Ichiro Ozawa, Japanese Politician Calls Americans 'Simple-Minded'

Democratic Party heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa - Japanese Politician

MARI YAMAGUCHI | 08/25/10 11:41 AM |

TOKYO — A key figure in Japan's ruling party dubbed Americans "simple-minded" in a speech to fellow lawmakers Wednesday.

It was not clear what prompted the remarks by Democratic Party heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa at a political seminar, in which he otherwise paid tribute to Americans' commitment to democracy, saying it was something Japan should learn from.

"I like Americans, but they are somewhat monocellular," the former Democratic Party leader said. "When I talk with Americans, I often wonder why they are so simple-minded."

Ozawa didn't elaborate on what aspect of Americans made him compare them monocellular organisms, a term also used to mean shortsighted or dumb.

There is growing speculation that the 68-year-old former party leader – renowned as a backroom dealer and election strategist but unpopular among the wider public – may run against rival Prime Minister Naoto Kan in a Sept. 14 election for the party leadership.

Ozawa steered clear of that topic in his speech at the seminar to about 50 lawmakers from the party and dozens of other invitees. But later Wednesday he hinted he would, telling supporters his decision on whether to run would hopefully "respond to your expectations." He said he needed more time to make that decision.

Ozawa was forced to resign as party secretary-general in early June over a funding scandal, though he has denied any wrongdoing.

Despite the Democratic Party-led government's monthslong tussle with Washington over the planned relocation of a major U.S. military base in Okinawa – which has weakened public support for the government – Tokyo and Washington remain close allies, and Ozawa's comments on Americans did not appear geared at currying support within the party.

Ozawa, who advocates a U.S.-style two-party political system for Japan – which currently has a coalition government – praised Americans for electing President Barack Obama.

"I don't think Americans are very smart, but I give extremely high credit for democracy and choices by its people," he said. "They chose a black president for the first time in U.S. history," adding that he thought once that would never be possible.

http://www.huffingto...-_n_694284.html

LaoPo

Japan senior lawmaker: Americans are simple-minded

TOKYO – A key figure in Japan's ruling party dubbed Americans "simple-minded" in a speech to fellow lawmakers Wednesday.

It was not clear what prompted the remarks by Democratic Party heavyweight Ichiro Ozawa at a political seminar, in which he otherwise paid tribute to Americans' commitment to democracy, saying it was something Japan should learn from.

"I like Americans, but they are somewhat monocellular," the former Democratic Party leader said. "When I talk with Americans, I often wonder why they are so simple-minded."

Continues:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100825/ap_on_re_as/as_japan_americans

LaoPo

Tell Us How You Really Feel, Japanese Politician

He also added, "I don’t like British people," although he was impressed by the marching abilities of the fictional British soldiers in The Bridge on the River Kwai.

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2010/08/why_dont_you_tell_us_how_you_r.html

LaoPo

Ichiro Ozawa....

In wonder who's simple...?

What a blunder; unbelievable for a such a heavyweight politician.

It's not done.

LaoPo

Kind of lost in translation I would suggest. Wrong choice of words is quite common when using a second language. But, what he said won't earn him any Brownie points.

Kind of lost in translation I would suggest. Wrong choice of words is quite common when using a second language. But, what he said won't earn him any Brownie points.

..including the ""I don't like British people," ??

LaoPo

Looks like, once again, the pot is calling the kettle black - it just goes to prove that there are stupid people everywhere.

He's not stupid - it's what the majority of Japanese who vote Liberal Democratic want to hear.

The Japanese are a very arrogant race, or at least they seem that way when dealing face-to-face with Westerners.

1. He's not stupid - it's what the majority of Japanese who vote Liberal Democratic want to hear.

The Japanese are a very arrogant race, or at least they seem that way when dealing face-to-face with Westerners.

1. true! he makes sense

2. not really face-to-face, normally only when you have their trust. in my younger days (1972) i spent several months in Japan as an "exchange employee" at Matshushita factories in Osaka and Kyoto. when my term was completed the chap who took care of me in Japan spent a few months in Germany (american company) where i acted as his "godbrother". we were the same age, similar education, became close friends and one day he told me that Japanese hold Germans in much higher esteem than other Europeans or Americans.

proudly i asked him whether he can quantify his statement and he did... "Japanese people consider Germans at the same level as cockroaches."

