The best things in the world is in Japan.

[ax]

I heard Japanese is really Aiguo (patriotic). A friend of mine told me that the best things in the world is inJapan. It is japane borrows or takes the best of everything from all over the world and make it better. (Just like phillips did ) but they're dutch

Heard their rice is the best, their bread and wine is the best.

Have you guys any experience in Japan? I'd like to hear comments...


ax

[thomas]

I object as far as bread and wine are concerned. ;)

[Saiyuki]

i disagree as well. their live action movies do not even compare to American movies, and the women in America are a lot hotter (that doesn't mean Japan has ugly women). mainly becasue we have so much free time to work on our figure

[Mandylion]

The rice thing is more mental. Japanese people claim they can tell the difference because it has a certian taste, but some surveys recently found that only 50% of the tasters could tell the difference between Japanese rice and imports. I can't tell the difference... Bread and wine are not Japan's strong points. Japan has things it does well and things it does poorly, just like any other country.

[kirei_na_me]

I also definitely have to disagree about the wine and the bread.

I will have to say that I think that Japanese snacks are the best in the world, though. Yum, give me some Calbee kappa ebisen, imo karinto, Lotte koala no march and pai no mi...etc. etc.

[Uncle Frank]

I've observed a lot of women in my 53 years from all over the world. Japanese women are the most beautiful on the inside as well as outward!

[Maciamo]

I am sure that Japanese people are patriotic enough to claim that Japanese strawberries, melons, beef, bread and rice are the best in the world. They will also claim that French food in Japan is better than in France because it's too greasy or this or that in France. If you hear this, you can be sure that the person in question has never been to France. Likelwise, most people who claim that Japanese products are better haven't travelled a lot, or just to the States (which is no comparison for gastronomy).

IMHO, patriotism is always a lack of result of a poor knowledge of the world.

[Maciamo]

What Antonxie wanted to say is maybe that everything that is good (food, clothes, cars, books, etc) can be found in Japan. I almost agree with that, except that it's truer for Tokyo or big cities than the whole of "Japan". The best example of this are department stores like Mitsukoshi, Takashimaya, Matsuya and paramount of all Meidi-ya, which all sell mainly imported goods. Meijiya is specialised in imported food, so that's the place to buy good (French, Californian, Chilean, Australian...) wines, Belgian chocolates, English jam and biscuits, Italian and French cheese, or whatever you like. So, yes, Tokyo is a little paradise for food (prices notwithstanding), but it's no more different of London, Paris or New York, except that Japanese food is more abundant.

For clothes, cars and other products, it's the same as everywhere. It's easier to find designer brand and any brand of car (including Japanese) in European cities and towns than in Japanese ones. Prices are usually more than double in Japan than in Europe because most of the famous brands are European (BMW, Mercedes, Jaguar, Ferrari ; Chanel, Dior, Vuiton, Gucci, Prada, Armani, Burberries, Hugo Boss ; Rolex, Cartier, Tag Heuer...). And Japanese are far more addicted to these brands than Europeans are.

[tasuki]

To stick to the examples voiced so far, some Japanese wine is great. Some Katsunuma wines are really good. Of course, wine making traditions are fairly young compared to, say, Europe. But if we compared Japanese rice wines and European rice wines (if any), the same differences would stand out.

As far as bread is concerned, some of the bread I've tasted here is equal and in some cases superior to some of the more famous "bread making countries". I assume that we're talking bakery stuff, not toast bread, right?

For the rice, while true that Japanese may find it hard to tell between local rice and imports, how many of you were fooled by the "New" Coke taste? I know it may seem irrelevent, but all that that was, was the Canadian Coke recipe being introduced on the American Market. I know so many people in Canada who insisted that there was a taste difference when there actually wasn't. (The American recipe was not released on the Canadian market). Anyway, Japanese rice tastes a hell of a lot better than the bland stuff that usually passes for rice in North America, so in this sense I have to agree. But there are also other good rices.

And women... While I have to wholeheartedly disagree about American women being the hottest in the world (I won't elaborate... I'd get booted off the forum. And time to work on the figure doesn't make up for anything...) Japanese women are, in my opinion, by far the most attractive of Asian women, aside from, perhaps a few exceptions (I mean Koreans are very attractive, so are Chinese and Thai women, but Japanese women are more... balanced, for lack of a better term). I'll have to disagree with you Frank about Japanese women being beautiful inside... Japanese women, especially, are amongst the most shallow women it has been my privilege to be around... To me, that's a big flaw.

