I don't want to live in Japan.

[burkhartdesu]

I used to be one to blindly say things like "I hate America", but nobody knows their culture until they've been removed from it.

When I went to Japan I gained more respect and knowledge of my own society than I did of the Japanese-- which isn't to say I don't love Japan, but for once I don't hate being an American.

EDIT: 100th reply Woot!

[zed]

Originally Posted by burkhartdesu

Zed, your English is better than most native-english people on this forum!

thanks, I have been practicing alot of writing lately and I check it before posting but there are still words that I have to correct even after posting.

[ffbittencourt]

I'm aware that this isn't a new thread. Even so, I felt left out by the opposition created between Japan and USA in this thread (at least, linguistically).

I'm brazilian (ブラジル人）, and I'm also a little embarrassed of writing in English, since my native language is Portuguese. The sensation of trying to express yourself using words you don't quite understand feels a lot like been naked, or exposed. But, hey!, since I'll be soon moving to Japan for a couple of years, at least, I should get used to this feeling, right?

Of course. I don't see the point of living in Japan if you're not diving in hard enough to become really fluent. My benchmark will be reading an entire newspaper.

Brazil isn't like Japan: public transportation's bad, most people get paid low salaries. My life here isn't bad though: I've graduated from a good college, and have bought my own car after only one year of work (so I don't take the bus no more! ).

Brazil isn't like the USA: only a few rich people live on huge houses, and crime here isn't as bad... the USA is a very violent country (talking about violence occurrence rates).

I'm not really trying to make any point here... there's no point to it. But the world is not bilateral anymore, and saying there are many shades of gray between black and white just isn't enough too. The world is colorful.

Very nice discussion, guys! Do you agree with me when I say that people who should read this thread are more likely not to read it?

[Realism]

Thing is, if you're gonna live in a new country, but your OWN volition. You should be committed, you should stick through the good and bad. But most importantly, you should be ready. A lot of people just isn't ready. But that's not the biggest problem. The main reason is that they have unrealistic expectation, and even worse...

They want things to go their way

But it's Japan, over there, it's the OTHER way.

That's how it is...and you either accept it and adapt, or else, you'll begin hating it.

Me personally, when I was in Japan, I disliked it at first because of my immaturity and unrealistic expectations of how PEOPLE should be. It's not them, you have to take responsibility for everything that you do. Mostly, it's the way you see people and their customs. And the minute you don't get your way, most people start to fold.

But now that I think about it, me going to Japan was probably the most memorable experience I've ever had. Tell you the truth, I don't remember much things, and I don't take many things to heart. But there was a person that I met while in Japan, he touched my heart personally, on how to BE righteous, and that means more than anything.

And probably the main reason that I would want to live in Japan?

I'd rather be in a place where I'm the majority, and not the minority.

And that's good enough for me.

[Yuusuke]

Originally Posted by MMM

I lived in Japan for just over three years, and go back to visit almost every year. I gotta tell you, life is a lot easier and my standard of living is a lot higher in my home country. I loved my time in Japan but will be happy not living long-term there again.

Why do I write this?

I have read dozens, maybe 100 different posts from people that say "I want to live in Japan" without ever having visited. I immediately do a facepalm when I see this, and to be honest it is hard to take most of them seriously. Now the "I would love to visit japan someday" threads much more seriously because those folks tend to be more realistic.

I titled this thread this way to get your attention, and I know I could live in Japan again if I had to or if I wanted. There are tons of things I loved about life in Japan, but there are also things I am not ready to sacrifice for the rest of my life just to be able to live in Japan (centralized heating, NY-style pizza, Christmas, etc.)

I don't disparage anyone that does live in Japan and has or will for a long time. It's a great experience, but for now I am going to throw another log on my wood stove, marinade a rib-eye and turn on some NBA basketball.

if you went back to japan, would you have a better lifestyle than the one you had previously when you were there?

[ny4u87]

I am so glad you posted this, MMM. I'm only sorry I wasn't here near the beginning when it was still on-topic. I've been very interested in Japan and in visiting or even living there for a long time, and I've always looked around for information on what it's like, and been disappointed. I've been casually studying Japanese as a hobby for about three years now, and I enjoy a little anime and shojo manga, but I'm more interested in the history and culture of Japan.

Most of the time when I look for information on what it's like in Japan I get generalized statements such as "People are hard working there" and "It's crowded." Or worse, starry-eyed visions of a population of perfect human beings who spend all their time saving the city from giant robots and eating pocky. This is the first time I've gotten real, first-hand accounts of Americans living in Japan (without a bottomless wallet), and the realities of life there.

