international exchange and understanding VS the (perceived) western cultural superiority complex

okay, i know i’m asking for trouble by making such a post, but urgh. what happened yesterday got me so riled up. suffice to say that it really bothers me how some foreigners view Japan from their western-centric eyes, make judgements with the unspoken but implicit, underlying opinion that what goes on in this country is so “OMG this is insane, what kind of place is this??”

a disclaimer before i proceed further: i’m going to be using words like “Asian” and “Western” very freely, so anyone who’s going to take issue with that and call it a reductive dichotomy might want to stop right now and browse somewhere else.

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i think i occupy an interesting position on JET, being a born and bred Asian in the midst of a whole bunch of people from predominantly ‘white’ ‘western’ societies, all of us being lumped together as “foreigners” in a country which, in many ways, can be said to be on the extreme end of things ranging from (cultural) conservatism to other kinds of crazy stuff.

many people in my social circle don’t seem to realise that the social-cultural norms that they’re used to don't apply to many other countries besides japan – so many things seem to flabbergast them, even though the same things that go on in Japan are shared in many other countries in the region to varying extents.

i find it interesting that i’d never been more aware of my Asian identity than when i came on JET. and that my culture shock – in some ways i’m still adapting - came from the other ALTs and not from Japan at all. so often when i’m listening to conversations where people are discussing something they find odd, i’m thinking, ‘well, that’s because of this and that, and besides it’s not that strange cos in some way it’s echoed back home too’.

because of my background, i find it a lot easier to understand where certain aspects of japanese culture and behaviour come from. i might not agree with some of them, but i believe i understand somewhat the underlying mentality behind them, and because of that, find it easier to accept that behaviour.

unfortunately, for many people i know, their life in japan is spent looking from the outside, seeing the facts of the situation (ie This is what goes on in Japan) but not the reasons behind them. they get into debates, discussing and judging, sometimes trying to make sense of it from their western viewpoints but not quite succeeding because they dont have the cultural background for support.

and i (naturally) get defensive – oftentimes it’s some form of japan-bashing or putting down, and i get upset because 1) i do like japan and sometimes i just think they just have to change their mentality on things and they wouldnt be so unhappy being here, and 2) i can’t help but feel they’re criticising my cultural background too, when judgement and comments are passed on things in japan that singaporeans/chinese share to a certain extent.

so i voice my dissonant view, and woah. i get told that i’m defensive – and damn right i am for the reasons above. also, try being the only westerner surrounded by asians commenting and passing judgement on aspects of some other country whose general practices you share to an extent, and let’s see whether you get defensive or not.

i also get told in the same breath that their views are equally valid, that the outsider’s view from another cultural perspective can often be illuminating on a place, and that my views are equally coloured by my cultural upbringing too.

who’s being the defensive one here? i put forth an alternative view and immediately steps are taken in attempt to squash it and reassert their opinion.

the conversation i had yesterday brought to mind what i’d read in this book on the JET Programme by David McConnell. this programme is aimed at increasing international understanding, among others, but i’m really not sure how successful it is in this respect, considering how most discussions on culture occur among westerners*; at least from my experience, there arent that many japanese people with the english skills necessary to discuss culture (and even if they do, i can’t really imagine getting into a debate with my JTEs on this topic; our relationship isn’t quite there yet) and there’re hardly any english-speaking born and bred asians around to share their cultural viewpoints. not to mention the reluctance and resistance to opposing views on culture!

Said one of the Japanese interviewed in the book:

“In many of their criticisms, ALTs are implicitly demanding that the Japanese reconstitute themselves and their society in ways more compatible with Western norms and expectations.”

and

“JET participants need to take seriously the task of learning Japanese culture and language and integrating themselves into social routines. Too often they simply criticize Japan rather than admit that they must accept some of the consequences of the Japanese model of social relations.”

Another JET himself expressed:

“Is kokuisaika (internationalisation) not a two-way street? I sometimes wonder if all JET participants are as internationalized as they pretend to be. Most of us feel internationalized because we are Anglophones, presently living outside our home country dealing with people who lack fluency in English and have limited experience in overseas travelling. We see the Japanese as the object of our presence in their own country.. however, how many of us can look at ourselves and sincerely assert that we are as internationalized as we want the Japanese to be?”

Oh, i couldnt agree with them more.

I’ve heard complaints about Japanese prejudice against white foreigners, and you know, sometimes i don’t blame the Japanese - not when you have foreigners who come here and sometimes talk bad about japanese people or laugh at their stupidity for not understanding english behind their backs in a clearly audible voice. not when there’s sometimes the expectation that people here should know english when they themselves dont make much effort or attempt to learn japanese. not when you have foreigners who jump over ticket gates and feel proud about it. not when a bunch of foreigners come onto a quiet train, chattering among themselves at a volume that echoes throughout the entire train carriage, yet get angry when someone tells them to lower their voices because they feel they have the right to do whatever they want. not when foreigners have house parties fitting 30 people into a small apartment and get pissed off when the security guard breaks up the party at 11pm**. and definitely not when foreigners go around the streets making a ruckus for the heck of it just because they can.

i just hope most of the other JETs around, as well as future JET applicants, are open to understanding and accepting what goes on in this country. i’m probably sounding hypocritical saying this***, but let’s all try to be as open-minded as possible and attempt to feel the soul of this country we’re in.

 

*: many of these often end in something like “Man, i think that they just need to/they should (insert Western practice or attitude)”.

**: i mentioned this to a friend, and apparently her landlord in Edinburgh would certainly not appreciate a house party in their building. Also, whoever said that 12 midnight is the magic number for things to end? Where i come from it’s very much 11pm.

***: i suppose i am guilty of being close-minded to the western-centric views on japan. and i admit i have nothing to say in my defence, except that i dislike what i perceive to be an underlying western superiority complex behind many of their comments. plus i dont think the western viewpoint on anything needs defending anyway, since it’s everywhere in entertainment and political and economic systems; it’s firmly rooted in our current world and you cant escape from it. the east knows a lot more about the west than the other way round.