Can Foreigners Wear Kimono? - General

I know every country that I've been to, the locals enjoy when foreigners try to participate in their culture or try to learn their language. In the Philippines, I wore a [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barong_Tagalog"]barong[/URL] for my confirmation ceremony and participated some of their dance. When I was in Japan, they enjoyed it when we used terms such as "hai", "arigato"; or even did gestures like receiving items with two hands- as opposed to one- or giving a slight bow upon greetings and goodbyes. You can show respect to cultures outside of that country, too. 'Cultural appropriation', as misused as the term often is, should only pertain to things that are a mockery of that culture or used in a way to somehow show that culture as inferior to their own. In the US, people simply need to be educated on other cultures and accept cultures mixing together (obviously with respect towards one another). We are called a melting pot for a reason.

I wear it all the time with my katana when I go to the grocery store.

[QUOTE=-Ben_Wolfe-;51119478]I know every country that I've been to, the locals enjoy when foreigners try to participate in their culture or try to learn their language. In the Philippines, I wore a [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barong_Tagalog"]barong[/URL] for my confirmation ceremony and participated some of their dance. When I was in Japan, they enjoyed it when we used terms such as "hai", "arigato"; or even did gestures like receiving items with two hands- as opposed to one- or giving a slight bow upon greetings and goodbyes. You can show respect to cultures outside of that country, too. 'Cultural appropriation', as misused as the term often is, should only pertain to things that are a mockery of that culture or used in a way to somehow show that culture as inferior to their own. In the US, people simply need to be educated on other cultures and accept cultures mixing together (obviously with respect towards one another). We are called a melting pot for a reason.[/QUOTE] I mean, we wouldn't have Battletech/Mechwarrior if FASA literally didn't use Anime Mecha designs during the early days to lower costs.

tbh i as an american who isn't a weeb only know what a kimono is because of the sparks album

I tried on a on-the-spot(if that's a good term for it) kimono at a annual Japanese fair in my state. It was comfy, albeit a little tight across the stomach. We even threw a few laughs about it fitting me. The high school kids from Japan didn't seem to mind me wearing it, so why should anyone else care?

[QUOTE=Sharker;51119459]That's because Christianity is one of the most widely practiced religions in the world. Native Americans are a minority and get shit on pretty often I imagine. Basically it doesn't really matter if a minority appropriates a majority culture, nothing's really at stake of being lost.[/QUOTE] This is such a bullshit cop-out argument. "But minority though". That's the cultural equivalent of "can't be racist against whites" idiocy. I've already explained how it doesn't matter, minority or not. What's at stake of being lost when a minority's religion inspire other cultures? People who "appropriate" religion don't destroy it, in fact it's rather the religion which gains influence over the other culture. People who practice the religion aren't affected whatsoever because those traditions are sacred to them, thus they won't change them because of it. Tell me, how exactly is a minority being oppressed when their religion gains cultural influence over wider cultures? Part of the reason Christianity is so pervasive in the world is precisely [I]because[/I] of religious appropriation by other parts of the culture. If Christian material was strictly limited to religious practice it wouldn't have become such a big influence on law, literature and education. Why would Native American religion having the same influence be somehow detrimental to them?

[QUOTE=ShaunOfTheLive;51118384]You're allowed to do it to Americans because they're the oppressors. Or something.[/QUOTE] Well if they're the top dog oppressor nation state then it's not appropriation, it's cultural imposing. You're not sticking it to The Man Across The Pond by consuming the crap he exports to your people, you're becoming his little bitch by eradicating your own traditions and practices, no matter how good or bad they are, and wind up subjugating to the superior holier-than-thou American!

[QUOTE=_Axel;51120963]This is such a bullshit cop-out argument. "But minority though". That's the cultural equivalent of "can't be racist against whites" idiocy. I've already explained how it doesn't matter, minority or not. What's at stake of being lost when a minority's religion inspire other cultures? People who "appropriate" religion don't destroy it, in fact it's rather the religion which gains influence over the other culture. People who practice the religion aren't affected whatsoever because those traditions are sacred to them, thus they won't change them because of it. Tell me, how exactly is a minority being oppressed when their religion gains cultural influence over wider cultures? Part of the reason Christianity is so pervasive in the world is precisely [I]because[/I] of religious appropriation by other parts of the culture. If Christian material was strictly limited to religious practice it wouldn't have become such a big influence on law, literature and education. Why would Native American religion having the same influence be somehow detrimental to them?[/QUOTE] If I picked up the Cross and said it was the symbol of my new religion I'm creating, everyone would see through that. But if I picked one random sacred object from an obscure religion, who would call me out? I would be free to make that object mean whatever I want. Good luck getting anyone to listen to that obscure religious community if they have a problem with it. Did you even read the post where I talked about white people wearing the native headdress? It's losing its significance in native culture by becoming a fashion object, it's as simple as that and I don't know why it's so difficult for you to accept that fucking over other cultures is a real thing.

