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gaijinalways · Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Posts: 2279

It was very fun, but how it ended is another story, where a scheduling conflict left a first impression of how many problems are handled here (poorly).

Honky Nick · Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 113 Location: Hong Kong

I lived in Japan about 5 years ago (natsukashii) and there were plenty interesting things that happened. Here's a good, bad and downright strange:

GOOD
Any number of times when people helped me with directions, like others have said, actually walking with me to my destination - sometimes ten minutes out of their way!

BAD
I was at a local reggae bar for a friend's birthday when someone "attacked" the window with a baseball bat and a flying piece of glass cut my upper lip, requiring 7 stitches. This experience was both good and bad, though, as I got to ride in a Japanese ambulance and the baseball bat wielding guy (armed with two lawyers, two family members, a translator and a bow so low that his head was nearly touching the ground) paid the hospital bill plus a bit of compensation.

DOWNRIGHT STRANGE
Outside the same bar as before, I was at the urinal when a drunk old fella walked into the toilet. He walked up behind me, shoved his thumb up my bum (sort of, I still had my pants on) and inquired, "Kanojo desu ka?" to which I replied as eloquently as I could: "Dame!!!"

Come to think of it, maybe I just should've hung out at a different bar!

Tara2117 · Joined: 14 Aug 2006 Posts: 89 Location: Gunma, Japan

I did the ubergaijin thing and fainted in the onsen. Ha ha. Does that count?

Wintermute · Joined: 11 Jun 2007 Posts: 79

Some odd things I have experienced in my time here:

*I was in Daiei shopping for groceries one time. At this particular Daiei the PA system was playing music (radio perhaps but I wasn't paying attention). Suddenly a familiar song came on - "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails. Anyone who is familiar with this song knows it has some very explicit lyrics (i.e. 'I want to **** you like an animal!') Just the fact that this song was playing whilst shopping with housewives and retirees made me laugh.

*One time I was waiting on the train platform late at night when an old sallaryman came stumbling down the stairs. He was completely wasted - to the point where he was ready to fall down. He was wearing a slate gray business suit and pants and looked like Minoh Monta's older, cheaper brother. We waited there for about 5 minutes, me trying to look like a reincarnated stone, the man wobbling like electrified spaghetti. Suddenly a huge stain appeared in his crotch. This went on for a full minute until he was standing in his own pee, his trousers now a thoroughly dark gray. When he got on the train he sandwiched himself between two older women where he proceeded to let the rest of his bladder go. Perhaps the most disgusting thing I have seen.

bshabu · Joined: 03 Apr 2003 Posts: 200 Location: Kumagaya

Wintermute, I heard music at McD's like that. Some rap song. This was with kids and their moms sitting there and enjoying lunch.

Wintermute · Joined: 11 Jun 2007 Posts: 79

I have to wonder how it gets on air. I was walking around Namba Walk one day (underground shopping mall in Osaka) when Aphex Twin started up, 'Come to Daddy'. I was tense all day after that.

gonzarelli · Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 6:52 am Post subject:

Good thread.

I had a guy follow me into the washroom and saddled up to the next urinal. He tried to take a peek at my unit and he kept looking at me to see if I was on his side. I got pissed off (no pun intended) and said no.

Another time I was at the urinals and a group of guys walked up to me while I was doing my business. They started simulating doggy style and kept asking me if I like Japanese girls. Yes I do. They giggled like girls and went back into the izakaya.

I was riding my bike and a cop stopped me and asked me for my card. The usual stuff. The next day I was riding my bike at the same spot. I saw a cop standing there again and quickly realized it was the same cop as yesterday. He started waving me down and demanded to see my card. I told him that he stopped me the day before. He did a double take and said, "Ah, Gonzarelli san. Gomen nasai." and he let me go. He seemed a bit embarrassed.

So many other stories

One more...

I once was given something useful to do in an English class at a JHS.

Mothy · Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Posts: 99

SeasonedVet · Joined: 28 Aug 2006 Posts: 236 Location: Japan

As human beings we sometimes form opinions of people in our minds just by the way they look. You see a guy wearing an expensive suit you think he might be a successful layer or businessman with lots of money. etc you see a guy dressed in clothes of no particular brand and the colors aren't matching so well you think he's from somewhere in the deep country not too well off.

I was leaving work the other day when the groundsman/person? was just finishing up. I said goodbye to her and she went to wash up probably. I got on my bike and started to ride when a fancy new BMW sports passed alongside me. I thought to myself "oh somebody has a fancy new BMW sports model" and you know them things ain't cheap.
Guess who was driving.

ghostrider · Joined: 30 May 2006 Posts: 147

Just recently, I was walking to the station around 2pm after seeing cherry blossoms at the Yasukuni Shrine, and saw an old salaryman taking a piss on a tree on a main road and sidewalk with himself fully exposed to the pedestrians and cars traveling by. I almost took a picture because I couldn't believe it.

Amadruada · Joined: 05 Mar 2008 Posts: 10

I was on the subway in Tokyo, heading out to Chiba, when two high school boys got on the train. They stood in front of me for a minute talking excitedly, but I didn't think it had anything to do with me until one of them cleared his throat in a very obvious manner. When I looked up from my book, the shorter one stuck his camera phone in my face and took a picture!

They bowed and moved down the train.

That was different. I am a green-eyed strawberry blonde, though, and people had warned me that I might get some stares...never expected it to happen in Tokyo, though!

Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

Not more than 20 meters from a motorcycle cop working a busy intersection in Tokyo was what looked to be someone's driver relieving himself in the general direction of a tree, but not attempting at all to shield himself. In fact, it was more of your typical two-handed, spread-eagle, jutting-jaw, peering over the chin variety.

SaganWasHere · Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 1:35 am Post subject:

ripslyme · Joined: 29 Jan 2005 Posts: 481 Location: Japan

When I first arrived in Japan via the JET Program, I was a bit surprised at what the students were allowed to do in class. It might as well have been a beauty school, as so many of them spent the classes putting on make-up, styling their hair, doing their nails, etc...

The girls were just as bad. Wink