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J'adore:rheart: :rheart: Japan, I wish I could go and never come back to England! :O

Awww, whats wrong with England?

Have you been to Japan?

Nothing, it's awesome. I do love it here actually. :)

RacheruHaikyoInJapan, I feel the same as you, though I live in Scotland. Its a nice country & it has it's high points, but sometimes I feel the country (UK) has a vendetta against me. The general public & level of customer service, especially on the phone, is unbelievable. It just pushes my patience too far. lol. Rant over :)

Scotland is a really beautiful country.


Yes there are many frustrations especially trying to contact someone that speaks English-- so many are in India


government doesn't make many things easy but thats life.

I married a Scot- Edinburgh and lived there for several years. The scenery is breathtaking. I like the various scottish accents too-- even if I can't understand a word Ha HA.

what is wrong with England-- we are too popular because half the population from Europe want to come here-- and all the other immigrants.

Think yourself lucky you live in this country.

Its not till you live elsewhere that maybe you begin to appreciate how fortunate you are to live in UK.

Devon is glorious. Maybe too many tourists but its beautiful.

I have to admit I wonder why so many wish to live in JAPAN.

what is the real attraction? Is it some sort of fantasy?

Living a real life and working there? It can be so busy and so many people.

Would reality fit the fantasy? I doubt it--

The Japanese seem to have to work extremely hard and long hours.


Life is what you make it-- where ever you happen to live isn't that the truth?

dogsbody, I'm glad you liked Scotland, & the accent can be difficult to understand. The hardest to understand being Glaswegian. Scotland is good, and I do enjoy it. I'm also very patriotic. But Japan just seems to excite me more. Everytime a programme comes on TV about Japan, I watch it, whatever it is about. I don't know how to describe it, but the term 'Japanophile' seems to cover it well.

Ha ha I guess its a case of the grass beeing greener from HOME.

surely you could plan to visit for a holiday-- why does Japan excite you?

what is is that you think you will find when you get there. Is it the Anime and Manga?


I am interested inJapan but have never been there although I hope to visit and see the countryside. My japanese friend is the person who has givenme an interest inthe country history and culture.

I have seen quite a few programmes too-- but I cannot say they make me want to live there.

Of course I am an OLD person so our tastes differ in a big way.

It would be great if you can go there-- I should think staying with a family is the best way-- but I have no idea of what is available. family exchange system I wonder?

You need to chat with people who live there or were brought up there.

There are so many countries that you can visit as well.


Re scotland-- as I was a sassenach many scots put on a stronger accent so that I could not understand them Ha ha. I used to do scottish and highland dancing-- still love it but too ancient now. I have bred scottish dogs for many years-- Cairn terriers and love so much about Scotland. some of the housing is not attractive and spoil the landscape-- but it really is a wonderful land.

I love scottish traditional songs and music-- tradition is so precious.


explore the world when you can and have fun.

My japanese friend would love to live here in UK permanently but she is not allowed to. she has to have a student visa and study hard. She never wants to return to Japan but will have to eventually She worked for a big company in Japan for most of her adult life and worked very long hours

Immigration rules are being changed here because our country is too small to take too many immigrants. Many student visas are abused by some who come over here-- they join a college then disappaear.

Its a big problem for UK.

I should think it would be good to visi studios where Manga and Anime are created. I read a book by Peter carey who took his son there to go to the Anime stronghold. His son had a super time there. I forget the title of the book.

It kind of amuses me that everyone's responding to that as if there aren't any downsides to England, like 'gasp, but the UK is so great!'.

I think all countries have their pros and cons. England is great in mnay respects and I do think the OP should be grateful for living here. We have equal rights regardless of race, gender or sexuality, a good democracy, a fascinating history, some beautiful sights. . . At the same time there are down points. You'd be very suprised at the level of rudeness and disrespect, how dirty the cities are, the high cost of living, the high crime rates (compared to some other countries), bad public transport, falling standards of education. . .

Don't get me wrong, I do love England, but at the same time I can understand why someone would want to emmegrate so badly. That said 'the grass is always greener' and Japan has a lot of downsides too, some of them could be said to make it a less desirable country to live than here in the UK. For example gay rights seem non-existant compared to here, as there are no civil ceremonies or gay marraiges.

To the opening poster - I am very curious as to why you are so desperate to leave England, and why Japan in particular :) Like I said every place has its ups and downs, what makes Japan a preferable place to live for you? It's all about 'push' and 'pull' factors really. Something has to push you to want to leave England, and something has to pull you towards wanting to go to Japan, I guess I'm just curious why for you Japan is preferable to the UK.

HI robin I love my country very much. Its not the same as when I was achild but there is always change and as we are so popular we have many immigrants.


I don't agree with many of the government decisions-- in fact a mad at them at the moment--

But I am very fortunate. It is people who are rude not the country.

If we have lost courtesy and good manners-- why is that?

Parents should be responsible for bringing up their children to have respect.

We have to get used to people from around the world living here.


Yes I have many grumbles but I also know when I am well off.

Its what we give for our country that is important--not just constantly Take.

Many of us are discontented and with the recession thats hard for so many of us.


But I stil think we are a great country. I do not wish to live anywhere else.

