# Off-Topic Discussion > The Lounge > Ask/Tell Me About >  >  Ask me about Japan, culture, language, history.

## Emi Chan

I decided to create this thread because I've seen a few threads floating around with questions regarding my culture, people, language, history, etc.. I do not know every single thing about my country but I am a native and I can answer many questions for anyone who is curious about certain things regarding Japan. I'll give you a list of a few interesting things that people from other countries in general do not know about Japan. =^.^=

I will also add a few photos of culture and additional aspects of interesting things to see in Japan as time goes on.

On my profile you will notice my location is "_Nippon_". Nippon is the native name of Japan which literally means "_The Sun's origin_". It's quite often translated to "_The Land of the Rising Sun._"The national flag of Japan has a red dot which is a symbolic representation of the Sun.The Sun appears red in Japan.There are more than 200 volcano's in Japan.Japan is 70% mountains.Japan is made up of well over 6000 islands.Japan is divided into nine large regions and further divided into 47 smaller prefectures.Japan has the seventh largest population in the world.Japan is about the size of California and has half the population of the entire United States.Japan has a socialized medical system.The legislature elects the Japanese prime minister, not the people.There are four writing systems. Hiragana, Kanji, Katakana and Romaji.We drive on the left side.It is extremely difficult for a foreigner to become a naturalized citizen of Japan. Junior high and high school students wear uniforms.Most elementary school children commute to school on foot, and it is helpful if they wear bright yellow caps, raincoats, rubber boots as well as yellow umbrellas that stand out clearly when visibility is poor in rainy weather. Younger children have yellow rain covers to put over their school backpacks called randoseru ランドセル.Teachers move from class to class and the students stay in one roomGolden Retrievers are extremely popular.敬老の日 (_keiro no hi_) is a national holiday in honor of senior citizens in Japan which is celebrated every year on the 3rd Monday in September. It is not the same as "Grandparents Day" in the U.S. The Japanese media take the opportunity to feature the elderly, reporting on the population and highlighting the oldest people in the country. Also on this day many tobacco companies will hand out free cigarettes to the elderly outside of train stations and department stores.There are no 24 hour ATMs in Japan. They are normally closed on holidays and many only open during normal bank hours.The green traffic light is called 青(_ao_) which is "blue" in Japanese.The WALK lights on street corners make a chirping sound so that the blind can know when to cross the street.It is considered rude to say the word "no" directly.it is considered rude to pet someone on the head.We eat Pizza topped with corn, sesame seeds, and mayonnaise.It will always take one to two hours for a pizza to be delivered.The place to be on Christmas Day is your local KFC restaurant.You can smoke virtually anywhere.If you attend a funeral or wedding it is customary to give money to the family.There are vending machines almost on every corner.You can buy soft drinks, tea, vitamin drinks, coffee, chips, batteries, beer, sake, wine, condoms, cigarettes, tampons, comic books, hot dogs, light bulbs, noodles pornographic magazines, videos, sex toys, toilet paper, rice, hot meals, milk, newspapers, gum, disposable cameras, compact disc and used women's underwear from vending machines.Some of us eat rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner.It is an ill omen to stick your chopsticks upright in your rice. it is impolite to tear the wrapping paper off of a gift.There is almost no vandalism in Japan.Most Japanese people has never tried or tasted turkey.Fruit is very expensive.It is not uncommon to pay $2 for a single apple.Watermelon can cost up to $100 dollars.It is customary to take shoes off before entering ones home. You are normally provided with slippers to walk about within the home.According to a survey, Japanese own an average of 7 umbrellas per person and annual demand for umbrellas was 100 million.Sometimes, even though it was clear in the morning, it will start raining in the middle of the day. For times like these, many people keep an extra umbrella at school or workplace, called an oki-gasa.McDonald's is pronounced Ma-ku-do-na-ru-do.It is not uncommon to see women wearing platform shoes that are 4 to 6 inches high.The new generation of Japanese are not as short as most westerners think.Most Japanese kitchens do not have ovens.Christianity consist of less than 10% of the population.Most homes do not have central heat or air.A movie ticket is roughly $18 U.S. dollars per person.Public trash cans are scarce.Subways are very clean.There are Oshiyas or "_Pushers_" at the train station stops in Tokyo,  whose job is to push and pack as many people onto the train as possible.It is not uncommon for women to get groped on crowded trains.Pokemon is not popular in Japan.Fair skin is regarded as beautiful.Whale is a delicacy.Clothes are hung outside to dry.Heated toilet seats are very popular.

Words that are related to rain. These are named by vocal imitation of the sound in which each type of rainfall makes.


ぽつぽつ *Potsu-potsu* - dripping sound when it begins to rain.
しとしと   *Shito-shito*   - continuous fine precipitation as when it rains all day.
ザーザー *Zha-zha*       - huge downpour, usually very hard rain.                    

*(C)* official Japan tourism logo. 2009

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## Maria92

Thank you for this thread.  :smiley:  It is very helpful for me. I'm looking to study abroad in Japan, and perhaps even move there one day. I had just a few questions:
How expensive would you guess land is in rural Japan? What is life like there?
How expensive are lychees? I do so love these...
Would it be possible to "westernize" a home in the less populated areas? Shower, oven, etc...?
How difficult do you think it would be to obtain a position in pharmacy?

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## Mes Tarrant

In your opinion, what are the main cultural differences between Japan and Korea? After 2 years in Korea, I _might_ go over to Japan for a year, if I can.

Also, do you know anything about the availability of teaching positions there? In Korea there are more positions than there are foreigners, so there's hardly any competition. I hear it's a bit different there...?

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## CoLd BlooDed

"The “WALK” lights on street corners make a chirping sound so that the blind can know when to cross the street."

Don't they have this everywhere?  It's here in BC, too.

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## Taosaur

I've seen a lot of news stories about young working-age people in Japan feeling hopeless, a widespread fascination with suicide, and "suicide meet-ups" being regularly arranged online. Does that seem accurate to you? What do you think is/are the prevailing attitude(s) about suicide now?





> "The WALK lights on street corners make a chirping sound so that the blind can know when to cross the street."
> 
> Don't they have this everywhere?  It's here in BC, too.



You see them in Ohio, but they're not common.

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## grasshoppa

Why is fruit so damn expensive? Watermelons are like 5-10 bucks at the most lol

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## Keresztanya

> Why is fruit so damn expensive? Watermelons are like 5-10 bucks at the most lol



I don't think there's enough room to grow fruits in Japan, so they have to import them from other countries
that's just a guess though

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## Lëzen

^In which case, it'd probably be cheaper to just have your relatives mail you packages full of fruit.





> "The WALK lights on street corners make a chirping sound so that the blind can know when to cross the street."
> 
> Don't they have this everywhere?  It's here in BC, too.



Got 'em where I live. Also seen them in some major California cities like San Jose. They're obnoxious as all hell and I hope whoever came up with the idea falls down a manhole...in the most comical sense possible, of course.

Anyway, one thing my Japanese sensei talked about was this one waterfall (forgot the name) where people go to commit suicide...usually over something like getting bad marks on a test. Which sounds quite trivial to us, but in Japanese culture, failure is apparently disgraceful enough to warrant killing yourself over, am I right?

