Changes to your lifestyle since living in Japan

[Silverpoint]

I'm curious to know if anyone has observed any changes to their behaviour or lifestyle since relocating to Japan. The dumber and more trivial the better!

Personally, for example, I've discovered I have become completely dependent on tissues. When I first arrived here, I used to actively avoid the various youths hanging around street corners giving out those small tissue packs advertising pachinko parlors, hairdressers and (god forbid) NOVA. I used to think giving a pack of tissues was a rather worthless exercise. Then when I went through my first hayfever season I found myself collecting them through necessity for obvious reasons. Now several years later I actually feel slightly ill-equipped, almost naked if I'm not carrying at least one little pack when I leave the house. They literally get used for everything imaginable in our house and outside. When I run out, I suddenly find myself serverely compromised.

(Warning: any smart remarks about my tissue use and certain types of "adult entertainment" will not be tolerated ;-) )

[lexico]

(Warning: any smart remarks about my tissue use and certain types of "adult entertainment" will not be tolerated ;-) )Hahahaha~~ :D :evil:
I like that last line the most. *swipes tears with one o' them tissues*

When I run into the bathroom only to discover the roll has hit the bones, I feel terribly compromised without one. O, well, necessity is the mother-of-all inventions; I just make some tissues. :p

[Mike Cash]

Keeping it tissue-related for the moment.....

I finally gave up on having the toilet paper unroll from the back/bottom of the roll, which had always been my personal preference. Hang it that way here and most Japanese will think you at least eccentric.

[Silverpoint]

Oh God - they've probably been laughing at me behind my back for ages! I've never given it a second thought before...

[duff_o_josh]

the biggest change that i am sure most of us dont even realize is that we sleep on the floor :P

[nice gaijin]

i slept on a futon for most of my life, even now I sleep on one, this one is just raised from the floor. Some of the things I got used to in my short time there was the inescapable humidity during July, saying "sumimasen" when I bump into people, and using the button to hold the elevator door instead of thrusting my hand into the doorjam.

[Mike Cash]

I've never understood the futon-on-a-frame thing. Maybe it's because it gained popularity after I left the U.S. So somebody tell me, how is a futon on a frame different from a bed with a flop house mattress?

[duff_o_josh]

futon in north america is also a cheap couch that folds down to a bed...

[Mike Cash]

So it's basically just a co-opting of the vocabulary and adding a looser definition to it?

[nice gaijin]

"futon" around these parts refers to a variety of thick mattresses stuffed with all kinds of materials from types of cotton to foam, etc. the kind on frames are usually folded into a couch, and the mattress is roughly 6-8". Not really sure what a flophouse mattress is, but I don't really want to find out.

the futon I slept on as a kid was more similar to the ones I used in Japan, which would barely qualify for mattress toppers in North America. I don't mind them on Tatami mats, but it's not very comfortable on a hard-wood floor.

[Silverpoint]

There's a chain in the UK (I believe it's imaginatively called "The Futon Shop"). I went there once and it appears they sell something which isn't really that much different to a bed except for the mattress is a little thinner. Basically nothing like the original.

When I go back home, or stay in hotels with western beds I find I don't sleep so well now, because they feel too soft. It's just what you get used to I guess.

There's only one thing I think futons are slightly less good for, but I might be overstepping the mark if I go into too much detail. I'm sure you guys can work it out though.

[nice gaijin]

the western style futons don't have the same problem, but then again they're more like mattresses without the springs

[Silverpoint]

Quote from the Futon Shop website after describing their deluxe wooden framed futons:

"If you're really short of space you can use a futon mattress on the floor"

No kidding! I'd never have thought of it! ;-)

[duff_o_josh]

another change in my lifestyle and im sure most of you also, drinking cold tea. i drink it so much now but in canada i rarely did and it was hard to find.

[Silverpoint]

Another change:

Walking into any bar and just asking for "a beer". In England you'd nearly always ask for a particular brand.

[Mike Cash]

another change in my lifestyle and im sure most of you also, drinking cold tea. i drink it so much now but in canada i rarely did and it was hard to find.

Being from the South, I didn't know there was any other way to drink tea except iced tea until I was fourteen years old. I still find the idea of hot tea somewhat odd.

[duff_o_josh]

how about the small bath tubs?

[kirei_na_me]

Being from the South, I didn't know there was any other way to drink tea except iced tea until I was fourteen years old. I still find the idea of hot tea somewhat odd.

You and me both.

Make my tea Lipton and sweet with a lot of ice and a big slice of lemon!

Ok, just had to comment. Fellow Southerner. Back to your regularly scheduled program...

