I don't hate school, so that in not a problem 4 me...
And I know that it isn't exactly like in anime/manga, but I've read a couple of blogs (4 or so..) of people who went on an exchange year (high school) to Japan. The activities & stuff were kinda as the things you see in anime/manga.

So my question is: What are the big differences in real high school life, and anime/manga high school life?

isnt it true that the essence of japanese high school is different? like, being at the top of your class is some sort of popularity, i guess you could say?

Lol That's how it is in the manga/anime most of the time. XD

If it were like that in the US, I'd be really popular. :D

Mainly the fact that except for a very few exceptions, most people cared about things. People cared about the grades they got. They cared about the way the school looked. They cared about how other students and the teachers were treated.

In my experience in a Japanese high school - I can only think of 2 students who actually didn`t really give a crap and were just there because they had to be. And they were fairly quiet about it, just cutting classes, leaving early, etc.

In my experience in a US high school - it would be much much easier to count the number of students who did appear to care.

first, I just want to thank Nyororin for answering the houndreds of questions in this thread. you are amazing.

now, on to my question(s)!
I've been slowly but surely (read: incredibly slowly) studying japanese for the past year now and it has come to a point where i feel i won't progress unless i either take a class at school (which i can't :S ) or just surround myself with japanese things and people for a while. So it has come to the point where i'm seriously thinking about flying to japan and staying there for 2-3 months. So, naturally, I have some questions on how all this would work.
1.
Where can i stay for 2-3 months? god knows I can't afford to stay at a hotel that long :S
2.
How am I supposed to make friends there? is this somehting I should do beforehand? in that case, how?
3.
Where do you guys suggest I stay if I decide to do this?

Those are the questions I can think of right now :)
oh, I don't know if it matters but I am 23

how would i go about getting my drivers licence in japan?

also, whats the deal on owning and operating an older car, like years 1992-2000? isnt there like a special tax you have to pay on an older car?
this is a big factor for me because my main interest in japan is the motorsports scene! lets get excite/hype!

can i join volunteer work in Japan
i want to teach English or do any thing can be a volunteer Job
just i want to go there without paying a lot of money:D

ok i have question. but first i think it's awesome that you went to japan with nothing and are still living there today. its kool. and its a lot like my problem. See I have this goal in 2 and half years I will be graduating high school, and I would like to someone start my life in japan very soon after I graduate. I will have had 4 years of japanese and more counting the books and advanced learning I've done on my own. The problem is I don't want to wait until after college to go. I'm impatent. And looking for a job in japan seems super difficult without any college background. I know there are some jobs that will hire you without college and just start teaching you while your working in the job. but it all seems difficult. but i want it more than anything in my life. So any words of advice for someone like me?

You should just go to college. Pick out a university that does a Japanese language exchange or cultural study type option. You can go to school and maybe in your second or third year, you can do an exchange and go to school in Japan for a semester or an entire school year.

Getting a job in Japan with no extensive work background (I'm assuming, given your age) and no college degree won't get you far at all.