Japanese men live in a different world

This entry is also brought to you by Japanese Night TV. I think this means it's time to change the title of the blog.

Anyway, one thing learned from Japanese Night TV tonight: certain Japanese men should not be on Japanese TV if my blood vessels are to stay intact and not burst from outrage and disgust. And I've got pretty strong blood vessels.

First off, a nice, normal, mindless variety show sets the stage. Several celebrity guests are present, including Mori Izumi, a Eurasian model / actress / host (her father is Japanese-American, her mother is Italian-American). Suddenly, for no apparent reason, the male host of the show turns on Mori and starts baiting her, joined by some other male celebrities.

Host: Ok, so you're beautiful, talented and so on. But I feel that you can never have a happy marriage. For instance, what would you do in this situation? It's raining and you don't have an umbrella, and you're in the car with your boyfriend going to dinner. What would you do?

Mori: I would ask to alight at the restaurant.

Host: Then what about on the way back?

Mori: I'd ask him to get the car from the parking lot while I wait for him (under the shelter) at the restaurant.

Host: And we men would do it for you. But! We don't want you to tell us that you want us to do it for you!

Other male celebs: Yeah, yeah!

Host: You should be like, "No, I'll walk to the parking lot with you". Then we'd be like, "No, it's ok, I'll go get the car. You wait here". Then you refuse again. This exchange of going back and forth should be carried out three times!

Mori: (laughing) Three times??

Host: Yeah, see! You could never marry a Japanese!

Male comedian: Yeah, just now in the dressing room when she saw me, she said "Hello" in English! To a fellow Japanese! She should have said "Ohayo gozaimasu!" To a fellow Japanese!

Host: And don't you spend lots of money on dates and expensive restaurants and branded clothes?

Mori: I don't... honestly....

Host: I think the only one who'd want to marry you is Joy-kun (Joseph Greenwood, a male model who is half British, half Japanese). You two would make a good pair.

Joy-kun: Er, no I don't think it would work out.... we're still from different places... etc

And scene.

Yes. This unprovoked, blatant display of male chauvinism / sexism that even snowballed to include racism was just beyond words for me. Like a friend said, how can the Japanese, in this day and age, still hold on to such archaic views, AND think such behaviour is acceptable? On national TV? To the granddaughter of Mori Hanae, no less. To the extent that the other "foreigner" in the room, Joy, was quick to disassociate himself with Mori Izumi, just so he wouldn't be lumped together with her assumed "foreign" behaviour of saying "hello" in English to other Japanese people, expecting common gentlemanly courtesies and supposedly spending money frivolously and being high maintenance (an accusation that was made randomly with no proof whatsoever except the host's own perceived notions of her).

It just chills the blood, while making it boil at the same time.

Oh, Japan. All the high-tech talking toilets and spiffy android mobile phones and smart appliances in the world can't save you from looking backward, insular and downright ugly if this discrimination against women and "foreigners" continues to be upheld arrogantly as a basic Japanese right. Wake up and smell the unflushed toilets.

Maybe it's time to move to Korea.

Ijyou desu!!

The Super Koreans

This is a special feature brought to you by Japanese Night TV. And it's about the Koreans. Who are super. As you will see.

First, let's examine the differences between Korean and Japanese idols in the pop industry. The Japanese groups just debut when they're formed, and go about their dance and vocal training after that. The Korean groups, however, remain wannabes for at least 3-5 years, during which time they have to train and practice ceaselessly before they even have a CHANCE of debuting (which is not guaranteed by any means). The talent agencies pay for their lodgings and living expenses, but they don't get days off, and probably 3-4 hours of sleep per day.

