Comments on: Japanese Students Shocked By Ignorant American Highschoolers

By: Our Man in Abiko

Our Man in Abiko — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 09:17:04 +0000

Our Man once lived in Arkansas. In his favourite red-neck bar, a drunk American leaned over and said:”I love you Englishh. You got culture coming out the wazoo.”

Hope this helps.

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By: James

James — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 09:03:00 +0000

BTW, I’m a 31 year old, world-traveled, extremely educated linguist working on a PhD at an Ivy League institution– hardly an “ignorant” American

Thanks for sharing that amazing piece of information. It clearly makes your ignorant statements about Japan more valid.

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By: RinPhilly

RinPhilly — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 08:32:04 +0000

I should clarify that the reason it is hard for a foreigner to get an apartment is that foreigners are thought to be criminals.

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By: RinPhilly

RinPhilly — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 08:17:07 +0000

Hey Japan, take the log out your own eye.

None of this even compares with the shocking amounts of racism and sexual discrimination inside of Japan. Japan is hardly socially progressive- “foreigners” usually can’t rent apartments (because they’re all criminals), descendants of untouchables get fired from their jobs when their ancestry is discovered, and women get paid 44% as much as their male counterparts. When Japan no longer has politicians who publically refer to women as “baby-making machines,” then maybe I’ll feel sorry for exchange students being asked if their dads are ninjas.

(BTW, I’m a 31 year old, world-traveled, extremely educated linguist working on a PhD at an Ivy League institution– hardly an “ignorant” American.)

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By: kiara

kiara — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 03:48:35 +0000

i never felt such shame. I feel awful, right noe, of being an American. We done very stupid things before, but this is just over the top. I’m a highschooler and to think teens actaully think like this… ugh. America is ignorant, but we aren’t the only ones. Some Japanese think that we are all, well wh#res. Which isn’t true, not all American teens sleep around!!!

People only see one side, not the otherand that, in truth, frustates me!!!

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By: stella

stella — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 06:44:08 +0000

Thank you for your most expert opinion, but you really need to do a spell check and grammar check becuase your comments are perceived to be as ignorant as the people you are writing about.

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By: Danni

Danni — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:54:48 +0000

Wow. I have known some people who are like that. I’m only in my last year of middle school, and there are a lot of people who would always comment on something I say about asia.

Right now I am learning Japanese and I have a picture of my favorite Japanese boy band on my binder. I get comments like:

“Why do you have pictures of Chinese people on your binder?”

“Eww, those Chinese girls are ugly.”

“Why do you like Asians so much?”

It gets so annoying!!! The people at my school are so stupid, I mean if they see a picture of asians they always assume they are Chinese.

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By: Danni

Danni — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:45:37 +0000

I know right! I mean, why would theythink all of Americans arestupid and racist towards them Asians…I mean, I’m Amreican and I am sooo not racist towards them.

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By: Danni

Danni — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:42:25 +0000

“I mean .. after all. We all know that all American’s are so ignorant and clueless and know NOTHING!”

what the hell? not all Americans are stupid! only the ones who are ignorant and rude are!

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By: Stuck in the past

Stuck in the past — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 16:11:56 +0000

It proofs that some America sucks at world history and stuck in the past. They have no idea what happened/is happening to Japan.
They think they are the only modern country.
From patriotism to nationalism.
Yes, some Japanese are turning ignorant also. Pro-Jappan ignores everything else.

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By: Kerry

Kerry — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:53:23 +0000

True, I find that Chinese & Japanese societies tend to be so absorbed into themselves. Everything is about us, us, us and us vs rest of the world.

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By: Kerry

Kerry — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:48:47 +0000

There are ignorant people in every country, really. But I’ve encountered only ignorant Japanese people. My (American) friend’s host brother asked her if they had Starbucks in Japan. And my Japanese friend apparently thinks that everyone outside of Japan should know Todai, Taro Aso and Haruki Murakami. I’ve had lost Japanese tourists approach me, speaking only Japanese. Some of them seem to think every other Asian person should know Japanese. I agree that Japan has a huge influence on the rest of Asia, but listening to Jpop is completely different from knowing the language of its origin country! Some people seem to think it’s like English though..

