Won't Miss #529 - lack of diversity

Japan has a rich culture with a lot of variety and history. In fact, you could not really understand every nook and cranny of what it has to offer even if you had a lifetime to explore it. What is more, much of the culture has been adapted from other cultures - Chinese and European ones in particular - so there is a bit of a crazy quilt going on. That being said, it is one unified quilt and every square has been crafted in accord with what the Japanese find comfortable and secure.

In the U.S., at least where I am living now, there is cultural diversity everywhere. In my former apartment, my nearest neighbor was a a Chinese family. Now, the neighbors on either side of me are Indian, the property manager is Hispanic, and the downstairs neighbors are Chinese. There are even a few white people on the other side of our building and a few black ones in the building opposite ours.

The thing about being in America is that there is a lot of authentic diversity and you can, if you live in a relatively well-populated area, attend festivals and cultural events given by people who are a part of those cultures. Since returning, I've been to Japanese and Portuguese cultural events as well as taken part in a Dia de Los Muertos (day of the dead) procession. I'm hoping to locate a Diwali (Festival of Lights) event next year (I missed out this year). My point is that I can do these things because the cultural communities are strong here and well supported. In Japan, such things were much smaller, harder to find, and not well-attended. People of different cultures are discouraged from embracing their native cultures and celebrating them. They are pushed to be quiet and blend in.

I don't miss the lack of cultural diversity in Japan.

Won't Miss #286 - one with the borg mentality

A sign encouraging everyone to carry their own bag rather than use plastic ones - note how they all follow each other, and look, and act the same.

There was a big flap several years ago about Brazilians living in a particular apartment building and their inability to get along with their Japanese neighbors. They weren't unfriendly. They didn't do anything criminal or fail to follow some rules. The thing they did was talk too loudly for the delicate ears of their Japanese neighbors.* The Japanese expected the Brazilians to totally abandon their Brazilian character and assimilate according to some arbitrary definition of "Japanese character". This attitude is not only an issue with the Japanese, but also among foreigners who are deep in the thrall of their infatuation with Japanese culture. It's not enough to follow the rules, pay your taxes, and abide the law. You must become one with the Japanese. Coming from the Japanese, this can certainly be understood since they bash down nails in their own ethnic group when they stick out (though it is a destructive thing even among the Japanese and results in social isolation and suicide). Coming from some foreigners, who presumably have experience with ethnic diversity and tolerance, it is quite absurd to advocate foreign folks try and make themselves into character clones of the natives.

I won't miss this expectation and tendency to push total cultural assimilation and the complete abandoning of one's native character and values.

*Note: Japanese neighbors are far from quiet and are just as capable of speaking at bombastic volume as anyone else. Trust me, I have plenty of experience in this area. Double standards are applied to foreigners in regards to noise and neighborly behavior.

Will Miss #166 - exposure to European culture

Japanese people like to say that their country is an "international" one. My former boss and I used to scoff at this notion since there is so frequently a lack of understanding of other cultures, particularly in terms of the broader psychology of the people of other lands. In some sense, Japan is still very insular and not very international. In another sense, and I mean in terms of its consumption and display of cultural artifacts from all over the world, it has far more cultural integration than many other places. You're much more likely to find European movies, food, and pop cultural icons in Japan than you are in the U.S.

I have seen and learned more about European culture from incidental aspects of living in Japan than I ever saw in the United States, and I'm going to miss this type of broad and frequent exposure to other cultures.

Will Miss #119 - diversity of friends

One of the best things for me about working in Japan is that I have not only met and gotten to know a lot of Japanese people, but also people from all over the world. I've worked with people from nearly every English-speaking country around the globe, and this has taught me that, though we may speak the same language and look similar, our cultures are certainly not the same. I've also gotten to know people from other Asian countries. Being in jobs where foreignness is a part of the work has helped me get to know a far greater diversity of people than I ever would had I remained in the U.S.

I will miss being exposed to such a broad range of interesting people.