Arthur Golden Quotes

In Japan, violence isn't as controversial as it is in the West.

There's nothing in Chinese culture that is an equivalent of the geisha. It's so different, so special to Japan.

We have a lot of suspicion of robots in the West. But if you look cross-culturally, that isn't true. In Japan, in their science fiction, robots are seen as good. They have Astro Boy, this character they've fallen in love with and he's fundamentally good, always there to help people.

Today, Japan is one of the few countries in the world where one hears laughter everywhere.

I'm just very obsessed with Japanese stuff in general.

Many young Japanese were hearing for the first time the words of Native people from the West.

My life was very Japanese.

In modern Western culture, the new is considered better than the old, and thus change itself is considered good; in tradition bound Arab cultures, the old is considered better than the new, and thus the retention of the existing order is good.

You cannot understand Russia if you look at her through Western eyes.

We have a culture where it’s OK to not know anything about mathematics whereas in Asia, they don’t

In the mid-1800s, they were known also as 'singsong houses,' and the courtesans were actually master musicians.

In the West, it's just a given that art exists in this high-class place. But in Japan, there's no high class. The minute you come out, you're low class.

I've loved Japanese culture for a long, long time, from doing martial arts, to the block prints, to the music. It's a country that I love, and a culture that I love.

Japanese culture? I kind of love everything about it. I love the food. Everyone's really nice. There's just a lot about Japan that's really cool.

One of my favorite countries in the world is Japan, and I've spent a huge amount of time there.

Lets see, I remember the first time I went to Japan, I loved that because I was taller than everyone! I'm only 5'7' but in Japan that's good!

The Japanese are hard to figure out.

Let me tell you about customs, James," said Lillian. "I am not accustomed to being summoned to someone else's home. You're very fortunate that I came." "I am indeed blessed," Dad told her. "I am also, by the way, called Jon." Lillian looked faintly surprised. "Are you?" "Really?" Dad asked. "Really? I was the only Asian guy who went to our school. I kind of stood out. While you are an identical twin, and I still managed to know your name.

The help (in Japan) is very polite. They bow so much, you don't know which end to talk to.

But anything that you hear about Japan is nothing like what you see when you actually go over there and see it, you know, in a real situation.

Every girl in the world should have geisha training

Japanese women live in fear of making the least sound in a bathroom stall. Japanese men pay no attention to the subject whatsoever.

Our customs, behaviors, and values are byproducts of our culture.

But now I give in, let the anger surge. I'm sick of people acting like this world, this other world is the normal one, while I'm the freak. It's not fair; like all the rules have suddenly changed and somebody forgot to tell me.

By 'nationalism' I mean first of all the habit of assuming that human beings can be classified like insects and that whole blocks of millions and tens of millions of people can be confidently labeled 'good' or 'bad'...By 'patriotism' I mean devotion to a particular place and a particular way of life, which one believes to be best in the world but has no wish to force on other people. Patriotism is of its nature defensive, both militarily and culturally. Nationalism, on the other hand, is inseparable from the desire for power.