The J-niche

[space__between]

So recently i have been looking at other peoples live journals and trying to find other people within the LJ community who can speak Japanese. I figured this would give me a good idea of what kind of people students of the language are. Its not even a cross section. I'd be willing to bet a large some of money that a majority of students of

Comments

[yukinoitazuchi]

I agree with makoto. Sometimes, I just don't understand and feel Japan is not all animation, video games, sex, and comic books.

[akibare]

Well, heck. I just surfed over here, late, seeing your post on another public forum, and found this topic interesting, because

[space__between]

hehe yeah for kobochan. Im sure your situation is different, seeing as how you are a native speaker and, at least by virtue of your childhood surroundings, Japanese. Just the same, its really interesting to hear someone else's point of view on it. Perhaps the very fact that you grew up around these elements and icons has stripped you (I say it like its a bad thing) of the inherent sense of "specialness" that most non-Japanese people find in latching on to bits of Japanese culture. I don't want to make a generalization about the whole community that isn't true but I do believe that alot of us try and find something "unique" in our travels through japanese culture; something that people on the outside "just couldn't possibly understand or appreciate". In this way many young scholars are able to instill a weight/importance to their hobbies because they believe they are traveling down an unused path so to speak. What do you think? Anywho its something I have never quite figured out for myself but thanks for the input!

[sakura_no_kage]

hey i am not into smap or morning musume or even hamasaki ayumi (in fact i think they sing rather badly too. I also wonder why there are so many people who likes the musume)

but i am attracted to japanese simply because of the fact that it had a close relationship with chinese language and to an extent, culture (maybe to ancient chinese culture)

oh yes i enjoy japanese manga and anime and songs and dramas too haha.