Job Discussion Forums

[fingerpanit]

[nomadder]

Hard to believe this thread has come so far based on the OP but now it is really bordering on offensive. Stop objectifying women please. Women's body shapes, etc should not determine what country a person goes to teach in. Those in need of those services should find a different website and career.

Back to Vince. This reminds me of hearing that people in Kansai were friendlier than those in Kanto. Anyone have any experiences where they did feel one area was very friendly compared to another they were in? I know Okinawa is said to be something altogether different. Just wondering about the diversities.

[Vince]

[fox1]

i can add... Japan was really much more flexible than I thought. As in: much more free and friendly and open and "tolerant of just 'stuff'"

Also: Japan and Japanese I think are definitely much more fashionable AS A WHOLE NATION almost than I thought. I knew about the fashion , but not to the extent.

I also feel Japanese are way more, just, artistic and stylish... again, as a WHOLE nation almost. By this (it's hard to describe) but I feel there is a real sensory feeling here among ordinary people, a real tastefulness, an artistic sense in the people..'artistic' in a BROAD definition of the term, including personal style, artistc style

[rai]

[rai]

[stillnosheep]

I suppose it depends on how 'flexible' one thought Japanese people would be prior to one's arrival in Japan...

[Zero Hero]

[TokyoLiz]

Japan was everything I had hoped it would be - and a lot less and a lot more, depending on which facet of life I was facing.

A lot more more tradition, art and respect for old ways of doing things, and a sometimes unhealthy attachment to traditional business and social models.

A lot less spiritual. Wow, the average Japanese is so unaware of spiritual concerns, so much less empathetic than my home community (ok, so I'm from the Left Coast of Canada), despite the fact that there is a Buddhist temple, Shinto shrine and Christian church in every city, town and hamlet.

A lot more caring people than I expected. I have met Christian, Buddhist, Shinto and new religion communities who are actively changing and helping their communities. And there are lots of people I've met involved in charitable organizations, NGOs, assisting those in need.

A lot more disciplined - school and other institutions demonstrate order, the value of perseverance, patience and endurance.

A lot less rational - so much value is placed on the spirit of gaman, not stopping, and depending on the precedent set by tradition. THere isn't much room for systematic, logical progression, introduction of new methods, grassroots change, or a methodical way of evaluating success or failure.

A lot sexier - both men and women are meticulous about fashion and appearances, and public display of the body is valued.

A lot less sexually enlightened - north Americans read Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, the Joy of Sex, while Japanese middle aged women are hung up on that Korean actor Peh, and men read triple x manga. Half the workforce - the female half - is undervalued and underpaid.

A lot more curious - people want to learn about foreign cultures, traditions, economics and social systems.

A lot less informed - there are lots of buzz words out there - "organic", "tribal", "alternative", "diverse" - but few Japanese can define them in the context of Japanese culture, mainstream or subculture.

A lot more cutting edge - technology is far out - electronics, computers.

A lot less application of technology - they can build a better tv, but women are still doing chores with antiquated and poorly designed appliances.

A lot less socially progressive - gender roles are starkly divided, the culture still hasn't come to terms with minorities within the culture (untouchables, longtime Korean residents, gay folk), and is completely unprepared for integration of people with disabilities, immigrants or bicultural people.

For the most part, my experience of Japan has been very positive, socially, economically, personally.

Sure, there are lots of shocks but I've seen lots of delights, too. Just as many as I'd see in any other culture anywhere on the planet. It's just that these treasures and terrors are uniquely Japanese.

[Glenski]

fox wrote:

[Zero Hero]

Nice post, 'TokyoLiz'. I enjoyed reading it.

[Lister100]

Disregarding the inconveniences and novelties, which are huge when you first get here, I found that if you have traveled a bit in your own country and have a keen eye as an observer the general overviews are very similar. The inaccessability to much of Japanese society is frustrating though and makes you look at things more carefully. In this light some people discover things that they never knew existed in their own backyard.

Being from Canada and having ties to both higher and lower society, I have found that like home there are polite people and rude people. In Japan it seems more evenly mixed. Take money(not that this determines manners), in Japan you have apartment complexes next door to multimillion dollar homes. There are few slums and few millionaires' rows. In Canada you can find entire communities of artists and in Japan you'll probably find more local artists and also communities in cities too. But local is never far from the cities and has deeper history to work with. Fashion, there are very fashionable areas in Canada but its not very evenly disributed throughout the country. In Japan, convenient trains, smaller space and a larger population makes it easier for city styles to be more far reaching.

Technology, yeah Japan does have more but the differences are not as great as you would expect. Maybe if you're in the income bracket that can buy at the cutting edge you'll see a substantial difference, but on an English teachers salary you will not. In Toronto you can find shops that sell very close to the cutting edge, if not there, and the prices will be high but still maybe cheaper than Japan's inflated prices. In certain areas they have got us beat (like cell phones) but who is really the loser there?

Always bearing in mind the population differences and space differences of our countries, you'll see the similarities and understand the differences(outside of culture and language). Yes a small city here is well connected on rail, but that small city is only half an hour away from another city of 300 000 people which is an hour away from a major city of a million plus. Put this together with the smaller geography and it becomes foolish not to have trains linking everything up. If you have ever spent time in a highly populated area outside of Japan you won't be so impressed except for maybe better punctuality and the bullet trains.

I think the countries are similar in the general things and wouldn't say there are better artists or incredible technological discrepencies. This is what creates the delusions of Japan in the first place. Its not the Jetsons. Things are mixed around differently here, and the big differences are in the little things like no western toilets, paper, soap or hand towels in some public washrooms. The small things really do count! The ones that most people take notice of are negative in nature because when you arrive its harder to do without the comforts of home than to appreciate new ones that you don't really understand or feel compelled to use.

Oh yes, I should add that this post is mostly confined to Kyushu. Tokyo is probably a different world and could very well be the Jetsons.

[fingerpanit]

[freddie's friend daniel]

Liz wrote:

[6810]