Are people actually aware of the history of Japan? Like Seriously Sometimes when I read the notebook entries on this website it makes me think that people think Japan is the magical land of unicorns a

Delisha

Are people actually aware of the history of Japan? Like Seriously Sometimes when I read the notebook entries on this website it makes me think that people think Japan is the magical land of unicorns and ponies and rainbows. When people say they love Japan and Japanese culture, I have to ask have they actually studied Japanese history? Some of you seem completely ignorant or at least way to idealistic about Japan. Every country has flaws and dark periods in their histories. Every country suffers from racism/colorism/xenophobia etc. Japan is no different. Don't get me wrong I have an appreciation and love for Japan and Japanese culture, but I'm also very knowledgeable about Japanese history. People need to take the good with the bad. If someone asked me about the United States I would be honest about the good and the bad. People need to acknowledge these things. Sorry for the rant. I welcome any comments of agreement or disagreement.

Mar 27, 2015 4:16 AM

Corrections · 3

I think how you feel and consider about the history may be depending on how you have learnt about it, too. Maybe they are not ignorant, but learnt differently from what you are expected. I am not saying only about Japanese history, but every history can be remembered and taught differently depending on their perspectives. I was a SOSE teacher and I taught history as well. I found geography parts were pretty much universal, but the history parts could be very different. I was confused and became unsure what to believe and I stopped teaching the subject. The memory never be the same from the winner's and the loser's point of view. The day of celebration for a country can be the day of mourn for the other. Please do not take it wrong and I am not denying and trying to justify what our ancestors did.

March 29, 2015

Most Japanese students only learn about history in history class, which only teaches what will be on the entrance exam for college. They are only asked to memorize the dates, names and places of the events and never question or try to do any further research on their own. I am guilty of this too because I never took interest in history until I graduated school. Japan, like any other country, can be pretty racist, but the form of racism is a bit different from the ones we see in the US. Most people commit racist acts unknowingly out of ignorance, like asking for a foreigner identification card because you look foreign even though you are a citizen or refusing to rent out an apartment to foreigners because landowners are afraid that they won't be responsible with their payments. I hope our generation changes this.

March 28, 2015

I think this note should be in the discussion page. However, I think you wrote what you think honestly and the note is interesting. In my opinion, the reazon why ans the way of we study languages are depending on the personal situations and likings. So, with knowing about it's history or not isn't very important for some of them and I think it's OK, studying with their own interests is good. I'm a Japanese but I didn't specialize the Japanese language and history, so I don't know very much about my country. Sometimes the learners know more than me. (I hope my English isn't bad.)

March 27, 2015

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