Most unlikely bedfellows

[AsahinaKimi]

Most unlikely bedfellows:Charting the course of Japan-U.S. relations — relations that now, as ever, can surprise, bewilder and baffle


Time heals: Emperor Hirohito and General MacArthur, at their first meeting, at the U.S. Embassy, Tokyo, Sept. 27, 1945. Right: U.S. President Barack Obama invited former-Prime Minister Taro Aso to be the first foreign leader to visit him at the White House on Feb. 23, 2009 — a sign of the importance of the relationship between the two countries. U.S ARMY; KYODO

By MICHAEL HOFFMAN
Special to The Japan Times

"How wonderful! How marvelous! From here to the southeast is what the Westerners call the Pacific Ocean and the American states! They must be very close!" — Watanabe Kazan, artist and samurai, in a diary recording a sojourn in Enoshima, an island off Kamakura in present-day Kanagawa Prefecture, in 1821.

Close indeed. Closer than he or any Japanese then knew. Just around the corner, in fact.

"Intercourse shall be continued forever." — Shogun Tokugawa Iesada (under duress), to U.S. Consul Townsend Harris, 1857.

Two mid-19th-century whalemen, an American and a Japanese, made their names immortal. Pity they never met.


John Manjiro, who "had more to do with the opening of Japan than any other man living." LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

more
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20110731x1.html
A bit of fascinating history

[LiberalLoner]

1. I've liked the Japanese people I've met very much. I always wonder what they

think of us Americans...

K&R n/t

[AsahinaKimi]

2. I would imagine it depends on who you ask.

My father came from Japan to the USA. It was his dream to come here. He loved American culture and America's values (Then), however his older brother remained traditional though he allowed his daughter to come visit us five years ago.

I know that many of the Japanese who came here, directly from Japan have their own ideas about why they came here, and not, for example to South America, where there are some large pockets of a Japanese population.

Asking those who have been here for generations would not get you a fair answer either. I have talked, however with my cousin and with friends on the Internet who I know and can trust. Many have mixed emotions about the USA. Japan for years has been greatly influenced by American words, culture, and entertainment. Anime, which is huge in Japan now, was influenced by Animation masters here in the US.

Yet you will meet some who don't care to learn English, nor fraternize with Americans, even if their heritage is Japanese. My own group on IMVU is a huge example. We have a chat room about Japanese and Asian music. Most of the guests that come are from other countries who just love Japanese and Korean modern music. Yet, many of the Native Japanese refuse to come and stay in their "Japanese language only" rooms. Many may not be comfortable trying to speak English, but there have been some who were disgusted by Americans having an interest in their artists and singers. They don't want to lose their singers and artists to the world, but want them to be exclusively Japanese.

The same can be said of Japanese baseball players who come to play in Major league baseball. While some are content to follow their favorite players on MLB league teams, others would rather have them home playing in their own Japanese leagues.

There really is no correct answer to your question. It all depends on who you ask, however I would suspect that deep in the Japanese psyche there is a little appreciation for all things foreign. Its why potential Chefs are sent to Paris France to learn how to bake, or Japanese sake makers will go to Europe to learn how to make fine wines and even whiskey.

[xfundy]

3. Interaction between cultures benefits all.

But, conservative types see that knowledge combined means more knowledge, and knowledge, which inevitably creates a thirst for more knowledge, leads to questions being asked. And they don't like having their beliefs questioned.

[awoke_in_2003]

4. "Intercourse shall be continued forever."

sounds like something our politicians think :) K&R

[AsahinaKimi]

5. I wonder if thats a case of bad translation...

Somethings are just difficult to translate from Japanese to English.

[awoke_in_2003]

6. well, the sexual act...

is the third meaning of the word intercourse:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intercourse

My gutter mind just instantly jumped to that one :)

[pa28]

7. K&R

I love woodblock prints and Hiroshige but this was new to me.



Good find.