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## Mes Tarrant

It seems to also be an honorable act, too. For example, an ex president of Korea like... was in all this controversy about whatever, and then he committed suicide, and everyone magically forgave and forgot about everything else. A famous actress was in debt, and she committed suicide. Another famous actress had to do sexual favors for people to get the role that made her famous and SHE committed suicide. 

Recently someone jumped off a bridge not far from where I live, and students giggled about it when they heard. It's so bizarre.

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## Dannon Oneironaut

o genki desu ka?

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## Maria92

> I don't think there's enough room to grow fruits in Japan, so they have to import them from other countries
> that's just a guess though



Hmm...so, if I were to move to a rural part of japan and begin farming a small orchard, I could *theoretically* sell off the extra fruit for a semi-decent profit?

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## Dannon Oneironaut

> Hmm...so, if I were to move to a rural part of japan and begin farming a small orchard, I could *theoretically* sell off the extra fruit for a semi-decent profit?



You gotta grow square watermelons. Grow them in boxes. They stack easier in the stores and shipping and are very expensive. But you could make a better profit off creating an apartment building and selling it. I think apartment buildings are called mansions there.

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## Maria92

> You gotta grow square watermelons. Grow them in boxes. They stack easier in the stores and shipping and are very expensive. But you could make a better profit off creating an apartment building and selling it. I think apartment buildings are called mansions there.



Heh heh. I was thinking more on the lines of lychee trees and whatnot, but square watermelons could also be fun.

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## Emi Chan

> Thank you for this thread.  It is very helpful for me. I'm looking to study abroad in Japan, and perhaps even move there one day. I had just a few questions:
> How expensive would you guess land is in rural Japan?



I'm very happy that I could help. ^.^ If you are planning to study abroad in Japan, I think you should start by learning basic Japanese language now. Even though you can find English speaking Japanese fairly easy in large cities like Tokyo they are not so common in the outskirts. If you are thinking of living in a more rural area of Japan then you will find almost no one that speaks any other language besides Japanese. My grandparents live in one of the more southern areas on the island of Kyushuu in Saga prefecture. The dialect is also quite different as they speak a more "_country slang_" type Japanese dialect also referred to as ((佐賀弁) "_Saga-ben_" Many of Saga's dialectical properties are variants, in particles or conjugations, of regular Japanese. This is quite common in outskirts as many rural areas has their own sort of dialect. I think you should look into purchasing Rosetta Stone before you go. Just to get a good sense of common words. You could also take advantage of a free website that is very informative regarding the teachings of basic Japanese. 

Take a look at Japanese Pod101. This is a very good tool for learning basic Japanese. ^.^ In any case you want to get as much of the basics under your belt before you go it can make your transitions that much more smoother. You will also find that Japanese people tend to flock more toward foreigners that are able to speak their native language. Most Japanese girls including myself find foreigners who speak Japanese very attractive ^.^





> What is life like there?



Crowded.  :smiley:  Actually it could be quite a culture shock for those who has never visited before. There is a lot to take in and it could become quite overwhelming for those not accustomed to Japan's lifestyle. There is a lot more in Japan than just Sushi ^.^. I would say the best way to travel within Japan is by train considering all the trains actually do form a true network and they are always on time usually running every 15 minutes. It's not uncommon to see quarky things happening in large cities like Tokyo. There is really a lot to see but key places of interest for most foreigners visiting are Tokyo, Kyoto, Nagoya, Osaka and Okinawa. Just as I mentioned before one of the most important things is to make sure you learn a few basic Japanese phrases before you get on the plane, and then accept the fact that you won't be able to understand the answers to any of them. But by at least saying '_sumimasen_' (excuse me or pardon me) you might get some attention and understanding, and then quite possibly an answer in English. Do not be afraid to embrace Japan for what it is. We are a proud people, with that in mind try as much as possible to mimic Japanese and become Japanese if you are to live there. You will see a vast amount of differences from what you are normally accustomed to. Try as much as possible to embrace the differences without judgement. In Japan, you will see young girls in incredibly short skirts everywhere, at all hours. It is very common. You will see pornographic magazines frequently in a lot of convenient stores and on the trains. You will be around people who smoke and drink, and then smoke and drink some more, and then fall down. Accept it, it's part of my culture and a good example of how a personally tolerant and incredibly safe my society functions. Most Japanese are heavy drinkers and if you make friends and go out with any Japanese keep in mind that they will keep your glass full. Most restaurants and any functions of entertainment are going to be pretty expensive. People are very kind and considerate to foreigners and very helpful if you find yourself lost. Rural areas are more close knit with consisting of people of older traditional Japanese etiquette. You can read as much as you like on blogs and help sites but you will never really get the full understanding until you actually arrive. While tradition and etiquette may be a little more important in Japan than some other countries, keep in mind that people are people and as a new comer you'll be expected to screw up once in a while. So relax, have a good time, and make a fool of yourself. It's inevitable.

Just don't forget to remove your shoes. ^.^





> How expensive are lychees? I do so love these...



I am not all to sure but I will try and find out. I would assume that they are quite expensive as they are usually imported from China and Thailand. I've never purchased them before but I will find out for you.  :wink2: 





> Would it be possible to "westernize" a home in the less populated areas? Shower, oven, etc...?



It's possible. My fathers home in Fukuoka is like his home here in the U.S. with just a few subtle differences. He has central air. I do recall how much he complained about how hard it was to find and from what I understand it can get quite expensive to run. We have showers in all 3 bathrooms and a digital stove in the kitchen. Usually most homes in Japan consist of a sort of heat pump unit within each room thats usually mounted on the walls and are operated by a remote control device. They pump out cold air and hot air and operate as dehumidifyers as well. Digital stoves are becoming more common placed in homes also.





> How difficult do you think it would be to obtain a position in pharmacy?



In my opinion the poor economic conditions are making things quite difficult to find work in Japan. If you are over 21 and you have a degree and you are not overly particular then the chances of finding work is essentially easier. I do not really know what employment is like in pharmaceuticals but I am sure there is a demand. Just keep in mind that the current recession is affecting wages and the number of jobs that are available. Make sure you have enough funds to last you until you are able to find something even if it's not in the field of pharmaceuticals, you can find a number of opportunities in a variety of other areas and fields that could hold you over until you find something in your area of expertise.   :wink2:  Also keep in mind that jobs in the service industry usually require a high degree of Japanese ability. People with high levels of expertise in a certain field sometimes find work despite not being able to speak Japanese, but such people are the exception.





> In your opinion, what are the main cultural differences between Japan and Korea? After 2 years in Korea, I _might_ go over to Japan for a year, if I can.