[GaijinPunch]

In college, I had a couch->fold out futon thing. I mainly had it for convenience in the living room.

I can't believe nobody has mentioned the "no shoes in the house" thing yet.

[Mike Cash]

Speaking of feet...how about the socks made like gloves? The ones with the separate spaces for your toes. I've been wearing them so long it never occurｒed to me to mention them here. I even took a big supply of them with me the last time I tried living in the U.S.

I remember standing at the fuel counter in a truck stop in Kentucky, wearing my slippers (also brought from Japan) with my 5-toe socks. A lady standing next to me said, "Your socks have toes in them!"

I replied, "Everybody's socks have toes in them."

http://www.sunfield.ne.jp/~mike/albums/priors2/images/2000-03-29-mvc-432s.jpg

[duff_o_josh]

In college, I had a couch->fold out futon thing. I mainly had it for convenience in the living room.

I can't believe nobody has mentioned the "no shoes in the house" thing yet.


in canada we dont wear shoes in the house, i think its just an american thing.

[Numark]

Yeah, most people i know in the US take thier shoes off too. What a way to ruin your carpets!

[Silverpoint]

Scrubbing 10 layers of skin off before getting into the bath and then sharing the water.

[mad pierrot]

I remember standing at the fuel counter in a truck stop in Kentucky, wearing my slippers (also brought from Japan) with my 5-toe socks. A lady standing next to me said, "Your socks have toes in them!"

I replied, "Everybody's socks have toes in them."

:D

Changes in my lifestyle:

1. Always, come hell or high water, take my shoes off at the door when home in Chicago.

2. I go to conbinis 8 times a day. I pay my bills and do my banking, and buy my toilet paper, food, personal care products, and movie tickets there.

:blush:

[Rich303]

I was only in Japan a very short time,but I noticed these changes...

1) I wanted to spend more money.

2) I had a strong urge to vandalise public phones (don't worry, I didn't)
Next time I'm going to hire a mobile

3) Everything felt like an adventure - I'm looking foward to going back!

[misa.j]

Wow, 5-toe socks? I wouldn't have believed if you hadn't posted the picture.

Looks like they are hard to put on, though.

[Mike Cash]

Once you get used to them, they are very easy to put on. They're the most comfortable things in the world to wear and I firmly believe that anyone who tries wearing them for a few days in the summer will never want to wear regular socks again. I haven't even owned a regular pair of socks for at least 15 years now, and find the idea of wearing them sort of disgusting.

[Tim33]

I havent had a good fart in about 2 years. I had to stop when getting a Japanese girlfriend. The first few months were hell. I would wake up about 4am with really bad stomache pains unable to move and get up to get it out my system. I think my stomache has evolved since then an i no longer have the pain or fart so much.

Its hard to start with though. Do you hold it in and begin to cry. Or do you leave the room every 5 mins in which case everyone seriously starts to worry. Or do you hope that you can pull it off silently and then act discusted with everyone else when a funny smell floats about the air.

On the beer note. How many kinds of beer does a Japanese pub have??? Just Asahi or sapporo beer ?? No stella??
Or is it just random luck you get the one you want?

[Mike Cash]

I havent had a good fart in about 2 years. I had to stop when getting a Japanese girlfriend. The first few months were hell. I would wake up about 4am with really bad stomache pains unable to move and get up to get it out my system. I think my stomache has evolved since then an i no longer have the pain or fart so much.

Its hard to start with though. Do you hold it in and begin to cry. Or do you leave the room every 5 mins in which case everyone seriously starts to worry. Or do you hope that you can pull it off silently and then act discusted with everyone else when a funny smell floats about the air.


No, what you do is come to grips with the fact that she's both heard and smelt farts before, and hearing and smelling them from you won't shatter her world.

But on a more practical note, go ahead and deal one....but pretend that it slipped. First farts cause more awkwardness and apprehension than first kisses ever did. And like kisses, the second and all subsequent ones come much easier.

[kirei_na_me]

My father-in-law wore those 5 toe socks the whole time he was here visiting. He had numerous pairs. I wish I had some too...

[Tim33]

No, what you do is come to grips with the fact that she's both heard and smelt farts before, and hearing and smelling them from you won't shatter her world.

But on a more practical note, go ahead and deal one....but pretend that it slipped. First farts cause more awkwardness and apprehension than first kisses ever did. And like kisses, the second and all subsequent ones come much easier.

You mean she has to come to grips with it. I dont mind doing it, its natural it it hurts if you dont. But ive been with her 2 years now there is only so many i can make slip without her giving me silent treatment for 4 hours.

It gets easier as time goes on. Its just another one of those Bad changes that Japan has had on my lifestyle.

