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First and foremost, there is no place called "Japan", this is a bastardization of a provincial dialect of The Middle-Kingdom language with the same characters. We have Marco Polo to blame for this travesty, if I am not mistaken.

Secondly, Japanese children are absolutely adorable lovable. They are better than Western children in every possible way. They might actually be robots. But then they go to Middle School and they have to start taking nasty tests and going to cram school so that they can learn really bad English, and their hearts are broken, never to return.

It's very sad.

Also, the Japanese are recycling fiends. It's cool.

I like the historical culture and art..but I've never been and I don't really have anything to say about it. It's a country..*shrugs* there are others...I can't understand the fascination with it, especially in America.

Only a mile? While I was touring Honshu, we wandered for hours without seeing on.

Also, I would like to point, there are odd culture shocks I will have to get accustomed to when I come back.

First and foremost: nothing will ever be cute again in comparison. Of all the things in America, it's possible that only kittens compare to the average level of pervasive cuteness available to be seen at any given time in Japan.

Secondly, I will be very sad when elevators stop talking to me.

Alright, I feel so behind now. xd
First I must agree with Blade and Sliph on the recycling. I don't think I ever saw an actual "trash can" every one I saw had its own purpose for recycling. I'm fairly sure the only thing they don't recycle is their food and even then there is always the possibility....

As far as the children go...Oh my god they are so freaking adorable in those yellow safety hats! And I must agree with Blade, there is a very strong possibility that they are indeed robots. xd

I don't know if anyone else noticed this, but the Japanese are crazy when it comes to cell phones! One thing that was popular while I was there (which has been about a year and a half now, so I'm not sure if it's still a fad) was collecting cell phone charms and putting them on your cell phone, and men and women did this. One of my friend's pin pals had to have had well over 15 cell phone charms on her phone, it was crazy! And this kind of relates, but they always seem to know right when to get off the subway, whether they are texting, reading, listening to music, or even sleeping, they somehow know right when to get off the subway.


Shadow: Well as far as America's interest in Japan goes, there has been an upsurge in "otaku" (even though it's really just anime junkies) population over the past couple of years. I like to blame it on the large amounts of things that kds grew up with that came from Japan, like Pokemon, Digimon, and now Naruto, and all of the game systems comming from Japan that seem to get children more interested in Japan. I think that's part of the reason there has been an increase in interst over Japan, that and most people on this site are going to be somewhat interested due to the fact that it's an anime based site. sweatdrop

(Oh, and Blade I just want to let you know, if you're anything like me you will end up missing Japan much more than you thought you would. sweatdrop *Longs for June* So close, yet so far... T__T)

It's the most generally technologically advanced country on earth. Robots run most of the industry, they have cell phones as powerful as laptops, they produce the vast majority of the world's video games. They are also one of the most environmentally conscious modern nations, featuring the world's most advanced and serious recycling facilities, as well as the world's best research being done into "green" technologies. They also have a wide array of entertainment choices, as video games and comic books are considered to be entertainment for adults, and have been for decades, which is a trend that has only caught on recently in the rest of the world.

What you are doing is choosing to have a negative reaction against your view of the "masses". You reject the very idea that Japan might be interesting because you want to stand apart or be different from how you PERCEIVE that 'the masses' are 'crazed' about Japan. I mean, why actually THINK about it when it's easier to just say "I don't get it" and sound edgy and knowing. What you fail to see is not only the ways in which Western culture has been affected by Japan, but also the way YOU have surrounded yourself with its products. As someone who comes to Gaia, not only are YOU using a site whose art and general set-up are inspired by Japanese traditions of design, but you are also a part of internet culture. As the internet is exceptionally used here in Japan, the Japanese are adding a great deal of media to the tubes that is being both being propagated, and inspiring others.

On top of this, Japan is the world's third largest economy, not far behind China (and China only surpassed Japan in the last few years).

Long story short, a great deal of media and technology comes from Japan. This creates interest. It's like asking "Why do people like American movies?" when Hollywood produces most of the movies being made on Earth.

It is now time for the lore sage to step in. "Anime" as it is known has been popular since the eighties, With shows like Robotech, Saint Seiya, and VOLTRON (formerly Go-lion) having a fair say amonst the Hanna-Barbara and Gene Deitrich cartoons, although it's had a decent representation as early as the sixties. Big-O, Cowboy Bepop, and Outlaw star have been playing on Adult swim since its inception (and my childhood), although the content now is considerably different than its bygone days.
To speak pointedly, there are a far greater amount of people in America than whatever middle or high school your analysis is taken from, and many of us like the anime.

Now, concerning Japan. Indeed it is cute, and it will have my monies.
I may end up moving there, mostly to avoid import fees (and these exhorbitant prices) and to avoid America's strange fascination with the biggest and baddest whatever, and to embrace Japan's fascination with the weird and/or cute.
Is what I'd like to say, but I think that I like DnD too much. Maybe I can just have my novels translated and go there once a year on a signing tour, or something.

dude, I'm from ENGLAND...so my analysis isn't taken from a high school or middle school. Anime is a new thing here and it's only really "geeks" who are interested in it. Most people probably wouldn't even know what it was if it weren't for the internet. I've never even heard of the shows you mentioned. I'm 20, and there certainly wasn't any anime around when I was a kid.