[QUOTE=Sharker;51121538]Did you even read the post where I talked about whites people wearing the native headdress? It's losing its significance in native culture by becoming a fashion object, it's as simple as that and I don't know why it's so difficult for you to accept that fucking over other cultures is a real thing.[/QUOTE] If it loses significance in the culture where people supposedly consider it as sacred then the younger generation simply don't consider it as sacred as their elders do? If white people using it as a fashion object results in young Native Americans doing the same or regarding it as so, then it's done willingly on the latter's part. How's that "fucking over their culture"? It's the same as the example posted earlier, where Japanese fishermen took American techniques and refined them to such a point that US fishermen now use those. Who's losing here? Old people who regard it as sacred can continue to do so, young people who prefer its derivative use are free to modify their traditions as they please. Complaining about this is like old religious people who complain about young people not going to church anymore. If they prefer not to how is that any of your business?

Does the opposite happen? Do some American traits get adopted in Japan?

[QUOTE=Smoot;51121703]Does the opposite happen? Do some American traits get adopted in Japan?[/QUOTE] Short answer: YES. Long answer: [url]http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/how-japan-copied-american-culture-and-made-it-better-180950189[/url] EDIT: You can even see it in the video. As the girls pointed out, nobody in Japan dresses strictly according to Japanese tradition; they dress pretty much exactly the same as Americans. For some reason we find this perfectly normal, yet we react when westerners take fashion inspiration from other cultures.

[QUOTE=Sharker;51121538]If I picked up the Cross and said it was the symbol of my new religion I'm creating, everyone would see through that. But if I picked one random sacred object from an obscure religion, who would call me out? I would be free to make that object mean whatever I want. Good luck getting anyone to listen to that obscure religious community if they have a problem with it. Did you even read the post where I talked about white people wearing the native headdress? It's losing its significance in native culture by becoming a fashion object, it's as simple as that and I don't know why it's so difficult for you to accept that fucking over other cultures is a real thing.[/QUOTE] Your average american won't meet a native american in their entire life. They're almost all gone, secluded to reservations, and the ones living outside of reservations are probably the ones that realize there's more important things about their culture to keep alive than yelling at white people for wearing a costume.

[QUOTE=Smoot;51121703]Does the opposite happen? Do some American traits get adopted in Japan?[/QUOTE] Well I think baseball's pretty popular there.

[QUOTE=Smoot;51121703]Does the opposite happen? Do some American traits get adopted in Japan?[/QUOTE] There's Gyaru culture, the somewhat recent rise in Japanese Rap and R&B, there's also 'Double Eyelid' surgery to widen ones eyes though this is much more popular in Korea apparently, [URL="http://tokyobestburgers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Zats-01-1024x768.jpg"]area unique hamburgers[/URL] are also a thing, there's baseball, they have Red Lobster, Frischs Big Boy, and Denny's here, and who could forget Disney. Granted you could make the argument that most of those things and Western or European in nature but European/Western culture is everywhere. All I can really say is there is a [URL="http://english.huistenbosch.co.jp/"]Dutch theme park here[/URL] and I don't see people lining up to point and cry cultural appropriation at the Japanese person in traditional dutch clothing selling me cheese wheels in a tulip field next to a WINDMILL. I wish I was making this up: [thumb]http://visit-nagasaki.com/getImage.php?src=files/Spot_5576952e-2324-4e54-8eac-4c40d2fc807c_image1.jpg&width=1020&height=2040[/thumb]

[QUOTE=Sharker;51121538]If I picked up the Cross and said it was the symbol of my new religion I'm creating, everyone would see through that. But if I picked one random sacred object from an obscure religion, who would call me out? I would be free to make that object mean whatever I want. Good luck getting anyone to listen to that obscure religious community if they have a problem with it.[/QUOTE] And why would it matter what other people think of that object? They're not part of the religion it originated from. How does that impede the original members of said religion from practicing it the way it originally was?

[QUOTE=Smoot;51121703]Does the opposite happen? Do some American traits get adopted in Japan?[/QUOTE] Of course! We celebrate christmas with cakes and KFC, and make up our own nonsense words supposedly combining English and Japanese! :freakout:

[QUOTE=daigennki;51121839]Of course! We celebrate christmas with cakes and KFC, and make up our own nonsense words supposedly combining English and Japanese! :freakout:[/QUOTE] Oddly enough, this isn't the first time I've heard about the KFC menu, Pretty sure Ta16 called it, but it must have been quite some time ago.