[Ardeo]

Speaking of feet...how about the socks made like gloves? The ones with the separate spaces for your toes. I've been wearing them so long it never occurｒed to me to mention them here. I even took a big supply of them with me the last time I tried living in the U.S.

I remember standing at the fuel counter in a truck stop in Kentucky, wearing my slippers (also brought from Japan) with my 5-toe socks. A lady standing next to me said, "Your socks have toes in them!"

I replied, "Everybody's socks have toes in them."

http://www.sunfield.ne.jp/~mike/albums/priors2/images/2000-03-29-mvc-432s.jpg

Hi,
Just out of curiosity, where in Kentucky were you? :wave:

[Mike Cash]

Some truck stop. They all blend together after a while.

[Silverpoint]

On the beer note. How many kinds of beer does a Japanese pub have??? Just Asahi or sapporo beer ?? No stella??
Or is it just random luck you get the one you want?

Most bars are supplied by a single Japanese brewery, so you'll get one of Asahi, Sapporo, Kirin or Suntory. A few bars have more than one type but still only Japanese beer. They offer significant incentives to bars to only stock their own brand of beer, so what you get depends on what bar you go into. Foreign brands of beer such as Stella are almost non-existent. A very small number of bars have foreign beers. Probably the most popular of the foreign brands is Guinness which is made under license by Sapporo Breweries.

Hokkaido residents often get a little more choice in Sapporo supplied bars because Sapporo Breweries make a beer called "Classic" which is only available within Hokkaido. Elsewhere you'll usually only get "Black Label".

[Pachipro]

Some of the biggest changes I had in my lifestyle while living single in Japan:

-Always removing my shoes.

-Sleeping on the floor and then putting the futon away in the morning and hanging it out on the clothes pole a couple of times a week and then beating it with the "futon beater."

-Serving green tea to my guests and friends.

-Always making hot water and putting it in the thermos in the morning and when returning home.

-Eating soba for breakfast at the station (Eki Soba)

-Learning that ramen or cup 'a noodle always makes a meal.

-Living my life according to the train schedule which I always carried in my wallet.

-Learning to seperate my garbage into "burnable" and "non-burnable" and knowing which days to take it to the appropriate location.

-Getting used to my neighbors in my apartment building snoring or making love.

-Using the Japanese "toy" washing machines and hanging my laundry on the clothes pole a couple of times a week.

-Buying "cockroach hotels." I always felt sorry for the little buggers.

-Taking a hot ofuro everynight regardless of the time and hoping that I wouldn't fall asleep and wake up with it boiling like a cauldron.

-ALWAYS sitting on the floor. But I really loved the kotatsu in the winter.

-Learning that it's quite ok to enjoy drinking alcohol and getting drunk as a "hobby."

-Learning to get used to living in the winter without no heat at all and waking up in the middle of the night to pee and freezing my butt off not to mention shaking like a leaf getting dressed in the morning if I woke up late!

-Getting used to the fact that as a gaijin, Japanese women were always attracted to you and often wanted to touch my long blond hair. Weird! But the benefits were worth it!

-Getting used to eating every meal with rice! Today I love it!

-Not believing that I had to BUY my phone for about $100 (30,000 yen back then!) which I got back when I sold it back to the phone company!

-Learning that it's quite ok for a man to usually have a shoulder bag that resembled a purse. Man was that ever handy!

-And yes, I also learned to love receiving those tissues at the train stations. I always had a few stashed in my bag and they really came in handy in critical situations. It was so ingrained in me that even today I am never without some tissues or napkins in my pocket which my wife finds hilarious.

Yes quite a few changes to my lifestyle living in Japan.

[cicatriz esp]

But ive been with her 2 years now there is only so many i can make slip without her giving me silent treatment for 4 hours.


This is the very definition of "not relationship material".

[duff_o_josh]

anyone have an urge to want to be more fashionable since your life here started?

[Ewok85]

Yes.... :bluush:

[Silverpoint]

anyone have an urge to want to be more fashionable since your life here started?

Nope... I've occasionally felt the urge to curb my eating so I don't look like 'another fat foreigner'. It would help if my fiancee didn't keep putting huge plates of food in front of me though. I seem to be on an almost perpetual diet to try and keep at a reasonable weight.

[Kara_Nari]

I want free tissues!
Hmm I feel like I shouldnt be writing in this thread coz I dont live in Japan...
Toe socks are great! Good for your health too... according to all of my japanese friends.
I have always taken my shoes off indoors, it just makes cleaning easier.
I like sleeping on the floor, even if its wooden, im a bit lazy at rolling up the blankets the next morning though.
I dont like the stupid washing machines that have to filled by hand, and have the little spinner section.
I just think it would be more fun to be a guy. Things in Japan and Korea are more acceptable for them than they are for women.