"I like Americans, but they are somewhat monocellular," the former Democratic Party leader said. "When I talk with Americans, I often wonder why they are so simple-minded."

how did he know? did he ever work with Americans or lived in the Greatest Nation on Earth™? most probably somebody with extensive experience told him and he just repeated what he was told.

interesting is the fact that he used very polite expressions

proudly i asked him whether he can quantify his statement and he did... "Japanese people consider Germans at the same level as cockroaches."

Excellent.

Although a cockroaches ability to survive a nuclear blast crossed my mind.

Regards.

Isn't this thread racist??

Isn't this thread racist??

you mean cockroaches were insulted?

Isn't this thread racist??

Why?

Because a Japanese (Democratic....) Politician said that he found Americans simple minded and that he didn't like British people ?

I don't think such statements can be qualified as racist.

If I call someone simple minded, am I a racist ?

That his wordings are not chique and not done as a politician is something else.

LaoPo

Isn't this thread racist??

Why?

Because a Japanese (Democratic....) Politician said that he found Americans simple minded and that he didn't like British people ?

I don't think such statements can be qualified as racist.

If I call someone simple minded, am I a racist ?

That his wordings are not chique and not done as a politician is something else.

LaoPo

Personally, I don't think there is anything racist about this thread but some people here are confused over the meaning of the word and I'm surprised they haven't started a protest yet.

Isn't this thread racist??

Why?

Because a Japanese (Democratic....) Politician said that he found Americans simple minded and that he didn't like British people ?

I don't think such statements can be qualified as racist.

If I call someone simple minded, am I a racist ?

That his wordings are not chique and not done as a politician is something else.

LaoPo

Personally, I don't think there is anything racist about this thread but some people here are confused over the meaning of the word and I'm surprised they haven't started a protest yet.

Maybe we shouldn't think too much of his words?

I am not familiar with Japanese culture and expressions but maybe he meant that Japanese are complicated-minded versus simple-minded Americans...?

I know however enough about Asian/Japanese culture to say that most Japanese are obedient to their bosses and have in fact (OK Naam jump in...) the same kind of -deep hidden- obedience-culture the Germans have towards their "Chef"...the Boss.

"Der Chef" (in Germany) is always right although culture has changed since a few decades and Germany's working culture/class has also changed, for the better and "allow" more participation in decisions.

Yet, many Germans still have a silly kind of extreme high respect for hi-so people (in the eyes of non-Germans) with titles and even address the wife of a Dr. as "Frau Doctor".

My own -private- last name suggests I could have been born from nobility (Adel) and the way Germans addressed me in the past is silly because I was not born like they thought I was but the deep (overly) respect they showed also shows that they still have a (deep hidden?) respect for something else other than the person him/herself and which is considered nonsense in other cultures like the Anglo American culture for instance.

OK Naam, your turn

LaoPo

Isn't this thread racist??

Why?

Because a Japanese (Democratic....) Politician said that he found Americans simple minded and that he didn't like British people ?

I don't think such statements can be qualified as racist.

If I call someone simple minded, am I a racist ?

That his wordings are not chique and not done as a politician is something else.

LaoPo

Personally, I don't think there is anything racist about this thread but some people here are confused over the meaning of the word and I'm surprised they haven't started a protest yet.

You want to start it up again....Ok.

But for now I'll agree with you that this thread is not racist.

It's not racist to say Americans are stupid because "Americans" does not denote a race. There is no ethnic group called "American", it's a nationality.

Isn't this thread racist??

Why?

Because a Japanese (Democratic....) Politician said that he found Americans simple minded and that he didn't like British people ?

I don't think such statements can be qualified as racist.

If I call someone simple minded, am I a racist ?

That his wordings are not chique and not done as a politician is something else.

LaoPo

Personally, I don't think there is anything racist about this thread but some people here are confused over the meaning of the word and I'm surprised they haven't started a protest yet.

You want to start it up again....Ok.

But for now I'll agree with you that this thread is not racist.

It's not racist to say Americans are stupid because "Americans" does not denote a race. There is no ethnic group called "American", it's a nationality.

It's getting technical now

LaoPo

Yet, many Germans still have a silly kind of extreme high respect for hi-so people (in the eyes of non-Germans) with titles and even address the wife of a Dr. as "Frau Doctor".

