Yuki Onna is a goddess, the Shinto goddess of winter and death. Just because I'm not a japanophile doesn't mean I'm ignorant of the country I live in. I purposely chose the name to reflect the part of Japanese culture I can jive with, and to reflect where I am.
The question was whether I was a japanophile, not whether I had any passing interest in Japanese culture. Now, I associate this word with a certain kind of person, one whose interest in Japan goes way beyond sashimi. So yes, I used a whole bunch of stereotypes. It's kind of a joke, based on the assumption which is so often made: any American living here must be doing so because they are totally obsessed with the pop culture. Hell, I get screamed at for looking at the shrine in my own yard, I guarantee you most people here do not make the appropriate judgement about American visitors.
I talked about my experience. I know very few Westerners who have lived here who would not at least in part agree with what I said. I found that even the parts of Japan that I wanted to love were not available to me. That's tragic and I wish it were otherwise. But I'm not saying being interested in Japanese culture is bad. My husband was very much into zen and bushido, which is why he made the choice to come here. I'm simply not.
On the contrary, I find that Americans are accused of being close-minded assholes if they do not worship all aspects of a foreign culture and recognize them automatically as superior to our own. That goes double for Asian culture.
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Date: 2004-08-23 02:00 pm (UTC)Yuki Onna is a goddess, the Shinto goddess of winter and death. Just because I'm not a japanophile doesn't mean I'm ignorant of the country I live in. I purposely chose the name to reflect the part of Japanese culture I can jive with, and to reflect where I am.
The question was whether I was a japanophile, not whether I had any passing interest in Japanese culture. Now, I associate this word with a certain kind of person, one whose interest in Japan goes way beyond sashimi. So yes, I used a whole bunch of stereotypes. It's kind of a joke, based on the assumption which is so often made: any American living here must be doing so because they are totally obsessed with the pop culture. Hell, I get screamed at for looking at the shrine in my own yard, I guarantee you most people here do not make the appropriate judgement about American visitors.
I talked about my experience. I know very few Westerners who have lived here who would not at least in part agree with what I said. I found that even the parts of Japan that I wanted to love were not available to me. That's tragic and I wish it were otherwise. But I'm not saying being interested in Japanese culture is bad. My husband was very much into zen and bushido, which is why he made the choice to come here. I'm simply not.
On the contrary, I find that Americans are accused of being close-minded assholes if they do not worship all aspects of a foreign culture and recognize them automatically as superior to our own. That goes double for Asian culture.
Anyway, just trying to defend myself a little.