initial culture shock? share your experience

[aychseven]

awesome! thanks a lot guys i really appreciate all the info!

[Kanji_The_Wanderer]

The only thing that would surprise me I think, is how beautiful there country really is. Seeing a picture is one thing, but when I finally go there, I might have a semi-heart attack. lol

I wouldn't recommend going there without learning any Japanese. If you are going to travel to a foreign country, at least take the extra time to learn some of the language so people can tell you what's popular. No one will know better then the citizens. That way, your stay will be much more enjoyable.

[aychseven]

i know a little japanese. been listening to the pimsleur audio lessons, using rosetta stone and studying hiragana and katakana. if i end up moving, it'll be because i'll be going to school there where i'll be minoring in japanese, so i'll learn a lot more while i'm there. i'm sure i'll make some japanese friends in class that can show me around.

[MMM]

The more Japanese you know the better, but you will pick it up quickly if you try. Especially in Tokyo, reading isn't as important as speaking and listening. There are a lot of foreigners in Tokyo, which it both an advantage and disadvantage. The advantage is that you can probably find an English-speaker that can help, the disadvantage is that Tokyoites are less inclined to help foreigners than they are in other parts of Japan. A little more independence is expected of you. (Not unlike New York or London or other big international cities).

The biggest worry would be money. It's an expensive place to live, and living like a miser in Tokyo is not only not fun, it probably isn't healthy. Make sure you have enough cash to be able to do this. It's easy to drop a couple hundred bucks in a night if you aren't careful. Sometimes just "visiting a friend" can add up (2 train transfers, 5 bucks a train [for example], then the return trip home...WOW there goes 30 bucks!).

[gaijzilla]

If you're not in Tokyo or another large city, it can seem like you're completely out of luck. Almost no one will speak English. Signs will seldom be in English and when they are they will seldomly be useful.
But stop by city hall and see if they have an international department. Usually these offices can point you to English resources, tell you about Japanese classes, give you guidebooks and maps in English, etc.
Gambatte!

gaijzilla.com

[aychseven]

oh money won't be such a problem. since i'll be going to school full time i'll have loans for what grants and scholarships don't cover. plus i'll probably be able to keep my current job, though part time, and just telecommute for some extra cash.

honestly i can't imagine travel costs being more expensive than my current costs of ~$600USD per month. (car payment, insurance and gas, not including maintenance.)

i figure learning japanese might take a little longer for me there than for others since my school is english only aside from the japanese classes, so i wont be surrounded by the language all the time. again, i'm not too worried about this.

as for venturing to smaller cities, i imagine trips taken before i get a decent handle on japanese would be ones organized by the school, but thanks for the tip on city hall, i'll be sure to keep that in mind.


a few more questions for you. i'm used to late nights here in vegas. how late does the metro run in tokyo? what about other trains?
is it still the norm to not tip at bars and restaurants, or has the gaijin population spoiled that one?

again, thanks for all your replies, and keep them coming!

[gaijzilla]

The trains close pretty close to midnight. It's really pathetic. If you want to do anything fun on the weekend you have to pull an allnighter.

And don't tip. I think they find it insulting.

gaijzilla.com

[jasonbvr]

Culture shock in Japan is relatively nothing compared to China.

[GhostBlade]

Originally Posted by jasonbvr

Culture shock in Japan is relatively nothing compared to China.

May you elaborate?

[jasonbvr]

Everything is relatively up to date in Japan and modern.
You don't have that funny feeling of living in a communist country (however I was in Beijing which is a lot different than other cities on this issue).
You feel safe. Unafraid that any minute the train will derail or that the night club is going to catch fire and you will be locked upstairs so that people on the ground floor can escape first.
China-bottled water is more expensive than beer.
Japan-beer is more expensive than water. (Strangely enough more expensive than liquor as well.)
No one approaches me as I walk past alleys in Tokyo asking me if I want pirated DVD's as though they were selling cocaine.
My pedals have not fallen off my bike, the chain has yet to snap and my hanble bars have never broke in half even though I've had my bike for months now.
I can drink tap water rather than calling the deliverly guy for a new jug.
I can heat my apartment when I get cold rather than having to wait for a certain time of the month when the entire building's heating will be turned on.
I can cross the road without fear of being ran over by crazy taxi drivers.
When I walk by the park in the morning, I don't see a bunch of people swinging swords around for exercise.

I'd come up with more but its time for lunch...