Korean Job Discussion Forums

[nautilus]

Just wondering what`re your impressions of Japan from brief visits, vs longer time spent in the country.
Why do some eslers leave Japan and prefer Korea?

I mean from the moment you land in Japan, several things hit you:

a) The people look happier, they smile.
b) The atmosphere is easygoing: very little passive agression happening.
c) You are treated primarily as a person rather than a foreigner. In Korea you have to be demonstrably fluent in the language to reach this level.
d) No bumping, barging or shoving.
e) No noise! Its way quieter. People talk.. rather than shout.
f) The streets are very clean: no trash lying around.
g) They observe personal space and privacy.
h) The guys are calm and relaxed: the women charming and friendly.
i) No stares! at least much less noticeable.

[Koveras]

I was there for two weeks. Unlike Korea, Japan felt really existentially foreign in a way I can't explain. Also it had much nicer department stores. Hankyu, anyone?

[nukeday]

Try Osaka. The old dudes there are almost as bad as ajeosshis. Spitting, public urination, refusing to let you sit next to them on the train...the works. But there don't seem to be quite as many of them.

Also, lot's of trash Fri/Sun mornings. I mean, a LOT. But they clean it up once the sun rises.

The thing that struck me is they have a lot of youth subcultures going on. A lot of posers, but it's better than here where Korean youth seem like clones. you'd have people really into rock music with the long hair, or reggae dudes with the fake tans, or break dancers spraying graffiti. Of course, eventually they all turn into the suited masses.

I also felt like it was a lot more unacceptable to stay there for a year and not speak the language. I get basically a free pass in Korea re: language...in Japan, it's learn Japanese or GTFO.

"Foreigner taxis?" Ladies wearing red walking around giving information in English? Korea coddles foreigners in an official capacity sometimes.

[jvalmer]

- they drive on the left
- buying habits is just as nationalistic as Korea, mostly Japanese cars and electronics are almost all Japanese
- not as many high rises as I imagined, probably because of earthquakes
- Narita wasn't as impressive as Incheon, but Kansai airport is massive, and the train bridge over the water is cool
- the English signs on subways is lacking if you travel outside of tourist hot spots
- compared to Korea, Japan isn't that easy to get around just knowing English
- the trains shake back and forth constantly, i think this might have to do with earthquake compensation
- glad I bought the month long JR-Pass, otherwise I would have blown my budget travelling between cities
- those special massage places are just as prevalent as in Korea, including those cards with those sexy girls on them
- the prices from the 10 years ago are basically the same as now, which indicates they have had little economic growth for at least 10 years
- customs asks a lot of questions for an Asian country, all the other Asian countries was basically look at your passport and stamp, then you're on your way
- surprised to discover a lot of those guys working service jobs in Osaka are actually Korean-Japanese
- met a drunk Japanese guy who called Koreans Nazis, ironic considering Japan allied with the Nazis
- met a foreign business rep and he said at one high level meeting, couple of the higher level Japanese mangers just whipped out a cigarette and started smoking, right in the middle of his presentation. I wonder if this happens in Korea?

Couple things I've noticed with all the Asian countries I've noticed
- all Asians love eating rice and eggs
- People allowed to sell things on buses. In Korea now it's limited to adjummas trying to sell you kim on tour buses at rest stops, but from what I've been told, it used to be common in the 3rd world days. Guy just hops on and sells candy, cigarettes, whatever, and hops off without paying

[bde2]

[AsiaESLbound]

Sounds like a face saving collective hooked into a matrix via cybernetic links. Call it a more advanced civilization Korea aspires to be. I think it's totally geek.

[Bloopity Bloop]

Having lived in Japan, every time I leave the place, I long for it. Whenever I return, I immediately wonder why I ever left the place. After a few weeks, the novelty wears off again. Even though I have the opportunity to travel anywhere I want at this point in my life--I've a feeling that I might be returning to Japan this summer break. For the 4th time this year It's just convenient for me because I have friends to live with and it's almost like a second or third home (toss up with Shanghai).

[thunderbird]

they know how to line up! why didn't they teach the koreans that in all the time they ruled here?

[furtakk]

i live in daegu and i've only visited tokyo, so i can't give a fair seoul vs tokyo comparison. that said there were a few differences i noticed.

-way cleaner. not that the streets are filled with trash in korea, but they just 'look dirty' if you know what i mean. in tokyo, i felt like there were dudes mopping those roads every night.
-a lot more fat people. mostly men obviously, but i rarely see overweight koreans. i saw a ton of overweight japanese guys.
-no japanese 'adjummas' or 'adjoshis.' although to be fair, i was mostly in touristy areas most of the time, but even when i stepped out of the tourist areas i didn't notice any sort of similar thing.
-as bad a rep as korea gets for their lack of english ability, i found japan to be much worse. outside of my hostel no one i encountered spoke english. and i was in touristy areas. in korea, even if i go to a coffee shop, cell phone shop, etc in my local hood, the servers automatically use some sort of broken english with me.
-a lot more business and professional looking people on the subway. i don't know about seoul, but in daegu the subway is pretty much all students, the elderly, and non-professionals. i rarely see business men riding the subway.
-a lot more foreigners who aren't military/english teachers. i saw an indian guy working at a mcdonalds, white dudes in business suits, a white girl working at a starbucks, australian high school students (this one baffled me the most, i guess some exchange program), etc.
-way more expensive. as cool as i found tokyo, it is prohibitively expensive unless you are balling out of control, i.e. you have a real job that isn't teaching esl.
-way more 'different' looking people. i think koreans dress well and are quite trendy (at least more so than your average 20 something canadian/us/brit), but the problem is they only have like three different looks that they ALL follow. in tokyo, their was way more diversity amongst the younger japanese kids in the way the dressed and that sort of thing.
-the architecture isn't an eyesore.

[oskinny1]

[catman]

Porn mags in every convenience store.

[bde2]

[oskinny1]

Dude, someone put trash in your basket and you are positive it was because you're a foreigner. Get a grip man.


And don't call me buddy, pal.

[cj1976]

I've never been to Japan, but I want to go sometime soon. I've heard how well mannered they are compared to Koreans, which I want to see for myself.
I saw a Japanese family having breakfast at a hotel in Bali, and the kids were actually sitting in the chairs eating, rather than running around the room unsupervised by their parents. Also, one of the young kids coughed and she politely covered her mouth and turned away - something I've been trying to teach my students for the last 3 years.
However, that was just one Japanese family. No doubt there are some bad ones too, but compared to the kids running amok in VIPS, these were little angels.

[The Gipkik]