Foods are certainly different in my opinion. Koreans tend to use herbs and chillis and we use more soy sauce and binto soup. Also certain kinds of foods can be quite spicy to me. As far as culture, Koreans Hanbok traditional clothing seems to lean more toward Chinese traditional clothing in appearance. I feel that Korean culture leans a lot toward Chinese culture as they normally seem to celebrate the same holidays as Chinese. Koreans seem to have a stronger outward expression in their feelings and thoughts and we normally find it more courteous to stay fairly quiet and keep a lot of words to ourselves. The first time I've visited Korea I was in shock to see that they did have open displays of affection in public which is something you do not normally see in my country. Korea's technological infrastructure seems to have been on the rise for the past few years and I believe I've read somewhere that they currently hold the number one spot in the world for internet speeds. I think the younger generations of Japanese and Koreans are quite similar in appearance as they both tend to overly dye their hair and are greatly influenced by western things. Considering that Japan consist of a group of islands we have a long history of interdependency and isolationism form the mainland unlike Korea I believe it gives my country it's own sort of uniqueness even if Japanese and Koreans tend to look very much alike ^.^

I can understand bits and pieces of Korean language when spoken because phonetically it appears to be similar to Japanese. There are many aspects of japanese daily life that is quite westernized compared to modern Korea. The association feeling of the U.S. is more predominate in Japan. Religion is a very huge difference also.





> Also, do you know anything about the availability of teaching positions there? In Korea there are more positions than there are foreigners, so there's hardly any competition. I hear it's a bit different there...?



Yes its quite the opposite. From my understanding there are a limited number of positions available to a large number of applicants. I also understand that participants are selected on a qualitative rather than quota basis. For this reason they have no data or statistical information that supports the true fluctuation of demand and supply. The program for teaching English position that is mostly utilized in Japan is called JET / Japan Exchange & Teaching program






> "The WALK lights on street corners make a chirping sound so that the blind can know when to cross the street."
> 
> Don't they have this everywhere?  It's here in BC, too.



Yup. There are quite a few places and major cities in the U.S. that doesn't have this. 





> I don't think there's enough room to grow fruits in Japan, so they have to import them from other countries
> that's just a guess though



Fruit is considered perishable so importing is quite expensive. Also our government protects the agricultural sector intensely. We see ourselves as an agricultural nation. Many of the more powerful politicians come from farming prefectures and must support their communities to remain in office. The farmers normally protected from imports of crops similar to their products. Oranges for examples are popular but Japanese farmers of mikan (mandarin oranges) opposed imports. Much of the high price you see in all imported agricultural products are tariffs.






> Anyway, one thing my Japanese sensei talked about was this one waterfall (forgot the name) where people go to commit suicide...usually over something like getting bad marks on a test. Which sounds quite trivial to us, but in Japanese culture, failure is apparently disgraceful enough to warrant killing yourself over, am I right?



Hikikomori has been introduced as one of several reasons why the suicide rate among young Japanese tend to have increased. Hikikomori is a psychological condition that deals primarily with isolation. Hence, the reason why there tends to have become a rise in suicides where individual have met over the internet as a result in group suicides. This area depresses me so I'm not going to be completely elaborative on this. There has been a "counter-suicide white paper" plan that has been introduced which will hopefully curve the suicide rate by 20% over the next 10 years. Some additional information can be located on this link.





> You gotta grow square watermelons. Grow them in boxes. They stack easier in the stores and shipping and are very expensive. But you could make a better profit off creating an apartment building and selling it. I think apartment buildings are called mansions there.



Square watermelons where purposely created in efforts to stop round watermelons from tumbling around in the refrigerator. For those who has never seen one, here is a nice photo.

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## Maria92

^.^
Yay!
Thank you so much! Or (correct me if I'm wrong), 本当にありがとう！　I think...heh.
Definitely gonna have to check out the website. Now that things are beginning to slow down a bit more, I can hopefully start learning Japanese! I have a very (very) basic vocabulary, and I would love if I could expand it and actually do something with it. 





> You will also find that Japanese people tend to flock more toward foreigners that are able to speak their native language. *Most Japanese girls including myself find foreigners who speak Japanese very attractive* ^.^



WOOOOOO!  ::biggrin::  Motivator ahoy!  :boogie: 

Thank you so much, again, for taking the time to answer our questions.  :smiley:

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## CryoDragoon

Right... Something I've been thinking about recently...

How romanticized is the world of ancient/feudal Japan in the current mainstream? Is it akin to the way the Wild West is portrayed? Or the Middle Ages? 

We all know the glamorous and great stories of samurai and great lords, and stuff, but how was it... _really_?

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## Emi Chan

> ^.^
> Yay!
> Thank you so much! Or (correct me if I'm wrong), 本当にありがとう！　I think...heh.
> Definitely gonna have to check out the website. Now that things are beginning to slow down a bit more, I can hopefully start learning Japanese! I have a very (very) basic vocabulary, and I would love if I could expand it and actually do something with it. 
> 
> Thank you so much, again, for taking the time to answer our questions.



taihen yoku dekimashita! (_You did very well! ^.^_)

Do itashimashite (_you're welcome_)





> Right... Something I've been thinking about recently...
> 
> How romanticized is the world of ancient/feudal Japan in the current mainstream? Is it akin to the way the Wild West is portrayed? Or the Middle Ages? 
> 
> We all know the glamorous and great stories of samurai and great lords, and stuff, but how was it... _really_?



The great Samurai's of the past are not 'overly' glamorized in modern Japan, but they are looked upon as heroes with the highest admiration of honor and respect. We learn about their history in schools. You can notice certain Samurai influences upon Japanese video games, film, television and animation. So the idea and the general influences are very much still alive. The ideas the Samurai's has stood for in ancient times are still very much predominate in Japan but on a different level. One of the key elements of importance are of loyalty to one's superior, this is exercised in a great deal in everyday Japanese life. There is a different way words are expressed when you are talking to someone who considered a hierarchy, in this sense it shows respect and honor. Self sacrifice and personal honor is a great influence from ancient times that is very well and alive in modern day Japan. Regarding self-sacrifice it is important to note that I am referring to personal production and how it is virtually easy for any Japanese to put others who has a hierarchy status above their own before themselves. In any case Jidaigeki (old drama) is pretty much popularized on Japanese television. The legacy of the Samurai is an intricate part of our society and it rears it's head under certain subtle conditions. They will always have the highest honor and respect.

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## Man of Shred

Thank you for this thread Switch. Do you have any comment on foreigners in japan. I have heard it is quite hard for white people in japan. I KNOW that some White Gaijin, can treat japan like it is a party place and show little respect. but not ALL gaijin are that way.

 Do you see this social structure changing at all in the future?

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## khh

> There are four writing systems. Hiragana, Kanji, Katakana and Romaji.



As far as I understand both hiragana and katakana are syllabary, why do you need both?
And how common is it to use the latin alphabet for text in day to day life? (If you're a tourist, are you likely to encounter it, or is it mostly just on the internet or elsewhere where it might be difficult to use other glyphs)





> It is customary to take shoes off before entering ones home. You are normally provided with slippers to walk about within the home.



Would you take of your shoes while you are still outside the house, or just inside the door?





> 



What does the first word mean?

edit: Oh, and one more thing. There are several ways of referring to yourself in Japanese, like 'ore', 'boku', 'watashi' and 'atashi'. As far as I understand the first two are used by men and the latter by women. Other than that, what do they mean/imply? What is the difference between them?

