I don't want to live in Japan.

[GiannaR]

Originally Posted by samurai007

Let me add something else... why do most people want to go to or live in Japan? The reasons vary from "I want to travel around the country and experience the culture" to "I want to buy tons of manga", and everything in between. The thing is, most of those reasons have finite limits, or at least diminishing returns. After you've traveled from 1 end of the country to the other, and visited more castles, temples, and interesting sites than you could count, the desire to see yet another one is far less than it was to see your first 1, 2, or even 10 places. And buying manga can be fun, but what happens when you already have 1500 manga? Is there still as great a desire to buy number 1501? No.

"Experience Japanese life and culture" is a common reason for going, but how long do you really want to experience it? For many people, 2 or 3 years of living there is enough to satisfy that desire, and then other desires begin gaining in relative importance. "See my family again" or even something like "get good Mexican food or southern-style BBQ ribs", may become more important after several years away than "spend a 731st day experiencing Japanese culture". Desires like that, which are relatively easily fulfilled back home and have never been very important, can surpass "living in Japan" once living in Japan has become the everyday norm and seeing your family or eating a food you miss is an incredibly rare treat, something that you can only do once a year or less.

I've enjoyed reading this whole thread (maybe I skipped one or two replies) and I'm sad it was all last year. but anyways, I wanted to address the above post, I myself have been interested in living in japan for some time and I'm actually in the process of planning a month long trip I wish it could be longer, but it's all I can afford now. I just want to point out that there are indeed other factors, it may come into the area of personal belief, because I myself feel a passion for it, and there is that possibility that I may end up as the original poster did, not living there but still very much involved, but that has always been one of many possible futures. I see your point and i'm sure it applies to many people but like i said before, i want to point out that there are people who won't get tired of it being there every day life, I can only long to immerse myself in the language and one day become fluent at this stage in my life, and i think with anyone there will be days where you could get home sick, but its natural.

And also, it just seemed like common sense to me that you should know, no country is perfect, every country has its pros and cons, and it could go either way, this thread has helped a lot, giving people in sight to every day life, and for some i'm sure it turned them off and others like me, only excited and intrigued them more. Culture shock happens, you should be expecting it. Love is love, for a person, or country, and of course there is also the silly little teenage crush that has no thought of reality. Again i'm glad i read this thread, and I hope other people keep reading it, it's really great.

Anyways that was horribly all over the place just because I had so many different thoughts and I wanted to get them all down. I've never been a very good writer .

[V1nn1]

I read (almost) the whole thread. I really liked it, thanks everyone! I think I'm definitely going to visit Japan in a few years. And then, if I like it, perhaps I'll think about a future there.

[tanabear1993]

Originally Posted by V1nn1

I read (almost) the whole thread. I really liked it, thanks everyone! I think I'm definitely going to visit Japan in a few years. And then, if I like it, perhaps I'll think about a future there.

Me as well. The whole culture is very inspiring! I plan to go there after high school.

[Sparky777]

Wow Excellent post MMM, read every reply also and it has eliminated a couple of concerns... I have just posted a new article in regards to why you started this post. Wish i had of stumbled upon this thred before i posted and i would have included a few other things.

For me it sounds more intriguing after reaing through, one persons bad is another persons good! I am a social person with many friends in the Uk, but I am also a person who loves my own space, I love to travel, and by travel i mean through countryside and bike, train and public transport. I even got rid of my car in the uk, moved out of the city just so i could commute on the train, less stressful and you have time to contemplate things take life a little slower and see some life rather than getting stressed when you are stuck for 1 hour behind the wheel in traffic!

I an a basic person, but love technology, i am not into manga so that is no reason for me, I love the cuisine, culture and the outside villages rather than the big cities such as Tokyo.. You get to see more real life and understand more rather than been invisible. For all these reasons it sounds more appealing to me, i will however take lots of advice from this thread and start by 1 or 2 months living holiday and if i dont like it i can allways return to the uk, but as mentioned in my post, i am preparing 3 years in advance, trying to absorb as much info as possible so I actually succeed and hope not too fail.

