried to feed me the “Japan vs West” line on “cultural views of debt”, complete with the claim “the Japanese will never use credit cards, because it’s against their culture”. I didn’t buy it for a second, simply because he never offered proof!
Anyway, I expect there is a different (i.e., lower) rate of credit card use in Japan compared with the US. The question is, what’s the cause? Are there different structural factors in play (interest rates, ease of issuing new cards, ease of card use, etc.)? Is it due to differences in the availability and attractiveness of alternatives to cards? Is it just a matter of Japan taking time to catch up from a later start? Or is there a genuine “cultural” issue?
Unfortunately, it’s very hard to answer the question, as it’s impossible to experimentally isolate factors… So, the most comment “answer” out there will be the easiest one that requires no effort: “Oh, it’s a cultural difference”. : /
Travelers last blog post..A dose of dumb: Japanese special understanding of umbrellas
November 9th, 2008 at 12:33 am
I love that our beloved earth has ultravarious cultures so that we can learn from each others. How beautiful it is….
November 29th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Of course, Japan isn’t the save haven that people fed up with America may think it is.
I love that you did two posts giving 10 reasons each country is better than the other! Although I may not want to live in Japan for the rest of my life, I do want to at least visit it.
TheAndySan´s last blog post..Jason Becker Is In The News Again!
April 4th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
I gotta say, most of these facts are not accurate.
2) – The Japanese do serve you water, I don’t know where they didn’t serve water but most of the resturants do serve water
3) – They do serve napkins, and toilet papers
4) – Yes some Melons are expensive (such as the Square ones), but doesn’t mean they don’t have a general store to buy fruits
5) – The facts here are mainly because of tradition, not because you’re not allowed to
6) – Discrimination is everywhere not just Japan
7) – I’m guessing you’ve just been to the “city” like places in Japan such as Tokyo. In Japan, there are many trees, and nature
Why do I know this? Cause I’m from Japan! Just cause I’m posting this doesn’t mean America is bad or anything, I’m just saying that you exagerated everything of Japan.
April 5th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
@ MGassailant,
2) That wasn’t my experience.
3) Nor was that.
4) OK, but how much do they cost there?
5) My friend said his teacher showed signs of pain when he drew a character the wrong way. I think they’re pretty big on rules.
6) I specifically said there’s discrimination in the U.S., just a lot less than in Japan.
7) OK, but I didn’t say anything about the number of trees.
“I’m just saying that you exagerated everything of Japan.”
Aren’t you the one who’s exaggerating?
April 9th, 2009 at 11:23 pm
MGassailant, your objections are sensible. Many of the listed items are misleading if claimed as general facts about Japan. I (and others) made many of the same points; you can see my detailed take at http://www.homejapan.com/2008/06/commenting_on_10_reasons_america_is_better_than_japan .
Hunter, a friendly suggestion: If you change the title and tone of the article to, say, “10 Impressions Regarding Japan and America” or “10 Experiences I Had in Japan”, that’d fix much. Readers can still argue the factualness of items on the list, but no one can deny your claims of the personal impressions you received or the experiences you had!
Traveler´s last blog post..Re: A dose of wrong: The world’s most difficult language
April 10th, 2009 at 7:44 am
Hunter, the title is fine. Why? Because, the exact opposite title also exists on your site. On top of that, we are becoming a nation and world of whiners.
Chad @ Sentient Money´s last blog post..GM Going Bankrupt?
April 10th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
@ Traveler, Chad said it – the opposite title exists, and actually the pro-Japan one came first.
Your suggested titles are less likely to upset people, but they’re also less likely to grab their attention. I was shocked by how well these two posts did. One of them had received 29,000 visitors the last time I checked, and I’m sure the title is part of the reason why.
I wouldn’t use an irresponsible title just for the sake of traffic, but I think this one is reasonable enough. Everyone will know that what I say is based on my experiences and opinions, rather than some official assessment.
April 11th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
@Hunter: Yes, the opposite title exists. I have no idea how that’s relevant, other than as recognition that there are two misleading titles, not one.
