How many of you are fake Japanese?

Just curious, how many of you are americans trying to ape japanese and all the pseudo japanese buildings? And what is the purpose really? Is there some sort of mystique attached with being japanese, or its just familiarity with particular cultures. Namely those you've dropped a couple of bombs on before, so you know a little of who or where they are.

From whomever I've met, the real japanese don't even use names like usagi, ranma, musashi for their avatars. Anybody explain where all this apeism comes from?

I'm not fake Japanese...

... because I've never claimed to be Japanese.

My login is something I've used for a long time, and just as arbitrary a name as "Cottonteil".

I find most of the japanese visual aesthetic quite pleasing, particularly the classical period architechure. But I've built very little of it, because it doesn't translate well to SL, I've found.

Who cares? Its not like the Japanese dont copy aspects from other cultures. And no I dont have a Japanese build or name. And mentioning the bomb is a troll. Ask the Chinese about the Japanese during WWII.

This thread probably shouldn't have moved beyond the random thought stage.

I was thinking not beyond the "Submit New Thread" stage.

I don't beleive the japanese history books in school teach that Annah. Wonder why?

So what do they use? American names?

I'm a fake white anglo saxon protestant.

I think I'm turning japanese, I think I'm turning japanese, I really think so!

I don't think I'm Japanese, and don't do any 'fake Japanese' stuff on SL. I'm attempting to decorate my house in the traditional Japanese style though, because I absolutely love the simple complexity of it all.

I also think the Japanese are completely freaking weird.

While doing research, I ran across something I found sort of telling. It was a hotel somewhere in Japan, in which they have an 'Eastern Style' room, and a 'Western Style' room.

Western Style - Is this really how they think we decorate?

'Japanese Style' - Is this really how THEY decorate? Or is it how they think we think they decorate?

Disclaimer: By 'we' I mean 'people outside of Japan' not 'People in the US'. So if this is the style of some european country, please don't take this as another arrogant USian being arrogant... it's just a person being clueless

Yah beat me by 2 posts )

Well, teh western room is pretty much varies by your taste. the Japanese room too, but I've seen plenty of Japanese rooms decorated in that exact style.

Disclaimer: I am in Japan, and have seen many Japanese homes.

Ceera Murakami is not quite a "Fake Japanese", but I'm probably close enough. I'll at least try to give the original poster a straight answer.

If you encounter Ceera Murakami in-world, especially at her home in Magenta, you'll meet a lady who often wears a Kimono, and who lives in a home styled after the late Edo period in Japan, complete with a wood-fired kamado in the kitchen. She may well use numerous Japanese phrases and manerisms. She also uses French and English. Her Companion is a lovely 9-tailed Kitsune, a creature from Japanese legend and myth, and Mariko is even better at putting on Japanese court manners than I am. (Perhaps in part because her Player is of Asian heritage.)

But Ceera does not claim to be ethnic Japanese in origin. She will tell you that, if you ask. She was born in a feudal-era European nation, and over the course of an excessively long life she spent many years living in historical periods in both Japan and France. As she now lives with an Asian who has a Japanese personna in SL, and their home and their mannerisms when entertaining guests there reflects that Japanese influence.

As a builder, I have attempted to create the architecture of many cultures, from thatched-roofed bungalows from Tahiti, to shoji-screen walled Japanese buildings. I try to do decent historical research to back up my designs. If a more knowledgable person should find fault with the accuracy of them, and if it is possible within the constraints of SL, I would happily make them more accurate. No matter what culture it is from.

My Player is an "Anglo American". More German and Scandanavian than anything else, by bloodlines. Among my many interests, I am a fan of Japanese Manga and Anime, I have made attempts to learn the Japanese language, and I have studied some of their history and of the Shinto beliefs. I have also studied French and Spanish language, and the history and culture of many other nations. I like history, legends and mythology. I like studying comparitive religion. I think it's important to at least try to understand more of the World at large than the people I meet each day in my home town. I have traveled to three different continents in real life, and have visited half a dozen or more countries other than my own in my travels. I would love to spend time in Japan, among other nations, but have not yet been able to afford such a trip. So, I travel there in my mind, by doing research and roleplaying.

Every culture, every nation, and just about any religion or grouping of people that you care to name, has at some point done things that are terrible. I don't know of a nation today that you couldn't point to an atrocity of some sort, if you dig hard enough. For most nations, including both Japan and America, you don't have to dig very deep to find something you could easily hate. I have no intention of dwelling on such matters, and I will not reply with incendiary answers to flame bait of any kind.

Yet there is also much to be admited in the achievements and cultures of most nations. Is it so hard to believe that someone from another land might honestly admire and cherish Japanese culture for its own merits? The language is intriguing, subtle, and entirely different from most European languages. The legends, myth and history of Japan are a fertile ground for imaginative roleplay. Personally, I prefer to dwell on the positive accomplishments of humanity, no matter what nation they are from.

So... there is an honest answer for you, from one 'Fake Japanese' who is an Anglo American.