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## Armistice

> As far as I understand both hiragana and katakana are syllabary, why do you need both?
> And how common is it to use the latin alphabet for text in day to day life? (If you're a tourist, are you likely to encounter it, or is it mostly just on the internet or elsewhere where it might be difficult to use other glyphs)



As I understand, and have learned, Hirigana is what is usually used for all Japanese words (as long as Kanji isn't being used).  Katakana is used for un-Japanese words, like spelling out Western names, places, and such.  COrrect me if I'm wrong, Switch.  (I hope I didn't get them mixed up, but I do know that one is for Western-like words like spelling names)

I also wanted to ask about Romanji?  I've never heard of that.  What's it used for

Is anime as popular that as Americans may think?  I think that we have a thought that it's big over there(Bigger than it is here)

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## grasshoppa

This thread makes me want to visit. It would be sweet to go there and learn Judo or Aikido for a few months while working and embracing the culture. 

Is martial arts popular in Japan? I used to think that the average Japanese person took Judo or Karate at some point in their lives, but thats probably not the case. 

Also, how hard is it to just find regular jobs? Like construction or cooking or something simple to do for 6 months to a year? Is it easy to get around by using public transportation in the big cities? 

I'll probably have more questions later, thanks for this thread  :smiley:

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## Mes Tarrant

Yeah I too am curious about how Japanese people perceive the foreigners living there!

Korea's foreigners are CRAP!  ::D:  My favorite activity is complaining about them. It seems like Korea attracts all the losers and misfits from the West. 

I've heard of JET and would have applied to it if I wasn't such a procrastinator (it's a lengthy application). But I've also heard that these past couple of years, that program has been falling apart, in a big way. Lots of teachers losing their jobs and stuff...

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## Emi Chan

Sorry these are not in order  :tongue2:  Nevertheless you all had some very excellent questions and i sincerley hope I've accommodated everyone questions if not please feel free to let me know and perhaps I can explain a different way.  :smiley: 





> Thank you for this thread Switch. Do you have any comment on foreigners in japan. I have heard it is quite hard for white people in japan. I KNOW that some White Gaijin, can treat japan like it is a party place and show little respect. but not ALL gaijin are that way.
> 
> Do you see this social structure changing at all in the future?







> Yeah I too am curious about how Japanese people perceive the foreigners living there!



Thank you for your questions Man of Shred. I love sharing stories regarding my country^.^ I just wish I would've done this earlier.  :tongue2:  

In my city Fukuoka-shi, foreigners are very scarce and I normally do not encounter any outsiders until I travel to one of the more populous areas like Tokyo or Kyoto and they are usually in fair numbers at the electronic district Akihabara or Roppongi. It seems as though a lot of foreigners flock to most of the party scenes at night and that's when I see the majority of them. It's almost as if they are still in their time zone. Japanese people find a certain curiosity toward foreigners in which if visiting you will receive a great deal of attention because people want to know what it is like on your side of the world. On another note many Japanese will not tend to deal with foreigners immediately and it's not out of rudeness it's mainly because we do not want to inconvenience your experience. We are very proud of our country and we want you to be just as proud of your visit. In any sense if a foreigner were to speak a little Japanese they will find it will take them a very long way and it generally breaks the ice. We can get pretty outrageous ourselves especially with the amount of pranks that goes on daily in large cities so we normally do not get offended when a foreigner like the MTV's Jackass team comes to Japan and act crazy while having fun.  :smiley:  We actually get quite amused.

As for a social change in foreign acceptance in the future. I think the acceptance is already there as we are finding more and more foreigners visiting our country often. You can see it very well within the industry as a lot of advertisements has some sort of western influence or a lot of English alphabets within them as we do find English letters to be very cool the same as people from outside Japan find Hiragana to be very cool ^.^






> This thread makes me want to visit. It would be sweet to go there and learn Judo or Aikido for a few months while working and embracing the culture. 
> 
> Is martial arts popular in Japan? I used to think that the average Japanese person took Judo or Karate at some point in their lives, but thats probably not the case.



You should visit. It will be an unforgettable experience for you. Martial Arts is very popular in Japan with Aikido and Karate being the most popular two. Aikido has a very important philosophical meaning behind it which incorporates the unification of lifes ki  氣 and the control of ki to harmonize the spirit. A lot of teenagers in Japan will take Aikido not normally for fighting techniques but to heighten ones spirit and to get one to become well oriented and familiar with their own ki as well as the ki around them. Aikido teaches us how to redirect the flow of ki from an aggressor and to utilize their ki against them. I did not do very well when I took class for Aikido as a little girl, my sensei was very tough on me.  :Sad: 





> Also, how hard is it to just find regular jobs? Like construction or cooking or something simple to do for 6 months to a year?



I think for someone who has intermediate Japanese spoken skills it is usually fairly easy to find simple work. Japan enforces immigration laws a great deal. So you will need a proper Visa to work their. If you are between the ages of 18-25 you can get a holiday working Visa which is valid for 6 months depending on which county you are originally from. If you are over 25 then more than likely you will need a full work visa, which usually entails having a job sponsor in Japan, and meeting immigration requirements for a work visa, which usually includes having a university bachelors degree.





> Is it easy to get around by using public transportation in the big cities?



Yes I would highly recommend it. The public transits system is a bit pricey but you will arrive on time. As I mentioned earlier, Japan has a true working network infrastructure of it's transit system. During rush hour times it can be pretty hectic as the flock of business men and women pour out of those office buildings and onto the transits systems. Those trains can become crowded very quickly. So do not let this surpise you.







> I'll probably have more questions later, thanks for this thread



No problem ^.^ I'll try my best to answer as throughly and concise as possible. 





> Korea's foreigners are CRAP!  My favorite activity is complaining about them. It seems like Korea attracts all the losers and misfits from the West.



I believe Japan gets it's fair share also.  :tongue2: 





> I've heard of JET and would have applied to it if I wasn't such a procrastinator (it's a lengthy application). But I've also heard that these past couple of years, that program has been falling apart, in a big way. Lots of teachers losing their jobs and stuff...



I actually haven't heard this but it is very interesting news. I'll take a look further and see how the program is standing up currently and let you know if anything is going downhill for it.  :wink2: 





> As far as I understand both hiragana and katakana are syllabary, why do you need both?



Armistice explained this very well. ^.^





> As I understand, and have learned, Hirigana is what is usually used for all Japanese words (as long as Kanji isn't being used).  Katakana is used for un-Japanese words, like spelling out Western names, places, and such.  COrrect me if I'm wrong, Switch.  (I hope I didn't get them mixed up, but I do know that one is for Western-like words like spelling names)



Very good.  :wink2: 





> And how common is it to use the latin alphabet for text in day to day life? (If you're a tourist, are you likely to encounter it, or is it mostly just on the internet or elsewhere where it might be difficult to use other glyphs)



It's fairly common and as a tourist you will encounter Romaji pretty much all around you in Japan. They are normally used on street signs, corporation names, convenient shops and stores, magazines and other forms of advertising are expressed Romaji by extension English. We are taught to read and write Romaji in early elementary school.





