Why do you love (or hate) Japan ? (for those who have gone to Japan!)

a reply to: musicismagic

Noted Always wanted to learn Japanese but insecure everytime i thought it would be too hard to learn, also didnt want to be overwhelmed by learning 2 languages at the same time, cos right now im still learning german.
Now i have a motivation to start learning Japanese little by little.

originally posted by: BoxFulder
I lived in Japan for three years when I was in the Navy the only thing I didn't like there was the openly racist policies they practiced. The amount of times I tried to go to a bar or restaurant only to be denied with the phase "Japanese only" with them crossing their arms to make an x were numerous. I know what you were thinking I must have stumbled across private clubs or Yakuza hangouts no they were just regular businesses that didn't want white people in it. They are very xenophobic.

There is a very good reason that many establishments have a "Japanese only" policy; Most of the people who own establishments that are not located near military bases do not speak Japanese. As such, foreigners cannot get the level of service that the establishment wants to provide so they would rather choose not to provide it at all. In addition, many foreigners are not used to some of the prices in Japanese establishments which often bill their clients at the end of their time; this creates a very uncomfortable situation when the foreigners complain (usually in a non-Japanese language or very broken Japanese) which ruins the atmosphere for the other guests.

As far as Yakuza hangouts go, they are generally the places that set up establishments FOR the foreigners by the use of 'owner for hire' or 雇われ社長。

As far as my experience goes, as long as I have spoken native level Japanese, I have never been prohibited from any establishment even the ones that are "Japanese Only or Member's Clubs".

originally posted by: Iamnotadoctor
The worst thing about Japan was the language barrier.
Not one person I encountered spoke English. It was so difficult sometimes.

Yep and it seems so hard for people to understand that Japan is a different country with a different language; how barbaric and xenophobic not to learn English!

a reply to: aphon

I can not have any liking at all for the war generation whom fought against our lad's, my two uncle's fought them in Burma and I have also heard far too many stories of how cruel and inhumane they were.

But having been there myself, I love the food (not sushi), the Saki, the current generation's whom are lovely people for the most part but that is generalising as it is a nation of over a hundred and thirty million after all.

I hate the smell that hit's your nostril's the moment you step off the plane at Narita which is the small of all that sewerage the city of Tokyo generates but living in a rural area of West Lancashire in England (so I am a brit obviously) it is also highly familiar since the farmers often spread muck or treated Sewerage on there field's, still make's me Gag though.

Love the way they drive on the CORRECT side of the road (Ha just a fin jibe to rile up our cousin's who drive on the other side though technically since most people are right oriented it really does make more sense, you tend to more geared to be more aware on your right and in the way we drive and the Japanese do that mean's that it is on your right that you see the oncoming traffic in the opposite lane but of course the other arguement is that most people drive on the same side as the US and of course the Automobile is an American invention so?).

My experience of culture shock was that it was far too familiar, don't believe in past life but I felt a very strong sense of dejavue and the whole place once we got to Shizoaka and the rural part's of Japan felt like I was home, I know that sound's strange but it is true and I can say that despite the crimes of the past and the cruel Samurai culture that once ruled over them the Japanese themselves are a lovely people as I said earlier and the have a good spirit if you like.

I felt a very strong sense of Fear when we got to the coast, it was palpable and I could not bring myself to go near to a the water when our host drove us out that way, I was just very glad to get back into the car and away, this was in 1998 so not related to current or recent tragedy's, it was the same feeling I got as a child the first time I saw a lion at the zoo and felt fear and I felt I had to get away, this too was strange as I live nor far from the sea and it does not affect me one bit here but then my whole family have always been sensitive.

So to cap it, Hate there early to mid twentieth century history and the cruelty of the samurai culture (which betrayed there imperial heritage historically by making there emperor a puppet and taking the power to themselves in the form of the Shogunate - Samurai mean's to serve but though the Shogun was supposedly a Samurai he served only really himself).

Love there food, I felt great eating it though I avoided Sushi as I like my food cooked.

Love there current generation though the way they avoid eye contact take's a little getting used too.

Love there architecture, old and new and the way they have blended east and west (more west today than anything but made it there own).

Love there good manner's and culture and the way they make you feel comfortable, welcome and at home.

And Genuine Saki, not what you can buy here (only there very expensive genuine Japanese Saki served correctly at the right temperature), is delicious.

Love Shizoaka green tea, it is tea not that herbal crap you can buy here, it tastes like tea but is more refreshing than our fermented read tea and probably a different variety of bush to the Chinese green tea.

One caveat, I flew on an economy class ticket, it was hell and I could barely stand up for hours after we finally got there but that was back before we had the DVT scandel with people dying from being crammed into too small seat's for too many hours and forming blood clot's but given my experience of the flight I swore after that I would never get into an airplane again and I have not, it was one of the older 767-400's we flew in and as for Airline food, Blahh but that was British Airway's so say no more on that.

a reply to: notmyrealname

In addition, many foreigners are not used to some of the prices in Japanese establishments which often bill their clients at the end of their time; this creates a very uncomfortable situation when the foreigners complain (usually in a non-Japanese language or very broken Japanese) which ruins the atmosphere for the other guests.

Can you give what kind of "establishments" these might be, please? Restaurants, bars, massage....

You speak "native level" Japanese. How many levels are there?

Do you live/work in Japan?

