I LIVED in Japan...

[ozkai]

I lived in Japan for six years.

I left from Sydney to Japan and had never previously been.

I arrived at Kansai airport at midnight and was met by my wife. the first thing I noticed was that it was bloody freezing in winter, even more so with shorts on.

On the train to Kyoto station, I could not see a thing out the window so I jsut enjoyed the train.

When I arrived at my apartment where my wife was living, I was simply amazed. The floor felt very flat, the doorways and ceilings very low, and multiple doors, living room, bedroom, corridor and that Tatami mat was certainly different.

Next morning my eyes were at the ready to stand on my balcony and look.

Look I did for a long time as it was certainly different to anything I had seen before.

The first month was exciting, then came the down part of not understanding the unwillingness of people to say hello, how are you and stop for a chat.

One year became very stressful, and I think it took me two to start to understand, ignore and enjoy.

I picked up the English teaching thing and became an expert with teaching kids.

After those two years, I could demand my own money from any school as I was good at what I did and they all wanted me which made things very easy.

For the next four years, I travelled well both inside and abroad, and I have to say I really enjoyed Japan making many friends, once again, both foreign and local.

I always thought that foreigners who live in Nihon, can either crack it or cannot. Some just have to get out, whilst other's thrive.

I do believe an outgoing personality work's absolute wonders for your feelings.

How about you?

Do you live in Japan?

How long for?

What were your experiences?


Inspired by the "Live In Japan" thread, this will be interesting.

[GTJ]

Well...

I lived here (in Osaka) for a year doing study abroad. I fell in love with the place almost immediately and decided early on that I wanted to spend at least a bunch of years of my life continuing to live here.

I came to Japan on a whim. I don't really like anime, I'm not exactly a weaboo or anything like that. I had been taking some Japanese courses at my college (also randomly), and one day just walked out of my apartment, signed some papers at the study abroad office, and a few months later found myself sweating my balls off in the late summer Osaka heat.

I never regretted a second of it.

I picked up the language extemely quickly, which greatly enhanced my experience. I made friends with the locals and hung out with them much more than my fellow ryuugakusei. The other foreign students hung out mostly exclusively with each other; there were several large pockets of those who were stuck in the "frustration" stage of culture shock and spent the majority of their time sucking at Japanese, hanging out in the dorms, and complaining about everything.

Personally, the fact that nobody would sit next to me (I'm not fat, I don't take up much room at all and I certainly scoot over when someone is nearby) on a bus or train, even if it was crowded and such. Also the stares, and the random bursts of racism. Instead of getting too huffy about it, though, I took the other approach and enrolled in some cross-cultural communication and Japanese modern sociology/anthropology courses to better understand the underlying reasons. Long story short, I figured it out, and I also figured out how to fix it for myself, and I enjoy life a lot more because of it.

I went back to America for three months to graduate from University, at which point I really reconnected with my American friends and culture. I was very sad to leave it behind, but I made it a point to, instead of trying to be as Japanese as I could to not stand out, hang on to my culture. It isn't exactly the Japanese way, but I am, as Oz said, outgoing and friendly with people. Hell, I say hello and thank you to clerks at shops and convenience stores. Never see a Japanese person doing that!

I've been here again for a little less than two weeks. I'm still looking for a company who's willing to sponsor my visa, no luck so far. Everyone, people who have done it before, and Japanese alike, have been telling me how easy it should be, especially because I can speak Japanese, and I'm TESOL/TEFL certified.

NOPE.

The one cultural hurdle I haven't been able to surpass is that it seems more and more like the country's trying to keep me out. Recently it's been revealed to me that all countries are like that--trying to keep the jobs for its own people and all that--and some are much, much worse about it than Japan. It is getting a little worse here, what with that bill in Diet about the computerised gaijin cards that can be scanned by police to point out all the foreigners in a crowd... but we'll see.

Anyway, I love it here. Not enough to spend the rest of my life in Japan, but certainly a bunch of years.

[Ryzorian]

Heh, I didn't think you would need a Gaijin card to figure who was a foreign. Aside from other Asians, I would think it would be easy to spot Americans or Europeans. I remember watching a show about Japan on history channel wich had these two Caucasian body builders crossing a street, was pretty obvious they weren't from around there.