> Would you take of your shoes while you are still outside the house, or just inside the door?



There is normally a small space that is inside the door where shoes are removed this space is referred to as "Genkan" This space is also considered as the face of the house that faces outside. Shoes are removed in this area and normally one step up within traditional Japanese house you will come across a rack for slippers and you put those on for entrance into the remainder of the home. Shoes are removed as feel the need to separate the outside from the inside of the home and to keep cleanliness within the home, also for the purpose of relaxation once one enters the home.





> What does the first word mean?



*Yokoso* means "_welcome_' *Yokoso Japan* = _Japan welcomes you_.





> edit: Oh, and one more thing. There are several ways of referring to yourself in Japanese, like 'ore', 'boku', 'watashi' and 'atashi'. As far as I understand the first two are used by men and the latter by women. Other than that, what do they mean/imply? What is the difference between them?



The words are gender specific as you've pointed out. The difference for me when I am talking to the opposite sex the word '_ore_' is not usually expressed by males speaking to me but could very well be more expressed by males when they are speaking with another male on professional terms. Boku sounds a little more pleasant for me when I hear a male utilize a first person's noun. I rarely use the word watashi or atashi in normal conversations. In any case a lot of times within our normal everyday conversation subjects are usually dropped so you do not hear these expression to often. I hear them more by foreigners who speak Japanese than native Japanese speakers.  :wink2: 





> I also wanted to ask about Romanji?  I've never heard of that.  What's it used for.



Romaji usually refers to the romanization of Japanese words that would usually be written in kanji or kana. It is normally used in Japan for street signs also for visiting foreigners, transcription of personal, company, or place names to be used in another language context, dictionaries and textbooks for learners of the language; or even simply for typographic emphasis. There are several variation of romanizations systems used in Japan. Here is an example how it works

*Example:* I (_referring to oneself_)
Romaji: Watashi
Hirigana: わたし　(わ＝wa, た＝ta, し＝shi)
Kanji: 私






> Is anime as popular that as Americans may think?  I think that we have a thought that it's big over there(Bigger than it is here)



Actually anime is quite popularized in certain areas of Japan. Akihabara is Tokyo's electronics, gadget, animation culture and manga center. If you have a love for manga and anime your taste will be fulfilled here. A lot of my male friends brag about this place as you will see girls dressed a lot in cos-play for famous anime and manga characters. 

This is basically what you will see there.

----------


## grasshoppa

Is theft common in big cities? So many people, it seems like it would be easy for a pickpocket to roam around and hide among the people. 

Are there programs that help North Americans get job sponsors? I've never spend more than 2 weeks in a foreign country...I'll have to look into what it takes to apply for work visas. I've been thinking about taking kinesology in university...I wonder if there would be a demand for trainers in Japan becuase of that new waistline limit law they passed recently...

Wow...I think I'm developing goals for the first time in my life.

----------


## Emi Chan

> Is theft common in big cities? So many people, it seems like it would be easy for a pickpocket to roam around and hide among the people.



It's pretty common but it's also very highly monitored by surveillance cameras. Which leads me to another topic of importance. Cameras are normally discreet and hidden but they are everywhere. If and when theft occurs it's dealt with pretty swiftly. When you visit Japan just do not lose your basic common sense principles. As for any crime anywhere, they mostly occur because a criminal see's an opportunity so make sure you do not give one.





> Are there programs that help North Americans get job sponsors? I've never spend more than 2 weeks in a foreign country...I'll have to look into what it takes to apply for work visas.



Yes there are several programs that you will find very helpful. I've had to consult with one of my friends who is actually a U.S. citizen working in Japan right now, she gave a few good tips. It's a bit of information but whenever you have time take a look at these links.

Japan Times Jobs 
Do not get intimidated by the hiragana on this site, it's very conducive to English as well.  :wink2: 

Daijob/Work in Japan

Careercross

CDS - Consulting

Japan Jobs guide

Tokyo Connections

Asiaco

Asia-net

Also a good read over The Visa Game in Japan will give you some pretty good insight on what to expect. Also there are some great reference stories from experienced people who has went through the steps to finding sponsors and work within Japan. If this doesn't help you in any way please let me know and I will find other resources to direct you to. ^.^





> I've been thinking about taking kinesology in university...I wonder if there would be a demand for trainers in Japan becuase of that new waistline limit law they passed recently...
> 
> Wow...I think I'm developing goals for the first time in my life.



Kinesology is an awesome field of study. I've always wanted to learn a bit about human kinetics myself.  :smiley:  I'm not all to sure of the demand for this field but I would think it would be pretty much in demand. I'll see if I can find out any additional information for you.  :wink2:  Let me know if the links and resources I've provided were of any help. ^.^

----------


## Black_Eagle

1. What is life like for the students? I have heard it is very hard.

2. What are the core differences between a typical American and a typical Japanese person?

3. How often does a person own their own car?

----------


## grasshoppa

Wow, thank you again for putting all that effort into your post. 

I glanced that the job sites. They would definately be useful when the time comes, I use similar sites to find jobs in Canada. 

Also, I found this very interesting:





> During the bubble it was very common for people to obtain "Cultural" visas as a way to stay in Japan. These visas are granted for six month periods so that people can study different cultural aspects of Japan, including Japanese language, flower arranging, judo, etc. The main requirement to get this was that you be enrolled in one of these kinds of schools and have evidence of attendance to renew after six months. Under this visa, people can work up to 20 hours a week, but since nobody is really counting, people often piece together a couple of part-time jobs for full-time work.



That would be a pretty good way to get a foot in the country without a college degree. Even if I did obtain one before going, it would be a good way to line up a job that would be suitable for my education, and then apply for a work-visa.

EDIT: Also, how can I get Hirigana to display properly for mozzilla firefox? All I see are boxes with numbers.

----------


## slayer

> It is not uncommon for women to get groped on crowded trains.



This is something I don't like...

Does anyone actually do anything about this?

Also, how are the anime conventions down there? See any catgirls?

----------


## Maria92

> Wow, thank you again for putting all that effort into your post. 
> 
> I glanced that the job sites. They would definately be useful when the time comes, I use similar sites to find jobs in Canada. 
> 
> Also, I found this very interesting:
> 
> 
> 
> That would be a pretty good way to get a foot in the country without a college degree. Even if I did obtain one before going, it would be a good way to line up a job that would be suitable for my education, and then apply for a work-visa.
> ...



Hmm...what I did was install a Japanese language learning software, and that also installed all the symbols. I'm sure there are easier (and cheaper) methods, though. 
For typing in Japanese, just follow this tutorial.  :smiley:

----------


## grasshoppa

Hmm ty. I guess it's kind of useless until I have some grasp on the language anyway. Which probably won't be for a while.

----------


## Maria92

> Hmm ty. I guess it's kind of useless until I have some grasp on the language anyway. Which probably won't be for a while.