Two thumbs up to the Advisor Maciamo!

[Maciamo]

Originally posted by tasuki
To stick to the examples voiced so far, some Japanese wine is great. Some Katsunuma wines are really good. Of course, wine making traditions are fairly young compared to, say, Europe. But if we compared Japanese rice wines and European rice wines (if any), the same differences would stand out.

We are not trying to say that Japanese aren't good at making wine. Of course, Europe has a longer tradition but that's not the min reason. Australia is probably France most serious rival in wine making and wine production at about the same time in both Australia and Japan. Japanese wine will never rival mediteranean regions, because the climate (and soil) is more important than the abilities of wine-growers. I have studied a bit of oenology - i.e wine science - and have visited vineyards in France and Australia. Japan hasn't got the right cliamte and geography for optimal wine making. Hokkaido is too cold, like Northern Europe where virtually no wine is made. the rest of Japan is too mountainous or humid in summer. Why is wine produced in California and not in Florida, around Adelaide and Perth, but not up the East tropical coast of Australia ? So, it's not Japan's "fault" if Japanese wine is not world-class. But its semi-tropical climate make it ideal for rice-growing, and thus also for sake making.

As far as bread is concerned, some of the bread I've tasted here is equal and in some cases superior to some of the more famous "bread making countries". I assume that we're talking bakery stuff, not toast bread, right?

I agree that some bakeries like Kobeya Kitchen or Kimuraya are great. But these are rather luxurious bakeries, not the average neighbourhood bakery. Compare what is comparable. In France, some bakeries are wonderful and other disgusting. It just depends on the owner. But in average what is found in France is better than in Japan. Each country and region is so different that I won't even discuss the rest of Europe.

[tasuki]

We are not trying to say that Japanese aren't good at making wine.

No one said so. I or anyone else. But some people implied that Japanese wines were not good or did you miss that part?

Of course, Europe has a longer tradition but that's not the min reason. Australia is probably France most serious rival in wine making and wine production at about the same time in both Australia and Japan. Japanese wine will never rival mediteranean regions, because the climate (and soil) is more important than the abilities of wine-growers. I have studied a bit of oenology - i.e wine science - and have visited vineyards in France and Australia. Japan hasn't got the right cliamte and geography for optimal wine making. Hokkaido is too cold, like Northern Europe where virtually no wine is made. the rest of Japan is too mountainous or humid in summer. Why is wine produced in California and not in Florida, around Adelaide and Perth, but not up the East tropical coast of Australia ? So, it's not Japan's "fault" if Japanese wine is not world-class. But its semi-tropical climate make it ideal for rice-growing, and thus also for sake making.

Fine. That was not the point of my intervention. My point was that the SAME DIFFERENCE outlined in earlier posts would arise were an inverse comparison made. You did the same thing to me in the "Is Japan a Western country" thread appearing to only pick what you like out of people's (mine in particular) posts and using circular reasoning. I'll stay polite in the spirit of the forum, but nobody likes a smart alec who likes to flaunt his knowledge around. Read the posts and understand them before posting a reply.

I agree that some bakeries like Kobeya Kitchen or Kimuraya are great. But these are rather luxurious bakeries, not the average neighbourhood bakery. Compare what is comparable. In France, some bakeries are wonderful and other disgusting. It just depends on the owner. But in average what is found in France is better than in Japan. Each country and region is so different that I won't even discuss the rest of Europe.

No, no, I was talking about the kind of bakery that you can find in Lumine or elsewhere, like Vie de France, where you can buy baguette for a couple hundred yen. They make good stuff. See above about flaunting knowledge. You're not the only one to has travelled, you know...

Case closed. Back to your regularly scheduled programming.

[Enfour]

Isn't all forms of "beauty" in the eye of the beholder!! ie personal taste differs from person to person..

[tasuki]

Hear! Hear! Et vive la diff駻ence!

[Maciamo]

Originally posted by tasuki
No one said so. I or anyone else. But some people implied that Japanese wines were not good or did you miss that part?

