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Life in Japan?

Floating Leaf

Wisdom Seeker
6 Oct 2008
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1
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Greetings. 🙂
It's my first time here in this forum.

I was googling for some information about how Japanese live in Japan, but unfortunately I couldn't really find what I was looking for. Then I came across this forum with the name "Japan Forum" and I thought, "Hey... It sounds like it has everything I need in there," so here I am in this forum requesting information I would otherwise never get to know through any other methods available to me for now.

This forum (and its entire main website and everything) is just wonderful. It's so, SO informative with many, MANY people discussing lots of things that I find really, REALLY helpful. It made me wonder why I didn't come across this place earlier.

Anyway, I'm still a student in the first year in university and one of my subjects currently is Intercultural Communication.
...But that's not my point (and it's not what brings me here).
You see, though I wouldn't call myself an anime otaku, I do watch anime at times, particularly slice-of-life anime. And there are lots.

Anime like Shinigami no Ballad, Toki o Kakeru Shōjo, AIR, Bottle Fairy, Ichigo Mashimaro, and so on, besides entertaining the audience, do show quite a lot of things about Japan. But what makes me not to post this thread in the Anime / Manga section is that I'm not going to talk about Anime, but the life of the people in Japan.

I've never been to Japan before, but am becoming more and more interested in this country called Japan. I must say it's one of the most interesting countries in Asia. Almost everything is interesting: its customs are interesting, its culture is interesting, its "kawaii-ness phenomenon" is interesting, its language is interesting (full of puns and all), its technology is interesting (oh yeah), its video games are interesting, its anime and manga are (definitely) interesting, its food is interesting, its people are interesting, and even its people's stereotypes about gaijin are interesting. 😌

However :unsure: , whatever that I know about Japan for now is mostly through anime, which I don't find totally reliable. Surely, I've searched the Internet, but I just couldn't seem to find exactly what I'm looking for. I've also browsed through Jref directory and explored quite a bit, but no luck, perhaps what I want is too specific. (Either I'm bad at searching for info, or the info is really that hard to get.)

Okay. I know I've talked a lot. :joyful:
What I want to know about Japan is exactly how the Japanese people themselves find their life there in Japan. I'm interested to know the life of the people in general, and the life of children and adolescent to be specific, and what kinds of problems (financial, environmental, educational, parenting, etc.) do Japanese people (both parents and children) face in Japan, all through the eyes of the Japanese themselves.

Because in Japanese shows, including anime, they have to consider the entertainment value of their work, so I wouldn't fully believe that's how Japanese live as shown in the shows. And browsing through directories and news websites can't really work either, so I thought it's best if I could get the chance to communicate directly with whoever that have exposed themselves to the life in Japan before.

In my opinion, some shows and anime (and manga) have depicted life in Japan as paradise-like. The people are so happy, the children are having fun, there doesn't seem to be any problem around, etc. That's not totally true, right?

So please let me know what you think about all the things mentioned.
Any information is highly appreciated. Really. :hum:

P.S.
Oh... And about their religion, is it that most of them are Buddhists? If they are, are they mostly Nichiren Buddhists or others (like Theravada, Mahayana, or Vajrayana)?
 
This is the sort of thread I like to see. Yes, there is the mass media entertainment anime aspect that brought you to first notice Japan, but you are smart enough to evaluate that, notice the aspects portrayed and seek out to know more about the realistic nature of the country. +100 points for having that rationale method be the first thing you turn to right there.

Actually, what you are interested in, modern Japanese society, tends to be what a lot of interest of mine is. You'll have to understand that it isn't possible to answer all your questions like you mentioned in your post right off though. Added to that, people will all have different perceptions of lifestyles and moreover each person's life is different.

Japan is a country, like others, that getting a core basic understanding is difficult. There is a lot of smoke and mirrors so to say in regards to gaining an understanding. This is due to exaggerated interpretations, uneducated judgment, and almost prejudiced simplifying of Japan into something that is an object not a culture, people or society.

Where to start? You need to meet and talk to someone who is Japanese in person and make friends. I assume from the classes you are talking about that you are in college, so here is what I recommend you do.

Start a personal research project, "A Day of Life in Average Japan."
Consider how you could connect it to a project in another class later maybe. Go to the study abroad department or whatever department handles international students, or maybe the Japanese language department, and ask if there are any students willing to meet with you to help you with the project for a short while. Met with them, talk with them about their life, and what they like to do and why when they were young. What they would like to do and more. Tell them a bit about yourself as well. Beware of telling them about Japan/expressing preconceived ideas you may have unknowingly gotten from anime or mass media. Let them speak and tell you while you just listen. Afterwards offer to meet again, go do something, have lunch. This is how you get to know Japan, it builds. Just like with any culture, it takes time and with time comes knowledge. You might also check on study abroad programs to Japan as well or short term study trips depending how serious your interest becomes.

Good luck, and feel free to search the forum, especially the practical section. Enjoy and welcome to the forum. Asian Studies and Japanese Studies Major here so I can appreciate your desire to want to learn more.
 
Don't believe what you see about Japanese culture from anime. You don't think like is really like what you see on The Flintstones or The Simpsons, do you?

Yours is an enormous question. Turn it around on yourself. How would you answer the same question about life in your own country? Kinda hard to start, wouldn't you say?

Read this big article on the education system. It'll tell you a lot about how some kids grow up. http://www.ed.gov/pubs/JapanCaseStudy/index.html

Look at some online newspapers (Japan Times, Yomiuri Shimbun) and read the local news, focusing on what politicians do, how citizens feel and react to various things, what sort of crime happens and why, etc.

Come here on an exchange program if you want a real taste. A vacation wouldn't do it. You'd only see life here as a tourist.
 
