Comments on: Things to do before I die [updated]

By: Roy Berman

Roy Berman — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 04:20:02 +0000

Something like this guy’s work?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudhir_Venkatesh
I’ve only read the one chapter in Freakanomics, but I want to check out one of his books someday.

By: Roy Berman

Roy Berman — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 03:17:41 +0000

I agree. I’d like to see similar pieces by both a native Japanese and a totally obvious foreigner. I think the different in interpretation would be pretty interesting. And hell, let’s also throw in a nikkei-Brazilian and a Japan-born Zainichi Korean to get some more subtle differences.

BTW, I think I know the woman who wrote that Japan Times series. I believe she was in a couple of classes I took at Rits back in 2003-4. I’ll check and get back to you.

By: M-Bone

M-Bone — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 12:08:35 +0000

“Don’t see why it has to be a foreigner to do the ethnographic research myself.”

It would be more amusing.

Seriously, I can see the final product being a bit more wide-eyed. As you said, there is a lot out there in Japanese already.

By: Jade Oc

Jade Oc — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 08:52:52 +0000

I’ve seen some documentaries on the uyoku, and there is indeed quite a range. Don’t see why it has to be a foreigner to do the ethnographic research myself. I would be surprised (admittedly, I have not looked　carefully, but there is certainly no shortage of books on the topic) if there was nothing along that line from the Japanese side.

By: Joe Jones

Joe Jones — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 05:39:04 +0000

Perhaps the guy with the Nazi tats was this dude, or a colleague...

By: M-Bone

M-Bone — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 04:30:43 +0000

The Japan Times did a series (probably their best thing ever) on the Uyoku a few years back and one group that they found was devoted to pan-Asianism, world peace, nuclear disarmament, and enviornmental protection. Another guy had crazy Nazi tats. There are even a few ex-uyo like Amamiya Karin who have turned into leftwing activists.

By: Roy Berman

Roy Berman — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 04:08:26 +0000

Good idea. People always talk about how scary these guys are, but up close they just look like underemployed construction workers or line-cooks. They might share the same basic views as the highly placed right-wingers, but I think they have about as little actual contact with the big-wigs as the losers who patrol the US border for fun have with Karl Rove or Tom Tancredo.

By: M-Bone

M-Bone — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 03:58:31 +0000

A foreigner should join one of these groups and do ethnographic research.

By: Roy Berman

Roy Berman — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 03:31:30 +0000

Someone should go around and make sure none of these uyoku guys are driving imported trucks or wearing clothes made in China.

I don’t even remember what I was going to ask him. Perhaps something like “do you have any literature I can peruse?”

By: Adamu

Adamu — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:05:23 +0000

“One of the most disturbing thing about this is they are now putting slogan of anti-immigrant,which is pretty new for Uyokus comapred to Anti-communism and territorial claim.”

Makes you wonder if that “victory” over Gaijin Hanzai File really meant anything…