Even after they debut, Korean idol groups continue to live in extremely modest shared living quarters (paid for by the talent agencies), work 365 days a year from around 9 am to 4 am, and count themselves lucky if they get 2-3 hours off on rare days when the other group members are off on their individual jobs. They get called for jobs or practice on the morning itself, and have to turn up immediately at a moment's notice. They have to take Japanese lessons and self-study just so they can appear on Japanese music shows. Many of them speak very fluent Japanese. While one member is doing a photo-shoot, the other members may be recording for a show in the same studio while waiting their turn. Any spare time is spent back in the studio perfecting their singing and dancing.

Witness Samples A and B. Sample A is a popular Japanese boy band. Sample B is a popular Korean boy band. Would you rather have A) unrecognizable "English" and so-so singing / dancing boys-next-door-who-endearingly-fool-around or B) slickly packaged hot young men with perfect English enunciation, perfectly executed dance moves and smouldering looks to sear your heart?

While Japanese celebrities would shy away from any rumours of having had plastic surgery, Korean stars embrace the work they've had done, and openly declare it on TV. This actually increases their popularity rather than cloaking them in scandal and shame, as it would the Japanese. Of course, this is the nation where parents use the promise of paying for plastic surgery as a means to get their children to study hard and graduate from university, and where men can now get a six-pack through liposuction that sucks away the fatty layer under their tummy skin, revealing the shape of the muscles underneath.

Now, let's look at how Korean men fare against Japanese men in the area of dating. 100 men from each country were surveyed on the streets. Here are some of the results:

1) I say "I love you" to my girlfriend.

Japanese men: about 14/100

Korean men: somewhere between 50-70 / 100

2) I wear pair looks with my girlfriend.

Japanese men: about 4/100

Korean men: 79/100

3) My girlfriend's photo is my mobile phone's wallpaper.

Japanese men: very few

Korean men: 52/100 (one even put puri-kura stickers of him and his girlfriend on the inside of his cellphone's battery compartment, because he didn't want her "to be cold")

4) I carry my girlfriend's bag.

Japanese men: less than 20/100

Korean men: 53/100

On this, here are some comments from the Korean boyband Supernova (Cho Shin Sei in Japanese, Cho Shin Sung in Korean) who were the guests on Japanese Night TV. The leader of the band was shocked that it was "so few" - he expected 100/100 men to answer yes to carrying their girlfriend's bags. Another member said he'd carry the bag of any female friend he went out with. Yet another member said that Korean men carry their girlfriends' bags because they loved their girlfriends and wanted to take care of them. These were feelings that came from their hearts. But apparently not from the hearts of the Japanese male comedians on the show, who all looked disbelieving, while the Japanese female celebrities clapped fervently while secretly making plans to date only Korean men from now on.

Bonus random factoid: Japanese men prefer breasts, while Korean men prefer legs. Mmm hmmm.

More bonus random facts about Samsung: It practically has a monopoly on the electronics and household appliances market in Korea (and also other parts of the world), shared partially with LG. Samsung pays a heckuva lotta money to keep their billboard in a prime high position on Times Square's Times Building (the tall one right in the centre). Samsung employees above 40 earn on average 305 million yen (about 4.8 million SGD) per year, while the top executives in Samsung earn about 700 million yen (10.9 million SGD). Needless to say, Samsung is one of the elite companies Koreans (or anyone) would want to work at.

Finally, a look at the Korean education system. If you thought Japanese juku (cram schools) were tough, wait till you hear what the Koreans do:

- Korean elementary school kids go to cram school for at least 4 or more subjects, including English, Korean, math and even music.

- Cram school teachers will go to the extent of doing cosplay to make cramming math "fun" for kids.

- Dads will send their kids (and their wives with them) to America to study, while they stay behind in Korea, work hard, and send wads of cash to their loved ones, whom they can only see via webcam, for years.

- There is an "English village" in Korea, a huge theme-park-like place where kids can go during the holidays for English camp. They are forbidden to speak Korean within the park.

If all these (plus the existence of Kim Yu-Na) are not enough proof of the Koreans' super-ness, I don't know what is.

Ijyou desu!