I agree, the existing titles are much better traffic generators. It’s a matter of whether you want to put priority on traffic, or on giving your readers accurate info. Your site, your call.
I do think you underestimate the degree to which people take such articles as fact; comments like “very informative!” suggest that some do. Why wouldn’t they, when some items are presented as fact? When you write “The Japanese people think that American beef isn’t compatible with the Japanese digestive tract”, how would an uninformed reader know that this is a joke and not intended as a factual statement? If it were a list on CRACKED, sure, we’d know it’s all silliness, but how would a reader know that here? Is it something regular readers of the site know? Maybe so; I don’t know.
A revised friendly suggestion: A single line like “Don’t write any term papers based on this list; it’s just notes from my experiences, with tongue somewhat in cheek” would make the tone clear even for new visitors, and make the titles fine as well.
It’d also please cranky types like me: living in Japan, and dealing face-to-face with people who fervently believe, and make decisions based on, ridiculous, unsupported “cultural difference” assertions. It doesn’t help when they point to articles and say “See? Right here, it’s stated as fact”. : )
But anyway, your site, your business. Carry on!
Traveler´s last blog post..Re: A dose of wrong: The world’s most difficult language
April 13th, 2009 at 11:13 pm
@ Traveler, I don’t think the titles are misleading – they’re both 10 things about country A that are better than country B, in my opinion (“In my opinion” is implied because this is a blog, not a newspaper).
The point of the two titles is that I’m not anti-Japanese, and I’m willing to point out flaws in my home country too. If I had only written the pro-U.S. one, I could understand some people being upset. I know you didn’t accuse me of being anti-Japanese, but some people did (in deleted comments). And some accused me of being anti-U.S. Apparently they didn’t see there was another post.
I think we’re still disagreeing about what is fact and what is not:
“When you write ‘The Japanese people think that American beef isn’t compatible with the Japanese digestive tract’, how would an uninformed reader know that this is a joke and not intended as a factual statement?”
Well, that wasn’t a joke. I read it in a book about Japan, and my friends who live in Japan confirmed it. Do you disagree?
April 14th, 2009 at 3:42 am
My bad; I wrote too hastily, and shouldn’t say the titles are misleading. They’re not a problem, nor do I see any any problematic pro- or anti- sentiments. Again, I only point out that there are factual errors in the articles that a reader could take to be true. (The beef comment provides an example of “misleading”: the sentence can’t be “correct” as it lacks any real meaning. What’s “the Japanese people”? ALL of them? Most? Some? A few lone nut cases? There’s no context, yet a reader could easily take such a sentence to mean “the average Japanese in the street”, which would certainly be incorrect.)
Ideally, factual errors would be corrected in a revision. Barring that, a notice via text or titles that the article is primarily opinion/impressions/entertainment would be dandy. And without that… well, anyone reading down through the comments will see other readers’discussion of what’s in error and why, and will see your clarification regarding opinion/entertainment. That’s the beauty of the modern blog, I’m sure we’ll agree.
So although an uninformed reader who only reads the main articles might leave with some pretty wacky ideas about Japan, at least those who go through the comments will get a better picture. That’s not so bad!
Traveler´s last blog post..Re: A dose of wrong: The world’s most difficult language
July 31st, 2009 at 1:02 am
[...] Hunter Nuttall’s post, 10 Reasons Japan Is Better Than America which he followed up with 10 Reasons America Is Better Than Japan Or, Ask Liz Strauss – How do You Inspire Your Readers To Join Your Community Related Posts:Those [...]
October 26th, 2009 at 9:38 am
hello from neutral prospective as i am neither american nor japanese i have the following things to say as i have lived in America and now living in japan so i have reasonable acute eye to see both the countries cons and pros
1 japan is better than america in the sense that the difference between the rich and the poor is not so wide as america where u see on the one side big limo and on the other side a homeless person!!