If you hit the kana hard and furious, you can nail them in a couple of weeks, no problem. I wrote out the tables several times per day, and I knew them all by heart. Plus, the more you see them (via typing), the more familiar you'll become with them, which will also help. I still read very slowly, and occasionally grapple with the meaning of some, but I'm learning.  :wink2:

----------


## Lëzen

^In my own experience, it's far easier to memorize the kana characters by hand writing them, over and over again. Same was true for learning Cyrillic; typing it out just never did it for me. I'd hazard a guess to say that learning each individual stroke embeds the character more firmly in your mind than simply hitting a key.

...And to any optimistic foreigners who think they can learn kanji, forget it. It's hopeless. I know people who've studied Japanese for years and years, and they've only got a knowledge of...what, 40 characters max? Yeah. Pretty much hopeless.

----------


## Maria92

> ^In my own experience, it's far easier to memorize the kana characters by hand writing them, over and over again. Same was true for learning Cyrillic; typing it out just never did it for me. I'd hazard a guess to say that learning each individual stroke embeds the character more firmly in your mind than simply hitting a key.
> 
> ...And to any optimistic foreigners who think they can learn kanji, forget it. It's hopeless. I know people who've studied Japanese for years and years, and they've only got a knowledge of...what, 40 characters max? Yeah. Pretty much hopeless.



Tee hee, in my prime, I knew about 80, all learned in a few weeks. Then school hit, and it all turned to crap...gotta learn it all again, darn it!  :Mad:

----------


## Emi Chan

> 1. What is life like for the students? I have heard it is very hard.



It's not really hard it's just extremely disciplined. The molding of our society typically starts with the education system and that's where we spend a great deal of our younger years. Unlike the U.S. most high school students do not drive automobiles to school. We either walk, take public transportation or ride bicycle, depending on the distance. The school day normally starts at 8:30am and some students leave home as early as 6:30am if they have to switch lines while taking public transportation. It is not uncommon for students to spend 2 hours in route to school by taking buses and trains. Students attend schools based on standardized high school entrance examination scores. As a result, some students travel a great distance to attend the school determined by their test scores. In any case for those extended commutes most students either study or socialize with their peers. Our behavior is usually regulated by school policies that prohibits certain types of behaviors that may reflect badly on the school, so we normally do not get overly loud or chew gum or eat snacks while using transit system.

Each school has a unique uniform that makes its students easily identifiable to the public. School policies often require students to stand on buses and trains, leaving seats open for other passengers in order to demonstrate consideration. As a student gets further away from school and closer to home you may notice a relaxation in behavior as they can be a little more open.

At school we normally start the day by going to our lockers and taking off our shoes and putting on our Wabaki (_slippers_) and then head off to our home room. Our home room is where we spend most of the day while the Sensei's move from one home room to the next. We do a standard greeting bow to the Sensei as the Sensei bows to us at the start of each class. At the end of our school day we participate in _o-soji_ which is the cleaning of the school. We sweep the classrooms and hallways, clean chalk boards, wipe windows, empty trash and pick up trash from the school grounds. After_ o-soji_ school is dismissed and most students go to different parts of the school for club meetings and then home. ^.^

There's also _Juku_ and _Yobiko_ which are academic studies that prepares students for university entrance exams. These are study classes that are placed usually along transit lines to make it easily accessible once we leave school. _Juku_ and _Yobiko_  studies are a lot more exciting for us because the Sensei's are a lot more interesting ^.^ and animated. I used to leave home at 7:30am for school and arrive home close to 9:00pm.





> 2. What are the core differences between a typical American and a typical Japanese person?



In my opinion, I think we suppress our emotions more than Americans. We tend to look at peoples eyes for emotional cues and I believe that Americans tend to focus on peoples mouths for emotional cues. We tend to shy away from overt displays of emotions in Japan. In America open displays of emotions are tolerated and accepted. We rarely smile or frown with our mouths and Americans use their mouths to display a great variety of emotions. We tend to emphasize more on conformity, humbleness and emotional suppression which is to promote better relationships. This type of conformity is targeted more toward females than males. The eyes are much more difficult to supress emotions thats why we focus more on the eyes rather than the mouths. If you look at our emoticons vs american emoticons it becomes pretty obvious  in which ways both displays their emotions.

Japanese emoticon - happy (^_^)

Japanese emoticon  - sad   ( ;_; )

American emoticon - happy  : )

American emoticon  - sad     : (





> 3. How often does a person own their own car?



I do not think many people own their own vehicles in Japan. A lot of people rely on public transportation. I have friends in Japan and the majority do not hold a drivers license.





> [/LIST]This is something I don't like...
> 
> Does anyone actually do anything about this?
> 
> Also, how are the anime conventions down there? See any catgirls?



They are not doing much of anything. They've arrested a large number of people in the past but this doesn't stop anything. I remember at a time a few years ago when I was in Tokyo there were lots of advertising campaigns that gave women instructions to yell out "CHIKAN!" (_groper_) if they are being groped. There is no way that this could work because they teach us to be discreet about every single thing and now it's back firing on them. So when it happens most women do nothing and act as if nothing is going on to not draw more attention to themselves or cause any particular kind of scene.

The last thing I recall with regards to cracking down on this has been the introduction of "_womens only_" carriages. I think that is a very good idea. I'll look and see if any new developments came out of this and update this thread with new information.





> ...And to any optimistic foreigners who think they can learn kanji, forget it. It's hopeless. I know people who've studied Japanese for years and years, and they've only got a knowledge of...what, 40 characters max? Yeah. Pretty much hopeless.



There are thousands of Kanji scripts and the majority of Japanese do not know them all either. So yes it's literally impossible to know them all. Just focus on the basics that pertains to conversation or everyday things which are a few hundred or so and you will have no problem ^.^

----------


## slayer

Out of my concern for you, please stick to the woman's only carriges .__.

(You also didn't answer my last question  :tongue2: )

----------


## Emi Chan

> Out of my concern for you, please stick to the woman's only carriges .__.



 Thank you ^.^ 





> (You also didn't answer my last question )



Slayer I am so truely sorry, please forgive me  :Sad: 





> Also, how are the anime conventions down there? See any catgirls?




There are lots of conventions that are normally held in Tokyo. Anime and manga are very huge intricate parts of our society as you may already know and it's a big deal in Japan. There are conventions and events that actually occur on a regular basis. Unlike a lot of other cities in other countries where conventions are usually on the only time to cosplay, in Tokyo and around Tokyo we enjoy cosplay fun as we please. ^.^ So it's very normal to see girls dressed up as baby dolls or maids or catgirls walking the streets or riding the trains and buses. Cosplay makes a resprestation in a lot of cafes all the time. Where you will find hostess dressed up as anime characters and other cool manga characters and video game characters. Anime is so extremely widely accepted in Japan that it's not unusual at all to see cosplay in the streets everyday. There are cosplay events that goes on pretty normally in Japan. You will see events in bars, cafes, on the streets or pretty much anywhere you can imagine. On Sundays in the Harajuku district cosplayers come out in droves and you will see virtually any kind of cosplay costume you can imagine. Catgirls are pretty popular but are usually outdone by all the maids and baby dolls. ^.^ 

With all the media events, trade shows and conventions in Japan that happens pretty often, it's pretty much an every weekend thing. If you really love Neko's then you really need to visit Tokyo's Harajuku district and Akihabara district. You will not be dissappointed at all. ^.^ I'll show you a few pictures of some Japanese dressing up as Nekomasume's. ^.^






*This is Takeshita street in the Harajuku district. It looks this crowded everyday all day. These are all photos within the Harajuku district and pretty much what you will expect to see daily ^.^*

----------


## slayer

I'm moving to Japan.