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By: robert borg

robert borg — Mon, 19 May 2008 02:28:41 +0000

I am from australia and no matter where you go in the world your going to get your dumb asses. I think that things in america get highlighted more is because america is a leader in so many fields then the world (including americans themselves) expect better.

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By: Julie

Julie — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 05:52:21 +0000

I’m from Oklahoma. We’re not all rednecks and certainly not all racist. It’s sad that they encountered such people.

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By: Julie

Julie — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 05:48:39 +0000

Oh wow. I’m a little shocked myself. Seeing as I am an American high school student that’s just embarassing.

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By: Rem

Rem — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 05:26:50 +0000

I’m japaense. I grew up in columbus. I know no rednecks, and i’ve never experienced much racism here–i did get more than a bit while out in upstate NY tho. The honda plant in cbus and the high jpn population prolly helps.

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By: Cutetwirler

Cutetwirler — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 00:47:45 +0000

I went to a Halloween party this year as a Cheshire cat (don’t ask…) but was holding a British flag. More than one Japanese person (all ADULTS!) pointed at it and said “Ah, the Australian flag!”

More than this, my Japanese teacher (I’m in Japan) asked me the other day if Iceland is part of the United Kingdom! I asked him if he was confused with Ireland and he said no, Iceland was part of the UK!!!

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By: Karisu

Karisu — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 14:55:00 +0000

Need it be reminded again that this was the midwest. The midwest is a very different place than the rest of America. I grew up on the east coast and I have never met anyone growing up that would have thought -any- of these things were anything but ridiculous jokes.

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By: SebastianJapan

SebastianJapan — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 14:23:25 +0000

You’re right.

I think that every youth in the world is ignorant to some degree or another, that’s what makes them youth. But the American youth really take it over the top. Obviously influenced by their family and peers, outright racism (i.e. ‘I heard Japanese girls have sideways vaginas. I want to see it just once!’) is what really hurts people, and pisses the hell out of me. My wife is Japanese, and if anyone EVER said anything like that to me or her, I’d break their jaw. Ignorant or not, people know what hurts other people… In your case, saying things like ‘When will you go back to Africa’, is the kind of KKK shit that happened in the 50’s. Come on people, grow up… It’s on the older generation to teach the youth that it is NOT OK to be racist (even if they think what they are saying is funny).

But that’s just what I think…

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By: Dean

Dean — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 05:48:21 +0000

Just so you know, now there are english learning schools here in Japan usually (in most cases) prefer Americans to teach them English. That is they like to have an American accent. If you are Brittish or any other English speaking country, your chances depends on whether an American is applying for that position with you. And to think the Origin of the English language was from Great Brittain!

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By: Mike in Boston

Mike in Boston — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 18:54:28 +0000

You really thought that every American has a gun? That is difficult to believe. I guess American youth are not the only uninformed group in the world. Surprise, surprise.

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By: Lauren

Lauren — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 06:27:38 +0000

well, I see your problem right there, sir.

they were in the Midwest.

I lived in Michigan for 10 out of my 18 years, and people there STILL thought that the Japanese wore kimono on a daily basis.

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By: mormegil

mormegil — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 09:19:02 +0000

Pretty funny how you yourself just labeled New Yorkers as being ’stuck up’. I live in New York City and can tell you that it, along with any other place, is full of both great and not so great people. Quit calling the kettle black.

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By: Jamie

Jamie — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 06:14:42 +0000

I can definitely attest to there being many dumb Canadians. I am one. But Kal has a good point. I’ve got other Indian friends who experienced less than fantastic trips to America because of their physical similarity to Arabs/Persians.

But Kal, I bet you grew up in a city right? Toronto/Montreal/Calgary/Van? Go to a smaller town in the boondocks in Canada, and while it won’t be horrible, you’ll have a lot of people staring. I hate to say it, but Canada can suck too.

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By: James

James — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 03:29:57 +0000

Sorry to hear you’ve met so many ignorant people in America. However, I’d say the majority of people in most nations are very ignorant. Based on the Canadians I’ve met in America and Japan, there are certainly a good number of them who are just as dumb as the Americans you mention in your comment.

