Humanity: Japan vs. the World (i.e. America)

This is something I've noticed for a long time, but haven't spoken openly about, until now.

It seems to me that no matter where you go, you'll find the same old phrase, "Oh those Japanese."

I'll never begin to understand what that means. I could care less if it came out as respectable as possible, it still sounds incredibly rude and ignorant.

Why is it that the Japanese are treated as a completely different entity? We're used to seeing diversity in the world today--yet for whatever reason--there's always some sort of segregation to Japanese people.

I realize that language barrier and differences in culture are major factors in why it may seem difficult in understanding just who these people are, and how they live, however this does not mean that people can treat them like aliens. What I mean by that is concerning people's reactions to Japanese people, Japanese culture, and everything else.

Examples can go so far as the laughter most Americans get with Japanese inventions, to the everyday rituals Japanese people participate in, which clearly tells me that Americans are rather awkward people, or they just need to do more research. It's like watching a very serious scene in a play, where the protagonist is ready to vanquish the antagonist, but once the hero takes his sword and stabs his nemesis, people start laughing. It's things like this that really tell us how Americans really are.

We know that the general consensus respect Japanese people, however, the individuals that are not aware of the pop culture, such as anime, music, and general lifestyles, believe that Japan is still living in the 1700s. I've seen great loads of evidence pertaining to the fact that most of the people that are under this impression are full-grown adults that are still living in the 40s - 60s within their own country and society.

This isn't to say that the people highly aware of the pop culture are fully aware of Japan entirely, because there's always a Yin to the Yang. Those living and breathing everything with the Japanese pop culture movement unfortunately may be too fixated upon it and begin to believe that the pop culture fully encompasses what Japan is about. Such as, the belief that X anime series is loved and known by all in Japan, or that Y indies visual kei band are so incredibly popular with Japanese youths.

I think you all get what I'm trying to say, meaningless rants lead to endless explanations. Therefore, I ask you all to please do this: GROW UP.

....Would you believe that all of this sparked because of a simple Youtube comment?