Job Discussion Forums

[Mahik]

I was just wondering what people missed the most while they are/were living/lived in Japan. Besides friends and family of course.

This isn't meant to bash Japanese culture or anything of that sort. It's just that we've all surely become accustomed to having certain things in our home countries that are much more difficult (if not impossible) to get in Japan.

I know when I was there, I immediately had a random desire for Sprite (Lemon Lime aka 7-up) which apparently is extremely hard to come by in Japan. While there I found 1 supermarket that carried tiny cans (out of 3) and 2 machines that carried it (out of the hundreds I came across, and I checked). The other thing I really missed was good mexican food, which I never found. There was a little burrito joint, but the food was sub-par.

Right now all I can think of is food, what other things might there be?

[Apsara]

What I miss about New Zealand- pristine beaches that are completely free of plastic garbage, concrete tetrapods and buildings and where the nearest person to me is about 200m away.

One of the many benefits of a small population.

On the food side, I would kill for a sandwich made of chewy Vogel's whole grain bread and some feijoas and tamarillos (fruit that I have not seen in any other country).

[Shonai Ben]

2 things........ice hockey and Keith's beer.

[Mothy]

I hear you about the Mexican food, although I found one place near me that I like ok... but certainly not as good as most of the places back home. But just in general I miss the variety of foods that there were back home. I've never been a big fan of Japanese food and the more I try it the less I like it. But then when I want to try some other style of food it's such a hassle. There's Chinese places all over the place, but they really don't have dishes that are much different than the Japanese dishes, so going to a Chinese place in Japan seems to me about the same as going to a Japanese place. Maybe some people would disagree with me, but that's the way it seems to me anyway.
It's really hard to find anywhere that serves non Chinese or Japanese cuisine. (oh yeah and there's italian food too but blech. It's terrible. I can cook Italian better myself) Also I find it hard to find the right spices to cook them myself. Although that could just be to my lack of knowledge of Japanese. Thank goodness for some good Indian restraunts in my area or else I would go crazy... Also that one Thai place. Yum.
So I'm not saying that there aren't other foods here but they aren't as readily available. I don't want to have to travel half an hour to get a decent non Japanese meal. In America I could walk down the street and get something.
I also miss good cheese (which I think explains the Japanese crappy pizza problem)
Diet Mountain Dew (I can find the regular stuff sometimes but I avoid sugary drinks as much as I can)

[Schick]

[maya.the.bee]

sunday morning newspapers
my huge oven

food is definitely a huge factor being here. it is possible to eat like you did at home but it's really really expensive getting the ingredients (600yen for lasagna noodles!!). eh...what do we expect though.

[RingofFire]

[Quibby84]

Big kitchens
enormous selections of every kind of food (in the grocery store and in restaurants)
Family Gatherings
Holidays (here it seems that most holidays are just so people will buy stuff...there's no "spirit" in the air....sad)
Big kitchens...
Space (as in living space and yard space)

[AndyH]

Decent Mexican and Italian food.

The forests and mountains (yeah, they were nearby in Hokkaido and to a lesser extent, Chiba, but it wasn't the same.)

Two full days off for weekends.

[Apsara]

Quibby, sure the "holidays" imported from the west lack a bit of atmosphere as they are not traditional and basically are just here for commercial reasons, but if you spent Obon, New Year or even Setsubun with a Japanese family, you would find plenty of "spirit" there- it's just hard to appreciate from an outsider's perspective.

[partialtone]

Most definitely Mexican food and hogis.

[Shonai Ben]

[markle]

[Quibby84]

Gaijin bubble..I wish. I rarely get to hang out with other gaijin (minus my husband) because we are always so busy and so are they, there also arent many here that are married, as you can imagine, married people and single people have different concepts of fun...
We spend time with a older Japanese couple, but mostly they are interested in our holidays and we only see them when we are working for them at their restaurant.
I am VERY interested in getting involved in Japanese holidays (I love holidays) but I dont really know where to go and what to do. So all I see about Japanese holidays is a change of products in the store. Most of the Japanese families I know are so busy that I hate to bother them.
SO if you know of anything that I can go to that is in the Kanto area, I would be very interested to know. (besides new years because we will be in America)
But I stand by my statement of finding food. There are so many things I cant find, and if I do find them they are WAY to expensive to buy....I used to make really big meals with all sorts of ingredients (from all different countries), but now it is pretty simple...
Oh and when I said Family Gatherings, I meant my families gatherings (baby showers, weddings, births, etc etc)....so it means I miss spending time with my family...I guess that does seem confusing...

[taffer]

The Desert. Enough said.

Open roads with diners, roadhouses or biker bars where barbecue rib and chicken platters are served up by a bubble gum smacking gal with curves- real, honest to goodness American Girl curves.

Garage sales.

Speaking my mind.

Far stricter Disturbing The Peace/ Noise Pollution Regulations, at least where I'm from. Mind you, Japan, compared with other countries I have worked in in Asia is not all that bad, except during the run up to elections.

Plinking.

Having a dog.