[Shibuyaexpat]

-Learning that it's quite ok for a man to usually have a shoulder bag that resembled a purse. Man was that ever handy!
:relief: When I first arrived in Japan, I absolutely swore that i would never get one of those. After several months of carrying a small piggy-bank's worth of coins, a wallet, cigarettes, lighter, mobile phone, hand towel, and keys in my pants I finally broke down on got one. (I still don't know what was worse, the feeling that I had become a pack mule or the incessant jingling of coins and keys) Man! What a difference. I had become so accustomed to carrying one, I brought it back with me to the States and now get teased relentlessly for carrying a man-bag. :p

[Jack]

You mean she has to come to grips with it. I dont mind doing it, its natural it it hurts if you dont. But ive been with her 2 years now there is only so many i can make slip without her giving me silent treatment for 4 hours.

It gets easier as time goes on. Its just another one of those Bad changes that Japan has had on my lifestyle.


this has got to be the most enlightening conversation i've ever heard, i had a friend went through the same thing, but after time he just worked on it and was going like a steam train.

[Shibuyaexpat]

But ive been with her 2 years now there is only so many i can make slip without her giving me silent treatment for 4 hours.
http://www.geocities.com/david_yang1/loveis.jpg

[xerxes99]

I find the toe sock thing hilarious. Does everyone wear them?

[Mars Man]

Hey guys !! A lot of good answers to a profound question. I had to make the same adaptations that a lot of you all (ya'll) did too. :p

Mike, my man...there could be a debate over whether Kentucky is really 'south' or not--I grew up in the Heart of Dixie--but I really hear you on that iced tea thing. A big glass of iced tea, half an iceburg compressed down in that almost one liter glass, with that hot, stll sizzling fried chicken and mashed 'taters'...or catfish, yeah....with big fat hushpuppies....WAIT . . . This is supposed to be about Japan, man....

One more thing that I recall I had to get used to, is the neighbors telling me not to do something--even in my own yard. (lived in a samll one house apt. in the city then) Another was not to park my car just anywhere.

Pachipro did a great job on all the others. I have avoided making any possible problems with those stinky cracker-dust clouds from way back. And I can't find any size 30 five-toed socks to save my in-grown toenail--I do use one big-toe, grouped four style though. :wave:

[Mike Cash]

Mike, my man...there could be a debate over whether Kentucky is really 'south' or not--I grew up in the Heart of Dixie--but I really hear you on that iced tea thing.

You're conflating two different things. 1) My being from the South and 2) my having been to a truck stop in Kentucky. I am from Tennessee, which is a Southern state. Kentucky is not a Southern state. Neither are Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, or Missouri, even though many people labor under the misapprehension that they are.

[Mars Man]

You're conflating two different things. 1) My being from the South and 2) my having been to a truck stop in Kentucky. I am from Tennessee, which is a Southern state. Kentucky is not a Southern state. Neither are Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, or Missouri, even though many people labor under the misapprehension that they are.

Gottcha there !! My miss. I somehow didn't see the 'truck stop' bit. Yes, the 'vounteer state' is right there with Bama. And I absolutely agree with you on the other point too. (and I really wish I could get some good hushpuppies and cat here--can get the cat, but not the buttermilk and cornmeal.)

Talk to you later !! :wave:

[Mike Cash]

If you have a line on some channel cat, hook a brother up!

[Kinsao]

I don't live in Japan, but just for the record you can get 5-toed socks quite easily in the UK. The only drawback is that they have to be in bright, stripy colours... :giggle:

And they are comfortable to wear. And surprisingly easy to turn back round from inside out, too... :-)

[Flashjeff]

Well, from my visits to Japan, I have a greater appreciation of housing since space is in such short supply, so living space is extremely small compared to what we enjoy here in the States. I live in a three-bedroom rowhouse (inherited from my late mother) and I imagine that most Japanese would find it cavernous.

I also appreciate the importance of mass transit and the incredible efficiency of Japan's rail system compared to the sometimes haphazard systems here in America. I'm a nut for trains, so it's a big deal to me. Case in point: Japan's had high speed bullet trains running for some 40 years, but we've barely had it for less than a couple (Amtrak's Acela service) and it's been plagued with all sorts of problems.

I also appreciate sushi which seems to taste better in Japan than here. But that's just my opinion!
:-)

[Maciamo]

There hasn't been many changes for me. Apparently I have been used to a lifestyle closer to the Japanese one than many of you here, or just don't do it too traditional in Japan (my wife dislikes it). So no sitting on the floor and no kotatsu.

