When In Rome?

I often find myself complaining about Japan. To my friends and to my students. I try not to, but it is so hard. You see Japan is not America. Try as it will it just can't jump that hurdle into America land, and that is OK. At least I tell myself, but time and again I find that all of my complaints about Japan are summed up in simply as it ain't America. The United States of America to be exact.

I sometimes share my feelings about Japan with some of my students. I know they don't like it. They never question the foundation of their belief systems. Why would they? They have lived in it their whole lives. It is so hard to evaluate your current position in life from your current position in life. That can be applied to thoughts, practices, national identities easily. Challenging my students with my opinions often ends up with me getting that greatest of Japanese weapons, the Wall of Silence. They literally fold their arms and space out until I changed the conversation to something light and airy like how the U.S. is responsible for the moral, religious, and economic decline of the world. I don't really through that ball out there but if i did I'm pretty sure that they would be more than willing to kick it around for a while.

I recently talked with Tomo, who actually isn't one of my students, about my recent trip to the sex store across the street appropriately named, Pink Zaurus Sexy World. It is three stories of of pink throbbing neon lights. Inside you'll find everything from poo porn to strange floating bench devices. (You strap in and let your struggling drive the "floating" penis in and out of whatever orifice you offer up. ) Also at Sexy World you can find the nastiest most scary bathrooms in Aichi-ken and kiddy porn.

Yes. Kiddy porn.

The porn in question does not show naked children performing sex acts. That would be perverse. This porn material shows little girls, probably no more than 9 or 10, just smiling and doing things that little kids do. Playing with a bicycle, running around outside, playing with a doll. Basically being children. These pictures of little girls were displayed prominently across from the poo porn. I shit you not. I turned away from the on screen poo porn in deep and violent disgust only to be greeted by what could be the face of one of the little girls in my classes.

To say I was surprised would be an understatement. I mentioned this to Tomo and he said that their is a small group of people who consider that a fetish. Then he told me "When in Rome."

I've heard that many time from the Japanese people who are well versed in English, but I'm starting to wonder, "How long must you be in Rome before you are allowed to have an opinion?" I n the U.S. I figure that is is based on your citizenship status. So probably around 7 years. But in those years while waiting to be a full citizen should you just sit by while your ears burn with rage at what you see. Is this what those agree Jihad-ist feel when they look at pictures of America? Disgust? Confusion? A complete lack of a right to say or change anything?

I'm sure I'm reaching here.

My point. I know that I say something about Japan that I may see as wrong I am dismissed almost immediately because I am not Japanese. But when exactly would I stop being dismissed? When will someone listen to me explain why kiddy porn is not a fetish but a serious problem and someone, you nasty perverted men or women, should be beaten in a dark alley with thick lead pipes?


I also realized that in America we are much, much more severe with our punishments for child molestation and shit like that.

Go Team America!