I'm so thrilled that Orson Scott Card found Japan to be as fascinating as I have found it. My sister attended Mr. Card's class at ASIJ and she had only good things to say about it, she was also greatly impressed with Mr. Card's gregariousness and amiability. She loved Enchantment btw.
I loved all his observations because so many of them are spot on. My wife upon visiting Japan for the first time at Christmas as well as being an Otaku immediately noted, "Wow the girls really do wear those outfits, and the guys have uniforms!"
I'm also glad Mr. Card wrote about the food, I was positively astounded the first time I went by just how many places there are to eat all serving different stuff. The train and the airport limousine are all exactly as I remember them as well.
If Zina ever makes you watch another anime, at least this time if it takes place in Japan, you can say, "Oh my gosh, that's an actual place in Japan that I've been to!"
Hope that won't be your first and only trip to Japan!
Posted by theamazeeaz (Member # 6970) on :
The essay was one of the best reviews from OSC I've read in a while.
Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :
It is interesting to see what differences are Asian, which ones are uniquely Japanese, and which ones are more American in nature.
Tokyo sounds like a great place for Americans to visit in Asia (especially as a first destination).
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
I'm jealous I never get to go to Japan.
But I am afraid of SUZUMEBACHI!!!!!!!! They are probably coming out around this time. BEWARE OF THEM! Huge HORNETS! AUGH!
Also I sometimes eat Japanese breakfast. Miso soup, I'd love to have fish and rice with it sometime because it's quite tasty. I think I'll make some miso soup tonight with potstickers.
Posted by Mocke (Member # 11963) on :
Japan is pretty cool to visit. Just a few bits of advice from a former expat. Everything he noted was about spot on. No matter how dumb a customer I was, everyone was polite. There is a downside though. They waste so much wrapping things up and bagging it. I have had a box of cookies wrapped, bagged, and bagged again. It does get ridiculous. Also, while everyone is polite, there is a sheen of racism. OSC touched on it when he said gaijin, but sometimes they use that term like people use the n word to describe black people. It's a bit difficult to describe, but if you spend more than a month in Japan, you start to feel it grate on you. Finally, never go to Roppongi at night. Girls will get groped, guys bumped around, it's dirty, it is the only place where I saw a street fight, and it has the worst restaurants in Japan. If you want to party all night, go to Ginza, Shimbashi, or if you know where to go Harajuku or Shibuya. Just don't don't go to Roppongi.
Posted by Clumpy (Member # 8122) on :
His review of "benign blindness" was interesting. I already incorporate that to some extent - when somebody does something strange or does something embarrassing I usually completely ignore it and behave normally regarding them - but it seems a little maladjusted by Western standards not to even acknowledge or be able to help somebody who might be having a problem.
In other words, if I feel that the other person doesn't consider something a problem then I won't make it a project to help them. It's a matter of privacy and respect. Too many people butt into the lives of others and draw disproportionate attention to small things.
I guess Western culture would probably have either the perpetrator of an embarrassing act say something self-effacing and laugh it off, or allow an outsider to casually offer assistance. I'm not sure which method is better, and my Western bias probably keeps me from being able to really review the situation.
Posted by Mocke (Member # 11963) on :
That is not 100% true either. I have seen people help others who have had too much to drink, even though they were complete strangers. Of course, I have also seen people casually scoot away from people who have done something gross. I wouldn't say OSC committed a faux pas by giving a tissue. If he would have commented or been loud about it then maybe yes. But a silent subtle act of kindness there is not unheard of.
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
Personally I was pretty shocked at his prejudices against Japanese food, especially since he has talked about growing up or at least living in the bay area. Perhaps 50 years ago it was a different story, but today an aversion to Japanese food is considered a social failing by many people there. Still, even if it took him until middle age to come around, at least he was open to the brilliance and glory of Japanese cuisine in the end.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Most Japanese food isn't half as scary as what a lot of folks consider food. Practical but gross stuff like bugs and spiders and weird parts of an animal's anatomy. But a lot of Japanese food is awesome! Beef bowl, shabu shabu, sushi, especially salmon, mackerel, yellow tail, tobiki. It's not like anyone served him Japanese hornets. And I love the white rice, the teriaki and of course MISO SOUP. Miso soup is wonderful! I should eat more Japanese food. It's quite healthy and folks there live for a long time off of it.
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
I read his review and got really emotional. Of course, I'm silly like that. But I lived in Japan as a missionary, and it's still attached to the upper corner of my heart here - actually attached to the muscle. Makes it kind of inconvenient, being over here on another continent.
The things he described - I'm glad he saw the subtleties that I love. Underneath the modern high-tech veneer, Japan is a very fundamentally different place, and most Americans can't see that. But it's beautiful. And I'm glad he wrote so respectfully of the cultural differences.
