Hmm, I guess I might as well crash this thread since people seem to have some interest in life in Japan. I hope I'm not being too rude, OnionPrince! m(_ _)m

I'm also living in Japan, working as an Assistant Language Teacher through the JET Program: the same one that OnionPrince did for two years. I've been here almost ten months now, and plan to make it a two-year stay. I also studied in Kyoto for about eight and a half months during college. (Kansai is a great area, and I totally recommend it.)

My job placement is highly unusual, probably unique. I live on a tiny island in the Seto Inland Sea, off to the side of the Shimanami Sea Route that connects Hiroshima Prefecture in Kyushu and Ehime Prefecture in Shikoku. When I say tiny, I mean absurdly, gloriously tiny. The island's population is about two hundred people. It's about one and a quarter square miles. The closest grocery store or restaurant is a forty-five minute ferry ride away, and even that island is quite rural. (My island does, however, have a tiny mom-and-pop store for staples and snacks.) It's not the smallest or least-populated island in Japan by any means... there's one right next door to me that has only about thirty elderly folks living on it... but it might be the smallest that has a full-time English teacher.

Like OnionPrince, I teach English, although I'd hazard to guess that he does significantly more work than me. There's a single combined Elementary-Middle school on my island, and I also do adult English conversation classes and visit the awesome Preschool/Kindergarten once a week. Obviously, the fact that I'm employed full-time here is kind of ridiculous: if the town wanted to, most of my duties could be covered by the ALTs from my neighboring islands. However, me living here does mean that I can play lots of tag with the elementary/preschool kids after school, so at least they're getting some benefit out of me.

If anyone has any more questions about any of that, I'd be happy to talk more about it. In the meantime, I guess I'll make my own pass over previously-covered material...



OnionPrince's summary of the public's English ability is pretty right-on. However, if you want to visit Japan and don't speak Japanese, don't panic. Especially in larger cities, there are usually enough helpful English-speaking folks around to help you out. Also, many people are better at reading English than speaking or listening to it, so if communication falters you can always try writing down your question. (I've never tried that personally, but I'm told it sometimes works.)

OnionPrince wrote:

I've also heard that starting next year English will become compulsory in elementary schools as well.

Yes, regular English classes will be compulsory for 5th and 6th grade. Most schools have already started instituting it. They're using a textbook called Eigo Nooto that most foreign English teachers I've talked to hate for a variety of reasons. Others say it's not so bad, though. I haven't used it personally, since there are no 5th or 6th graders in my school.

-Onsen: Bathing with strangers? Unless they're female and in my age range, uh, no thanks.

Man, you're missing out. I've never felt so bathed as after going to an onsen. My favorite is Dogo Onsen in Matsuyama, but I've enjoyed others as well. Bathing with a bunch of other people isn't a big deal unless you make it out to be, I find. (Then again, I'm so totally near-sighted that they all look like vague patches of color to me anyway, so maybe that helps.)

Re: pachinko

Many times, I've considered going into a pachinko place and wasting 1000 yen just to see what it's like. But, man... they're so loud! As soon as the doors open, there's just this wave of sound assaulting your higher brain functions, and that's before you actually step inside. I just can't take it.

lex wrote:

I want to know whats it really like in Shibuya? Did you see Hachi?

Yeah, Hachi is right outside one of the exits to the Shibuya subway station, so he's not hard to find. The area looks pretty much just like it does in The World Ends With You. (It always seemed a lot wider and less crowded in Super Gals!, though. Judging from your icon, I assume that's what's how you got familiar with Hachi. )

As for Shibuya itself, it's basically a very dense and crowded downtown area, with lots of little winding streets. I got a little bit disoriented wandering around there (but in a fun way!). I'm sure there are cool hangouts there for young Tokyoites, but as a tourist, I found Harajuku to be better for people-watching and window-shopping.

satyreyes wrote:

Which leads to another question about the educational system: do you think Japan's system is better than America's at producing independent thinkers, or just at producing students who know more?  And whose system is better at producing high school graduates who have learned that their own desires are valuable?  In my mind, these seem like they would be the compensating benefits of our laxer and less rote educational system, but never having been to Japan I'm not really in a position to say

I wouldn't say that teaching students to forge their own path is a strength of Japan's public school system, but then again, I'm not sure it's particularly a strength of America's, either. I suspect that most people who set aside culturally-mandated values of social and financial success do so in spite of standardized education, not because of it.

As for independent thinking, it kind of seems that in general, more back-and-forth is encouraged in the American system, or it's encouraged at an earlier stage. Students are urged to formulate, express, and argue their own opinions (regardless of whether or not their opinions are well-thought out, or whether they have a good understanding of the topic). It's much better to have an opinion or an idea, even if it's a bad one, than to not contribute to the marketplace of ideas. Here, the classic emphasis here is on receiving knowledge from one's teacher (and certainly not on trying to create unnecessary arguments). That's how it seems at the middle school level, at least, and probably high school, though I'm sure there are always exceptions.