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By: Kal

Kal — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 03:03:55 +0000

However, with all of that said, it was truly an honour and humbling experience to work and study at the Linus Pauling Institute. A great American, a great mind, and truly a mercy on humanity. I wish more Americans would follow in his footsteps in learning about the world and universe around them.

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By: Kal

Kal — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 02:27:00 +0000

The majority of Americans are ignorant, and arrogantly ignorant at that. Excuses such as, America is an island unto itself, and “how close is America to an Asian nation?” are preposterous. I live in Canada, situated on the same continent & directly north of the United States for those who don’t know, and I rarely if ever face the type of sheer idiotic queries or remarks that were directed towards me during my stay in Oregon(supposedly a tolerant and progressive area). Being of Indian(India) heritage- born and raised in Canada- I was subjected to the following questions, not once, but numerous times(I honestly lost count):

AM: Where are you from? ME: Canada, but my family is originally from India

AM: So you’re from the Middle East? ME: Um, India is situated in South Asia, not the Middle East(I didn’t bother explaining to him that the Middle East is actually part of Asia as well)

AM: You’re wrong, Asians are Chinese, you’re Middle Eastern Indian Arabic.

AM: Indian people eat rats, that is gross. ME: The majority of Indians are actually vegetarian. That was a scene from Indiana Jones, a fictional movie, not a documentary.

AM: Why do you Arabs hate America? Is it because you’re jealous? AM: Again, I am not an Arab nor am I Muslim.

AM: Why don’t you go back to where you came from(India)? AM: For once, I agree with you. I should go back to where I came from(Canada).

And this was during my stay in Corvallis at Oregon State University. As an engineer I have to deal with Americans on a day-to-day basis, and still face ridiculous questions regarding Canada such as: “Do ya’ll live in igloos?”And remarks regarding conversions, simple metric dimensions like what is a metre? Seriously, I am not making this up. Now I know there are some very bright and worldly Americans, but the inordinate amount of ignoramuses fair outweigh the enlightened.

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By: John

John — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 22:30:54 +0000

yeah Columbus!!

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By: Rob

Rob — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 22:07:58 +0000

Those can not be real comments.
If they are, the people were either joking, or they were at a school for the mentally handi-capped.

If it is real, I want to know what city the school was in, because I’d like to avoid it at all costs.

I’ve witnessed ignorance before, but that is absurd.

Ofcourse, I would expect that from Americans (Myself being an American, surrounded by some ignorant people.)
Although, I would agree that if they were in even a slightly bigger city, they would have been much more understood.

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By: Darkr0nin

Darkr0nin — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 21:33:36 +0000

I FUCKING hate ignorance. I want to beat my head against a nail in a wall every time I hear crap like this.

I’m half Scottish and I spent a couple of years in Scotland. You have no idea how many times I hear this crap.

“Do you speak Scottish?”
My response: They speak ENGLISH you FUCKING idiot!

“Do they have TV in Scotland?” No, when their bored they just stare at the FUCKING grass! What do you think ASSHOLE?!

These people need some serious education on foreign culture.

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By: 'Sab

'Sab — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 16:32:21 +0000

Ohio is counted as the Midwest. So is Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. The states that you’re probably thinking of aren’t even always classified as Midwestern states. I’ve yet to meet a redneck in Columbus.

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By: Red

Red — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 16:26:50 +0000

Some of these questions made me cringe.

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By: Ian

Ian — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 02:45:01 +0000

I’m sure Japanese youth probably think of American stereotypes like we have BBQs for every meal of the day.

Thats every other day, get it right.

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By: WujouMao

WujouMao — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 08:41:58 +0000

that was bloody hilarious. even so, with only 10% of the americans owning a passport, not many americans know where afica or england is. i had the same kind of steriotype when i visited the philippines. i was asked what my number [as in basketball number, not my phone number] i guess he thought basketball was played everywhere. i told him football is our country’s sport and he was clueless.

a woman on Romblom island in the visayas told me that my english isnt very good, am i german. when i replied to her that i’m in fact from England, she asked me what language do i speak in England. this is true, i kid you not

but really, do the americans really say karate as kura-ri is america? thats crap, really is just crap

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By: Kirbz

Kirbz — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 22:23:06 +0000

Hahaha, but the Japanese school students aren’t too far from some of those comments. A friend that did a homestay in Osaka was talking to a JET from South Africa. He told me how this happened one time:

Japanese student: “Do you eat lions?”