I always prefered tea to coffee, but in fact drink almost only water all day long (which is one of the rare thing that hasn't changed since I was a child). Because of this, I haven't grown dependent on vending machines either. They are just convenient occasionally, especially when travelling inside Japan. I use a bit more combini because there are more of them in my district than where I used to live before. But some small Japanese towns have in fact very few combinis, as I have noticed in my last trip. Not all Japan is Tokyo ! My local supermarket is about at the same distance as I was used to. No big change in this regard.

Let us not confuse change from life in the country to a big city, and change from life in one's home country and Japan !

I was used to removing my shoes, at least in some rooms of my house... I was used to separate my rubbish...

There have been changes in the environment but no necessarily in my "lifestyle". I just had to get used to the changes, such as the bitter cold of winter in the house (no insulation), or the mugginess of summer. Now that I think about it, a recent change has been to turn on the air conditioner as soon as I get home (both in summer and winter). I have to cope with the mosquitoes, cockroaches and foul smell of garbage in summer, which was new to me. Again that is not me who changed but the environment.

The biggest change has probably been going everywhere by bicycle and learning to ride a bike with an umbrella. Bicycles are not allowed on pavement/sidewalks in most European cities. Some cities have a bicycle lanes on the road, but I never really liked the idea of moving around by bike before coming to Japan.

Another change was, like Silverpoint mentioned, a more frequent use of tissues to clean the table, floor, kitchen or whatever.

[Silverpoint]

Now that I think about it, a recent change has been to turn on the air conditioner as soon as I get home (both in summer and winter).

Sorry for straying a little off topic, but a few weeks ago I had a look at an apartment with aircon you can turn on before you get home, by using your cell phone. Bloody marvellous. I want... I want...

[Mikawa Ossan]

Now that I think about it, a recent change has been to turn on the air conditioner as soon as I get home (both in summer and winter).
This is interesting. The opposite has happened to me. When I lived in the US, I used airconditioning or heating almost every day, but now I rarely use it, even in the winter.

Other changes in lifestyle are much harder for me to think about. -thinks hard-
Once upon a time, I never took my shoes off upon entering buildings.
I take a lot more baths than I used to.
I eat a lot more rice.
I drive a lot less.
I watch much less TV.
I made the switch from briefs to boxers.
I eat less meat.
I eat much less candy and sweets.

That's all I can think of for now. I would say that I have a much simpler life than I once did in terms of pop culture. But I am a much happier person than I was before living here. I have changed in that I have come to appreciate the "wabi/sabi" frame of mind. I now truly believe that simple and plain is good. I never would have said that once upon a time.

[celtician]

I brought my proper/real mattress from England + some frame to raise it above the floor. At least some normality!! & comfort. Changes.....using a bum wash toilet seat, coins with holes in them, drinking industrial "beeru", definitely spending more money trying to 'discover' and alleviate the boredom of being in Japan another new thing the waistline expands discovering those new foods.

[celtician]

Riding bicycles on the pavement, especially with such a massive (Chinese style population) is nothing short of retarded, Needless to say I do not ride my shopping bike on the pavement. There is no other country which does this by the way!

[kuuan]

listening out before I interrupt,
think a tiny moment to organize my response,
...talking less

being more humble,

limit myself to the joy of a simple life instead wanting all
enjoying quality - of food, services asf., willing to spend for quality

enjoying subtleties of ambience

[gaijinalways]

anyone have an urge to want to be more fashionable since your life here started?

NOOOOOOOO!

think a tiny moment to organize my response,
...talking less

being more humble,

limit myself to the joy of a simple life instead wanting all
enjoying quality - of food, services asf., willing to spend for quality

enjoying subtleties of ambience

I bite my tongue to death here. Simple life... my life seems more complicated here.:p

As to five toed socks, yes I noticed them being sold in the UK as well. Might consider buying them in the summer (if I can find my size) as they help keep your toes cooler, but otherwise, no need.

[Glenski]

It's time to revive this thread.

Changes in my lifestyle:
Driving on the opposite side of the road from what I was used to.
Putting on my laced shoes without untying and tying them.
Having to look for English operator manuals for many gadgets that I buy.
When I worked eikaiwa, the lifestyle change was working noonish to 9pm.
Initially, carrying a dictionary wherever I went.
Using a tiny plastic chest of drawers instead of a large wooden one for my clothes.
Initially, having to crank the spark maker to ignite the pilot light for my shower.
Having to hang laundry to dry. Doing laundry in cold water.
Gesturing a lot more, especially to sales clerks.
Getting used to new remote controls that I can't understand, and learning where the bilingual switch was for movies.

