[dahdum]

Thanks for pointing that out, considering he can't really participate in the culture or even read Japanese literature he has a pretty limited perspective I wager.

From article: ------------ I can't read — I can't — to this day, I can't read or write Japanese. And I'm at the mercy of things around me. I can't have the illusion that I'm on top of things. Japan was a place that I had a huge amount to learn from, and I'm still learning it.

[unprepare]

This has to be hyperbole - how can you live in a country for 28 years without learning what a single word looks like?

reminds me of teens today who feign ignorance of popular music and only listen to classic rock or some other specific genre and love to criticise others' taste in music.

[ci5er]

> even read Japanese literature

That's a pretty high bar. Newspapers, news magazines and technical materials (economics, poli-sci, math, circuits, algorithms, mechanical designs, chemical processes)are straight forward enough. And enough to consider one functionally literate, I would contend. Enough to participate in day-to-day culture, I would contend.

Japanese literature can be completely different level of challenging.