I read and must agree with what had been said that Japanese wines weren't as good as French or Australian ones. I didn't miss that part, but you didn't understand my point which was : "Japanese ones are not world-class ones, but that's because of the environment, and it will always be like that, even if you bring in French or other specialists".
You just got the wromg end of the stick (as always) because you thought that I was thinking like you.

Fine. That was not the point of my intervention. My point was that the SAME DIFFERENCE outlined in earlier posts would arise were an inverse comparison made. You did the same thing to me in the "Is Japan a Western country" thread appearing to only pick what you like out of people's (mine in particular) posts and using circular reasoning. I'll stay polite in the spirit of the forum, but nobody likes a smart alec who likes to flaunt his knowledge around. Read the posts and understand them before posting a reply.

As for the smart alec, I got mails complaining about your behaviour as such. People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

You absolutely want to say that Japan is as good a country as others, taking as argument that wine-growing hasn7t got a long history there and that "sake" is better because it has a long history. My point was that this reasoning is irrelevant, since climate decides the crop which grows best, not history.

For the thread "Is Japan a Western country", I stopped replying to you because you seemed convinced that I took Japan as a Western country, which wasn't the case. I was looking for a definition of "westerness", and try to relativised how the notion was perceived by people around the world for different countries. My point was, if someone define, say, Jamaica or Singapore as Western, then Japan is as well. But I don't think any of them are, strictly speaking, which you obviously missed.

No, no, I was talking about the kind of bakery that you can find in Lumine or elsewhere, like Vie de France, where you can buy baguette for a couple hundred yen. They make good stuff. See above about flaunting knowledge. You're not the only one to has travelled, you know...

Kobeya, Vie de France, etc are the same kind of bakeries actually. The prices are the same as in famous and expensive French bakeries like Johan or Fauchon in Japanese department stores. In France, these bakeries are far from standard. They are the most expensives ; probably costing 2 or 3 times more than a cheap bakery. "Pain au chocolat" at Vie de France costabout 150yen, while in France, I can buy bigger ones as good for half price.

[Elizabeth]

Originally posted by antonxie
I heard Japanese is really Aiguo (patriotic). ax

Antonxie,
Aigou is Chinese, isn't it? Meaning patriotic and a name as well? The adjective in Japanese is "aikokuteki" (愛国的).

[Riven]

I think we could give the palm of patriotism to French people ^^
You might say "but your french ..." I know, but I must admit that many (not all of us, fortunatly)
french people don't have such an open mind as many people i found here.
I know, of course, that there are many people really patriotic people in each country but ...
To illustrate what I'm saying, know that we even created a word for people who are more than
patriotic (yes, yes, it's not a joke) which "Chauvinism". It's made from the name of a man called Chauvin. I don't remember his life (when he lived and everything).

PS : I posted it twice 'cause the first one was full of mistakes

[Maciamo]

No worries Riven, I've deleted your "draft" (J'ai efface ton brouillon, comme ca personne ne verra les fautes )

For sure French people are chauvinistic, so much that the word itself, as it is reminded, came from French to English. (be oui, Riven, on dit "chauvinist" en anglais aussi, tu vois c'est pas si dure, quand un mot francais n'existe pas en anglais, on l'emprunte au francais )

[Riven]

lol, je savais pas que l'anglais aussi c'騁ait appropri� le mot. D'un autre c�t�, 軋 ne m'騁onne pas ;)

lol, didn't thought english took this word. Well in fact, i'm not amazed ;)

(congratulation fo your french maciamo, I think you already lived in France )

[ben]

There is so much beautiful about japan. I want to go back. I serously cries when i read "Dogs and Demons", because it highlited for me everthing that i loved in Japan, and how it is being destroyed from the inside out. A few things
-shun (food based on seasonal variance, twhile common in older pre-indusrtial societies, has been taken to an art form in japan). Warabi and mayo.
-Miyazaki hayaou; 'nuff said
-rural architecture, and its realtionship to the environment
-furin in summer
-onsens in winter
-Mt Asama coated in the years first snow
-Aikido

Of course, for everything beautiful, japan has a horrific ugly side as well. Perhaps that should be another thread, to balance this one. Lets idealize it too much ( i wish i could listen to myself sometimes...)