Is Japanese beer THAT strong??
 

Another thing that's been bothering the heck out of me for ages.

Why is it that in most beer commercials, as they drink, the people in it cringe and make a huge fit and fuss like they're downing liquid nitrogen? Give me a break. And then, if they happen to be eating anything in the same commercial, it's the same story.

I'm looking for reference on youtube, but anyone who's watched Japanese TV knows what I'm talking about.

What's the deal? Maybe it has something to do with the ridiculously high carbonation of Japanese beer?

I nearly did a spit take when you mentioned 'Japanese beer' and 'strong' in the same sentence.

I think it just the usual acting; you know the 'holy-cow-this-is-SO-GOOD' for any beverage/food.

Haha, yeah, I think we were talking about that in another thread and everyone agreed on the topic ;)

UMAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIII!!!

Yeah I hate that too. :D

Then again it doesn't help that the Japanese only have like three words for something that tastes good. Although recently the people on TV have been making more of an effort to actively describe flavors and such, which is a step in the right direction from just shouting "UMAI" with your mouth half-full.

I'm never convinced by the 'umai' business. Just once, I'd love to see someone take a bite of something and then say "Eh... it's ok, but it could be better."

GTJ, you are shifting to "whiny gaijin" mode. This is a part of a slow-burn culture shock. I knew many people it happened to, and it is real common. After 4 to 6 months in Japan they we would meet up but instead of talking about cool new discoveries the conversations became nit-picky complaining sessions about Japan.

Again, it's pretty normal, but I hope you don't start too many more threads like this. I do want you to be able to talk through your life in Japan...that is important...but people that don't live there might read these and be...thrown off. I hope this makes sense and you don't take it the wrong way.

Yeah, I'm pretty sick and tired of the OP's negative threads, too. He seems to dislike just about everything Japanese, except perhaps Japanese women, which is perplexing because they are the products of Japanese culture. They are much more "Japanese" than the little shredded cabbage you get in your bentos.

I just wrote a bunch but then deleted it because I know I'm in a really crummy mood and I didn't read what you wrote carefully enough.

It boils down to the fact that I've been here for quite a while, and certainly long enough to be past the culture shock. I enrolled in a number of cross-cultural psychology, modern Japanese societal issues, and Japanese anthropology courses to be able to work through and talk through most problems I come across. For example, when I first got here I was really miffed that nobody would sit next to me on busses or trains, regardless of how packed the things were. Instead of just getting more and more angry about it, I started asking the right questions, such as "what factors might contribute to this" and "what can I do to help alleviate it?".

Er, I'm digressing.

I'd hope from my other contributions to the forum you can glean that I'm not exactly a "noob", but I know you didn't mean anything by it.

The point of this thread is that it's something I've always wondered about (yes it ticks me off from time to time), but could never get any answers about. So I want to see what other foreigners can get from it and if anyone has any more insight than I into the matter.

I mean come on, you gotta admit it's kinda ridiculous ;)

Some thing I just can't get used to, and persist to annoy me, and have nothing to do with culture shock. However, about 95% of those things stem from the geinojin and celebrities on Japanese TV, and actually just Japanese TV in general. When I walk outside into the real world I find myself feeling much better.

I need to get out more. :D

It may not be culture shock but there are things like "culture shudder" that are not as dramatic.

But I am not saying that's what you have or not, because I don't know you. I am just making an observation based on recent posts, and I hope that observation is useful to you. Especially since it is such a teeny-tiny thing, but you say it ticks you off.

Unless I am wrong, I don't believe you are allowed to show people actually drinking beer in commercials in the US, so maybe that's why you notice their reaction from drinking the beer more.

lol GTJ, I'm surprised you watch Japanese TV with how much you hate about it :mtongue:

Isn't it the same with american commercials when they drinks something and go "ahh sooo refreshing!" :)