Reasons to live in Japan

[moony]

Hi
I've been interested I Japan a long while ago and I am plannnig to go to Japan but I have not decided yet.So I hope you can help me with some informations. I want to know your oppinions about Japan( positive and negative things). Write down everything in your mind.;) Why do YOU LOVE JAPAN??!!

I wanna to know!!!

[jeisan]

xin ch瀰 moony and welcome to the forum. id say definatly go even if its just for a vaction. japan can be alot of fun, so why not. and if you dont like it then you can always go back.

[senseiman]

Positives: fascinating, ancient culture. Wonderful nightlife. Hospitable and friendly people everywhere. Neverending opportunities for interesting experiences. Safe cities.

Negatives: tree-less cities. Rivers choking in garbage. Neverending noise everywhere you go. The fact that a 16 hour work day isn't considered that unusual.

Personally I think Japan is a cool place to live and highly recommend it, but from the list above you can see that it definitely has its ups and downs.

[moony]

What differs Japan from the other countries like the US, Canada, .... I heard many people talking about going to USA(because of a better career) or Canada(better education) , Singapor, Germany(also education) ... but they never mentioned Japan! The only thing they're talking about japan is: too expensive, too hard work, careere chance=0 and all those negative stuff. It's that that those people dont know how japan really is ? Why do you prefer living in Japan? There're also wonderful nightlife, friendly people in other countries.
Dont take me wrong, a like Japan very much, I am just curious about your oppinions. Hope u can tell me more about J.

[neko_girl22]

Likes: traditional food, culture, language, people, countryside, having 4 seasons (NZ basically has 2..........)

Dislikes: pollution problem, too much attention.... I could probably add to this later.

Misconceptions : Japan doesn't have to be expensive , the most expensive thing is accomodation and that depends on where you live.

I LOVE Japan because it's a totally different culture to my own, so everything is an interesting experience for me! It's also a great way to get closer to my Japanese husband by living in his country and learning about the differences in each others cultures. but, I loved Japan even before I met my hubby and it's always been a dream of mine to live here. It's not always easy but I'm liking it so much I've decided to extend my visa

[kirei_na_me]

Well, if I could speak for my husband, who is native Japanese, he likes living in the U.S. better. His main reason is that generally, there is much less pressure here. Social pressure and stress and pressure in the job setting are two huge things for him. Also, he says space is another reason. He loves the abundance of space here.

Of course, there are things he loves and misses about his native country, but as he says, the pros of living in the U.S. outweigh the pros of living in Japan--for him, anyway.

This is all about individual taste, though.

I think you should definitely give it a try. It definitely wouldn't hurt, and you would have the experience and wisdom under your belt if nothing else... ;)

[senseiman]

I know what you mean, kirei na me. My wife is Japanese and she likes my native Canada much more than Japan for the same reasons. Less social pressure and a lot more space. I like Japan because it is different and gives me a chance to learn about a totally different country. But, in the end we are going to be living in Canada because any way you look at it you can have a much higher quality of life there than here.

[neko_girl22]

yep same here. we like Japan, but we are going back to New Zealand to settle. Basically we are here because it has always been my dream to live in Japan for a couple of years and it had been over 2 years since my husband had gone back to see his family anyway. I love it here, but we are also excited about our dream of a little cottage by the sea. New Zealand is very beautiful....... (oooh felt a twinge of homesickness!)

[magpies]

I live in Sydney at the moment. Life in Sydney is all right to me, but I think I will go back to Japan in a couple of years time. I don't think I can live here forever.I really miss my country.....

Anyway, I just try to give you an idea about living in japan.

Positive sides:
Exciting city life, latest technology.
Low tax rate, high income, good medical insurance scheem.
(Foregin residents are entitled to medical benefits as long as you are employed.)
Cultural and traditional events.
Lots of public holiday. (alomost every month)
Healthy foods.
Good hospitality and services.
and beautiful cherry blossoms!

Negative sides:
Too many people, busy life style, longer work hours.
No greenery in big cities.
Weired people such as....filthy OYAJIs(middle aged males), disgraceful looking young people, bossy and unfriendly bosses.......
Inflexibility, conservertiveness
Too much attention to Gaijin-san in country side...

I'm very proud of being Japanese. I love my country, culture and people. Here in Sydney, I often see that only shocking and ridiculous news from Japan are picked up and broadcasted. You may have a stereotyped image for Japan. However, I just hope that you go there and see what's real Japan like.

Good luck!

[Mandylion]

Just curious, what do you mean by "too much attention to Gaijin-san in the coutryside" in relation to it being a negative side of Japan?

[budd]

cheap manga!!!

[magpies]

Hello Mandylion-san.
In the country side, GAIJIN-sans are so rare that people put more attention to them.
People are watching everything you do......

You may be said " Oh, you walked with your girl or boy firend
at OOO place last weekend, didn't you?" " You should get your washings when it is raining" etc etc.....You just wonder how people knew so many things about you.....

Obviously, people can't leave you alone. You are always the centre of attention.I think it's annoying....
What do you think?

[neko_girl22]

I definately think it's annoying!! but there's nothing I can do so I have to accept it.
It's just hard when I'm having a bad hair day and I just want to go into the supermarket unnoticed and I end up having two guys following me around and everyone looking at me..... ( it makes me feel like my hair must be super afro, when in fact it's probably just because I am gaijin....)

[magpies]

I like aflo hair though....

