It's an opinion that may seem innocent enough. However, no comment is more likely to offend Japanese people. The idea that Japan is crazy is pretty common — but it's completely wrong. There are several reasons for the misperception:
Japanese Tabloids & Western Media
Is The New York Times going to use The National Enquirer as a source? Probably not.
However, mainstream Western media regularly reports stories from Japanese tabloids. In other words, many of the crazy stories you've heard about Japan aren't true.
Japanese Sense of Humor
The Japanese have a great sense of humor. Some of their comedy shows are way out there.
But since when do we judge a country by it's comedy?
Lost in Translation
Japanese humor is often misinterpreted in The West as being real.These aren't real inventions.
Modern Society
Japanese is a modern country with a powerful economy.Many Japanese youth have disposable income and a lot of free time. So there are many interesting subcultures and fashion trends. This isn't crazy — it's culture.
Japanese Otaku (おたく)
Japanese Otaku (nerds) are into a wide range of pop culture. Some Otaku stuff is really cool. Admittedly, some of it's a little crazy.Otaku are a small minority in Japan. In fact, the word おたく has very negative connotations in Japanese.
It's hardly fair to say a entire country is crazy because of a few whacky otaku. Sure, Japan is a little crazy — but we all are. It's probably not a good idea to stereotype an entire country.
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