A number of “only in Japan” type news stories had me rolling my eyes more than once this week. I can see the novelty value of stories such as “Pee Before Flying,” “Anti H1-N1 Suits,” and “Husband-Finding Bras,” [sadly, two of these three links are broken, but they were real headlines] but they receive disproportionate run when it comes to international news coverage and blog reactions. The saddest part is that my blog receives far more attention for posts like this one than it does when I publish an original article that has far more substance.
At what point does the shock value of stories like these wear off? I’ve included the links to them today because it seems like a tease not to, but from now on I’m swearing off these easy attention-getting articles. In the end, they just seek to exoticize a nation that is far more comprehensible to anyone looking beyond the cheesy veneer offered by culture shocked journalists.
At what point does the shock value of stories like these wear off? I’ve included the links to them today because it seems like a tease not to, but from now on I’m swearing off these easy attention-getting articles. In the end, they just seek to exoticize a nation that is far more comprehensible to anyone looking beyond the cheesy veneer offered by culture shocked journalists.
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