Obon is not the only summer holiday Japanese people take, and I'm sure there are many parents in our countries who would love it if their adult children would come home to visit them once a year. I know my mother-in-law right now is loving ...having her son and granddaughter with her, as did my parents a few weeks ago - both visits entirely unconnected with visiting graves.
And how many groups of western tourists have I seen in NZ rushing through a few famous parts and declaring they've seen NZ? Generally far less well-informed than the Japanese tourists I encounter and far less interested.
I'm sorry, but after such a long time in Japan, I have tired of these kinds of sneering, superior articles which generalize about the Japanese and then go on to make judgments which they wouldn't be qualified to make if the writer lived here a lifetime.
Each country has positive things and things which are problems, as well as a whole diversity of people. Those of us who chose to live in or visit a foreign country are well-advised to remember we are the guests and our understanding of and participation in the culture will always be incomplete.
Much to celebrate in Japan, plenty to frustrate one - just like NZ and Oz, the UK and the US.
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Obon is not the only summer holiday Japanese people take, and I'm sure there are many parents in our countries who would love it if their adult children would come home to visit them once a year. I know my mother-in-law right now is loving ...having her son and granddaughter with her, as did my parents a few weeks ago - both visits entirely unconnected with visiting graves.
And how many groups of western tourists have I seen in NZ rushing through a few famous parts and declaring they've seen NZ? Generally far less well-informed than the Japanese tourists I encounter and far less interested.
I'm sorry, but after such a long time in Japan, I have tired of these kinds of sneering, superior articles which generalize about the Japanese and then go on to make judgments which they wouldn't be qualified to make if the writer lived here a lifetime.
Each country has positive things and things which are problems, as well as a whole diversity of people. Those of us who chose to live in or visit a foreign country are well-advised to remember we are the guests and our understanding of and participation in the culture will always be incomplete.
Much to celebrate in Japan, plenty to frustrate one - just like NZ and Oz, the UK and the US.
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