Job Discussion Forums

kerryn · Joined: 30 May 2005 Posts: 34 Location: africa

38)japan has the the maddest,craziest,wildest trance parties!!!! EVER!
Yamerarenai!!!

3 Cool

Its a common classroom habit amongst small boys to try stick their fingers up eachothers bums! And laugh hysterically after..

37) When you in it(tokyo) it all seems to big.. when youve left it... nothing compares to it! And you compare everything with it! ahhhhhhh...(missin IT)

GIR · Joined: 12 Apr 2007 Posts: 64

gaijinalways · Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Posts: 2279

32 When are you going back to your home country?
(I often get this one, as some of my students can't imagine more than a week away from their own)

31 Is your wife from England or the US?
(after being told she speaks English, sorry Kiwis, Aussies and S. Africans)

Of course the answer is none of the above, she's a through and through Edoite.

sumyunguy · Joined: 17 Feb 2007 Posts: 20

30: Benches are not in high supply. But you can always buy a drink.

29: Female custodians don't mind cleaning the men's room (while you're in it).

28: You should pass other (oncoming) pedestrians on the left, same side as driving. It's funny how we take after our cars even on foot.

sumyunguy · Joined: 17 Feb 2007 Posts: 20

I agree, a thread like this isn't about bashing Japan, just making observations. Anyway, Japan is a strong/unique/fascinating enough culture it's not like poking some fun is going to kill it.

sumyunguy · Joined: 17 Feb 2007 Posts: 20

27) Customer service has in no way been overrated.

26) Dropping articles and limiting tense change is not only the easiest way to communicate, it starts to seem like a generally good idea after a while.

25) I've never seen Japanese sitting at one table listening in on Japanese at another. Never. They mind their business.

cvmurrieta · Joined: 10 Jul 2008 Posts: 209 Location: Sendai, Japan

24. Japanese are also taught to ask the following questions:

a.) Can you use chopsticks?
b.) Can you eat Japanese food?

JabberJabber · Joined: 16 Feb 2009 Posts: 1

23. For any job outside of teaching English, you must know how to speak Japanese.

Vince · Joined: 05 May 2003 Posts: 559 Location: U.S.

22. Living space is underappreciated back home.

21. A small living space is much more tolerable with intelligently designed amenities.

anne_o · Joined: 30 Nov 2005 Posts: 172 Location: Tokyo

20. japanese men are sexy....oh lesson.....japanese men are not what western men say about them!

Conor_Ire · Joined: 22 Nov 2008 Posts: 34 Location: Tokyo

19. The Japanese have always been more in tune with quality and always will be. They know what it is and it shows in most of what they do , even the vending machines! In heathrow airport I saw a woman kicking a vending machine in frustration before i left for Tokyo. HAHA

David W · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 457 Location: Japan

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

I thought that was an odd one too. Japanese obasans- an inspiration to nosy busybodies the world over Wink

cvmurrieta · Joined: 10 Jul 2008 Posts: 209 Location: Sendai, Japan

18. Japanese co-workers who have never spoken a word of English to you can launch into nearly flawless English and tell you they improved their English speaking by living a year in Oz (I had known this co-worker in question for 8 months).

I am glad I never said out loud in the office that I wanted to grab her tush Laughing

icehockey23 · Joined: 28 Feb 2009 Posts: 72

17) Japan is filled with some of the strangest non-Japanese "native English speakers" that you are ever likely to meet anywhere. I mean peple from but not limited to Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the U.K. and the USA. What is also interesting is that many of them will spend a significant portion of their life there and actually profess to hating the place.