Its much easier to travel now than it used to be so for those who wish to travel there is plenty of opportunity.

Housing is a big problem with such ridiculous prices and so much work going abroAD.

i AM SURE THAT Japan also must have its highs and lows as does many countries.

@dogsbody, I'm just excited by the whole culture, sights, sounds, people and places of Japan. I look in the future, & see myself being almost bored by the UK. Unlike most people, I was not drawn to Japan by Anime or Manga. I can't actually remember the first time I realised my love for Japan and the culture. It just seems to fit with my personality. Most people here from school and college, to an extent, and even friends, see me as weird. Almost in the same way they find aspects of Japanese culture weird. I got in the Music & Anime afterwards, by investigating different areas of entertainment in Japan. Taste, of course, as you say, may be a factor. Of course, visiting before deciding to move would make sense. Hence, why my plan was to go on the JET programme after university. But if the programme gets canned, I'll need to look for other routes in.

Haha. Aye. Us Scots are known for our humour. lol. I was going to use a lot of Scots English when I visited Birmingham, but decided against it. lol. :)

It does seems a large portion of the people on this forum professing undying love of everything Japan have never actually been here on a holiday let alone lived here for any length of time.
And often it seems many of their views of Japan have come out of comic books rather than any grasp on the reality of the place.

Still there's not that many people and it's definitely not all that busy where I live in Hokkaido. And it's lived up to all my fantasies but those were mostly to do with being inundated with ridiculous amounts of powder snow than anything about Japanese culture. So I'm pretty easily pleased :D

As you say life is what you make it. You can have a great life just about anywhere including here in Japan. If you're not all that happy where you live now though I reckon it's a good thing to look further afield. Just don't get too carried away thinking that Japan is some sort of utopian wonderland. It's not all good!

I understand Japan will have its flaws, but where else but Scotland will someone have diarrhoea in a plastic bag, then leave it beside a pavement? (or walkway, for non-Brits) Sometimes, nothing surprises you here

thats people doing that isn't it?


whats to stop them doing that anywhere else.

It is.

Hopefully, common sense & decency.

And where else but Japan can you walk into a legit establishment, tie an 18yr old girl to a bed, whip her and violate her with various instruments for just 16,000 yen an hour?

Every country has something that's really messed up if you look for it.

well actually we have brothels / I think they are illegal? not sure if the law has been changed or not--- and too many women from abroad given hope to come and do proper work-- then are locked up to be sex slaves.


A lot goes on that many of us are unaware of.


Prostitutes on the streets are at great risk. THe sex industry brings in so much money-- and women abused.

I read recently "TOKYO HOSTESS" about the sex industry in Tokyo-- the risks young women take when they try to make extra money. The young girl who was murdered.

seemed like our SOHO-- so many students go to tokyo often to teach language but get caught up in the sex industry.

They need to be very aware. Isn't it universal and those PIMPS who make fortunes out of womens misery.

where do you live?

I love our country very much-- it is changing rapidly of course with so many immigrants since we joined Europe so many people from Europe can come here.


We are very small country really. The whole of UK has much to love.

Selling sex for money is illegal in England, whether you are doing it alone or in an establishment. 'Gentlemens clubs' are not illegal, but it's meant to be just... suggestive dancing. Obviously there will be times when it steps over the mark into illegal activity which puts women at risk.

Mostly, prostitutes are on drugs. They need the money to buy drugs. Our state gives out enough money so that you can life comfortably without the need for such drastic measures, so the assumption is usually that it's either drug or alcohol money.

what worries me is that many runaways can get caught in the trap too easily

You know many youngstesr from the Care system have many problems after leaving care-- they are not really looked after once they leave, have no homes of their own or family-- they are preyed upon by these wicked money making vultures.

Get them hooked on drugs-- etc-- what chance have they.

drugs are a major cause of misery.

I was lucky when I was young, there weren't the drugs to tempt us at all.


No matter how we fight against the amount of drugs entering this country it seems a hopeless task.

@spicytuna - Thats BDSM. The sex industry, whether illegal or not, is VERY varied. Different things get different people off. I wouldn't call it 'messed up', as I think each to there own. If they like they, fine. I'm open minded enough to accept that. What I posted isn't expected every day. BDSM, & other sexual acts, are practised every day or night. So to compare them, while I see your point, is inadequate. :)

who are you replying to?

How do you know so much?

I'm replying to spicytuna. Hence, the '@spicytuna' at the start.

I seem to know so much as I am the typical teenager with the internet. But I'd say I'm more mature than the typical teenager. lol

thanks-- I had not noticed the name above-- forgive me-- thing is I have lived for many years-- and still don't know very much, because so much in the sex industry is hidden.


when I see programmes about the way girls from abroad are enticed into the country-- thinking they have a job-- end up locked up and abused. That is shocking. I believe there are moves to track down those responsible but those who arrange it all-- are too clever.

what a wicked world it can be.

I agree, dogsbody. So much of the sex industry IS hidden, yet so much is visible, its almost fightnening to think what is hidden.

It seems to be a case of 'adapt to survive' for those responsible. But hopefully, those in pursuit will eventually catch their targets by outsmarting them.

I agree, but while the world can be wicked, I believe it can be awesome aswell. It depends how your life is, I guess :)