What I've Read - Japanese culture is a trip.

Given that after nearly four years in country, it's painfully clear I won't be dedicating myself to any degree to mastering the lingua franca, at the very least I can try to pick up on the culture. Which is quite fascinating. To that end, I had the chance to check out 100 Tough Questions for Japan, by Gen Itasaka. [A bilingual book...]

It was... interesting. In that kind of insane sense of the word. One part fascinating, one part illuminating, one part "this dude is ludicrous." Checking the indices, the author was apparently born in 1922, with the first edition of this book coming out in 1996, which explains a lot, actually.

The interesting bits; knowing why the Japanese call "green" traffic lights [and my kids call my green eyes] "blue." Having to do with "ao" - the Japanese word usually translated as "blue" having both blue and green connotations, and the word "midori" usually taken for "green" these days, a relatively new linguistic addition. [The limits of your language are the limits of your world, after all.]

Other interesting bits; till the late 1870s, Japan was on the lunar calendar... they used to take off one day from work every ten days. Which really explains how the concept of "weekends off" and workaholic applies in Japan. Learning why money is always wrapped/enveloped when given... In short, samurai's ruled by the sword and imperial fiat. They had no money. So lacking it, they de-emphasized its value, painted it as "dirty" and therefore shouldn't be touched with your own hands. Money as "unclean." Clever, if highly dysfunctional.

Also I learned that the school year starts in April because it was modeled on the French system of the time, which did the same.

But the author clearly has issues. Gender issues. And really, "grumpy old bastard" issues. And the standard myopic Japanese issues.

Actual, I kid you not, questions and answers:

Why are Japanese mothers overly soft on their children?

"...The mother sometimes brings up the children with too much love."

Why aren't the elderly offered seats? [...on the need for designated priority seats for the elderly on trains/buses. This was the most delightfully insane rant the author had in the book.]

"...there are many Japanese who do not offer their seats to the elderly. This can be particularly seen in the younger generation... The child expects to get a seat and becomes unmanageable when the expectation is not met. There are even people who offer their seats to these spoiled brats.

...Japanese parents also pamper their children by buying them nearly everything they ask for. Being raised spoiled, these self-centered children grow up feeling they have every right to be seated.

Also, the children of today are not as strong as before although they are built better. They are unable to stand for long periods of time. Japanese with sense frown at the sight of them sunk in a crouch along the roadside."

The close second for batshit crazy answers comes with this question:

Why do some companies require only women employees to wear uniforms? The answer, I kid thee not:

"Women love to dress up and there is a risk they would try to outdo one another if they were free to dress as they pleased. Using unnecessary energy on matters unrelated to work would be detrimental to the company..."

Other genius insights, in response to a question about Japanese manzai/slapstick comedy:

"The United States places strict restrictions on violence and sex scenes, and Americans may find slapstick comedy... to be a little too violent."

Um, no. You're an idiot. In general, and this is really my own personal opinion, I don't get manzai because the idea of having the tsukkomi constantly smack around the boke just because, really, he's dumb, comes across as more mean spirited than funny. Especially to the degree it's done. And, well, slapstick can be funny, but it's not clever. It's kind of "low" comedy. Not witty, not thought provoking, not deft. But the idea that it might be too violent for Americans, kings of ludicrous cinematic violence? That's just commmentary from somebody who's been buying into their own nonsense for too long.

Big picture wise, the most frustrating thing was it trended to the superficial and lacked a lot of insight. In response to "Why are the Japanese so attracted to brand names?" instead of delving into how Japanese society is psychologically deeply wrapped up in - to a greater degree than the U.S., at least, I'd argure - and values the concepts of appearance, reputation, hierarchy and status, he instead talks about how this "weakness for big-name brands" is a problem of the "young generation, especially Japanese women" and the "leniency parents show to their children by buying them anything they ask for, even expensive items."

Dude has issues, is what I'm saying.

All the 100 Questions started out along the lines of "Why is/does/doesn't Japan..." such and such. The answer all too often seemed to be a variation of "Japan does this because this is the way it has always been done." A very typical Japanese style answer.

Interesting but obtuse. Lots of generalizations and bias. Overall though, glad I read it.