We Japanese – Mice in their pockets?
One of the least favorite expressions I heard while living in Japan, and I heard it a lot, was 'we Japanese.' nihonjin wa…
Without fail I would think, what? do you have a mouse in your pocket? Have you asked all the Japanese everywhere and found out that you are all the same? How do you know? Or do you have a mouse in your pocket and you are speaking on behalf of the mouse, presumably Japanese, and yourself?
Japanese are a self conscious bunch, it seems to me. Too much so. But, that's not another issue.
There are web sites devoted to what Japanese people think…in English and Japanese.
Today's Nikkei news – Consumers take on economy at 5-year low. (The reader might need a subscription to click through.)
Japanese consumers are growing increasingly pessimistic about the economy the report says. The outlook is the worst in 5 years. Price hikes, lower stock prices are to blame.
If you are Japanese and looking for something to say and need backup in case you are talking to someone like me –
"We Japanese think the economy is in the dumps and getting worse."
You'll be right.
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April 21, 2008
It’s part of what makes living here baffling and interesting at the same time. On the one hand, it’s interesting that so many Japanese can’t separate their individual identities from the country and culture as a whole. But, on the other hand, it’s what can make having relationships here trying at times.