[QUOTE=daigennki;51121839]Of course! We celebrate christmas with cakes and KFC, and make up our own nonsense words supposedly combining English and Japanese! :freakout:[/QUOTE] Aren't Christians a minority in Japan?

[QUOTE=_Axel;51121986]Aren't Christians a minority in Japan?[/QUOTE] Yes, but most people actually do not even realize that Christmas is originally a Christian thing :v:

[QUOTE=Trebgarta;51122046]Is it at new years or 25th of December?[/QUOTE] 25th of December.

[QUOTE=Ta16;51121825] All I can really say is there is a [URL="http://english.huistenbosch.co.jp/"]Dutch theme park here[/URL] and I don't see people lining up to point and cry cultural appropriation at the Japanese person in traditional dutch clothing selling me cheese wheels in a tulip field next to a WINDMILL. I wish I was making this up: [thumb]http://visit-nagasaki.com/getImage.php?src=files/Spot_5576952e-2324-4e54-8eac-4c40d2fc807c_image1.jpg&width=1020&height=2040[/thumb][/QUOTE] It could be worse, it could be a German theme park and everyone there wears lederhosen and serves beer in a beer garden next to a fancy looking castle.

I walked past a KFC in Tokyo on Christmas and the line was fucking insane. I hear you've got to order months in advance. Such an orderly line though, would have warmed the heart of any brit that witnessed it.

[QUOTE=daigennki;51121995]Yes, but most people actually do not even realize that Christmas is originally a Christian thing :v:[/QUOTE] It reminds me of how the Christmas Tree was actually an important symbol for German families but now everyone v does it.

[QUOTE=Sharker;51119459]That's because Christianity is one of the most widely practiced religions in the world. Native Americans are a minority and get shit on pretty often I imagine. Basically it doesn't really matter if a minority appropriates a majority culture, nothing's really at stake of being lost.[/QUOTE] So will Life of Brian become problematic when Christianity eventually loses it's status of major religion?

There's a decent bit of college-aged people here who are overly politically correct and I enjoy the fact that my girlfriend can totally talk all the shit she wants directly to them because she's not white and it's absolutely glorious.

[QUOTE=Ta16;51121825]There's Gyaru culture, the somewhat recent rise in Japanese Rap and R&B, there's also 'Double Eyelid' surgery to widen ones eyes though this is much more popular in Korea apparently, [URL="http://tokyobestburgers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Zats-01-1024x768.jpg"]area unique hamburgers[/URL] are also a thing, there's baseball, they have Red Lobster, Frischs Big Boy, and Denny's here, and who could forget Disney. Granted you could make the argument that most of those things and Western or European in nature but European/Western culture is everywhere. All I can really say is there is a [URL="http://english.huistenbosch.co.jp/"]Dutch theme park here[/URL] and I don't see people lining up to point and cry cultural appropriation at the Japanese person in traditional dutch clothing selling me cheese wheels in a tulip field next to a WINDMILL. I wish I was making this up: [thumb]http://visit-nagasaki.com/getImage.php?src=files/Spot_5576952e-2324-4e54-8eac-4c40d2fc807c_image1.jpg&width=1020&height=2040[/thumb][/QUOTE] double eyelids aren't specifically western v: a lot of asians are born with them(including me)

I just want to point at that all you white dogs don't deserve breath. Historically you were not the first culture to breathe, taking it away from the the African people is typical white people behavior.

[QUOTE=daigennki;51121839]Of course! We celebrate christmas with cakes and KFC, and make up our own nonsense words supposedly combining English and Japanese! :freakout:[/QUOTE] i wanna be japanese now flagdog pls

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktcBtITv97M[/media] I thiink this would be fun in all honesty.

[QUOTE=Ta16;51121825]There's Gyaru culture, the somewhat recent rise in Japanese Rap and R&B, there's also 'Double Eyelid' surgery to widen ones eyes though this is much more popular in Korea apparently, [URL="http://tokyobestburgers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Zats-01-1024x768.jpg"]area unique hamburgers[/URL] are also a thing, there's baseball, they have Red Lobster, Frischs Big Boy, and Denny's here, and who could forget Disney. Granted you could make the argument that most of those things and Western or European in nature but European/Western culture is everywhere. All I can really say is there is a [URL="http://english.huistenbosch.co.jp/"]Dutch theme park here[/URL] and I don't see people lining up to point and cry cultural appropriation at the Japanese person in traditional dutch clothing selling me cheese wheels in a tulip field next to a WINDMILL. I wish I was making this up: [thumb]http://visit-nagasaki.com/getImage.php?src=files/Spot_5576952e-2324-4e54-8eac-4c40d2fc807c_image1.jpg&width=1020&height=2040[/thumb][/QUOTE] This is fucking hilarious