JET Teacher: “Well, is your dad a SAMURAI?!”

That was just hilarious. This just states that you should shut your mouth when you’re asked about a foreign country you know nothing about or you look like an idiot.

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By: jyuanzh

jyuanzh — Wed, 30 May 2007 15:50:56 +0000

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA

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By: jyuanzh

jyuanzh — Wed, 30 May 2007 15:42:47 +0000

my teacher once asked me whether India is in Singapore or is Singapore in India LOL i’ve stayed in Singapore for more than 10 yrs and hearing that just made me laugh out in class

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By: The Unseen One

The Unseen One — Wed, 30 May 2007 11:06:04 +0000

Please. Like ignorance is limited to Americans.
A good friend of mine, when visiting Okinawa, was asked by several people if it was true that black people had tails! Now THAT is ignorance, and disgusting.

Nationality is not a limit to ignorance. Unfortunately, it can be found within every group.

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By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 29 May 2007 10:26:38 +0000

heh, I live in Japan and sometimes get asked if there is KFC in the US, so I guess people everywhere are ignorant.

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By: Jay

Jay — Tue, 29 May 2007 09:43:47 +0000

I wouldn’t consider it racist since I lived and studied in Oklahoma State U. for 4.5 yrs as a person who is of asian descent. Sure I was born and bred upstate NY, but I would at least try to explain why those students may have thought in that manner. Oklahoma City has Oklahoma Central University which has many intl students from Japan, same with Oklahoma State University. They may have thought everyone was a racist, when in fact most people were kind and were more than willing to reach to them, if those students ever opened up and did the same. To me it’s a two way street, and unfortunately most of the Japanese students I knew, met, or have indirectly known don’t open up and just cocoon themselves to the mini Japanese communities setup in these college towns.
For you to generalize that there were molestation stories occuring in Oklahoma is as ignorant of me to say that all people in the state of Washington, are liberal hippies who just bad mouth this country. And I know this is not the case, there’s good and bad apples everywhere.
I will admit to the fact there isn’t much to do in the state of Oklahoma, even the young Oklahomans wish to go to the coast where there are bigger cities and more diverse things to do.
I was never a member of the Japanese student association but my girlfriend was because she was from Japan and studied in my university. Not to mention most intl student organizations where free willing in letting anyone join who was interested in their culture, yet there were a few including the JSA group who had this unspoken rule of not letting foreigners allowed, at least that’s how i saw it. Before I met her, most Japanese people were less likely to approach me, yet after dating her some started opening up, wouldn’t that constitute as some form of ignorance? I visited Japan last year to visit my gf’s relatives and I for one was not welcome by her grandmother since I was simply a gaijin, and yes she did come from the countryside; so in a sense it’s not only the U.S. and certain parts of it but everywhere.

Right now there is ignorance also in China in the university I am studying in and to think it’s in Beijing. That can’t be helped, and I try my best everyday to reach out and meet new friends to try and make them less ignorant of what Americans/westerners are as well as learn something new from them.

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By: James (different)

James (different) — Tue, 29 May 2007 06:01:07 +0000

If you read the article, it actually says that they were Japanese school boys, not schoolgirls. Although I agree, it seems like a question too stupid to be serious and would make more sense as a pickup line.

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By: john

john — Tue, 29 May 2007 03:35:12 +0000

i am from oklahoma… attended two universities right outside of oklahoma city andi can agree with the fact that there isnt muchh to do in OKC. it is a pretty bigoted and racist place and well lets face it …people are molested all over the planet!

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By: David

David — Mon, 28 May 2007 23:22:17 +0000

All of those quesitons are pretty normal. Nothing as insane as what those kids recieved. Well execpt for the rainbow one. That’s just odd.

Even the 4 seasons question is fine. Where I’m from in the US we have two seasons: hot and really hot.