I'm sure there are more if I stop to think about them, but the biggest one is:
learning to be more patient with everything.

[Dutch Baka]

I've lost my sense of humor, became hentai, sleep in the trains, got addicted to vending machines, av, sailor moon, baseball, school girls, sushi, stopped smoking, became more serious in the things I do... etc...

70% is true.

[basuotoko]

I have to take a train, ride a bicycle, or walk everywhere I go. In America, I just drove a car.
I eat the same stuff almost everyday -- sandwiches and onigiri from the local konbini and family restaurants, izakaya, or local fast food-type restaurants in the evening. (lack of mobility)
My living space is about the size of a moderate American closet.
I always feel awful when I come home because the room is about as hot as the interior of a parked car. (It's summer now)
If I want to dry my clothes I have to painstakingly hang them to dry outside the window, pulling them in again when it rains (almost every day).

[Housetek]

eeeto...

since moveing here i recycle more =P

no more tipping haha

sleep during the day and play at night

i cook less and eat ramen or yoshinoya cuz its right next to my apartment

i now use spray deordorent because Stick kind doesnt exist around here =P

i never buy tissues cuz i can jus get free tissues from people who give them out on the streets

[Pepe]

Speaking of feet...how about the socks made like gloves? The ones with the separate spaces for your toes. I've been wearing them so long it never occurｒed to me to mention them here. I even took a big supply of them with me the last time I tried living in the U.S.
I remember standing at the fuel counter in a truck stop in Kentucky, wearing my slippers (also brought from Japan) with my 5-toe socks. A lady standing next to me said, "Your socks have toes in them!"
I replied, "Everybody's socks have toes in them."
http://www.sunfield.ne.jp/~mike/albums/priors2/images/2000-03-29-mvc-432s.jpg

They're called 'toe socks' here in New Zealand, and are quite popular. I'd get some too, if my second toe wasn't longer than my big toe - yes I know that is most likely a key indicator that I am a bit (physically) odd, but at 6 foot 6 and 280lbs you had better keep your mouth shut :relief:

[JerseyBoy]

Here are my picks (note: I am an expatriate who came back to the home base):
---walk more (which is good as my daily exercise)
---read more (while riding the trains, even though I felt I am a little awkward reading books in English among the regular Joe and Mary Japanese.
---feel more relaxed (I don't have to worry about my right to stay in Japan regardless of my employment status)
---more fashion conscious (I am more well dressed and maintained)

[-Rudel-]

So of the 70%, I would say Dutch has become hentai, sleeps in the trains, got addicted to vending machines, av, school girls, stopped smoking.

[bakaKanadajin]

I'm back in Canada.. after being there and being back again, the biggest lifestyle change was not driving as much in Japan and walking a heck of a lot more. Obviously because I didn't have a car in Japan I was forced to take public transit and whatnot.. but this I GLADLY did. The system is so fast and efficient.

I eat better in Canada though.. fruits and veggies are cheaper, there are also slightly better restaurants where I am in Toronto. Heartier, more variety, etc. Tokyo has some great places but the portions are better here and related to my first comment, things are cheaper overall when it comes to food.

[Ultraman]

I have gained a better perspective of history.

In NZ there is a European history of 150 years. We revere anything from this golden age. The native history of my country is stone age and artifacts are fairly simple. Oral history is rather vague.

Here I can visit a shrine 600 years old and be told that it has been burned down twice, and the present building is only 300 years old. I love the continuity here, and it helps put current afairs in perspective.

RK

[Amenat]

While I was in Japan I didn't notice changes until after we got back.
1) I all used simpler English and spoke slower.
2) I'd say 'Sumimasen' when we bumped into others.
3) I got used to squating to use a toilet and carrying around tissues.
4) Kneeling was a bit more comfortable.
5) I had a craving for green tea. Lol
6) I noticed I was speaking with a slight Japanese accent. (My host family didn't speak that much english but when I did hear it, it was always with an accent)
7) Recognizing Japanese people became second nature.
8) I take longer, hotter baths. :love:
9) Always remove my shoes at the front door. (I had to teach my family how to do this when I got my own place)
10) I noticed my matress and pillow were uncomfortable (I slept on a futon with a buckwheat pillow. Gosh it was comfy.)
11) Almost expecting my host sister to come wake me up in the mornings.
12) Slightly bowing my head when I apologize, thanked someone or said good morning. (I did that a lot in Japan to avoid being rude. XD)
13) Craving for Japanese sweets, snacks and foods.
14) Half expecting the vending machines to have green tea and hot drinks in them.

