Wapanese Mug

Wapanese, short for "wannabe Japanese" or "White Japanese" depending on who you ask, is a term which describes generally, but not exclusively, white individuals who display a perposterous reverance and obsession with all things Japanese, and believe themselves to be part of Japanese culture. Note: A wapanese is not a Japanophile, who generally displays substantive and factual knowledge about Japan beyond the superficial. Wapanese will generally display one or more of the following traits: 1. Someone who watches Anime or reads Manga is not instantly Wapanese. Wapanese display an unhealthy and obsessive level of love for the genre however and watch and talk about it constantly. Wapanese are often attracted to the shallowest Japanese anime such as "Naruto", but insult it and they will become defensive as though they were protecting high art. 2. Despite having never set foot in Japan. Wapanese will believe and proclaim that every facet of Japanese culture is superior to all others, particularly American. Whether it is junk food like Pocky, animation, film, economy, work ethic, respect for this and that, Japan will be better in every way. Wapanese love to harp how much better Japanese music is than American music, despite the fact that they listen to J-pop, which has the same amount of substance as American pop, meaning none. 3. When watching anime they will claim, even if the voice acting is fine, that the Japanese track is inherently superior and more emotionally engaging. A truly pretentious Wapanese will tell their friends they watched anime without subtitles. Good luck understanding a word they say... 4. Wapanese love to harp on how superior the character of the Japanese people is to others. They will tell you they are more in touch with nature, more respectful of tradition and elders,and a whole list of other cliches they've gathered from anime and sterotypes. 5. Will proudly refer to themselves as "Otaku", often naming their club at school something of that nature. They seem to miss the fact that in Japan being an Otaku means you are a sheltered and pathetic person obsessed with trivial pursuits, and that they need help. Re-reading what I just wrote, I actally don't think the Wapanese could have chosen a more fitting name for themselves. 6. Will make attempts to follow Japanese fashion and particularly wear Kimonos. They will usually embarass themselves, and more often than not wear this stuff the wrong way and at the wrong times from what I understand. They will fill their rooms with asian things, notice I say asian and not Japanese, because most Wapanese will buy anything that looks remotely asian and proclaim it to be Japanese (Wrongly). They will make poor attempts to assimilate into Japanese culture by buying Japanese food, and eating sushi, even if they don't actually seem to much like it. 7. Due to their inability to woo women in their own land, male Wapanese delude themselves into thinking that if they went to Japan, Japanese women would flock to them, practically jumping to date and bed them. Wapanese do not seem to understand that Japanese women are not interested in dating introverted, obsessive, and clingy men just because they have a weak understanding of Japan's culture. See Yellow fever. Wapanese girls often become obsessed with male characters in anime. It's a sad sight. 8. Often owns a sword (Katana or other Japanese weapon of course) and claim they have studied the Samurai and Ninja and know how to expertly use their blade. Aside from being wrong, they forget that Ninjas and Samurai probably were in a lot better physical shape than them. 9. Frequent users of the ever irritating Japanglish. Where they sprinkle english conversations with Japanese words derived from anime (they studied it they will say however). These mainly include hello, goodbye, and inherently fanboy/girl-ish words like Kawaii for "cute". 10. Will try and mimic physical motions from Anime. Anime characters generally move in a very exaggerated form and so watching Wapanese do this is rather funny. They will pout, and pull down their eyelid at you and other dumb things. The worst is when they start prancing around as if they were some super ninja, making dumb poses and yelling things. This is when you look away and be glad you are indeed not them, but it's even humiliating to watch from afar. They also have the tendency to repeat words twice as if to make them more spunkily Japanese, like "hi, hi!" to fellow Wapanese, peace signs and furious giggling are also popular amongst them. They also love anime smileys like ^_^. 11. Will claim to be an expert on some Japanese topic. Mainly stuff like Buddhism/Shinto, Samurai, Ninjas and other "really Japanese" stuff. Their understanding will actually be derived mostly from anime, and despite all their claims of "training" or "meditation", they don't really know anything. 12. Will cosplay. Often the most elaborate costumes seem to be by Japanophiles, Wapanese tend to throw something together and make themselves look silly. 13. Don't realize that the Japanese would find them equally as sad, if not more so, than we Americans do. 14. The Wapanese trend is most prevelent in junior high/middle school, when things like Dragonball Z and Pokemon are very popular. Many will grow out if it by high school. However, just as many do not, and grow up into full fledged Wapanese. I pity those individuals.