Japanese Culture

[WanderingKnight]

You have to judge people by the time they lived in, not by your 2007 mindset which has been shaped not the least thanks to these people. Not only scientists, we all stand on the shoulders of giants.

I understand it, and by no means I was taking any kind of merit off the enlightenment scientists and thinkers. The point is, we mustn't delude ourselves idealizing people and eras long past, since each and every one of them had its bad, nasty side. It's important to take not only the good thing about them, but also to understand the bad part. It's all part of shaping a critical understanding of history.

[Terrestrial Dream]

Originally Posted by Slice of Life

... when the first three thinkers of the Enlightenment that cone to your mind are all from the country where you get your education (loosely speaking, I think being from the UK counts from an American point of view, when it's pre-1776) what does that say about teaching facts and teaching critical thinking?

So bottom line: stones - glasshouse, speck - eye - plank.

Well I was just giving a example of free thinkers from enlightenment and the first thing that came to my mind was those three since well Locke and Hobbes are frequently mentioned in my history class since they did influnce many of the U.S's idea and I learned about Thoreau recently. I could have mentioned other free thinkers like Rousseau but I never really liked his idea of female so I didn't mention him and well Voltaire didn't really cross mind until I though over. Also I am not an American damn it! I am pure 100% proud Korean! And can you tell me what those last line meant.
Oh and I think we are really getting off topic here

[Kyuusai]

Originally Posted by Slice of Life

I detect some lack of critical thinking here.

Ow, ow, ow. nice that you think that "it isn't all bad", but sadly, it's bull. Where did you get that from? Check your sources, please. I am German and I can tell you exactly how all my history exams in the higher grades looked like: First, you had to prove that you are able to understand and summarize a given text, a primary or secondary source, second, you had to put it into a broader historical context, and third, you had to formulate an opinion about one of the points raised. in other words, you had to write texts, not fill in multiple choice tests about in which battle Napoleon fought when, where, and against whom. And I can't remember having actively memorized much dates at all.

I did say "stereotype".
I do actually know better.

I first uttered those words, though, in response to a German friend after she'd explained how easy she found American schooling after years of memorizing passages from texts, including dates, to regurgitate on tests, word for word (eh, she didn't find it funny either). I don't know the details about her schooling, but I imagine that it was part of the grain of truth that underlies most stereotypes, even when the stereotypes are, for the most part, untrue.

Your own history schooling sounds marvelous, though. I wish mine had been similar.

[Slice of Life]

Originally Posted by Kyuusai

after years of memorizing passages from texts, including dates, to regurgitate on tests, word for word

And I can only repeat, this is bull. It sounds even more hilarious than forcing people to learn historical dates. It seems she was pulling your leg then, maybe knowing you would jump right on the bandwagon. The only texts I learned word for word were three or four short poems in fifth grade or so. They never were subject of an exam and I wouldn't be surprised if that practice has been abolished altogether in the meantime. Do you really think it is plausible that millions of thinking people have decided to waste their children's time, who are supposed to be able to compete in a world market and to pay our pensions at some time, on memorizing where some random school book author has put a conjunction or a semicolon? Don't you find that strange at all? It's really tedious to defend one's own life experience against some "I heard" or "somebody said" or "as it is well-known" tele-analysis, and it's off topic. so I stop here. If you want to answer, then as PM please.

[USB500]

I've always wanted to know the significance of grasshopper and Japanese rhinoceros beetle in Japanese culture (I'm telling you, this comes from my experience as a Kamen Rider fan ). So I'd be glad if anyone can share some information.

[Kang Seung Jae]

Originally Posted by USB500

I've always wanted to know the significance of grasshopper and Japanese rhinoceros beetle in Japanese culture (I'm telling you, this comes from my experience as a Kamen Rider fan ). So I'd be glad if anyone can share some information.

Common pets (well, used to be). Plus they're a "symbol" of summer.

[Rembr]

Kabutomushis and Kuwagatamushis were the shit for young kids back in the day.
Natural population seems to have gone way down though.

[USB500]

Originally Posted by Kang Seung Jae

Common pets (well, used to be). Plus they're a "symbol" of summer.

Originally Posted by Rembr

Kabutomushis and Kuwagatamushis were the shit for young kids back in the day.
Natural population seems to have gone way down though.

I never thoughts Japanese would keep them as pets, but this is good information to me.

*takes note of the Japanese names for reference*

[Kang Seung Jae]

Originally Posted by USB500

I never thoughts Japanese would keep them as pets, but this is good information to me.

Koreans also keep them as pets.

In fact, the rhinoceros beetle market size is about $1,000,000 per year in Korea.

[dahl_moon]

Do Japanese vending machines really sell mostly tea? I noticed fast food shops (McD) selling oolong tea in anime, but really? Being a tea otaku, grabbing oolong tea, green tea, or barley tea from a vending machine would be awesome (Korean ones do sell green tea, but that's about it). What types to they sell?

I was in dispair when my school "upgraded" all vending machines from 8 oz sodas to 12 oz sodas (well, Atlanta *is* the Coca Cola capital of the world, but still...). Funny thing is the new vending machines had signs saying "healthier choices inside!"

Edit: I remember a drink called Tejava Royal Milk Tea in Korea. Royal milk tea in a can! It was an awesome drink.