Now I really want to go back. T-T

[drj0402]

Someone may have already said this but I noticed that while I was in Japan, I drank much more frequently, socially than I do in the states.

Whether it was a company outing or a visit with the neighbors, there was beer flowing a'plenty.

Here, I hardly buy or drink beer.

[SushiShin]

while i was on holiday in japan with my family :

*I saw and heared and tasted the word Kampaii more then 100 times
*I enjoyed real ramen instead of chinese packs thats done in 5 mins.
*I slept better (don't ask me why)
*I amused myself more and better then in Belgium
*I never knew you could buy Lego in a Vending Machine lol!
*I never tasted cold coffee
*I never forget the thousands machines of Kirin beer
*I enjoy taking a good warm bath
*I never noticed it but i always sit in seiza when im at home
*I'm better in japanese then i ever would imagine (not because im half japanese but because in my holiday i was speaking 24/24 japanese)
*I always knew that j-doroma's were fun but that were addicting?
*I never knew you had 3 type's of Sushi (chuutoro,toro,ohtoro)

[maushan3]

One change was that here, I actually eat breakfast, haha, a complete one. I`m used to just drinking some juice and go to school.

The other change is that at noon I think it is 6 at night already, the sunset here is extremely early, I don`t like that.

The clothes are washed like 3 times a day, I swear.

Oh and something which I have to make a major effort is the bycicle. Today I fell down twice and damaged it.

*I slept better (don't ask me why)
I swear, I could easily fall asleep at 8 o`clock here on this simple bed, I seriously love sleeping here. It is something else. I dont know why this is nearly everyone`s case, but for real, It`s way better.

*I never forget the thousands machines of Kirin beer
Or Kirin coffee, haha.

*I'm better in japanese then i ever would imagine (not because im half japanese but because in my holiday i was speaking 24/24 japanese)
In one week I could speak more Japanese than I learned in 4 months in my own country.

Mauricio

[alantin]

yes I know that is most likely a key indicator that I am a bit (physically) odd, but at 6 foot 6 and 280lbs you had better keep your mouth shut :relief:

What is 6 foot 6 and 280lbs in centimeters and kilos?


Ok. To the subject.

I'm back in my home country now but:
- I learned to love public transportation (Here I hate it)
- I learned lots of Japanese
- I still make a slight bow when saying thanks after receiving something
- I still sometimes have an awkward way of smiling (In Japan I must have looked like an idiot..)
- I got addicted to green tee (the instant coffee was an abomination)
- I got an urge to go back!

[uchimizu]

Hi,

I used to live in major European cities, and I have also been living in Tokyo for two years.

Probably the biggest change in my lifestyle was the number of times I bumped my head into something (being 194 cm -6f5i tall, just a few centimers more than most japanese doors).

Apart from that, taking the shoes off was certainly a change, and the use of the air con was quite new for me (I was living in old buildings in Europe which kept quite fresh even in summer).

I also ate out much more in Japan due to the number of cheap and still quite good restaurants there. In Paris, to eat more than a sandwich, you may have to fork out 15 Euros (23 dollars, 2400 Yens).

Also, in Japan, I almost never visited a friends home, which I was doing quite often back in Europe. It is so easy and cheap to eat out in Japan...

[elviira]

OMG! I never knew that socks with toes come from Japan! And they are the "hit" thing now in Europe, those socks come with funny colours, pictures etc...:-)
And by the way: In scandinavia people do take their shoes off when entering the house. I can't imagine being in house with shoes, that would be very rude here and considered unhygienic...Like you wouldn't care about the hostess's efforts to clean up! And just a thought of bringing in all the snow in winter, mud in spring and autumn...noooo.
When living in Ireland, I always thought it's even weirder to have full carpets and then wear shoes inside...:wave:

[digitalshoujo]

- Taking baths. I almost never took baths in the US, mostly because the tub was never deep enough. I lucked out and had my own bath in the dorm for my school in Chiba - I took advantage of that, let me tell you. I'm not sure how I'd feel about sharing one, I've still never done that (didn't quite make it to the onsen phase...) I'm back in the US now, but I still take them pretty frequently.
- eating at Denny's. Okay so I don't do that anymore because it's just Japanese Denny's, but I pretty much never ate there in the US, but in Japan I was there pretty frequently. They have good food! :cool:
- carrying around an ID case to keep my ID & train passes in. I no longer have train passes, but I still carry around the case with my ID in it - previously it was in my wallet.
- buying groceries every day (or every other day). When I got back to the US it was so weird to not have to go daily and carry everything back with me :emblaugh:
- knowing that if I'm thirsty, there's always a vending machine around the corner.
- wearing slippers inside - I still do it out of habit, I suppose it keeps the floors cleaner.
- needing to leave an hour before I had to arrive at school. I actually got used to that pretty quickly, but thinking about it now I wonder how I ever did that...

