Who likes/liked living in Japan?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I suspect this has already been a topic, but maybe there are new Dopers who can add opinions. If you live or lived in Japan, how did you or do you like or dislike it? What were your experiences? I only visited Japan, so I know things in general, not on a long term interaction with the culture and people. Enjoyed the visits to the big cities and quieter areas.

2

I live in Japan, and, I like it. At least most of it.

I like that when there’s an armed robbery, it makes the national news.

I like the food section in department stores.

I like that when I buy something that costs 317 yen at a convenience store and give the clerk 322 yen, she doesn’t look at me as though I’m an idiot who can’t count.

Also, I like that no convenience store clerk will ever treat you as anything less than nobility.

I like temples and shrines.

I like 800 year-old cedars.

I like that train companies apologize for being one minute late.

I like cheap books.

I like cicadas and frogs in summer.

I like the girls.

I like the fish.

I like that no matter where I am there will always be a vending machine within 20 meters of where I go thirsty.

I like capsule hotels.

I like onsens.

I like ramen.

I like nagauta and shakuhachi and kabuki.

I like sumo.

I like laughing at engrish. And I like laughing at flench.
I don’t like political apathy.

I don’t like being asked where I’m from every day.

I don’t like the weather around this time of year.

I don’t like excessive packaging.

I don’t like ijime (bullying) in schools.

I don’t like pachinko parlours.

I don’t like ugly architecture.

I don’t like concrete rivers, and concrete mountains, and roads that lead nowhere.

I don’t like people’s obsession with English.

I don’t like engrish.

3

jovan, I am impressed! :cool:

4

Overall, I don’t like living in Tokyo. The whole city looks messy to me - not dirty but just disorganized and full of ads and ugly, poorly maintained buildings. I hate how normal homes never have central A/C, but all offices do - maybe that’s just high energy prices, or possibly an indication that while Japanese businesses are rich, the people are not. I hate how nationalistic and xenophobic the general population is, especially the superiority complex they have against fellow Asian nations. I hate the one-party political system. I hate our governor Shintaro Ishihara, and the fact that most people here don’t seem to mind him (he was re-elected a couple of months ago earning 70% of the votes).

Please, someone give me a job outside Japan…

5

I had a love hate relationship. Tokyo is a big city without much soul. My Japanese friends were basically limited to work buddies and grad school alumni I knew from the states. I also worked abnormally long hours by even Japanese standards. My Japanese level is pretty basic - maybe 2000 words at my peak. My “apartment” was 17.8 sq meters and about a thousand dollars at the time.

I loved travelling around Hokkaido, Tohoku, Shikoku. Doing the summer Matsuri festival tour in Tohoku was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done. Hirosaki Neputa and Aomori Neputa were both just amazing and I really like Tohoku.

I like to backpack, and it was hard to get away although i did probably 20-30 weekend trips over the 2.5 years I lived there.

Overall, I enjoyed being in Tokyo but was really ready to leave after 2.5 years. It’s been a decade and i would love to go back if it was on an expat package. I wouldn’t go back as a local hire

And I met my wife there :slight_smile: