What are your interests for Japan ?

[Maciamo]

Always good to know if we are here for the same reason or not... This is a multiple answer poll, so choose as many as you want.

My interest for Japan date back from my childhood with the anime on tv. I have done judo and karate when I was respectively 6 and 14-15 years old,. I have been a video game addict as a teenager. But all this was forgotten when I met my wife and I came to Japan.Now I am interested in the culure in general (history, language, religion/traditions...)., the people and the food.

I would like more than 10 categories for my poll. Thomas is it possible ?

[samuraitora]

I have always had an interest in Japan and Japanese things. It is the one thing that has been able to help me keep my focus or regain it. I love the food, culture, history. My two favorite things are the Language and the Martial Arts.

[Shinmeiryu]

Just about nearly everything I am interested in, with the exception of religion. Though most in particular -- anime, video games, J-Pop, language and food.

[deborah gormley]

for me its the culture in general, patient and so refined would be my words to describe it it has a secret code(for the want of a better word) that captivates almost anyone who has the privledge to come across it at one time in thier life, well thats what happened to me (hehe)

[Scott]

There should probably an "All of the Above" option on that poll as it would fit me best.

[Tragedy]

WHAT?!??!?! YOU DIDN'T MENTION CARS?!!?!?!!! How can you not mention cars?!!??!!??!?!

:::calming down::::

Don't get me wrong, I love other aspects of Japanese culture as much as the next guy, but cars have got to be one of the top Japanese favorites for me. I always have to go to all the carshops (Super Autobacs, Spoon Sports, UpGarage, etc) to see what's new, and cruise the parking lots to drool over the Nissan Skyline R34 GTR VSPEC-II's, the Subaru Impreza WRX STi's, the Honda Integra Type-R's, the Mazda RX-7's..etc etc. As clogged as the streets are in Tokyo and Yokohama, I have not grown jaded to cars. Cars (and music) are my life. I try to make it to all the major motorsport events in Japan.

This love for Japanese cars (we weren't too fond of American cars)dates back to my high school days (1993-1997) where my friends and I learned how to actually work on our engines (from books and our fathers) to increase horsepower and we'd wait for the weekends to take our projects to the underground drag-races held late at night in industrial areas and pit them against other racers. You can imagine how many times the Police had intervened with our little late-night gatherings of 100+ cars.

...and of course, I know you excluded Japanese Women from your poll because that interest in Japanese culture is a given......right?


Here are some examples of Japanese perfection in form, architecture and technology:

Nissan Skyline R34 GTR VSPEC-II



Honda Integra Type-R DC2



Subaru Impreza WRX STi Type-RA Spec-C (Actual WRC version in background)


To those of you not interested in cars: Sorry to have bored you.

[moyashi]

GTR's are sweet.
My wife won't let me buy one because I drive to fast.

[samuraitora]

You would do well here in Michigan than moyashisan.
The average speed limit is 65...70 on most freeways.
Almost noone does the speed limit though.
I am normally driving about 90 to 110 MPH

[moyashi]

lolo,

My wife keeps saying I'll smash my car one day. The funny thing is that my last 4 accidents I was at no fault. Well, 1 I got hit with 10% since I was moving.

I'm a porche boy at heart but either a GTR or NSX would do me just fine too.

Is Michigan like LA? LA traffic is so bad that if someone got pulled over durinig the day it would create a 1 1/2 hour traffic jam. Looky Lou's.

Japan, is 50 most areas with 60 being a high defualt in rural areas. Highways are 80 or 100. With 120 a pretty regular clip. These are all KmH. Not mph.

@cars
a used good condition GTR runs about US $ 20k. Imprezza a bit less at about $10k.

Also, somebody forgot to mention Mitsubishi's GTO and Nissan's Fairlady Z which is finally coming up with a model change.

Honda cars are not too popular so integra's and preludes are pretty rare. Yet, Honda is quite popular for wagon and van types.

This year, up in Sapporo at least, there is no particular fashion for cars. No slamming or aero-kits. This year is pretty boring. Last year the Estima type vans were very popular.

One of my buddies is a used car dealer who loves US looking Honda cars, ferio's and CRXs.

cheers

[samuraitora]

@cars
Where can I get pics of these cars???

@moyashi
Damn...I have only been in about 5 accidents my whole life.
Here...it is you fault or not...no %s.

[Maciamo]

...and of course, I know you excluded Japanese Women from your poll because that interest in Japanese culture is a given......right?

Not quite right.;) I included Japanese women or J-girls in "Japanese people (friendship or more)". I didn't want to be sexist, as there are girls/women on the forum as well. Then I guess if you're interested in J-girls, it's not only for sex but also for their mentality, or Japanese mentality and people in general.

[moyashi]

@ j-girls
hehe, you could have J-men ... that would balance that ;)

@ cars
there's a J-car garage forum now also a few cars are posted up above

[Stradini]

I too chose all of the above.
For now, my major interest is anime/manga, language and culture. I'll be visiting Japan this year and hope to experience much of this kind of thing!
Japanese people are great (the ones I consider friends, anyway...but then, my american friends are great too..I guess it's just friends that are great..haha)
Traditional japan is very beautiful. I like to watch sumo (I'll be attending the january basho with any luck). I love the precision and beauty of cha no yu.
When people ask, I usually tell them I'm buddhist - but I'm not sure how buddhist I am (I guess that's one of the good things about buddhism, you decide what you are and karma sorts it out...or something...I just really like the morality and ethics of buddhism...the practice of compassion to fellow man is great). Video games, are of course nifty. I played nintendo since I was very young and now I play playstation.
I'm also interested in martial arts. I studied a little bit of karate, but I really love the sword arts (kendo, iai)
Japanese culture, both classical and contemporary is fascinating to me. I can't wait to observe it in person.
Japanese food is okay (I prefer american-italian). I do like miso soup, ramen and a few other dishes. I can't wait to try okonomiyaki and takoyaki.
And the japanese language is one of the most fascinating things for me. I've studied on my own...the rules are so simple for it, but the application can be very complicated. I will also study classical japanese and various dialects (my favorite so far is kansai-ben, but I also like the kyoto keigo)

@ cars
I prefer bikes (I ride a honda magna, but have had a CBR)

While my dream bike is italian (bimota) - realistically, I'll be buying hondas for a long time.

I'm hopeless, I guess. If it's japanese, I tend to like it.

[moyashi]

Hey, Stradini, you and SamuraiTora would make a great pair.

@bikes
Most Japanese ride only 250cc since the 1000cc class is a different and more expensive license. If I'd ride a cycle it would definitly be either a harley or a honda

[Stradini]

I've heard about the pricing differenced based on engine size (there's a japanese biker faq somewhere). I think it would be worth the expense to own a bimota sb8rSpecial. If I could afford the bike, I'm sure I could afford anything else. A little too expensive for me, 'though. I have my dream!

[samuraitora]

I agree with Stradini, I would much rather a bike in the right weather...LoL

You can tell Moyashi is origionally from the states with the Harley comment...lol

I think every american boy has wanted a Harley at one point or another...LOL

[moyashi]

haha, yep. South of the Falls originally.

I grew up in a Harley area but liked the speed race bikes of Japan, like the hurricane, katana, and ninja.

But, now that I'm older. I guess that I'd rather drive a harley but they're a big class engine ... hmmmm

[lineartube]

Culture. It's a generic word but I think it sums up why I got interested in Japan. From Miyazki's Anime to Masamune Shirow's Manga to Akira Kurosawa's Ran, theres a unverse of human development and history from the unknown begining to the current era. It's... fascinating.

[arnadstephen]

Travel to Japan
--> people
--> beautifull mountains
--> clean, modern and intelligent country

and the beautifull castles
(European castles are dark and gloomy inside)

and get the hell-out-of the flat-hot-Florida I live in

_.

[lineartube]

(European castles are dark and gloomy inside)

????

You've been visiting the wrong castles. Anyone knows this one? It's probably the most famous castle in the world and it was one of the worst names to spell, if you aren't german.


photo kindly leeched from www.bavaria.com

[moyashi]

I love Euorpean castles! Might be the AD&D in me

Japanese castle foundations are cool. Slight slanted to support the castle and what not ....
hmmm split the thread?

[thomas]

Neuschwanstein Castle is really a slip of taste, booh! A la Disney. ;)

Btw, a lot of Japanese hold heir weddings at Neuschwanstein, at least have some wedding pics taken there during honey-moon.

[lineartube]

In Portugal there is a castle from the Romantic era, the Pena Castle.

BTW, Does anyone want to buy or rent a castle?

[thomas]

Good idea, J-Ref needs a new headquarter anyhow, lolol.

[Hoyu]

Palacio da Pena - the new headquarters for J-ref?