----------


## Maria92

> I'm moving to Japan.



Agreed.

----------


## Man of Shred

Originally Posted by *grasshoppa*  
_This thread makes me want to visit. It would be sweet to go there and learn Judo or Aikido for a few months while working and embracing the culture. 

Is martial arts popular in Japan? I used to think that the average Japanese person took Judo or Karate at some point in their lives, but thats probably not the case.






			
				 	Quote:
 	 	 		 			 				 					Originally Posted by slayer  
I'm moving to Japan.

Agreed.
			
		



 Here's to a DV meetup in japan!

_

----------


## Universal Mind

Switch, is the 1960's television show The Space Giants still popular with kids in Japan? 

In the early 70's, it was dubbed over with English and shown in the United States, where it was a huge hit. It wasn't just commonly liked. Kids were total fanatics for it, and I was one of them. When I was in the first grade, 1978-1979, I got out of school a few minutes before The Space Giants came on, and I lived about half a mile away from school. To make sure I caught every episode from the beginning, I ran home after school every time. Later in life, I learned that lots of other kids did the same thing all over the country. It was a national trend for early elementary school kids to run home to see The Space Giants. Have you ever heard of it?

----------


## tnemrot

Lucid dreaming, how well known is it?

----------


## grasshoppa

> *Take a look at Japanese Pod101. This is a very good tool for learning basic Japanese. ^.^ In any case you want to get as much of the basics under your belt before you go it can make your transitions that much more smoother. You will also find that Japanese people tend to flock more toward foreigners that are able to speak their native language. Most Japanese girls including myself find foreigners who speak Japanese very attractive ^.^*



That website is amazing. Can't believe it's for free. I just play the audio while reading the notes.

Watashi wa grasshoppa desu! 

lawl

----------


## Maria92

That reminds me! Is it free for 7 days, or do you get general access indefinitely? I know it gives you "premium access" for 7 days, but can you still use the rest of the stuff after that?

----------


## Man of Shred

> Lucid dreaming, how well known is it?



 I won't answer but They have an interesting word for sleep paralysis. It literally means "strait jacket" It's romaji is Kanashibari 金縛り!

----------


## grasshoppa

what is the most commonly used writing style? What would you see in a newspaper or on billboards/signs/stores etc?

----------


## Universal Mind

Sort of near the topic of The Space Giants... I would love to know how much of a legend Sprectreman is in Japan at this point in time.

----------


## Emi Chan

> This thread makes me want to visit. It would be sweet to go there and learn Judo or Aikido for a few months while working and embracing the culture. 
> 
> Is martial arts popular in Japan? I used to think that the average Japanese person took Judo or Karate at some point in their lives, but thats probably not the case.



Martial Arts is very popular in Japan with Aikido and Karate being the most popular two. I think someone inquired of this same question so forgive me if I just re-quote myself. Aikido has a very important philosophical meaning behind it which incorporates the unification of lifes ki 氣 and the control of ki to harmonize the spirit. A lot of teenagers in Japan will take Aikido not normally for fighting techniques but to heighten ones spirit and to get one to become well oriented and familiar with their own ki as well as the ki around them. Aikido teaches us how to redirect the flow of ki from an aggressor and to utilize their ki against them. I did not do very well when I took class for Aikido as a little girl, my sensei was very tough on me. 






> Switch, is the 1960's television show The Space Giants still popular with kids in Japan? 
> 
> In the early 70's, it was dubbed over with English and shown in the United States, where it was a huge hit. It wasn't just commonly liked. Kids were total fanatics for it, and I was one of them. When I was in the first grade, 1978-1979, I got out of school a few minutes before The Space Giants came on, and I lived about half a mile away from school. To make sure I caught every episode from the beginning, I ran home after school every time. Later in life, I learned that lots of other kids did the same thing all over the country. It was a national trend for early elementary school kids to run home to see The Space Giants. Have you ever heard of it?



I'm sorry Universal Mind but I have never heard or seen this show before  :Sad:  I'm sure my brother has, I'll have to ask him about it. ^.^





> Lucid dreaming, how well known is it?



It's not categorized as anything particular in Japan. People have Lucid Dreams my mother has had them before as she has once explained to me and I have them but it's not put into any particular category of dreaming. It's mostly just looked upon as normal dreaming. 





> That website is amazing. Can't believe it's for free. I just play the audio while reading the notes.
> 
> Watashi wa grasshoppa desu! 
> 
> lawl



^.^ very good, the more you listen to the audio feed from the site the more easier you will find Japanese. Keep up the great work! ~.^





> That reminds me! Is it free for 7 days, or do you get general access indefinitely? I know it gives you "premium access" for 7 days, but can you still use the rest of the stuff after that?



Yes you will still have the same access that you have even if you do not acquire membership. You will not get any of the new material but just a few archived things here and there. It's just as good because all the free accessible stuff is for beginning Japanese learning and that's what you want right now ^.^ 





> I won't answer but They have an interesting word for sleep paralysis. It literally means "strait jacket" It's romaji is Kanashibari 金縛り!



You're on the right track but we never refer to Kanashibari as the same word meaning for "straight Jacket". You are right it is the word we use for sleep paralysis but normally in Japan this word goes back to ancient tradition of a different type of meaning. Kanashibari means to be tied up and old tradition meaning indicates "_tied up by Kami_" Tied up by the God's or by Ghost. When I was a little girl telling my mother I couldn't move while lying in the bed fully awake, she used to tell me that Kami has me tied up so that I couldn't move while he works on giving me better ki ^.^





> what is the most commonly used writing style? What would you see in a newspaper or on billboards/signs/stores etc?



You will see a variation of _Kanji_ and _Hiragana_, but _Kanji_ is most widely used because it deals with all of our base words which are most words that are borrowed from Chinese classical script, while _Hiragana_ is mostly used for grammar, particles and adjective or verb endings or minor words. _Yomigana_ is another script that is normally used for people who are not advanced enough to read _Kanji_ but can understand the words. _Yomigana_ is mostly used in elementary schools and some manga for younger children. For someone who is starting out learning Japanese script, I would suggest studying _Yomigana_ first. In short it's like _Hiragana_ written over _Kanji_ ^.^





> Sort of near the topic of The Space Giants... I would love to know how much of a legend Sprectreman is in Japan at this point in time.



This show I am familar with ^.^ I've seen this show once before and I do remember the name Sepukutoruman. This is another one I'll have to ask my brother about. I haven't seen any manga on it or any cosplayers dress as him.  So I do not think this character is as popular as he used to be in the 70's. It's more than likely a result of being overshadowded by so many other new and improved hero's in the anime world ^.^

----------


## Universal Mind

Thanks.  It's good to know somebody as young as you has seen Spectreman, one of the legends of my childhood.

