Japan in 150 words or less

There’s an episode of South Park where we find out that the Mormons had the true religion all along.  Well, somebody’s on their side.  As I waited to board my flight to Seoul, 12 or 15 young “elders” in standard issue black suit, white shirt and name tag appeared.  Korea-bound on their mission.  I imagined the fun conversations I’d have sitting next to them. “So, are all Mormons as sexy as you?”  But God must be protecting them, because they all sat in front of me and I got an elderly man with some kind of terminal halitosis instead.  Oh those lucky Koreans.

I remember reading Japan, Inc. back in the late eighties, while we were still psychologically adjusting to the fact that Japan was a superior industrial power.  What struck me most was the anger and stupidity of the Americans  portrayed  — that,  and how grossly over-sized the Japanese artist made our noses!   I’ve noticed this large-nose trend in most of the text books I’ve used.   I wonder what Freud would say…..

…are among the nationalities  famous for not “being good” with foreign languages.   My high-school German teacher likely didn’t even speak the language. By the time I was a graduate student, however, the emphasis was  on simulated immersion.  We  were turning out students who could actually converse.  Trying to do this oneself with Japanese is more challenging:  I’ve become a proponent of AJATT (All Japanese All the Time) and I was blessed to find JOI.  And now it’s on to Yamasa.