Japan

[Johnny_Rotten]

Just wondering if anyone here has been to Japan & what kind of experiences they had over there?

CSAR your input would be great!

Just finished work, i work with a Malaysian dude who used to live there when he was younger & he said it was 'f#cken horrible"

Said there was so much racism towards him. Like he wouldn't be allowed into certain shops & whatnot because he wasn't Japanese.

Anyway he got fed up & ended up moving to Aus & he says everyone over here ha so much more tolerance than in Japan.

(ps - the reason i'm asking is because i was planning a holiday there at the end of the year & he just made the place sound like a sh*thole)

[jakk9011]

I lived in Japan for 16 months during 97/98. I had a good time, but there IS a lot of racism there. There are shops that post signs out front that say no foreigners. There are many people who do not want to talk to you as you are a foreigner... but some of them are just afraid or embarrassed about their english speaking skills. I should also say that I pretty much only lived in Tokyo.. so its almost like living in Downtown New York and trying to tell people what America and Americans are like.
Watch out if you go on a tour. Japanese tours drive to a location, say you have 5 mins to take pics... everyone rushes to the monument or sign and has their pic taken so they can show friends they've been there, and then jumps back on bus to go to next tourist attraction. Went on a 6 hour bus tour to mount Fuji and we spent 12 mins at the destination. LOL
Anyways, I actually enjoyed myself there and think its a beautiful country. Also made some great friends.
If you have any questions, I'd be happy to tell you more.
Jakk

[almostgone]

I think it has a lot to do with the area of Japan you're in and the age of the person you're dealing with.
Nagoya is pretty decent. A completely different mentality from the US, but the people are friendly.

AG

[Oki-Des]

I moved to Japan after college and ended up living there for more than 7 years. In the beginning I truly hated it, but wanted to learn the language. After about 6 months my feelings started to change.
It takes some getting use to, but it is a wonderful place in my opinion. There is too much to simply explain, but if you give me some details of where you are going and what you will be doing, I may be able to offer some additional info.

[Animal Cracker]

I was stationed there for 3 years- loved it.

[StoneGRMI]

When I was in high school my parents took in two Japanese exchange teachers for 4 months and it was awesome. They cooked some good food and it was cool cooking for them to learn the cultures. I want to go there to get some great sushi since sushi is my kryptonite.

[CSAR]

I think you should try to visit Japan, but I recommend staying away from the big cities and trying to venture out on your own. A lot of the typical places you'll find in travel brochures are rather disappointing. One of the temples in Kyoto has a big "Sponsored by Mitsubishi" sign, which is rather sad. I recommend Nara. I would try to learn some basic Japanese phrases just to survive (most menus, signs, etc., do not have any English and unless you can read kanji, hiragana, or katakana, you're screwed). Japan is also VERY expensive. Avoid Tokyo and Osaka. Kyoto, Nagoya, Kagoshima, Hiroshima, would be better. Expect to breathe a lot of smoke and see cigarette butts/discarded packs everywhere - Japan is a smoker's paradise. "Non-smoking area" means nothing. If you have any tattoos forget about going to any onsens (hot springs), but if you're tattoo-free, I HIGHLY recommend a short stay at a ryokan (hot spring resort). Bathing and food are two things the Japanese have gotten right. Expect a lot of stares and strange looks. Expect some negative reactions (e.g., getting ignored when asking for directions, a little pushing/shoving on trains/subways, possibly being refused service). Again, I would avoid the major cities and don't go on any tours unless you enjoy being herded around with every activity timed/planned to the second.

If you're Caucasian, you won't be as discriminated against as much as most other non-Japanese races. Like others have recommended, the quality of your visit here will depend on where you choose to visit and possibly the amount of Japanese you can use to get by.

[rockinred]

CSAR would be able to answer this better... I had a few friends and there is/was still some deep anomosity and anger toward Americans for the bombings of World War II... I suppose it could be gone by now, but there were many that raised their children to hate and live to get revenge what happen... many attribute this to how the Japanese became so aggressive in the business technological field....

When you think about it is was very very dramatic for those people... the after affects of the radiation caused problems all over those areas for a few generations... retardation and malformations on many people....

War is a tough thing to get over... you still here hatred in countries that fought several hundreds of years ago. so you might get a some of that.

[Panzerfaust]

Try Saitama....

[StoneGRMI]

The word "Japan" makes me want to get sushi for lunch tomorrow.

[Johnny_Rotten]

Thanx for all the info bros.

Hey CSAR - i find it very funny how you said expect some pushing & shoving when on the subway as most Japanese people where i live are very timid.

There are alot of them in Australia & i've yet to come across one that has been violent towards me like that.

Don't get me wrong, i believe you. It must just be the way they were raised here. I always thought of the Japanese as small, timid people.

I know that may sounds stupid because of their history. (I know a lil bit) but in my experience i've yet to meet any that are like that.

[CSAR]

most Japanese people where i live are very timid.

That was my experience outside of Japan as well. As I posted in a different thread, my best friend growing up was Japanese American and his Japanese mother was extremely polite and quiet. However, it is quite different in Japan. My experience comes mainly from urban areas, especially Tokyo, but once you get outside of the cities, Japanese people can be quite nice and genuinely curious about foreigners. Most elbowing, pushing, hitting, etc., is done from behind rather than in your face. As a foreigner, you make a very attractive target for the Japanese to release their frustrations on because they learn very early in life to bully those who are different. I quickly learned never to stand near the train doors after a few punches to the kidney. The little old ladies are especially tough - they use elbows, knees, hip checks, and forearms to the lower back. You should look into getting your Int'l Driver's License before visiting. Rent a hybrid car (gas is ridiculously expensive) and travel around Hokkaido. Avoid Tokyo like the plague.