[budd]

[neko_girl22]

haha....... now I feel much better about getting it cut. The reason I hate my curly hair must have something to do with the fact I was bullied about it in my school days
but I'm sick of washing hair that takes at least 20 minutes, so off it goes!!!

[PackardGoose]

My wife is native Japanese, she came to Holland and married me.
She thought: Holland is beautiful: Nature,friendly people,clean,
beautiful windmills etc. etc.
Now after 5 years she wants to go back, because she really gets sick of the sturdy mentality of Dutch, the dog-**** everywhere, the undisciplined society in general.
Before she came to Holland, she believed Japan is very worse,
but now she learned a lot since she is in my country.
Japan is a much better country to live than Holland.
Well, my personal opinion about Holland is also really bad.
I hate it here.
Do never come to this place.
You make a mistake.
Most of all: It is here very dirty, criminal, and many people really do not have any manner.
And Dutch people pretend to be tolerant.
No they are absolutely not!
We also like to move to Japan, as soon as we find a job, we gonna move.

[fut0n]

We prefer to leave and go to Japan.

ik ook

[budd]

"Please read: The Undutchables! It´s all true!"
i went over to amazon and read some of the customer comments... yeah, this book sounds interesting... can't wait to see what they mean about "the children"? and "the cookie"? hmm
some of it sounds like it could be applied to Japanese culture though, as well as ANY culture...
undutchables web site?

[magpies]

After all, my own country is the best place to live on the earth to me...
Even though I live thousands of miles away from home,
I still call Japan my home....( just a copy from Australians..)

Anyway, I want to visit Holland for holiday someday..
I've always had a lot of interest in Dutch history and giants of fine arts..

Don't be too sarcastic about your country!

[PackardGoose]

Originally posted by magpies
After all, my own country is the best place to live on the earth to me...
Even though I live thousands of miles away from home,
I still call Japan my home....( just a copy from Australians..)

Anyway, I want to visit Holland for holiday someday..
I've always had a lot of interest in Dutch history and giants of fine arts..

Don't be too sarcastic about your country!

Please, I am not sarcastic! I know where I am talking about!
I guess you also still believe the romantic windmill-stories etc.
And Van Gogh and Rembrandt are real history.
Nowadays the greatest artists are Lee Towers and Frans Bauer... AWFULL.
That´s today´s Dutch real culture.

Please keep your hand on your pocket.
Pickpockets on every streetcorner, even they look friendly!
You will think: Do people here shitting on the streets or in the parks? Itｴs so incredible dirty!
The parks (everywhere in the country!) are not from the people but from the dogs.
If you come to Holland, I am sure, you will be remind of my words. (Unfortunately)

[PackardGoose]

Originally posted by fut0n
.

I repeat: Please read : The Undutchables!
Search the website under Yahoo, and you will find out.
There are no lies in that book, and my opinion is very unfortunate, but is it not true?
Holland is not safe my friend, it is a mess, only people don´t like to speak out these words, because you hope it is not!

Tell somebody, he must clean up his dogshit out of the street, and you get a kick on yo xxxx
The average mentality of people is: I don´t care, as long it is not in front of my door.
And this mentality you see in all levels, in traffic (who respects
traffic lights, when you just teaching your little child, she have to wait for red light, at the same time others don´t care and just cross the streets, that´s really bad!)
Yes, I can write a book about it.
Many Dutch people do not believe that their country is changed.

I´m really sorry...
My wife is from Japan, she really cannot believe what she experience here. It is a big difference from what she readed
before in the prospects about Holland.
Gee...

[neko_girl22]

I've heard there are more Dutch people outside of Holland, than in your own country. Maybe that's why?
but I can't say cos I've never been there ;)

[PackardGoose]

Originally posted by nzueda
I've heard there are more Dutch people outside of Holland, than in your own country. Maybe that's why?
but I can't say cos I've never been there ;)

Yeah, so many Dutch people moved to Australia, Canada,
USA etc. etc. because they don´t like to live in Holland anymore.
But that is not only from the last few years, people always moved away from here also in the past.

I am born in Holland, I m half Canadian, and as a real Dutch citizen I can only say, I really deeply hate Holland.
The politics, the average mentality is really bad.
They are so-called social people. As long as you behave
always like them.
If you like to sit outside, enjoy the sunshine or whatever,
please do never visit any dutch park.
It is full of dogshit etc. and it always smells incredible!
That is very normal. Nobody cares.It is standard.
They say, their country is so hygienic! Laughable!

People like Mr or Mrs FuTon really don´t know.
They are too proud, and still believe Holland is the most important country in the world!
I have to ignore it, because there are so many of these...

Where is it safe??
In Japan is it much safer.
My wife can walk alone through the center of Tokyo at night.
Nobody disturbs.
I don´t gonna write what happens when she walks in Leiden,
Nijmegen, Groningen or Amsterdam. (really small villages if you compare with Tokyo,Yokohama,Nagoya,Osaka, etc.)
You can guess.

A reason for Moony to move to Japan, that is
this topics question. Japan is (more) safe!
People do have (more) respect for others.

[budd]

hmm, i have some friends that visited amsterdam
african-american/japanese-shibuya married couple
they seemed to like it... he hated thailand with a passion though, said he was treated rather badly
i want to go to jolland (edit: holland) now... hmm
then again, i can't stand the neighbor here because she lets her dog do it right outside the apartment door...