[akita]

Being from the South, I didn't know there was any other way to drink tea except iced tea until I was fourteen years old. I still find the idea of hot tea somewhat odd.

That is funny. I on the other hand believed most of my childhood that cold tee it must taste bad or something. Now I like it but still can't drink in the morning ice tee it must be hot to enjoy it. :-) I never knew that there are places where tee normally is cold. :p

[partyny]

Nice socks Pepe! We have this kind of socks here too and they are very popular.

[YouHeDad]

I walk on the left side of the sidewalk =(

[Revenant]

The portion size of my meals are a lot smaller since living in Japan. What I could've eaten without any difficulty before leaving Canada was too much for me after a year and a half of living in Japan. I just can't finish the average portion size at a Canadian restaurant these days.

[Sukotto79]

A few people have mentioned removing shoes when going inside. I have not been to Japan yet, going to spend a year there when I do. But, that will be easy to do for me since my roommate is a clean freak and makes everyone take there shoes off. I do it by habit now.

[moshi]

well, after quite a long time in japan, i noticed that in my home country i criticize a lot the service either in restaurants, coffee shops or supermarkets. I think my friends find it annoying :) I cant stop telling them about how great the service is in japan.
I dont know if it is because of japan or it s just the fact of getting old but my friends tell me that i have a cool temper and I dont show my emotions as much as they do.

[alantin]

A few people have mentioned removing shoes when going inside. I have not been to Japan yet, going to spend a year there when I do. But, that will be easy to do for me since my roommate is a clean freak and makes everyone take there shoes off. I do it by habit now.


So there really are places where you don't take your shoes off when going in..?
I really can't imagine that because it is one of the rudest things one can do in my culture. (Not to mention, it isn't clean!) I guess the same goes for Japan too so it is something to remember.

I find that I still often use special slippers inside even though I have been back from Japan for quite a while now.

[manners]

I tend not to be so opinionated now. I eat less at restaurants etc. I realise that Japanese culture has some great qualities that have changed me and I'll continue to practise.

I bow too much now even in Australia.

[~AXI's.black.neko~]

i learned a lot of delicious Japanese food and i can think of a lot of cool hair styles
and im more passionate to other cultures :]

[Energy Recruitment]

You finally made it to Japan and you thought that you were well prepared - you’ve mastered the currency conversion, you’ve memorized Japanese for Busy People and you’ve read all the tips and trick that you can find about living in Japan. But there is one more thing that you need to do to make your life in Japan a lot easier. In order to be accepted by your neighbors and avoid receiving nasty notes in your mailbox from your landlord (that you can’t read) you need to master GOMI.
I’d wager you think that recycling is a good thing and I’d even bet that you think that you already know how to do it. Think again, dealing with your garbage in Japan is no easy task! Even if you come from a place like California where recycling is commonplace you will find out that the Japanese take recycling to a whole new level and that’s where GOMI comes in. It is the mission of the organization to educate you on the proper sorting and disposal of your trash and to ensure the survival of the

Evidence of recycling is apparent everywhere in Japan. Apartment buildings have whole rooms dedicated to it and almost every convenience store and train platform has at least two receptacles for trash conveniently placed for your educated use.

[Energy Recruitment]

hi,
I have taught logic, business and before-going-to-work-abroad courses, using special material or textbooks like "Business Objectives 1,2 and 3","Market Leader", "Quick Work", "Commercially Speaking",Nikkei Economic newspaper in English.
High school: taught with assistant teacher and alone using prepared material and "Expressways 1 and 2"
Kids, teenagers and at kindergardens: taught using different types of flash cards, singing many songs, coloring, paper craft, playing English learning games and just for children`s fun, using "Lets Go books 1,2,3,4,5 and 6", "Primary colors book 1 and 2", picture dictionaries.
Adults: taught using my own book-“500 Interesting Trivia And Thought Provoking Facts From All Around The World”, newspapers, every kind of topic for everyday conversation and textbooks: "Interchange books 1,2,3", "Move Up books 1,2,3,4,5,6 and 7", "True To Life books 1,2 and 3", "Impact Values", "OnLine", "Streamline English books 1,2 and 2", "New American Streamline books 1,2"
Special courses: I have taught TOEIC, TOEFL and EIKEN using The Official ETS Study Guide (McGraw-Hill's), Longman Preparation Course for the TOEFL test,TOEIC Official Test-Preparation Guide by Arbogast, Longman Preparation Course for the TOEFL,Eiken Volume 1,2,3