"10 Reasons Why
Japan is So Weird!"
"Why did you want
to go to Japan? It's so weird there."
"Look at what
weird thing Japan has!"
When people talk about
Japan, it's usually about how weird it is. "They have robots everywhere!
Their clothing are so outrageous and out there!" Even when talking about
my study abroad, people were confused on why I would want to go here since it's
so weird.
I've come to the
conclusion that Japan is not weird.
The things you hear
about that make Japan weird belong to an extreme niche of people. One of the
prime examples of weirdness is that there is a vending machine that gives out
female underwear. I have yet to see a vending machine that even has food in it,
let alone underwear. I'm more than sure that this vending machine is an
outlier. I also know that Japanese people find this weird as well. So how can
we claim an entire culture 'weird' based on something that natives even
consider weird?
It's not just the
actual weird stuff that gets called weird. During my stay here, I often hear
people describe something different as weird. Heck, even I catch myself saying
it. It's the little things, like bagging your own groceries or having to give
money on a plate instead of in their hand. If Japan isn't weird, than what is
it?
It's different.
It's a different
culture. They like different things. They experience things different than us.
If we come at it from an American view, of course it's going to be strange to
us. But I'm not here to look through the eyes of an American. Yes, my American
view will come through, that's inevitable, but I can at least try and
understand from a Japanese perspective. The reason why you place money in a
plate first is so that the money doesn't get dirty. They even run coins through
a washer in the cash register sometimes. This isn't weird. Instead it showcases
the cleanliness that's so important to the Japanese people.
By keeping in this
perspective, it ends up damaging your experience. You actively keep your self
from growing.You have to realize that everyone can see the same object, and
interpret it differently. That doesn't mean it's weird. Instead, it showcases
their backgrounds. By exploring their backgrounds, you gain a much firmer and
better understanding of them. The same can be same for cultures. By exploring
it, instead of limiting yourself because it's weird, let's you understand
better.
Unfortunately, this
mindset of weird in a way is harming Japan. People outside of the country view
them as the things that even they view as weird. Like everyone wants underwear
from a vending machine. So for foreigners, the Japanese are these weird people.
Why visit if they are so weird? They are missing the deep and complex culture
that's here in favor for touristy (like robot fighting) and exaggerated
experiences, because that's "Japan".
Japan is a fantastic
country. It has it's quirks, just like any country, but it's certainly not this
weird out of space place the internet likes to make it out to be. Like any
country, it's just different. But different can become familiarity, like how
it's become for me. So if we keep that in mind, we can all gain and learn more
from each other, and gain a better appreciation for each other.