I think I still want to live in Japan for a short time, but I'm much more sure now that I've read your posts, MMM. I feel much better about calling a long-term trip to Japan a goal of mine now that I have some idea of what that will entail. I still don't have a real plan for how I will go about doing that, but at least now I know that Japan is a real country, not the Fantastic Mangaland so many of my crazed otaku freinds here try to convince me it is.

In fact, I think I like it more because of that. I'm still not going over there without a whole lot of money, a really good plan, and a WHOLE lot more knowledge in Japanese though.

Thank all of you with first-hand accounts for your posts, they were exactly what I've been looking for.

[Jaydelart]

I've moved between countries so many times in my life... It's not hard to imagine ending up living in Japan. But it's not currently something I plan on doing. A simple trip would suffice for me.

[ILikePi]

Originally Posted by YoshimiTheEthereal

I get sick of hearing that the only kind of people that say they want to go to Japan are anime/manga freaks. That's not true. I want to go to Japan and I really don't give a crap about either. I am VERY unhappy where I live -- a small town with nothing in it in Kentucky. I no NO ONE with ANY common interests wit me -- all of my conversations have to do with the weather, school, money . . . stupid stuff like that. I have no job opportunities with any of the careers that I would want. I find NO ONE attractive here. I am a young adult and have never been in any kind of relationship before in my life.

I want to visit Japan to see if I would want to live there because I think it would offer me happiness and opportunities that I cannot have in the US. I love the ideas of Japan and the scenery. I love the music and I find the men very attractive (physically, anyway). I think I could be more successful if being a foreigner is not a problem. I think I am the kind of person that may really like Japan and I am not an anime/manga freak. I am also aware that Japan is not a utopia. It has its share of problems as it is imperfect. Schools require uniforms, I will always stand out from the crowd, and many other things. People don't have to be an anime/manga freak and think Japan is a happy fantasy place to want to live there!

The USA is so large and diverse and you've lived in one place in its great expanse. That is not a good basis for deciding to leave the country. Only after you've experience living several differing places in the USA and then visiting Japan would even begin to understand which you would enjoy more.

Originally Posted by ffbittencourt

Brazil isn't like the USA: only a few rich people live on huge houses, and crime here isn't as bad... the USA is a very violent country (talking about violence occurrence rates).

Facts disagree with you friend.

Brazil
Murder in Brazil | Not as violent as you thought | The Economist

When you see violent crime stats you need to keep in mind the population of a country. The USA has a relatively low violent crime rate bested only by countries such as Japan. Also, the vast majority of violent crime in the USA is concentrated in a handful of hotspots (inner cities, etc) and are extremely easy to avoid. Few people live in huge houses here either depending on what you term huge. If huge is bigger than an average Japanese dwelling then most definitely!


Thread had some really nice info in it. Found it through a google search and just started scouring the forum for Japan info. A few questions about something mentioned in the thread:

The central heating, are there really no places with it or are they rare? Do you have the option of getting it when a house is built? And if so is the equipment involved prohibitively expensive? What kind of heating cooling is in each room? Implemented as kerosene heaters I take it? (was reading those are popular in Japan) And what for air conditioning exactly? Window units? If not where does the water vapor vent? I am so concerned because I have very bad allergies (mold). I have other questions but I'll start new threads for those. Asking these here since they are directly referenced.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by ILikePi

The central heating, are there really no places with it or are they rare? Do you have the option of getting it when a house is built? And if so is the equipment involved prohibitively expensive? What kind of heating cooling is in each room? Implemented as kerosene heaters I take it? (was reading those are popular in Japan) And what for air conditioning exactly? Window units? If not where does the water vapor vent? I am so concerned because I have very bad allergies (mold). I have other questions but I'll start new threads for those. Asking these here since they are directly referenced.

I imagine anything is an option when building a house, depending on space and your budget. Most houses have a kotatsu in the living room and AC/heating units in most rooms. These are built into the walls. Mold is carefully filtered, and there are more powerful filters that can be used for those with allergies.

[ILikePi]

Thanks for the quick reply! A few more details though Where does the water vapor for the A/C vent? Is there a drain pipe in the wall? Are the heating units electric or some petrol derivative? And the same unit does both a/c and heat or separate units?

I am sure everything is an option but is it actually affordable? If it is that rare it would be a specialty item and I'm sure demand a hefty price premium.