2 japan is better than america in the sense thatyou can not apparently guess who is poor and who is rich as irrespective of class both use public transport unlike america where you have to have your own car otherwise you can never date..in cragslist some girls first demand for the date is that he must have a car ..what the heck…
3 japan is better than america in the sense that japanese are not very loud like many americans..i am sorry i have good american friends..i am just talking about ugly americans who try to be conspicous and crave for attention
4 japan is better than american in the sense that in japan there is no segregation of different communities like in america where i saw black neighbourhoods seperate from white neighbourhoods..than hispanic neighbourhoods separate..one feels estranged in america..there is a town i went called jamica in newyork where i thought i am in jamica everybody in there was black..even i didnt see the white dog there..then i saw another town in america where mostly polish and russian immigrants lived not a single black man was there..!!totaly alianated ..disappointing
where as in japan they dont have immigrations problems like this
5 japan is better than america in the sense that in japan the dignity of work is higher than america where as in america i witnessed the labour was mostly hispanics illegals where as white americans dont want to do that job because its considered as low job and there is no dignity in doing that whereas in japan work is work…no body would look down on you if you are labour or working on a low pay jobs
6 japan is better than america because i have hardly seen any street prostitution ..and if you want to have escort services its much more expensive than america..where as in america its as low as 20 dollars for fast bee jay…so in compare with america there is no prostitution.
7 japan is better than america in the sense that if japanese girl sleeps with you …she would definately marry you and not blame alcohol for what happened last night ..like in america even if you do some thing terribly wrong and sleep with your best friend you can laugh it off and say ah i was drunk..heheheh..sorry..forget it
8 japan is better than america bcoz japanese girls like white people so if ur a white person u will enjoy japan like a king interms of courtships!!
October 26th, 2009 at 10:08 am
9 japan is better than america because when to comes to housing japanese are not as extravagant as americans ..usually they live in small houses and dont use furniture to the extent where they have to spend a hefty money on just house hold furniture
10 japan is better than american because in japan a young girl can go out even at three o clock late at night without any fear..where as in america mostly its not safe for girls and ladies to be out after mid night
NOW I WOULD DISCUSS WHY AMERICA IS BETTER THAN JAPAN
1 america is better than japan because when it comes to groceries u get a good value for money..not very expensive as japan
2 america is better than japan because in america there are big roads to drive where as in japan there are small roads and mostly small cars
3 america is better than japan because in america girls come in all sizes and colours where as in japan girls are only in one size ..super skinny .i have hardly seen any plus size girl here..which makes me more attracted to them
4 america is better than japan because in america there are many crazy people so if you have stress you can go on the road and scream and shout and call somebody names and u will get some bad names in return from him but at the end of the day u release ur stress..where as in japan there is no way u can do that becuase u have to be polite at all times..so mostly japanese go for suicide..
5 america is better than japan because in america there are lot of things to do to entertain urslef.. where as japan is comparatively boring….
6 america is better than japan because in america everybody is immigrant..so no body cares where ur from as long as ur rich and good looking..where as in japan the first question that u hear is where the subject is from!!
7 america is better than japan because in america u can wear anything but japan its a suit freak country ..
8 america is better than japan becuase americans are not brand freak like japanese specially japanese girls they are brand freak that these all armani gucci and all this earning more from japan than anyother country
9 america is better than japan because americans are not good at hiding their feelings if some american would not like you ..you would come to kn0woinstantaneouly where as in japan u have to put a fascade since u have to be polite…infront of you u will be welcome with wide proportioned smile but behind your back u will be badmouthed..where as americans are not good at hiding their feels or they less but they forthright and straight forward…
October 26th, 2009 at 10:25 am
10 america is better than japan because japanese are athiests unlike americans so they have less compassion towards less previlaged people or less fortunate people where as in america people believe in day of judgement therefore they are more compassionate towards these things..where as japanese are plain materialistic…period
February 9th, 2010 at 1:42 am
[...] Hunter: Forgive my playing devil’s advocate, but they already play Go in Japan, and that’s not exactly a utopia. Like any other country, they have their pros and cons (see my discussion with Akemi Gaines where we compared the U.S. and Japan, or my tongue-in-cheek 10 Reasons America is Better Than Japan). [...]