You Know You've Lived In Japan Too Long When

[jasonbvr]

Originally Posted by Kuroneko

You know you've lived in Japan to long when you can catch the Train with out havening to check the schedule.

...and know which stations don't have people watching the gates so you don't have to pay the return fare coming from Tokyo.

The exchange rate is either you best friend or worst enemy depending which way your money is going.

[Pachipro]

You set the second hand on your watch to the hour tone of NHK knowing that when the schedule says the train departs at 08:01 they mean it.

You see a long line outside of a Pachinko parlor in the afternoon and get in line for some easy money

You always have a package of tissues on your person

You also begin to carry around a shoulder bag that your sister mistakes for a "cool handbag"

You can fold your newspaper in quarters and read it in comfort in the packed train in the morning.

You're tired, so you get in line at Shinjuku station for the Odakyu-sen express train that departs in 20 minutes to ensure you get a seat.

You fall asleep on said train and awake exactly as your train is pulling into your station.

You actually look forward to going to the local bar to sing enka karaoke - in Japanese! And you have a "key bottle" of whiskey there.

The proprietors of the local stores know you by name.

You dream in Japanese

You actually look forward to eating a Japanese breakfast with natto, seaweed and fish!

You actually pay monthly to park your bicycle at a place near the station.

You look forward to watching Sazaesan on Sunday nights on TBS at 6:30 pm

You look forward to watching the 15 min serial on NHK at 8:15 in the morning and even record it in case you miss it.

You can sing the song for the Yodobashi camera commercial on TV: "Marui midori Yamanote sen, mannaka touru Chuo sen, Shinjuku Nishi guchi eki no mae, camera no Yodobashi Camera" as well as many other commercials

Motorcycles delivering the newspaper at 3:30 am doesn't bother you anymore and neither do the incessent sirens of police and ambulances at all hours of the night.

You actually beat your own futon in the mornings and the neighbor ladies just smile at you while you neatly hang your wash on the clothes poles.

You instinctively nod to your neighbors and greet them when walking to the station in the morning and you even nod back to the newscaster on TV when he/she signs off!

You walk around the local supermarket with a toothpick.

You tell people drinking alcohol is one of your hobbies

You wait for J-women to make the first move knowing that they eventually will.

The first thing you do in the morning or when you get home is heat up hot water and put it in the thermos so you'll have hot water for tea or Nescafe Instant Coffee.

The only furniture in your house is a kotatsu, a clothes closet, and a couple of "color boxes".

You actually fold up your futon and put it away in the morning!

You think spending 8,000 yen for fine sushi and beer is not bad, but US$80 in the US? That's outrageous! What a rip-off!

You take a hot bath daily

[Kuroneko]

Originally Posted by Pachipro

You dream in Japanese

I love it when this happends.

Originally Posted by Pachipro

You actually look forward to eating a Japanese breakfast with natto, seaweed and fish!

mmmm mee tooo!

[Mukuge]

Haha I don't live in Japan (I wished) but this is funny and interesting anyway xD

[Kuroneko]

You know you've been in Japan to long when you sneeze 3 time you think some one is talking bad about you. Also you say hakushoo instead of achoo.

[Kuroneko]

[Kuroneko]

You Know you Live in Japan too long when you cant wait to get in the Ofuro (bath) after the day is done.　(T.T) I miss Japanese Ofuro.

[osakalava]

...but you also carry around one of those little handtowels. I didn't for ages as an act of defiance, but eventually gave in!

You start wearing a towel around your neck or head in summer. (I call them "ossan towels").

"Shou ga nai ne!" somehow makes everything OK.

You have your own notebook of songs to sing at karaoke, even making note of what key they should be in. You know where all the karaoke places with BB Cyber Dam machines are and won't settle for anything less.

You can't help but say "yo issho" every time you exert the smallest of physical effort, e.g. opening a folder.

You realise you really enjoy the flavour of white rice with nothing in/on it.

You don't want to eat your eggs any way other than onsen/hanjuku.

Eating salad with a fork just seems wrong.

Lettuce, or tuna/mayonnaise and corn on a pizza is not weird.

You enjoy a "genki" (vitamin) drink first thing in the morning.

A Japanese person asks you for directions and you actually send them to the right place.

*Entertaining thread guys, keep 'em coming!*

[Gloobey]

You know you've lived in Japan too long when you find yourself running for a train in the sure knowledge that you’ll have to wait a whole three minutes for the next one.

...when you no longer notice how short the skirts that schoolgirls are wearing are.

...when you no longer give your seat train up for an elderly woman.

...when you actually find yourself watching a baseball game on TV. Thankfully, this has yet to happen to me, but I am English so that’s OK.

...when the idea of sitting around with complete strangers in a big bath no longer strikes you as odd.

...time to book that ticket, methinks.

[Earl]

...when you call foreigners "gaijin" instead of "foreigners"