[samurai007]

I lived in Japan from 1996-98, as a JET in Hashimoto City, Wakayama Prefecture (about an hour south of Osaka, near the foot of Koya-san). I taught at 2 high schools there, Hashimoto high school and a Technical school 1 train stop away.

I loved living there, overall. The people were incredibly friendly and helpful. I have so many anecdotal stories about "this one weekend I decided to ride my bike to Yoshino, following the Kinokawa River much of the way and crossing every bridge I came to..." or "I went on a homestay in Nachi, and dressed up as a samurai for the annual festival...", or just today, I told my brother the story about visiting Dogo Onsen in Matsuyama. I have hundreds and hundreds of photos of my time there, and innumerable memories and experiences that literally changed my life forever.

[bELyVIS]

I lived in Osaka for 3 years. My first few days were kind of how my whole stay went. After 30 hours of travel, my company picked me up and dumped me at my apartment. No one showed me how the air con worked (it was still cold so I froze), or how to turn on the water heater ( a very cold shower after all that traveling wasn't relaxing). I also had to figure out how too get groceries and how to work the TV. On my second day, I was taken by subway to 2 of our office branches to be shown the operations. I was then told "Sayonora" and left to figure out the subway on my own. I did manage to get to my station, but didn't know about using the correct exit. After going out the wrong one, I spent 3 hours looking for my apartment building which looked like all the others in the area. Add to this the fact I couldn't ask in Japanese added to my anxiety and jet lag. I finally found it way after dark.
This should have been expected but I was promised help with getting use to Japan (which never happened). Other things came up like not knowing if my washer/dryer combination should really take 3 hours per load and getting blamed for everything that went wrong at my mansion (garbage put out wrong, wasn't mine BTW, or excessive noise, which wasn't me). All of this made for a everyday adventure. But I wouldn't trade any of these for the good times I had there.

[ozkai]

Some great stories here and so familiar.

It seems to be a luck and situation feeling about living in Japan.

Belyvis, I feel for you and nothing worse that arriving to live in a foreign country only to feel shut out. I had a few mates that always felt the same, but then I had a few mates who experienced the opposite.

I found the Nara area of Kansai was a lot more friendlier than Kyoto and the distance between the towns is so small compared to Australia.

I don't think it's a secret that the general public poulation and company workplace are just not friendly places. It's a horrible feeling and I think it takes at least two years to work the mind around that and find out what it's all about.

GTJ I think your experience sounds similar to mine as I could brush aside and laugh at many stupid and strange things and look on the brighter side and find funny reasons within my mind. Other foreigners can't do that and generally feel sick.

I was fantastic teaching kids, they all loved me, but I had a huge problem in getting on with the Japanese Kacho and Bucho's.

[andylaurel]

That cartoon above is hilarious.
I have been here in Ota City, Gunma Prefecture for 18 months now and although the novelty has definately worn off, I very much enjoy my job at a private English school.

It takes a very positive and outgoing person to survive here I think. My workplace is full of people who complain constantly about how bad they have it. I want to say 'If you don't like it, go home' to them sometimes.

I just got my ETC for my car, so I'm looking forward to exploring further from my house.

[GTJ]

Originally Posted by andylaurel

It takes a very positive and outgoing person to survive here I think. My workplace is full of people who complain constantly about how bad they have it. I want to say 'If you don't like it, go home' to them sometimes.

PLEASE go home, to them. Open up some job opportunities for those of us who will work hard, not complain, and count our blessings (visa sponsorship, which I still can't find). I can't stand people like that. I'm sorry you have to deal with them.

Getting a car, though, is exciting! I hope it really opens up Japan for you! Nyororin made a good point to me the other day: the trains don't go to all those beautiful places with lots of nature out in the middle of nowhere; cars do!

[Nathan]

Originally Posted by GTJ

the trains don't go to all those beautiful places with lots of nature out in the middle of nowhere; cars do!

You know, I never used 'nature' as a noun until I had lived in Japan. I always used to call it 'natural scenery'.

[spoonybard]

Originally Posted by andylaurel

I very much enjoy my job at a private English school.

WOW!!! There are English schools there??? Where everything is in English??? Because a couple of months ago, I checked in this Japanese lady who has only lived here for two years, and her English is AMAZING!!! I had assumed that perhaps she had been to a very prestigious school or something, but now that you say that, perhaps she had attended one.