OK Naam, your turn

LaoPo

that rarely happens nowadays. but when it happened to my wife the first time (by a gentleman neighbour of the "old school" who never met her before) after we got married, bought a house and moved to Germany she asked me with suspicion "what was your reason to tell him that i have a Ph.D.? any complexes that you married a foreigner and not a lady hailing from the master race?"

I know however enough about Asian/Japanese culture to say that most Japanese are obedient to their bosses and have in fact (OK Naam jump in...) the same kind of -deep hidden- obedience-culture the Germans have towards their "Chef"...the Boss.

"Der Chef" (in Germany) is always right although culture has changed since a few decades and Germany's working culture/class has also changed, for the better and "allow" more participation in decisions.

i can only comment on "japanese obedience" (you are right in this respect) as i never worked in a german company.

slightly off topic: quite interesting is (was) dealing with japanese colleagues who were trained not to contradict openly, be it a superior, an equal or a subordinate. a lengthy explanation of one's own point of view, citing undeniable technical facts could result that a counterpart started his rebuttal with "i fully agree, however..." and then, in a polite way, ripped apart any presented opinions and replacing them with his own diametral views.

Yet, many Germans still have a silly kind of extreme high respect for hi-so people (in the eyes of non-Germans) with titles and even address the wife of a Dr. as "Frau Doctor".

OK Naam, your turn

LaoPo

that rarely happens nowadays. but when it happened to my wife the first time (by a gentleman neighbour of the "old school" who never met her before) after we got married, bought a house and moved to Germany she asked me with suspicion "what was your reason to tell him that i have a Ph.D.? any complexes that you married a foreigner and not a lady hailing from the master race?"

What was your answer? Was there any reason not to mention it?

Yet, many Germans still have a silly kind of extreme high respect for hi-so people (in the eyes of non-Germans) with titles and even address the wife of a Dr. as "Frau Doctor".

OK Naam, your turn

LaoPo

that rarely happens nowadays. but when it happened to my wife the first time (by a gentleman neighbour of the "old school" who never met her before) after we got married, bought a house and moved to Germany she asked me with suspicion "what was your reason to tell him that i have a Ph.D.? any complexes that you married a foreigner and not a lady hailing from the master race?"

What was your answer? Was there any reason not to mention it?

I think you missed his point....Read it again...The wife was addressed as "Frau Doctor" an old school custom when addressing the wife of a doctor/PHD

The misses had assumed he told the old schooler she also had a Phd of her own

At least that is how I read/understood it

Yet, many Germans still have a silly kind of extreme high respect for hi-so people (in the eyes of non-Germans) with titles and even address the wife of a Dr. as "Frau Doctor".

OK Naam, your turn

LaoPo

that rarely happens nowadays. but when it happened to my wife the first time (by a gentleman neighbour of the "old school" who never met her before) after we got married, bought a house and moved to Germany she asked me with suspicion "what was your reason to tell him that i have a Ph.D.? any complexes that you married a foreigner and not a lady hailing from the master race?"

What was your answer? Was there any reason not to mention it?

I think you missed his point....Read it again...The wife was addressed as "Frau Doctor" an old school custom when addressing the wife of a doctor/PHD

The misses had assumed he told the old schooler she also had a Phd of her own

At least that is how I read/understood it

OK, I see that now.

Yet, many Germans still have a silly kind of extreme high respect for hi-so people (in the eyes of non-Germans) with titles and even address the wife of a Dr. as "Frau Doctor".

OK Naam, your turn

LaoPo

that rarely happens nowadays. but when it happened to my wife the first time (by a gentleman neighbour of the "old school" who never met her before) after we got married, bought a house and moved to Germany she asked me with suspicion "what was your reason to tell him that i have a Ph.D.? any complexes that you married a foreigner and not a lady hailing from the master race?"

What was your answer? Was there any reason not to mention it?

i was confused because i was talking to another neighbour when she was addressed "Frau Doktor" and did therefore not understand her aggressive question. when she elaborated later and i explained to her some old and funny german traditions we both had a hearty laugh.

off topic an incident which happened a few years earlier:

-Grandma, i am going to marry soon.

-it's about time boy! whom are you going to marry?

-a lady from xyz-country.

-goodness gracious boy! you are going to marry a black woman?

-she is not black Grandma, in fact her skin is paler than mine.

-you have a picture?

-sure, take a look.

-hmm, you are right. she is not black. even nice looking, but a rather long nose... are you sure she is not jewish?