[Tri-ring]

Originally Posted by dahl_moon

Do Japanese vending machines really sell mostly tea? I noticed fast food shops (McD) selling oolong tea in anime, but really? Being a tea otaku, grabbing oolong tea, green tea, or barley tea from a vending machine would be awesome (Korean ones do sell green tea, but that's about it). What types to they sell?

I was in dispair when my school "upgraded" all vending machines from 8 oz sodas to 12 oz sodas (well, Atlanta *is* the Coca Cola capital of the world, but still...). Funny thing is the new vending machines had signs saying "healthier choices inside!"

Edit: I remember a drink called Tejava Royal Milk Tea in Korea. Royal milk tea in a can! It was an awesome drink.

Not mostly but it gives you a more wider variety than other countries.
Oolong, green and english tea can be found with various canned coffee is offered.
If you go to any conveniece stores you'll find more tea than carbonated drinks on the shelf. This is probably because Japanese are moving away from carbonated drinks all together since tea matches food better than sweetened soda.

[Kagetsuchi]

Wait what, why are you guys making a Philisophical session about some asians that happens to live in japan again O_o.

[aohige]

Originally Posted by Kagetsuchi

Wait what, why are you guys making a Philisophical session about some asians that happens to live in japan again O_o.

Care to quote whatever you're talking about?
As far as I can see, no one's talking about "asians that happens to live in japan".

As for vending machines, tea is not necessary majority, but is definitly one of the most common drinks found. Along with coffee, water, and sports drinks.
Carbonated beverage does not take up a large percentage of vending machine drinks, unlike the western nations. Quite frankly, many Japanese do not find carbonated soda to be very attractive to drink while eating, or refreshing, and are very health concious on the amount of calories intake from them.

Often times burgers and other fast food are blamed for American obesity problems, but the biggest impact comes not from the burgers and fries, but from the insane amount of carbonated drinks Americans consume on a daily basis. Many totally underestimate just how much calories are taken in from those.

[Terrestrial Dream]

Now I heard about 100 yen store, which seems to be similar to 99cent store. Do lot of Japanese shop in the 100yen store?

[High_Lord_Demonix]

Any Shintoists here cause I would like to learn more about the old religion (im very interested in the culture hope to move to japan someday)

[Tri-ring]

Originally Posted by High_Lord_Demonix

Any Shintoists here cause I would like to learn more about the old religion (im very interested in the culture hope to move to japan someday)

Although I don't know how much help you can gain since there is no canonical dogma to Shinoto but you can ask what every you want to know.

One thing I can say for certain is that Shintoism is not about where you go after this existence as consequence of how you spent your life in this one but is about how to balance your life in coexistence with your neighbors and with nature through rituals.
The meanings are buried within the ritual and festivity and you make your own interpretation of what they are meant for since there is no single truth within them.

The joy of belonging to a group, enjoy the changing of nature, accept being mortal and worshiping materialism has no real joy is what I concluded from participating in the rituals and festivities but it could be different for another person.

In essence I believe that Shintoism is what makes Japanese, a Japanese.

[High_Lord_Demonix]

I know that you must live WITH nature and that shintoism is the main reason that the forests of japan still stand today I am a very avid learner and just ran out at 1:00 in the morning to buy some books on shinto and its deep roots in the culture of the japanese people and I think that this religion is far better than the christian belefes but thats just my personal opinion.

[Rembr]

Originally Posted by hyperlion

Now I heard about 100 yen store, which seems to be similar to 99cent store. Do lot of Japanese shop in the 100yen store?

...

Yes?

99 cent store huh. All I have around here are dollar stores. But yeah, same concept, and Japanese people go there. Why wouldn't they? It's cheap stuff.

And drink machines are awesome, you get a lot more variety depending on location unlike the drink machines over here which are all the same.

[Kyuusai]

Originally Posted by High_Lord_Demonix

I know that you must live WITH nature and that shintoism is the main reason that the forests of japan still stand today I am a very avid learner and just ran out at 1:00 in the morning to buy some books on shinto and its deep roots in the culture of the japanese people and I think that this religion is far better than the christian belefes but thats just my personal opinion.

The forests of Japan may stand, but they've been invaded by industrialization. I'm currently reading the book Lost Japan, by Alex Kerr, and I recommend it for any one curious about Japan's sudden shift from ancient to modern, and what's been lost.

But we're talking about Shinto. Unlike most religions, Shinto can be better defined by practice than a centralized doctrine, unless you count the state-reform (which is a question those seriously seeking it as a religion have to answer for themselves: Do you want to acknowledge the splintered, shamanistic beliefs or the government-mandated standardizations?), and there's also the question of its off-and-on intermixing with Buddhism. I find it odd that you'd say you find Shinto better than Christian beliefs. Comparing Shinto with most western religions is like comparing ice cream and steak: Though they disagree on certain issues, their doctrines mostly handle things that are peripheral to the other.

Contrasting Shinto with an Abrahamic religion is especially tricky, though, when one sees that some of the things that make Shinto recognizable and unique compared to many other eastern relgions are practically identical to practices of ancient Judaism (Likely due to the migration of the tribes of Israel after they split from Judah around 920 BC and were conquered and scattered by the Assyrians in 722 BC-. That's not as far-fetched as it sounds to some: the influence of the middle-east on the far-east over time is pretty well established.)

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by High_Lord_Demonix

Any Shintoists here cause I would like to learn more about the old religion (im very interested in the culture hope to move to japan someday)

Google is your friend?

Really -- start with tolerance.org and then visit the website of the American shrine (Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America).