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By: Karisu

Karisu — Mon, 28 May 2007 22:59:20 +0000

I just find it kind of funny that a lot of people are balking at the idea of pizza and burgers. If that wasn’t highly unhealthy I’d be more than happy to eat burgers and pizza (most) everyday!

Guess in that aspect I’m stereotypical!

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By: Karisu

Karisu — Mon, 28 May 2007 22:41:42 +0000

How would you ever even get that impression? I can’t even imagine how people would come to that train of thought.

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By: the overthinker

the overthinker — Mon, 28 May 2007 14:19:14 +0000

Too right – I mean, George Washington is hailed as a hero and the father of the nation instead of a traitor and the leader of the rebel army.

More seriously, I wonder how many people who complain about Japanese history textbooks for school have ever actually READ one?

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By: dangomushi

dangomushi — Mon, 28 May 2007 13:47:59 +0000

More correct history lessons? American History books are biased and slanted as all get out!!

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By: Jamie

Jamie — Mon, 28 May 2007 11:11:36 +0000

(Sorry James)

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By: Jamie

Jamie — Mon, 28 May 2007 11:09:51 +0000

SPLCHEK! PUNkTUAShuN! LOL

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By: Benon

Benon — Mon, 28 May 2007 07:35:44 +0000

Yeh, we all know how stupid Americans can be.
At least American kids are getting more correct history leasons.
But I also found that many Chinese & Japanese kids are also same, they are so ignorant about rest of the world.

You ask average Chinese kid about japan & korea, or taiwan, then they say they all once belong to China, now that’s so stupid.

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By: Imoko

Imoko — Mon, 28 May 2007 06:01:16 +0000

I think that a lot of those questions were intedended as (bad) jokes, the one about sideways vaginas does seem like a very poor pick-up line.

Yes, we are asked many questions here in japan that appear hugely ignorant but we have to remember that if this is the first time that a japanese person has met you they are likely to assume that you haven’t been in japan for very long and may therefore be surprised that you can read/write in japanese, use chopsticks and even speak a little. This surprise usually doesn’t last for long once we get talking I have found (and my japanese is terrible after a year and a half here).

As for ignorant questions regarding colours of the rainbow, seasons, which part of China Japan is in etc etc, these will always be asked in any country, the best we can do is give and hope to recieve educational answers. I certainly asked a few dumb questions myself when I first arrived here in Japan.

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By: Ken Y-N

Ken Y-N — Mon, 28 May 2007 04:47:28 +0000

The other thing about the four seasons that irritates non_japanese, I think, is that the Rainy Season is not counted, so to your average foreigner, Japan actually has five seasons.

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By: the overthinker

the overthinker — Mon, 28 May 2007 04:12:22 +0000

Nicely balanced by all those Americans who think that New Mexico is a foreign country….

Note that travel agent brochures in Japan are divided into “Hawaii” and “America” (for the mainland). This is no doubt a major contributing factor. Also the fact that the Japanese are all supporters of Hawaiian sovereignty and refuse to recognise the suzerainty of the United States…..?

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By: the overthinker

the overthinker — Mon, 28 May 2007 04:08:52 +0000

I think the Four Seasons question (Yes, we DO have mega-expensive hotels here!) comes from two things. One, the idea that traditional Japan is very sensitive to the changes of the seasons. This is generally true, and coming from an agricultural society, hardly surprising. Europe also noted them carefully, but many of the seasonal transitions have become diluted by religion (Easter, Christmas) or changed their meaning (Halloween, at harvest time) so that we don’t really think of them as seasonal markers as such.

The other factor that may be involved is that middle-school texts on social studies etc, in a laudable bid to demonstrate the diversity of human populations, generally contrast Japanese life with something very different: arctic circle eskimos, desert tribes, jungle dwellers, etc. These people do not have four seasons.

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By: epicurus

epicurus — Mon, 28 May 2007 01:36:29 +0000

I went to school in Kansas and — guess what — we had a Center for International Studies where everyone learned either Japanese, Chinese, Russian or Arabic. That was about ten years ago.

The most stupid of all Japanese questions is “do you have four seasons?” I still can’t figure that one out.

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