Job Discussion Forums

[rxk22]

I gotach Liz. I don't like how Scotland can have influence in the UK's parliament, yet the UK can not do the same, as Scotland has it's own Parliament.

Anyhow, I disagree with you and Lamar. Okinawa isn't that neglected economically. Like non Kanto/Kansai/Nagoya, there just isn't anything to develop. Okinawa has too long of a cold/cool season to be like Hawaii or other tropical places. It's too small to have a large food export. So what could Okinawa have? Call centers for Japanese companies, Bio-tech, Semiconductors? I just don't see it happening. As Sendai only really developed when the Bullet Train got there.

[nightsintodreams]

I don't agreew with any of this nonsense either. Okinawa is certainly not "poor" by any regular person's standard.

Not as developed as Kansai or Greater Tokyo, yes. Underdeveloped/ poor, no.

[nightsintodreams]

All this talk of people in Okinawa speaking a completely different language is also overplayed. When I went there, I didn't have a problem understanding anyone. In fact, I'd go as far as to say, my experience was that it was far easier to talk to Okinawans than mainlanders. They didn't panic or freak out when a foreigner spoke to them, nor did they talk down to me.

[mitsui]

Yep.
You also don't notice people staring at their phones or walking while listening to music.
You don't see the obnoxious nerds like there are in Tokyo.

You don't get the xenophobia that is the norm in places like Nagoya and Tokyo.

[Lamarr]

[TokyoLiz]

I visited the Kerama Islands. The people there are friendly and don't bat an eye at non-Japanese like me.

I didn't have trouble understanding most people, and they spoke the Okinawan Japanese dialect with me. I did overhear a lot of Uchinaaguchi language, and when I showed imterest in it, people taught me phrases and words.