Blog Nippon

I am that blogger and perhaps the cause of all of ...

2008-09-22T02:42:00.000+09:00

I am that blogger and perhaps the cause of all of this. Like you, I casually came across her site and equally as casual, left a message. A message that I thought innocuous enough, but one that seemed to really touch a nerve and suddenly I was grilled intensely by her and another.

Perhaps tempers were inflamed or whatever. The case is that we probably all got a little out of hand and took these things too far. Since then I have tended one of the many olive branches that I am surrounded with here in Spain and we seem to have smoked the peace pipe. Case closed.

I will go back to the main point though, that really I feel that I am as against Anti-American PEOPLE as I would be any other stereotype. Criticizing the regime in Washington however is a completely different matter. Generalizing people as you state is impossible, but I do think that one can and should criticize regimes that are out of control.

Enjoy Japan, I had the pleasure to be there a few years ago and loved it, especially the north around Akita. If things don't turn out well here in Spain, I would jump at teaching in Japan in a heartbeat.

Thanks for the comment Troy. I've been busy, but ...

2008-09-21T22:28:00.000+09:00

Thanks for the comment Troy. I've been busy, but was finally able to compose a response to virgomonkey, which she has yet to post on her own blog. Go figure.

You can find it here: Belated response to "The Most Hilarious Comment I've Received to Date"

This link is a response to virgomonkey made by another blogger whom she was quite vituperative to.

Hi there
This isn't really a comment regarding ...

2008-09-08T01:17:00.000+09:00

Hi there
This isn't really a comment regarding your post, but more that I found your website via the abuse that you suffered after posting on the Anti-American website.

I wrote back to them after being slandered, but my reply was not posted and have put a post on my blog as a reply. There I was also attacked...Moral of the story??? Dunno

"Japan is quite famous for chikan, and for odd-...

2008-09-08T00:14:00.000+09:00
"Japan is quite famous for chikan, and for odd-varieties of chikan."

Hmm... stereotyping much? How simplistic. :) How is this different from my "black and white" view that the Japanese treat Americans nicely?

I responded to your argument in my blog. Oh god how your "logic" doesn't hold any water. lol

だから。。。お前だって馬鹿だよ本当に。。。「くそ外人」ってよく言われない？

Coal,

I still think that Arudou's argument ...

2008-08-22T08:17:00.000+09:00
Coal,

I still think that Arudou's argument is muddled. I don't buy his premise that "gaikokujin" and "gaijin" are entirely distinct words with separate etymologies.

I agree that "gaijin" has a generalizing affect and can have negative connotations. However, I totally disagree with Arudou's equation of "gaijin" with the "n-word". That's ludicrous. I'm simply trying to argue that the use of "gaijin" in Japan is much more complicated--not as clear cut as the "n-word" in America.

Take my example of "gaijin-san". No one would try to get away with "Mr. n---ger". Also, I've heard Japanese parents scold children when they blurt out "gaijin" in my presence. In other words, "gaijin" is more nuanced and contextual--not at all like the "n-word". You make a similar point in your last couple of sentences.

Best,

Nippon Blogger
(Blog Nippon)

Not sure what you don't get about the the paragrap...

2008-08-21T11:20:00.000+09:00
Not sure what you don't get about the the paragraph talking about how nobody (that means anybody at all) calls him a "gaikokujin" but plenty of people call him "gaijin". The point he's very clearly making is that "gaikokujin" is a factual description of a legal status, whereas "gaijin" is a mere label with no recognised definition that's arbitrarily applied to anybody the speaker believes to be an outsider. The same concept becomes clear when you talk about Japanese abroad. A J-citizen in the US would happily accept that in that country they are "gaikokujin" but would baulk at the idea of being called "gaijin". In other words, the two words absolutely do not have the same meaning.

And there is no way that "gaijin-san" can be considered respectful. All the "san" means in that context is that they are referring to you. There's always a more appropriate form of address, such as your name, "okyakusan", "oniisan", "kihou", "sochira", i.e. the things they would call a Japanese citizen under the same circumstances. To call you "gaijin-san" means that the most important detail of your existence in that place and time is that you do not belong there.

Opinions on the whole "is gaijin offensive" debate have always been split. And not just amongst foreign residents. A great many J-citizens, especially those with some experience with the outside world also take great issue with people being called "gaijin". To them, it just reeks of "alien outsider", so in contexts where it wouldn't be necessarily inappropriate to make the distinction (e.g. "many foreigners gather at this bar on a Friday") they prefer to use more descriptive words such as "seiyoujin" or "oubeijin" - words that actually mean something.

Blog Nippon

I am that blogger and perhaps the cause of all of ...

Thanks for the comment Troy. I've been busy, but ...

This link is a response to virgomonkey made by another blogger whom she was quite vituperative to.

Hi thereThis isn't really a comment regarding ...

"Japan is quite famous for chikan, and for odd-...

Coal,I still think that Arudou's argument ...

Not sure what you don't get about the the paragrap...

Hi there
This isn't really a comment regarding ...

Coal,

I still think that Arudou's argument ...