Its a new experience, a new challenge and if you dont get out of your comfort zone every now and again then you just rot away...

Thanks again.

Pete

[ryuurui]

life in here is not for everyone, this is true. There is a saying that goes: if you stay in japan 2 years you are lucky, if 4 you are tough and 6 or more you are dangerous. i ve been here 10. i guess it makes me deadly lol.

this is what i was referring to nin the other thread, MMM, talking about not following trends and socially accepted rules. if you do it in japan it either consumes your energy or destroys your individuality. got to bitch slap the reality here and watch it bleed. those who follow are weak, can be easily influenced, or simply dont care.

now you can start ranting, but before you do make sure you lived here as long as i did and spent as much time on researching various aspect of japanese culture as me. and i dont care how it sounds, i just tell you what i think.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by ryuurui

this is what i was referring to nin the other thread, MMM, talking about not following trends and socially accepted rules. if you do it in japan it either consumes your energy or destroys your individuality. got to bitch slap the reality here and watch it bleed. those who follow are weak, can be easily influenced, or simply dont care.

now you can start ranting, but before you do make sure you lived here as long as i did and spent as much time on researching various aspect of japanese culture as me. and i dont care how it sounds, i just tell you what i think.

There is nothing weak about following accepted norms. That's like saying it is weak to put oil in your car because it makes it run smoother.

I am sometimes bothered by this notion of foreigners in foreign countries feeling the NEED to teach the natives a better way or the right way simply because they don't like the way the natives do things.

I also don't like hearing I can't present an opinion because I haven't had lived somewhere as long as someone else, or haven't had the same experiences. Like you said, I just tell you what I think.

[ryuurui]

who said anything about telling them how to live. they want die of karoshi thats their beef lol. I am not getting involved in that nonsence. I am telling you whats better for me not them, from my own personal experience.

I didnt say you cant present an opinion either. I said, before you battle what i say have an equal baggage of experience, otherwise its bollocks.

[tokusatsufan]

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.

Then why are you on a bloody Japan forum?! Oh man am I sick of this country,I'll go on this forum all about it!

I have no intention of being a businessman. I am in the UK and therefore am not affected by some problems that affect the Americans. There won't be Friends on all the time,like the rest of the world has to have. I'll come back here summer and Christmas. OK Pancake Day could be an issue,I'll give you that. I'll just try and get some,even if it's on my own. ryuurui,that is a good point about not necessarily doing everything everybody else does. I'm obviously white,I'm gonna get looked at,so say I do something like wear a Kamen Rider belt in public what's the worst that could happen? I can't be called anything worse than I get called here. Yes I'll admit racist crimes could be a problem over there. What can I do?

I'm probably wrong but from what I've seen,Japan is just like the UK,bigger,hotter,the opposite outlook on life,a couple more things are the opposite too,a couple more earthquakes,everything's just extremes and contradications and that's it. They drive on the same side of the road as this country and they'd better stay that way! Being pushed onto a train with a stick doesn't seem so bad to me. It looks quite fun.

[ryuurui]

ah you know with living in Japan is like with marriage. she pissses you off and there are times you want to chop her into pieces and shove into a can and send back to where she came from, but then again you love her to bits and all those small things she does and you would die of boredome without her annoying nature. First thing my wife said to me after returning from a trip was "could you do something irritating, i really missed that".

Nothing is perfect. I guess it is up to us to make it better. It's called a compromise. But there are things from which i will never back off till there is a bit of breath left in my body, and one of them is giving in to that sickening uniformity and mindless sheep syndrome in Japan. The weather is nice though

[MMM]

Originally Posted by tokusatsufan

Then why are you on a bloody Japan forum?! Oh man am I sick of this country,I'll go on this forum all about it!

You didn't even read my entire first post.