I'm so glad you wrote this!
First of all, I studied Japanese for two years in college, and I recall practicing my katakana. I loved the language. I also loved the culture of Japan because there was so much art. Even simple things like drinking tea, folding a piece of paper, literally has an elaborate art and practice around it one could study for thirty or more years and never perfect.
As an adult, I've often have a lot of love and respect for other cultures, especially in clothing. One day I learned about cultural appropriation, and suddenly I learned I couldn't wear many of most beloved clothings. I was heartbroken. I have great respect for other cultures, and would never want to disrespect them in anyway. For me it was about cultural appreciation! But if my appreciation was done from a place of ignorance privilege, and was in anyway disrecptpful to a culture, then I would of course put it away. My intentions were having the exact opposite effects of course I would stop!
I came to the conclusion that cultural appropriation is to be decided by the actual culture having it. Having many white people tell me what is and isn't cultural appropriation, honestly feels a bit more racist. Having members of a black community tell me it's wrong to wear a dashiki, yes I will listen to them because it is their culture.
What I have found is that Japanese tend to be more inclusive of their art and culture, as long as it is done respectfully. There have been some famous examples of people appropriating Japanese culture wrong, and people appreciating Japanese culture.
A lot of these cultural appropriation issues come up in the US, where we have some hybrid cultures. Japanese Americans who have grown up being bullied for being Japanese hold ties to their Japanese heritage a little differently than Japanese people form Japan. In the US, we Americans are used to taking what we want without any regard, and many 2nd generations are wanting to keep what is sacred and scarce to them over here. So I've been following the debates over the years.
For me, I will go back to making my art pieces made with 1000 hand-folded paper cranes.
In my closet is a beautiful Chinese qipao, I wonder if I will ever get to wear it again. I bought it when I was young and thinner, but was too afraid to wear it then due to cultural appropriation. At least it can hang in my closet. But I don't know if Chinese Americans feel the same way about sharing their culture as Japanese do, so I will just keep it hidden.