Just being nosey..

a reply to: NewzNose

Ha I had no problem with that as I used to work for a Japanese firm and they paid our expenses but yes like many country's the bill was paid after the meal were we ate as well though the menu was clearly priced and the service was impeccable, lovely waitress too.
I also had the best italian style Pizza ever, in JAPAN, a little town called Kakinan though that is probably spelled wrong.

a reply to: LABTECH767

Here in the US, we pay after the meal as well. Except for fast food eateries.

Went to Mexico and went off roading. This wasn't my primary reason for going to Mexico. Stopped by a taco stand out in the middle of nowhere. Ate whatever, then paid. Then suffered. Never again. (no thread drift intended).

Some years ago I embarked on a Odyssey to take my sons to every Disney park, our last one was in Tokyo and we enjoyed that trip more that any other, mi sons loved Akihabara, Gibli museum and Edo wonderland and I have always been fascinated by the Samurai culture since Zatoichi(TV) and Shogun (TV).
We returned to Japan and this time we traveled around using the Shinkasen rail pass, trips from Tokyo to Kyoto and multiple destinations even to a local festival in Sawara where I actually saw very few tourists.
In general the General population is nice and well mannered, very friendly to tourists and I never felt unsafe even in the red district at 1 am, and we do plan to return.

originally posted by: NewzNose
a reply to: notmyrealname

In addition, many foreigners are not used to some of the prices in Japanese establishments which often bill their clients at the end of their time; this creates a very uncomfortable situation when the foreigners complain (usually in a non-Japanese language or very broken Japanese) which ruins the atmosphere for the other guests.

Can you give what kind of "establishments" these might be, please? Restaurants, bars, massage....

You speak "native level" Japanese. How many levels are there?

Do you live/work in Japan?

Just being nosey..

Most of the establishments that are traditionally 'Japanese Only' are alcohol related however, establishments where conversation is a main focus of the entity are also included due to the obvious nature. That being said, the Japanese are generally a bit racist. They feel that they do things better than others and are proud of that. There is an inherent distrust for 'outsiders' mostly based upon their experiences after WW II and occupation of Americans. If you have thin skin or lack in self confidence, living in Japan long-term as a foreigner is not for you!

There are rated levels of Japanese proficiency which are for companies to gauge level of competence and then there is native level. This means that a native speaker can have a conversation on par with a Japanese citizen without the Japanese citizen knowing that they were not born and raised in Japan. The popular Ben Fulford is Fluent in Japanese however his accent immediately lets anyone know he is a foreigner; I mean no slight to Mr. Fulford's ability to have very high level conversations in Japanese and discuss specialized subject such as politics and finance. Remember, a computer programmer's English is specialized to the point that although speaking the same language natively, two people will not necessarily understand each other.

I own an Industrial Plant Engineering Company in Tokyo Japan and built it from scratch. It is definitely non-traditional for a foreigner to embark on such a business and it came with a lot of hurdles to overcome in order to be successful. (I would not recommend it for those used to operating small businesses in their native language as things are done much differently in Japan.) All-in-all, I have almost 20 years living in Japan and I went there as a complete non-leaker with no idea what anyone was saying. I just liked the way things were done and stayed to challenge myself.

Nozey dude aren't you?

originally posted by: LABTECH767
a reply to: aphon

I hate the smell that hit's your nostril's the moment you step off the plane at Narita which is the small of all that sewerage the city of Tokyo generates but living in a rural area of West Lancashire in England (so I am a brit obviously) it is also highly familiar since the farmers often spread muck or treated Sewerage on there field's, still make's me Gag though.

As Narita is mostly rice fields and Tokyo is 50+ miles away, I sincerely doubt that you were smelling the sewage from Tokyo; it was probably fertilizer for the crops. BTW, you don't smell sewage in Tokyo either as they have some of the best infrastructure in the world in Tokyo.

a reply to: notmyrealname

Well, I confess, nozey is my nature. I am shy but nozey!

Weed is hard to come by and the zero tolerance laws are outrageous. Unfortunately, Amphetamines, and ecstacy, and Ketamine are the most popular substances there.

After living in Korea, Japan is so clean and sterile, you could eat off of that futuristic toilet.

I could do without the hundred buttons on those toilets though. I do not want to be molested by a machine with so many features and buttons written in a language I can't read.

Like a previous poster said, everything works and is maintained. Of course this is until something happens to knock out infrastructure.

I also did not like having any rights as an American in Japan. If you ever get caught in their legal system, you are screwed.

Fast forward a few years and even my Japanese friends now live in America. They came here for the freedoms we have, better economy, and vast open areas. They all bought farms in the country. Most also drive pickup trucks, full size of course.

a reply to: notmyrealname

Narita airport
www.narita-airport.jp...

It was the undeniable smell of feces, feint but pungent nevertheless and Tokyo is an amazing city, we visited a temple in Shinjuku with two statues of demon guardian's and a huge red lanter and incense burner and quite a few sword shop's, replica's of course, for me the best thing about there techology was there bullet train's but this is going back, you could not even feel it moving and after that I wish that the Japanese would design passenger plane's that 767-400 was hell, especially as we had a fair bit of turbulance on the flight and despite having avoided sush in Japan I made the mistake of having a meal on that British Airways flight home, I was sick for a week and had what I regard as mild food poisoning, Airline food say no more.

Still the best place with the nicest people I have ever been to was a small town in the Netherland's called Sittard, beutiful people and a lovely town, best food in the world as well - for taste though the Japanese food is definetely healthier and still better than English food by a massive amount.

a reply to: LABTECH767
I am guessing that you were replying to the thread and not me as I do not understand your link nor do I understand what your point....