Hiding the face online?
Learn Japanese Culture - For anything culture that doesn't fit anywhere else!
Moderators: Moderator Team, Admin Team
3 Posts• Page 1 of 1
- kaoskastle
- New in Town
- Posts: 9
- Joined: March 18th, 2008 11:43 pm
Hiding the face online?
Postby kaoskastle » October 21st, 2008 2:57 am
I've noticed that in just about every Japanese-made online video I see (just personal videos, like someone playing a song or doing a dance or something) the people within the video are all masked or otherwise obscuring their faces. What exactly is it that would make just about all of Japan, but none of any other countries I know of, do this? I'm not criticizing or anything, just curious as to what sparked this phenomenon.
Top
- QuackingShoe
- Expert on Something
- Posts: 368
- Joined: December 2nd, 2007 4:06 am
Postby QuackingShoe » October 21st, 2008 4:51 am
I see that in personal videos all the time, regardless of origin. But it's a way of maintaining a shred of privacy, which I SUPPOSE is stereotypically more important to Japanese, whereas in the good ol' US of A we're all bloody egomaniacs who would jump out naked in front of a camera as long as it meant people would see us.
So there's that.
But no, really, that's fairly common in general, particularly in any instrument or dancing demonstration videos, where your face really isn't the point. It's possible you just watch more Japanese videos than others.
- Belton
- Expert on Something
- Posts: 752
- Joined: June 16th, 2006 11:39 am
Postby Belton » October 21st, 2008 9:44 am
Sense of privacy, fear of Internet, an ability to separate real life and net presence. ..
You have no control over *anything* you post to the net.
It's a feature of mixi that Japanese avatars tend to be cartoon characters or pop idols etc. but foreigners tend to use their own portrait photo. Photos posted tend not to have people, or the people will have black bars over their faces. There is a possibility they are saving peoples embarrassment as well.
Another possibility is fashion. Once a number of people do it it becomes the standard way to post photos.
But whatever the reasons, it is a feature of Japanese web2.0
Top
3 Posts• Page 1 of 1
Return to “General Japanese Culture”
Jump to
- General Information
- Learn Japanese Forum Help and Posting Guidelines
- Tech Updates
- Japanese Language - Learn Japanese
- Learn All About Japanese
- Japanese Resources & Reviews
- JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) - 日本語能力試験
- Practice Japanese - 日本語を練習しましょう
- Japanese Culture
- General Japanese Culture
- Japanese Anime & Manga
- Japanese History & Tradition
- Japanese Food & Entertainment
- Travel Japan - Life in Japan
- Visiting Japan
- Working & Studying in Japan
- Everything Else Japan Related
- JapanesePod101 Listener's Lounge
- Feedback & Support
- Feature Requests
- Japanese Lesson Suggestions
- Technical Support
- Moderator Corner
