Favorite Asian Culture?

[garbon]

Luckily, I can appreciate each of these cultures on its own merits without the need to compare and rank them

[Valmy]

Luckily, I can appreciate each of these cultures on its own merits without the need to compare and rank them

Cop out

[Valmy]

Ok so now it is Japan's fault that their islands don't spread half a continent wide?

Sure.  They had their chance to spread over half a continent in the 20th century and failed to pull it off.

[garbon]

I guess if strictly on cinema, I'd have to go with India only because of the number of bollywood films that I've seen.

[Jacob]

Luckily, I can appreciate each of these cultures on its own merits without the need to compare and rank them

Seriously, though, with each of these cultures that I've had exposure to (and many more), I've found people to be incredibly welcoming and kind. While traveling and doing business I have found people - whatever their culture - to be fundamentally decent and kind, when you meet them in positive or neutral context, whatever their culture.

I haven't had exposure to all of the cultures Spellus lists, but I've had very positive experiences with Iranians, Indians, Arabs, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesians, Chinese, Koreans, and Japanese. In addition to the people being charming, and often very funny, each of the cultures has pretty awesome cuisine, incredible architecture, fascinating histories, and all kinds of cool bits about them.

[Malthus]

Fear of Lettowism lowers the Japanese vote ... 

[Ideologue]

I don't take the lustre off anything.  Jacob is engaging in moral relativism.  It's okay, it's just his culture.

[Jacob]

I guess if strictly on cinema, I'd have to go with India only because of the number of bollywood films that I've seen.

On cinema, it'd be a toss up between Korea (on the strength of a few movies I've really enjoyed) and Japan (more films I've enjoyed, but fewer that have stuck with me as much as my favourite Korean films); but China's a close runner up esp. when you include Taiwan.

On food, I simply can't pick. Same with architecture and history; there's just too much awesome stuff.

[garbon]

On food, I simply can't pick. Same with architecture and history; there's just too much awesome stuff.

Agreed.

[Jacob]

I don't take the lustre off anything.  Jacob is engaging in moral relativism.  It's okay, it's just his culture.

Moral relativism? WTF dude? As a lawyer type person I'd expect you to get your basic definitions straight. Which part of this discussion has to do with morality at all?

[Norgy]

I feel uninformed for not having a favourite culture on every bloody continent.

[Ideologue]

I don't take the lustre off anything.  Jacob is engaging in moral relativism.  It's okay, it's just his culture.

Moral relativism? WTF dude? As a lawyer type person I'd expect you to get your basic definitions straight. Which part of this discussion has to do with morality at all?

Does "culture" for our purposes not include how women are treated, systems of social organization, intolerance toward religious and political dissent, racism, etc.

Is it just pretty stuff they make?

[Jacob]

Fear of Lettowism lowers the Japanese vote ... 

You know what, fair play to lettow - as idiosyncratic as he is, the Japan of his mind is at least constructed from exposure to the real thing. Sure he is selective in the parts he draws from (then again, who isn't) and he filters it through is own very specific lens, but at least it draws from something.

[Barrister]

Fear of Lettowism lowers the Japanese vote ... 

You know what, fair play to lettow - as idiosyncratic as he is, the Japan of his mind is at least constructed from exposure to the real thing. Sure he is selective in the parts he draws from (then again, who isn't) and he filters it through is own very specific lens, but at least it draws from something.

I have to hand it to him - his adoration of japanese culture has not shattered upon exposure to it, as I would have predicted.

[Jacob]

Does "culture" for our purposes not include how women are treatment, systems of social organization, intolerance toward religion, racism, etc.

Is it just stuff?

Sure it does, but that's not what you were talking about, that's not what I was talking about, and that's not what anyone else in this thread was talking about until you brought it up right now in your post-posting-justification rear-guard action.

That said, if you have some insight into how these things are markedly preferable in how they are organized in Japan compared to, say, Polynesia, Vietnam, Siberia, China, Korea etc then I'd love to hear about it.