-yes i am sure, but even if she was i wouldn't care a <deleted> and marry her anyway!

-sigh... you have been too long abroad boy.

Yet, many Germans still have a silly kind of extreme high respect for hi-so people (in the eyes of non-Germans) with titles and even address the wife of a Dr. as "Frau Doctor".

OK Naam, your turn

LaoPo

that rarely happens nowadays. but when it happened to my wife the first time (by a gentleman neighbour of the "old school" who never met her before) after we got married, bought a house and moved to Germany she asked me with suspicion "what was your reason to tell him that i have a Ph.D.? any complexes that you married a foreigner and not a lady hailing from the master race?"

What was your answer? Was there any reason not to mention it?

i was confused because i was talking to another neighbour when she was addressed "Frau Doktor" and did therefore not understand her aggressive question. when she elaborated later and i explained to her some old and funny german traditions we both had a hearty laugh.

off topic an incident which happened a few years earlier:

-Grandma, i am going to marry soon.

-it's about time boy! whom are you going to marry?

-a lady from xyz-country.

-goodness gracious boy! you are going to marry a black woman?

-she is not black Grandma, in fact her skin is paler than mine.

-you have a picture?

-sure, take a look.

-hmm, you are right. she is not black. even nice looking, but a rather long nose... are you sure she is not jewish?

-yes i am sure, but even if she was i wouldn't care a <deleted> and marry her anyway!

-sigh... you have been too long abroad boy.

I'm surprised by the English skills of your Grandma, back in the old days......not bad for a Tzgherman Lady.

LaoPo

I'm surprised by the English skills of your Grandma, back in the old days.. ..not bad for a Tzgherman Lady.

Grandma spoke french and alpine schwyzer-dütsch, no english. i translated (to the best of my remembrance).

I'm surprised by the English skills of your Grandma, back in the old days.. ..not bad for a Tzgherman Lady.

Grandma spoke french and alpine schwyzer-dütsch, no english. i translated (to the best of my remembrance).

I was pulling your leg Wally......and: I like the Schwyzer Dütsch language very much; it's more a singing kind of language with tones from deep to high tones rather than one of the normal German dialects like Plattdeutsch, High German or Swabian.

But, there are so many German Dialects.

LaoPo

From my experience working with Japanese they are very meticulous and look at every small detail that could negatively influence perception/experience.

Most westerners (in my experience) say things like let's look at the bigger picture here, ignoring the request of Japanese to get the separate parts of a process correct step by step. 5 S is a good example on how the Japanese approach things.

They pay attention to every small detail.

In the company I previously worked for we were approached by one of the biggest companies in Japan to design a comprehensive training program and I can tell you I learned a lot from them.

I am sure at times the Japanese would be telling each other how stupid/simple we are and why we did not pay attention to certain things and why we were not as organized as they were.

Having learned from them and after I moved to Asia working with the Japanese I have now earned the nickname: The Machine/Human Robot.

At least that sounds better than being called a cockroach.

I really like working with the Japanese as I fully understand what they are looking for and how they are looking at things. I even made them angry once when I presented some details they overlooked.

So I understand why this guy is saying this because it is true for the majority of westerners, except most Germans, they are an interesting bunch as well.

Take care all!

Alex

From my experience working with Japanese they are very meticulous and look at every small detail that could negatively influence perception/experience.

Most westerners (in my experience) say things like let's look at the bigger picture here, ignoring the request of Japanese to get the separate parts of a process correct step by step. 5 S is a good example on how the Japanese approach things.

They pay attention to every small detail.

They do that not only because they are so perfect, looking to every small detail...they also do that not to lose face since they are afraid for their boss...and jobs.

I prefer the more open and free mentality where people/co-workers are encouraged to have an input in developing ideas, products and services rather than the obedient Japanese and other Asians, looking for details.

LaoPo

My understanding of it might be a bit different to what you believe the reason is.

I have had great team sessions where the GM was involved as well and encouraged all to think very outside the box and I was amazed how they all worked together and came up with some brilliant ideas and solutions for existing problems.

I even had the GM openly apologize for an error/decision he made and said it was a good experience after all as the team now understood what not to do in such case.

He really set the example by questioning the directions and decisions made by the HQ and encouraging his people to do the same to him.

In the end he was fired, I believe because he was pointing out the stupid ideas HQ wanted to implement. He was replaced for someone that knew nothing about the bizz, but was easy to control.