I thought that Japan was relatively first world when I first got here, and thought that my difficulties here (like the only English anyone here knows after ten years of ALT's is "good morning") and the lack of international foods in my local (albeit country) grocery store were indicative of the general state of things in Asia. I just accepted that this was still probably better than in poorer Asian countries, where they could not afford to install well-paid English speakers in every school. I assumed that there were probably more foreign foods here than in any other Asian country (with the exception of maybe Hong Kong and Singapore). However, my friends went away travelling in south-east Asia and came back with back packs full of foreign food and stories of how the children there could speak more English than our Japanese English teachers.
I started to wonder "why?". It seems to me, after six months here, that there is a desire for Japan to be internationalized — as long as it requires absolutely no change. Granted, there is a lot more to internationalization than foreign food and english ability.
Then I had the unique opportunity to watch "Pearl Harbor" at my town hall — there were four Americans/Canadians and everyone else was Japanese. No one said anything (of course), but I could feel that the air was a bit thick and uncomfortable around us. After the movie finished, I understood. At least I think I did.
I think there is a subconscious block to westernization here (there seems to be a bit of a block toward any kind of change actually). I wonder if it isn't because of the American occupation after WWII. Think about how many changes came about during that period — and they were forced to change, whether they wanted it or not. They felt powerless.
Now, I think they are feeling a bit more powerful as a collective nation — they are back in control, and subconsciously, I think, they are going to be darned if they are going to let an "occupation" period happen again. They are giving a message loudly and clearly when they only embrace the superficial, Disneyesque aspects of the Western world: we will accept the veneer, but not the core. Think of how darn cute it is all made out to be. Why do you think it is all marketed as "cutely" as it is? Because they like it that way. How did they come to like it that way? Who marketed that original trend and why? How can you take anything that cute seriously? If westerners and all that is western is always kawaii (cute — this is what the students say when they see a westerner), how seriously do you think they take us? I can certainly understand it though.
Foreigners have introduced new things in the past — sometimes willingly on the part of the Japanese, sometimes forced. Always, it seems, the Japanese felt like others were trying to change the essence of their souls. So they have become stubbornly anti-internationalization on the inside, even while on the outside they want to be internationalized. The problem is that internationalization requires a change of thinking on the inside as well as a change in actions on the outside. You can't do one without the other. So we are left with only a superficial acceptance of us westerners in their midst. They accept us partly because they know we are going home. There are some gross generalizations in here, but I do believe that the essence is true. It just makes my job a little more challenging, that`s all.
Just some random thoughts from a random girl.