Sunday, July 3, 2011

Contemporary Japanese Culture Question?

Question:


OK, this will probably something only a native Japanese, or someone who lives in, or who has lived in, Japan will be able to answer...but I am interested in answers from anyone. This isn't the sort of a question that is easy to ask face-to-face in Japan, so I thought I'd ask it here.

Anyone who has studied or loved Japan knows about the terms, "Weeaboo" and "Wapanese," as used to describe people, usually teenagers and young adults, who become obsessed with Japan and things Japanese. These are the folks who dream of becoming mangaka or anime artists, without ever having been to Japan...and, whose knowledge of the Japanese language is limited to "sugoi," "kawaii," and "desu." In other words, people who try to reduce Japan, and their image of Japan, to anime, manga, and J-Pop. Sometimes the terms are used jokingly, but other times as a pretty heavy insult. Be that as it may...

In my experience with living in Japan, studying Japan and Japanese culture and language, I have often come upon many Japanese kids and young adults who are obsessed with Western, especially US culture. This can be shown through the popularity of magazines like "Egg" and countless others. To put it mildly...just as many native Japanese are crazy about the West as US kids are about the "East." For example, I will never understand why so many Japanese liked the band, "Cheap Trick," when they could be listening to The B'z, Sambomaster, and Ikimono Gakari? LOL

Anyway, what are the terms that Japanese use to describe other Japanese that are as obsessed with the US as so many US kids are with Japan? I am not looking for racist terms...just the words used to describe people displaying this phenomenon.

Thanks

Answer:


>Anyway, what are the terms that Japanese use to describe other Japanese that are as obsessed with the US as so many US kids are with Japan?

アメリカかぶれ
amerika kabure

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