Thank you very much for your reply, Emoni. :)

First off, I must say, from your words, you're quite a person with a critical mind. After all, majoring in cultural studies requires critical thinking so that the minutiae can be analyzed.
Actually the subject that I said I'm taking is just "a means to an end". I'm majoring in both Psychology and Communication, so I have to take that since it's compulsory. My main interest is in Psychology though.

I understand it's not really possible to answer all the things just like that, but I still have to state clearly what exactly I'm looking for to start the thread off. Lol.

True. Different people have different lives and different perceptions on things, and to be able to really understand their lives and perceptions I'll have to actually go there and stay there for a while. However, my current circumstances don't allow me to go. :( And I can foresee they'll remain the same for quite some time. So the most I can do now is to make use of this incredible technology called "Internet" to try to get as much and as accurate information as possible.

The college I'm attending is somewhat new. The number of international students is still limited, particularly Japanese students. Needless to say, if I could really spot one, I pretty much wouldn't let the chance go. :D

One of the reasons why many young people know about Japan is that their anime and manga hit almost everywhere in the world, with the help of the Internet. For many young people here in my country, that's how they get to know the existence of Japan. So Japan has successfully attracted lots of attention, including mine. It's only recently that I've begun wanting to know more about Japan, so there's still a long way ahead, depending on my speed (and luck).

I'm going to ask my friends if they know any Japanese, though I won't get my hopes up since I'm quite introverted and don't have a very large network of friends.

But still, just discussing about it makes me feel better. :)
So I must thank you again.
 
Don't believe what you see about Japanese culture from anime. You don't think like is really like what you see on The Flintstones or The Simpsons, do you?

Yours is an enormous question. Turn it around on yourself. How would you answer the same question about life in your own country? Kinda hard to start, wouldn't you say?

Read this big article on the education system. It'll tell you a lot about how some kids grow up. [link]

Look at some online newspapers (Japan Times, Yomiuri Shimbun) and read the local news, focusing on what politicians do, how citizens feel and react to various things, what sort of crime happens and why, etc.

Come here on an exchange program if you want a real taste. A vacation wouldn't do it. You'd only see life here as a tourist.
Lol. Of course I wouldn't believe what I see from anime. It's just what the anime directors tell me, not what Japan tells me.

I understand it's a very broad question. I've read news and blogs, but something still isn't satisfied within me. Something I'm looking for is missing in those news and articles. They don't tell me that "something", which is why I started going everywhere to seek info.

The site you recommended seems good. Thanks for that.
 
Something I'm looking for is missing in those news and articles. They don't tell me that "something", which is why I started going everywhere to seek info.
You are not going to learn that "something" unless you live here, IMO.

Come to visit. Look around. Get in on a homestay. Learning about a country by reading anime and the Internet is like learning how to drive a car by reading the operator's manual.
 
I remember thinking a lot about girls when I was in school in Japan (I guess it is the same everywhere). I also thought a lot about college when I was in high school (Is this the sort of things you wanted to know, Floating Leaf?). When I look back, it seems that was my struggle to fit into the ideal image of the successful. My goal was to get into a "good" high school and a "good" college like everyone else does. I don't know whether it was due to peer pressure or the commonly-held expectation that permeates the society.
 
You are not going to learn that "something" unless you live here, IMO.
Come to visit. Look around. Get in on a homestay. Learning about a country by reading anime and the Internet is like learning how to drive a car by reading the operator's manual.

As hard as it is to live somewhere or travel... Glenski is very right. I recommend checking into home stays and other things if possible. Even just traveling and preparing ahead would give you a lot more info.
 
You are not going to learn that "something" unless you live here, IMO.

Come to visit. Look around. Get in on a homestay. Learning about a country by reading anime and the Internet is like learning how to drive a car by reading the operator's manual.
I would have done that already if I ever had the chance. :(

Obviously to actually go there in person is the best possible choice, but it's not in my list of choices, for various reasons unfortunately.

So seems like it's pretty hard already huh... Sigh.
 
As hard as it is to live somewhere or travel... Glenski is very right. I recommend checking into home stays and other things if possible. Even just traveling and preparing ahead would give you a lot more info.
Really, he is right. And I've thought of that pretty much most of the time quite some months back.
But no, I can't. I don't have the circumstances to go as of now.

Though learning about a country through the Internet or any other indirect methods is like learning to drive a car by reading the manual, just like what Glenski said, it's better than nothing, isn't it? Lol.
I'm well aware of the reliability problem of second-hand info, so I'm going to be cautious not to believe things 100%, but that's the most I could do for now.

By the way, this forum is still a very good place to stay. I guess I'm going to be around here for some time. :)
 
I remember thinking a lot about girls when I was in school in Japan (I guess it is the same everywhere). I also thought a lot about college when I was in high school (Is this the sort of things you wanted to know, Floating Leaf?). When I look back, it seems that was my struggle to fit into the ideal image of the successful. My goal was to get into a "good" high school and a "good" college like everyone else does. I don't know whether it was due to peer pressure or the commonly-held expectation that permeates the society.
Thank you grapefruit, but I'm sorry I don't get where you're coming from.
What I want to know is... uh...... somewhat hard to put into words.

Just like what Emoni and Glenski said, what I want to know can only be known by actually going to Japan in person, which is what I couldn't yet do unfortunately.
 
If you can't go there, then the best thing to do is the secondary option I recommended is finding a way to get together and meet with students or people from Japan as friends. Then, someday when you have a chance, go visit.

Good luck!
 
Seems like that's the only good choice. Thank you. Now I'm a lot clearer about various things.

Alright. This thread can pretty much sink already. :)
 
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