So, even beyond language, I've heard that transfer students from Japan and other East Asian countries often have trouble adjusting to the different demands of American schools. Likewise, our teachers sometimes have trouble conceiving that a student can be learning if they don't speak up actively in class.

I don't feel qualified to offer an opinion about whether one system actually produces better independent thinkers, but I think American schools do place a higher value on being able to take a public position and argue it. It's a skill that's very useful in American culture, and not as essential in Japanese culture. Perhaps that ties into differences in our conceptions of self, but I'll end my ramble here before this turns into "Dallbun Half-Remembers His Cultural Psychology Classes: The Thread."

OnionPrince! I was wondering where you went. It's so good to see you back and furthermore reminding us of your insight and interesting experiences!

...Aaaand I can't really think of any good interesting questions at the moment before jetlag has punched my brain. So I'll just be bland and send you my adoring e-huggles.

WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT

I thought American phones COULD do the phone next to eachother thing, and I just have a crappy phone. WTF, this is mind blowing.





If you see J.A. Seazer, can you drug him and ship him to me? I have lots of questions for him. Please don't hurt him, I'd like him to remember the answers to my questions.


I'm getting OMG taken advantage of when I buy Japanese toys, aren't I? Are things like that NEARLY as expensive as buying them in America? I mean, I know there's shipping, but really now.

Do they really really love Kewpie? I've never figured out why he's on my mayonnaise. I feel uncomfortable with him watching me eat. D:

allegoriest wrote:

I thought American phones COULD do the phone next to eachother thing, and I just have a crappy phone. WTF, this is mind blowing.

Really? I've never heard of that feature on any phone available in the US. (Well, none of the ones I ever had in the US did, but then again I never had a Blackberry or equivalent and I've been gone a year already). The phone I got here is the absolute cheapest, bare-bones, bottom-of-the-barrel model that one can possibly get and it still has that nifty feature.

Are things like that NEARLY as expensive as buying them in America? I mean, I know there's shipping, but really now.

This is true. If you don't count shipping, it's not much cheaper to get this stuff directly in Japan. I mean, certain pieces of essential electronica can still be had for reasonable prices, but Japanese can really get carried away with adding features to gadgets. It can get to the point where nothing is simple anymore and costs start to balloon. When I first arrived, I tried shopping for a simple rice cooker. Regardless of where I went, I could not find one under 10,000 yen, and many were 2 to 3 times that. They had millions of buttons and LCD displays and all this other crap. I mean, it's rice, not cold fusion! It actually ended up being cheaper for me to order a non-insane cooker online (like $25) and have it shipped from the US. I often wonder: If people could still buy cheap ones here, would those overly complex, outrageously-priced ones still sell?

As for Kewpie et al, Japan has this obsession with cute mascots. They are everywhere, watching you... Waiting… <_< Seriously, it seems like every company has to have one, and it must be adorable, regardless of their target audience. When I compare relatively recent mascots to ones that have been around for a while, I get the distinct impression that there's been a cuteness arms race. Baby dolls and anime characters are no longer the cutting edge of cute. No, these days it's all about embarrassingly bad, aww-he-thinks-he-can-draw childlike scribbles.

Thus AEON, the largest retailer in Asia (basically the Walmart of Japan) has a mascot which is a pathetic fucking dog that looks like it was drawn by a 5-year old.
http://waonic.up.seesaa.net/image/waon1.jpg
Just think: graphic artists are getting paid top dollar to come up with this stuff!

(Incidentally, AEON was founded in 1758 as a small fabric store called Shinohara-ya.)

P.S. I will keep an eye out for J.A. Seazer for you.

Katzenklavier wrote:

So my question; what's the average person's attitude towards all the technological advances and the very modern style of living?

As far as I can tell, the younger generation is obsessed with/addicted to/immersed in technology and modernity, middle-age people seem to have resigned to it without much fuss, and older folks just seem to not bother with it. I'm not sure if the average Japanese person feels more connected or more isolated by technology, or if they feel that they're losing traditional culture or gaining something new. It's not something I've really ever asked anyone about yet. But I think coexistence is possible.

I've watched bullet trains race by where little old men and women were plowing a field by hand. I've seen teenagers talking on Bluetooth sets and playing on their handheld game systems at one of the country's most ancient temples, one still tended by celibate monks and shrine maidens. For me, it's this blend of different worlds -of different eras- that makes Japan so fascinating.

Hedgehogey wrote:

What's the best job for a foreigner besides teaching English?