Gee, I've never heard of anybody from Japan "ape" western behavior.

As for emulating culture that the U.S. dropped bombs on, I think Vietnam would have Japan beat by a wide margin. I haven't see very many Vietnamese builds lately.

Video games, another phenomena developed in the U.S.

Me thinks the OP may be apeing U.S. culture.

There's about 3 levels i've noted.

The ones that are- well, they just... be themselves, being from anywhere, or with X background doesn't stop them from enjoying SL to the fullest. You don't even know where they're from unless asked or mentioned. It makes for an awesome surpise, and something to talk about whenever topic ideas are lacking.

The ones that pose as - you'll spot them right then and there, usually they're called "chickenshit posers", "n00bs", or fakes... they might try to make low quality content, and charge a fortune for it all in all their stuff is "tacky" or it just plainly "sucks"... may fall in the category of "eyesore" or even "mob fuel".

The apreciative ones - the ones that like something about a culture so much they try and succeed most of the times, they love the theme, stick with it, and enjoy doing it.
They just do stuff because:
-they can
-they find it a challenge
-they find it appealing.
-or depending the case all of the above

About the bomb thing, it was a result of events that happened during WWII, which may have started after the Pearl Harbor attack. The info is freely available on the internet, public libraries, and mushed tree pulp things. But, results of interpretation may vary. Consult with someone with a clue for better results.

And.... i got a question, if someone enjoys posing, or being apreciative of a foreign culture, is that a problem?

IF that's so, do as if it was dog poop, don't step on it, just walk around it and keep on going


HAHA! i typed poop

<blinks> But... But... People said they LIKED the Tibet/Japanese hot springs resort we did!

<whimper>

They do, Jonas, many of them in great details. What makes you believe that they don't?
In addition, my teachers in elemtary school used a lot of visual aids to describe the horrible atrocities our ancestors did to the rest of the Asia.
Mweh I was traumatised :/

For those who may not know, the biggest teacher's union in Japan is ruled by *extreme* leftists and many of the kids have been educated to be ashamed of their history and country.

Are you 'fake' Japanese yourself? To add the bombs dropped at the end of the war into your post as a meaningless throw away comment is bit odd to me. I guess the younger generations do not take these things as serious now.

And funny!

www.engrish.com

btw, the above link is for a good chuckle, just like when you hit the forums.secondlife.com website, i think its mostly safe for work, haven't seen anything out of the ordinary.

But its great for a chuckle enjoy!

Perhaps it's about time the "kids" in Japan hear about such things. Hard to get around "moral gray areas" like the Rape of Nanking, and the refusal of the Japanese government or the Japanese people to recognize such events for generations afterward.

As for aping the Japanese, I find much to admire in the aesthetics of Japanese culture, and much less to admire in their history and especially their perception of other peoples. I think I'll remain as I am - fake Gondolinian from an English Northumbrian background. With a really bad fake accent.

Thanks for the clarification.

All nations should teach their children of their shames, so that we can learn form past mistakes. For the US, this would be the Iraq war, putting japanese americans in camps, and the north tyrannizing the south.

AMEN, ANNAH!!!!! Oh, and speaking of apeism, why is while I was in Japan (3 years) the Japanese over there were all trying to be American right down to the horrendous engrish on the clothing and cars?

-Kiamat Dusk

Of course they dont!

we all know that Bush (Chimp McHitler) gives cancer.

FPS games are terrorist tools, and the grand theft auto video game series caused the Vietnam conflict.

Philip Linden is really the afixed body "inworld" of Philip Rosendale, after Pathfinder Linden used his own blood, eye and a kit kat bar to rescue Philip from a failed attempt to create the "Developer's Stone".

And Chuck Norris created the internet with his own abs back in the late 1800's, before he became upset about the ammount of pr0n that may inhabit it during a vision he had while training, so he roundhouse kicked the "Net" into the next century, and it fell upon an unsuspecting Al Gore...

Damn kids





PS: i have no idea where this post came from xD

Just FYI, "traditional Japanese style" is actually traditional Chinese style which they borrowed wholesale from the Chinese during the Tang dynasty right down to the Chinese characters.

-Kiamat Dusk

Reitsuki isn't an arbitrary name as it has meanings in japanese. Based on my limited knowledge, rei means 'law' or 'strive' while tsuki means 'moon'. So it definitely has japanese connotations, even though not many japanese might use the name. And neither is Cottonteil an arbitrary name.



This is not the question. You can start another thread asking why some japanese ape western culture, but that is another story. I'm just asking why. If you don't care, then theres no need even to post. Mentioning the bomb isn't trolling. It's well known that bombs make people remember things. If you survive them, that is.

And, I don't need to ask the chinese, since I'm chinese.



Actually no. But I'm not going to name names.



Nobody said you were. It was self admission. But thanks for the detailed explanation.



I don't find anything wrong with this. Asking why does not make it a problem. But there are some who go to the extent of claiming they are when they aren't. Are there any reason for this? Roleplaying like the goreans?