Subtle Clues…
I know a Chinese woman here named Rika. She’s actually quite beautiful, but I try to avoid her – mainly because I always have this sneaking suspicion she is trying to sell me something. Regardless, I respect her. After all, she’s a successful Chinese person in Japan, and that’s not easy. I think the picture on the left explains a bit of the reason why.
I was walking down Akihabara when I noted it. You don’t see a lot of Chinese-language signs in that part of town. I stopped to take a look and noted a smaller Japanese version nearby. Turns out it is a warning not to sell copied or foreign editions of software. Of course, right across from the sign was a store with wholesome Japanese owners, selling Nintendo DS card readers that have no real purpose except to aid in violating copyright.
Despite what the apologists will say, the presence of a Chinese sign warning about the punishment for a crime is a not-so-subtle clue about the mindset of the surrounding people. When I asked Rika how she deals with it, she told me simply that she wanted to succeed to prove them wrong. Maybe it’s because I understand that mindset that I respect her.