Well, to be honest, the best job for a foreigner in Japan is the coveted "media personality" position. You do commercials, appear on variety shows, and are basically considered a pop-culture ambassador. Of course, there is literally a one in a billion chance of ever attaining such prestige here.

One thing that might be up your alley is professional wrestling. I'm serious. It's still rather respected in Japan, and there have been many, many athletes who have successfully over from shoot fighting to scripted wrestling and vice versa. Don Frye is the best example I can think of at the moment.

Other less glamorous but more realistic lines of work here basically break down to hospitality, tourism, and other service-related stuff. Flight attendant on airlines going to North America? Bouncer at a gaijin-friendly Tokyo nightclub, perhaps? It's slim pickens, to be honest. As a foreigner, the only things you are assumed to be capable of are teaching your language and dealing with other foreigners, unless your Japanese is really outstanding and you can prove yourself more capable than all the non-foreigners they'd rather hire. It's tough, but not impossible.

KissFromARose wrote:

I missed you dearly! We used to have so much fun on the Caption Contest together

Thanks, I missed you too! And I feel kinda guilty about missing out on the caption contest for so long. Is it still a regular thing?

Random fact of the day: Not long ago, I found out that my favorite Japanese singer did a cover of your namesake song. Neat, huh?

OnionPrince wrote:

KissFromARose wrote:

I missed you dearly! We used to have so much fun on the Caption Contest together

Thanks, I missed you too! And I feel kinda guilty about missing out on the caption contest for so long. Is it still a regular thing?

Random fact of the day: Not long ago, I found out that my favorite Japanese singer did a cover of your namesake song. Neat, huh?

OMG... *GLEE* i freaking LOVE THIS. This is FABULOUS!!!! ahhh i love you ... and her voice, and this song, and this ... this this this.

Man i sound like a 5 year old on a sugar high.

This is... wow... probably my favorite now... i wonder... is there a place ic ould download the MP3?

At any rate, the caption contest is kind-of hit and miss lately. i miss it. lol.


Have you considered visiting Korea? i dont know how much plane tickets are, but i want to do a joint trip when i go.

Have you met any gajins(?) who were not raised in Japan whi can speak and read Japanese properly?

Dallbun wrote:

Mock Puppet wrote:

Have you met any gajins(?) who were not raised in Japan whi can speak and read Japanese properly?

Sure. It's all a matter of degree, but I've met lots of people whose Japanese is strong, and some who are completely fluent. As you might expect, the strongest people tend to be those who are living here for the long-term (or who have otherwise made a career out of their language skill). In Kyoto, I had the pleasure of knowing a couple of foreign-born professors who teach at Japanese universities, and of course they were perfect.

Thank you for answering.

So how many kanji does the average Japanese know?

OnionPrince wrote:

Hedgehogey wrote:

What's the best job for a foreigner besides teaching English?

Well, to be honest, the best job for a foreigner in Japan is the coveted "media personality" position. You do commercials, appear on variety shows, and are basically considered a pop-culture ambassador. Of course, there is literally a one in a billion chance of ever attaining such prestige here.

One thing that might be up your alley is professional wrestling. I'm serious. It's still rather respected in Japan, and there have been many, many athletes who have successfully over from shoot fighting to scripted wrestling and vice versa. Don Frye is the best example I can think of at the moment.

Man if I could meet Don Frye and his world-bestriding mustache that would make my life. But i'll give that some thought. I had an offer to do that once.

Other less glamorous but more realistic lines of work here basically break down to hospitality, tourism, and other service-related stuff. Flight attendant on airlines going to North America? Bouncer at a gaijin-friendly Tokyo nightclub, perhaps? It's slim pickens, to be honest. As a foreigner, the only things you are assumed to be capable of are teaching your language and dealing with other foreigners, unless your Japanese is really outstanding and you can prove yourself more capable than all the non-foreigners they'd rather hire. It's tough, but not impossible.

Bouncing sounds good. I've done that before. Thanks for answering.

First time I had brown rice, my mom fried it with lots of black peppers, bell peppers (chopped), and peppered beef (chopped in strings)

Sorry, I don't do kitchen-speak :-/

satyreyes wrote:

"Aoi" in Japanese also means green, and -- guess what? -- you can call a person "aoi" to mean that they're young and inexperienced.  The reason for the parallelism, of course, is that unripe fruit is just as green in Japan as it is in England and America.

Now, the only Japanese I ever learned is by nearly a decade of watching subtitled anime, but!  Isn't "aoi" blue? You know.. like "aoi sora" ("blue sky")? I'm pretty sure that the Japanese word for green is "midori".  To that point, if I remember correctly, Fuu's magical chant in Magic Knight Rayearth is "midori kaze" ("green wind"), and Fuu is like, the green one.

Last edited by Imaginary Bad Bug (06-11-2010 11:09:49 AM)