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The story
Television personality Nagisa Watanabe said that after a trip to Saudi Arabia, it became “the country I love most in the world,” explaining that the reason was that there, “no one makes you feel uncomfortable — you can just be yourself.” The article frames this against her experiences in Japan, where she says she gets stared at on trains and approached by men when out alone, and it’s that contrast that caught fire on 5ch. Since Saudi Arabia is a country whose record on women’s rights and dress codes draws famously mixed reviews, the thread filled up with both pointed remarks like “does she actually know anything about the real Saudi Arabia?” and comments sympathizing with her complaints about Japan’s “staring culture” — the reaction was anything but unanimous.
10/22 (Thu) 16:15
Excerpt
Watanabe writes about the surprising sights she witnessed on her “trip to Saudi Arabia.”
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
it's hardcore fundamentalist Islam we're talking about lol
things changed a bit after the crown prince (who's got plenty of shady rumors around him) took over,
but it's still basically a hard place for women to live.
Where was she even looking?
Saudi Arabia as her pick is a real plot twist.
Japanese men are way too creepy.
It's unbelievable there are still men out there giving women that kind of sexual once-over, in this day and age of "compliance" culture.
Guess Japan needs to start turning into Saudi Arabia then.
She should hurry home and settle for an ordinary life.
Saudi Arabia might not even be around much longer lol.
> In Japan, just riding a train can get you leered at by men,
and it's not uncommon for young women to get hit on when eating alone or hanging out with other women.
Ha, being 'leered at' doesn't sound so bad lol
Take care!
Just reading the thread title, it sounds pretty self-centered.
but to the locals this must sound downright absurd.
that's peak self-conscious delusion.
Well, guess she should just go live wherever she likes.
Super weird.
Didn't you learn that back in college?
Good luck with the new life!
get to live as freely and "be themselves"
as much as Japanese women do.
Background and points of debate
Saudi Arabia has pursued liberalization under its “Vision 2030” push — lifting the tourist visa ban in 2019 and allowing women to drive — but even as dress-code requirements for foreigners have relatively eased, the framework of restrictions on unmarried men and women’s behavior and harsh criminal penalties remains in place. Watanabe’s comments reflect the impressions of someone who was there as a tourist for just a few days, and the fact that this differs from the legal standing of women who actually live there is likely why the thread kept asking “what exactly was she looking at to say that?” At the same time, the discomfort she describes — being stared at on trains, getting approached by strangers — is a topic that resonates widely regardless of age or gender, so the discussion ended up blending unease over her framing of the contrast with agreement over the underlying experience itself.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports Breaking News+) thread “Nagisa Watanabe reveals why Saudi Arabia became “the country I love most in the world”: “No one makes me feel uncomfortable — I can just be myself”.”
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