"Bloggers here shy away from politics and barbed language. They rarely trumpet their expertise. While Americans blog to stand out, the Japanese do it to fit in, blogging about small stuff: cats and flowers, bicycles and breakfast, gadgets and TV stars. Compared with Americans, they write at less length, they write anonymously, and they write a whole lot more often."
I like this approach to blogging. It seems less like noise. Although I suspect that Japanese blogs are also missing any kind of edge -- sarcasm, cynicism, criticism. No "isms" at all.
Makes me think of William Gibson's views of Japan -- a nation of people who are totally wired and, on the surface, very happy and conformist. But under the surface is tension, violence and a deep seated dissatisfaction with the way things are. I wonder if any of the Yakuza have blogs?
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