Job Discussion Forums

X-MAN · Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 16

I don't want to forget all the salarymen -- everynight of the week -- pissing in public (right out on the street). Even a more beautiful sight is seeing some of them sleeping in their own vomit on the pavement... And no, this isn't something that happens once in a blue moon. These are things you can see often -- sometimes more than 2 or 3 times per week at any given station. Beautiful culture, huh? Where and why does anybody ever fantacize about this beautiful Japanese culture? In the countryside? The countryside is smilar to the big cities -- just smaller numbers of things and people.

casual · Joined: 13 Oct 2003 Posts: 105

i love living in japan but I have to agree with the poster above. japan is not a beautiful country by any means. Although if you say this to a Japanese person they get extremely offended.

I have seen pockets of beauty around Japan, but for all the hype, even kyoto isnt a particularly beatiful place. Its like any other japanese city but with an impressive number of sights scattered around. The city itself is as ugly and homogenous as almost every city centre I have been to in japan. No impressive plazas, promenades, parks etc to be seen.

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Beautiful is not a word I would ever use to describe Japan either. There are the ocassional beautiful things: hanami is one example. Sometimes I wonder if they are trying to make the cities and towns look as ugly as possible. Telephone poles and wires everywhere in the countryside, derelict buildings, garbage strewn in the yards... How many times have you seen a beach from a distance and think how nice it looks, only to get closer and see all the garbage on it.
For a country as rich as it is, this place should look better. 100 or 200 years ago, I'll bet Japan was incredible looking.

JezzaYouBeauty!! · Joined: 01 Nov 2004 Posts: 86

Yes, my mum is here in Japan now. She was in korea too, briefly. We both agree that Daegu, Korea,.. was more nice-looking than Kitakyushu, Japan. She arrived in Osaka. And then got the shinkansen (bullet train) to Kitakyushu............and yep......after living her life in Australia......it just didn't look so beautiful. Osaka or Kitakyushu or in between.

We're not arrogant about it, but a country like Japan that developed so fast, so quickly....just can't look beautiful............in the drab, grey, concrete, densely populated cities.

Anyhow, she's so positive and smiley and well-travelled, and she's felt that Japan is much more gentle, and calm and polite and civil than Korea. Yet, she also said.......she feels a lack of warmth from the people. There's just the robotic politeness thing happening....

She's a much older, wiser, and more mature person than I, who has lived several years in Mauritius and Hong Kong while my Dad was an Aussie jockey riding in those places. She's pretty cool.

Anyhow, according to her.....the occassional gruffness (or downright xenophobic hostility) in Korea, IS off-set by the friendly people in Korea that she can remember, and the excellent deal you can get. Airfares paid for. One month severence pay at end of contract. Low cost of living. Decent salary. 4% tax. Accomodation provided for free. Short working hours.

My mum agrees with me, that Korea can be a little more in your face, friendly or gruff, and Japan is sort of....always......mellow.

And I liked her funny quote about Japan, today....-"How can you expect eternally polite people to be either way?" (being really gruff or really friendly)

Anyhow, going back to the orignal topic of this thread. There ARE horrid jobs in each country also, in regards to school, management, and location etc................also. So be careful.

cameron.mayo · Joined: 13 Mar 2006 Posts: 81

*Follow your instincts...'nuff said.

*Do a stint in both.
*Japan, dirty, xenophobic, racist, pushy strap hangers etc, sounds like New York, get amongst it...'nuff said.

Khyron · Joined: 10 Mar 2006 Posts: 291 Location: Tokyo Metro City

X-man, Casual and Gordon, have either of you guys even been to Korea? I'm not talking about the touristy areas in Seoul or Gyeongju either.

What you said about Japan is true, but it's very much magnified in Korea. Spend some time in Korea, and you'd probably say that Japan is indeed beautiful. Not that Korea isn't... in places. There are just way less of those places in Korea than in Japan.

Jezza, I agree that Daegu is nicer than Kitakyushu (expect when in view of the bridge. That thing is just too cool). But, you're comparing one of the nicest cities in Korea to the industrial armpit of Japan. A fair comparison would be to put Pohang or Ulsan alongside Kitakyushu.

BTW, nice avatar Gordon. Somewhere between Jasper and Banff, maybe?

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

hamel · Joined: 03 May 2004 Posts: 95

interesting thread.

the last time i was in fukuoka i couldn't find any litter anywhere and the drivers actually let me walk across the street--very polite. it was like too perfect. but downright lovely.

the visit i made to tokyo was also very nice although i found tokyo very confussing compared to seoul.

korea is strange. some places here are so dirty and depressing, and other places are lovely. the mountains offer some of the best hiking i've found anywhere. but the driving is downright tough sometimes.

in regard to teaching, korea also has some of the most interesting jobs.
a group of japanese education profs came to a class i did last term. they even filmed the class. they were so serious that it was a little strange.

koreans can be very nice although they are very sensitive, esp. about any kind of criticism.

best of luck to the original poster.
hamel

casual · Joined: 13 Oct 2003 Posts: 105

In reply to khyron.

I went to Korea a few years ago for a holiday. I found it to be similar to Japan. Japan and Korea are without doubt the two ugliest countries I have been to. Although i do actually like both countries.

Khyron · Joined: 10 Mar 2006 Posts: 291 Location: Tokyo Metro City

seanmcginty · Joined: 27 Sep 2005 Posts: 203

poof · Joined: 23 May 2005 Posts: 161

It's easy to get a false idea of Japanese culture from a distance - you probably fantacize about what you saw in the Memoirs of a Geisha movie -were any of the actors or locations at all authentically in Japan?
There are few cities of today that have retained any sense of beauty. Added to that is increased air pollution. Makes you want to live in the hills... However, I'm always impressed by the Japanese urban landscape, and I especially love Japanese temples and garden design. Korea has absolutely no such gardens.
For those in Tokyo - have you been to Chichibu, Owakundanai, Kamakura, Izo Hanto? These are really beautiful places. I loved them. How can you say Kyoto is ugly? Kyoto has one of the world's most impressive collections of temples, even though many of them are reconstructions. The Gion district, too, is absolutely fascinating as a downtown district. I don't have any such memorable places in Korea, except for Kumgangsan, which is in fact in North Korea.

Jazz1975 · Joined: 14 Feb 2006 Posts: 301 Location: Zama, Kanagawa

sallycat · Joined: 11 Mar 2006 Posts: 303 Location: behind you. BOO!

i would highly recommend finding out more about geisha. you would probably very much enjoy coming to kyoto, and there are tours which would give you some insight into geisha.
however, you should be aware that the woman "memoirs of a geisha" was supposedly based on was shocked and appalled when she read the book. "memoirs of a geisha" is soft-po.rn charles di.ckens in nightingale-poo make-up. if you enjoy the film, fine, but it has almost nothing to do with japan.