He talked about riding the Chuo line to Kichijoji, and that's where my mission home was. (We never got to go to Ghibli no Mori, because, ironically, the one day of the week they were closed was also our preparation day) And those are the kinds of place-details that make Tokyo more than a metropolis. The same kind of details make a Ghibli film poignant - narratives happen on commuter trains in west Tokyo.
OK, I'm going to stop mow before I get all natsukashii and spill my brains all over the thread. Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
"Natsukashii", for those not in the know, means "partially eaten by zombies".
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
I'd like to say in my own defense, that it's not at all gullible to assume that that is in fact what it means when you have near zero knowledge of the Japanese language.
And I use that as my shield to deflect criticism from the fact that I just spent five minutes looking up natsukashii to see what possible etymology could exist for such a word.
Noemon is on my list, which is comprised of people who I find hilarious and at the same time must destroy forthwith.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
In case a victim must be found, Lyrhawn has got a little list.
Let's see how long it takes for the Hatrack hive-mind to discover the reference.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
The Mikado?
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
It just occurred to me, hasn't OSC imported Japanese culture as the dominant political and economic class in his Enderverse? I'm wondering where all those cultural references and scene-setting details came from if he was that clueless about Japanese culture... I mean, I'm clueless about Japanese culture, but I don't write about it. How does he get away with it without getting angry letters from real Japanophiles?
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
quote:It just occurred to me, hasn't OSC imported Japanese culture as the dominant political and economic class in his Enderverse?
There was a world that was predominantly Japanese in Children of the Mind; and some Japanese-based swear words in the Shadow series.
That's about all I can think of. Japan certainly wasn't a world player in the Shadow series, and I don't recall any Japanese affectations in the rest of the books.
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
quote:Originally posted by Noemon: The Mikado?
You, sir, are definitely on the list.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
:bares his big right arm:
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
"How does he get away with it without getting angry letters from real Japanophiles?"
I think OSC makes liberal use of consultants when trying to incorporate a foreign culture into his books. Probably helps him avoid the worst groaners.
I'm disappointed OSC didn't try some of the foods he thought were "disgusting" - it sounds like he deliberately chose offerings that were as familiar as possible. That's fine, eat what you want, but wimpy. (I mean, saying fish for breakfast is gross is VERY wimpy.)
Otherwise I thought his review was very good. It's hard for me to try on the mindset that would prefer NOT to be handed a tissue when in dire need, but if I was able to successfully pretend I was invisible then I guess a little mucus decoration wouldn't necessarily distress me. (It's just that I can't pretend that well.)
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Fish for breakfast isn't gross.
I wonder what sort of fish they eat for breakfast there? Hmmm.
A lot of the stuff he wrote about Asians sounded stereotypical when I read that series for the I don't know how many-eth time.
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
"Broiled salted salmon or dried horse mackerel (aji) are popular items for breakfast."
Dim sum can have a bunch of seafood, although shrimp dominates. Its more brunch than breakfast though, at least with my sleeping schedule.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
quote:Originally posted by scifibum: "Broiled salted salmon or dried horse mackerel (aji) are popular items for breakfast."
I would so eat that except for the egg stuff. I hate eggs. And natto looks icky so I won't eat that.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Broiled salted salmon for breakfast is my kind of food...
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
quote:Originally posted by Scott R:
quote:It just occurred to me, hasn't OSC imported Japanese culture as the dominant political and economic class in his Enderverse?
There was a world that was predominantly Japanese in Children of the Mind; and some Japanese-based swear words in the Shadow series.
That's about all I can think of. Japan certainly wasn't a world player in the Shadow series, and I don't recall any Japanese affectations in the rest of the books.
In Children of the Mind, Japanese culture is placed at a political and economic forefront of human civilization. The money turns out to be based on the yen, not the dollar or pound, and the Japanese "necessarians" have enough political sway to effect the result of the debate over the Lusitanian rebellion. It is a Japanese executive who Peter approaches to stop the attack, and it works. Perhaps it is not the biggest force, but it is definitely the biggest force named.
quote: It's hard for me to try on the mindset that would prefer NOT to be handed a tissue when in dire need, but if I was able to successfully pretend I was invisible then I guess a little mucus decoration wouldn't necessarily distress me. (It's just that I can't pretend that well.)
In the Czech Republic I've found it pretty common for people to openly explain to me that my pronunciation of a certain Czech word is quite bad. This has caused me to improve my pronunciations so as to avoid criticism, but people are not at all shy about telling you that you don't have the first clue about something. I think that's just something you have to get used to- every culture has its things that are taboo, and other that aren't.
And besides, English speakers get a pass because we speak a high status language. You should see the way Czech treat Russians and Asian people who are learning the language. Unflattering impressions abound.
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