----------


## tkdyo

I would love to visit japan there are so many wonderful nature areas I want to visit, unfortunately my gf is from taiwan and she seems to still have something against japanese society.  I heard about it a lot in taiwan how they are still sore about what occured in WW2 but on the flip side they eat at japanese restaraunts and like samurai swords a lot.  

Is there any awareness at all about this still settling resentment in japan?

----------


## Black_Eagle

I've thought about going to Japan, but I'm not sure I could ever see myself living there like a couple other folks have said. There's just not enough space, too much people, the work days are too long... The culture has some interesting aspects, but dang...

----------


## Universal Mind

> unfortunately my gf is from taiwan and she seems to still have something against japanese society. I heard about it a lot in taiwan how they are still sore about what occured in WW2



Try to get her to understand that World War II ended 64 years ago and practically all of the Japanese soldiers who fought in the war and/or took over Asian lands are dead.  Also, the government is drastically different now. It's an awesome country.  :peace:

Which brings up another question for Switch.  How much resentment against the United States still exists in Japan?  Are we cool now?   ::lol:: 

I want to go to Japan for a lot of reasons, one of them being that I want to go on a long bullet train ride.

----------


## Maria92

> I've thought about going to Japan, but I'm not sure I could ever see myself living there like a couple other folks have said. There's just not enough space, too much people, the work days are too long... The culture has some interesting aspects, but dang...



Yeah, you'd have to probably settle down in the less populated areas, for sure. Lots of quiet little villages, I believe, that are still a stone's throw from the major cities and cultural hot spots.

----------


## Maria92

Darn it, double post. Lag fail.

----------


## slayer

yeah I don't see myself living in Japan. But I would be more than happy to go on vacation there...

Pick up a few chicks...

You know...

----------


## Emi Chan

> I would love to visit japan there are so many wonderful nature areas I want to visit, unfortunately my gf is from taiwan and she seems to still have something against japanese society.  I heard about it a lot in taiwan how they are still sore about what occured in WW2 but on the flip side they eat at japanese restaraunts and like samurai swords a lot.  
> 
> Is there any awareness at all about this still settling resentment in japan?




Actually amongst the new generation of Japanese there is literally no hatred toward Taiwanese. There is for sure a dislike for Koreans more so than any other culture. Koreans who work in Japan gets treated pretty badly and unfairly. I think a true likeness between Japanese and Koreans will have to take a little more time to surface. I do not have any ill feelings toward Koreans myself and I have a few Korean friends. My Japanese friends here in the U.S. do not feel indifferent toward them either, but my Japanese friends in Japan are a different story.





> Which brings up another question for Switch.  How much resentment against the United States still exists in Japan?  Are we cool now?  :lol



Yes I would say that modern Japanese society and Americans are very cool right now. ^.^ We embrace a lot of western things more so than our ancestors did back in the past. I think the story may be a little different in the southern islands. Okinawan's may still hold some ill feelings for American but it's mostly a result of soldiers there taking advantage of a lot of young Japanese girls. The U.S. has been an occupying power in my country for such a long period of time it sort of just feels like a small part of our society and it feels pretty normal. ^.^ 





> I want to go to Japan for a lot of reasons, one of them being that I want to go on a long bullet train ride.



Shinkansen (*Bullet Train*) is the way I travel whenever I'm home in Fukuoka going to Tokyo ^.^ It's a fun ride and wow it goes so fast! I've video taped a ride once if I can locate the disc I have it on, I'll upload it and post it here.

----------


## Taosaur

Just to share an odd coincidence: while I was catching up on the Ask About Japanese Culture thread, a man from a Japanese company called me to get information for a Japanese visitors' guide to Ohio  ::shock::

----------


## tkdyo

> Try to get her to understand...



oh, I know, and she knows...it boils down to that the government never came out and apologized though I believe.  She seems much better now than when I first met her, probably because of me constantly preaching to her about it  :wink2: 





> Actually amongst the new generation of Japanese there is literally no hatred toward Taiwanese. There is for sure a dislike for Koreans more so than any other culture. Koreans who work in Japan gets treated pretty badly and unfairly. I think a true likeness between Japanese and Koreans will have to take a little more time to surface. I do not have any ill feelings toward Koreans myself and I have a few Korean friends. My Japanese friends here in the U.S. do not feel indifferent toward them either, but my Japanese friends in Japan are a different story.



haha, I see.  In my chinese language class there is a girl of korean decent who moved to japan when she was 4.  she seems to get along quite well with all the japanese exchange students and such, I wonder if they know she is korean Oo

----------


## Emi Chan

> Just to share an odd coincidence: while I was catching up on the Ask About Japanese Culture thread, a man from a Japanese company called me to get information for a Japanese visitors' guide to Ohio



I have something that may be useful let me know if you would like for me to link it. ^.^





> haha, I see.  In my chinese language class there is a girl of korean decent who moved to japan when she was 4.  she seems to get along quite well with all the japanese exchange students and such, I wonder if they know she is korean Oo



Visually I cannot tell the difference between Japanese and Koreans sometimes I can and other times it's difficult. I'm sure it's extremely difficult to distinguish her from other Japanese unless they know her name and if her name is Korean then that's basically the only way we know. Koreans who are fluent in Japanese do not have any accent either, they sound just like Japanese person.

----------


## tkdyo

yes, she is quite fluent in japanese, in fact she sometimes reverts to japanese in class when shes kind of frustrated lol.

Oh, I have a new question.  In manga/anime it is pretty common for the hero to be slightly feminine in body type even if its a guy (to my eyes)  is this considered attractive in japanese culture?

----------


## Taosaur

> I have something that may be useful let me know if you would like for me to link it. ^.^



Thank you, but no need  :smiley:  / ^_^ He just needed some promo photos from my workplace.

----------


## khh

I was wondering, what are typical Japanese names`?





> That website is amazing. Can't believe it's for free. I just play the audio while reading the notes.
> 
> Watashi wa grasshoppa desu! 
> 
> lawl



You actually pick up some lines just from watching anime to.

----------


## grasshoppa

That site isn't for free anymore  :Sad: 

I've come across some other decent sites, not as good though.

I've also heard that only woman say "watashi wa" and guys say "Ownai wa" (probably not spelled right)

----------


## Black_Eagle

What is the status of Halloween in Japan? I hear it's catching on, but that the Japanese don't quite get it yet.

----------


## grasshoppa

Probably because they cosplay everday anyway lol

----------


## Emi Chan

> Oh, I have a new question.  In manga/anime it is pretty common for the hero to be slightly feminine in body type even if its a guy (to my eyes)  is this considered attractive in japanese culture?



The manga and anime characters I've seen always appear to look quite masculine as far as the hero types. The Dragon Ball Z characters are a pretty good example. Goku and the gang are usually pretty ripped ^_^





> I was wondering, what are typical Japanese names`?
> 
> 
> You actually pick up some lines just from watching anime to.



Japan doesn't normally have a popular name category because names cycle out usually within a few generations and a new variation is somehow introduced. Some names tend to stick around a lot longer than others. The girl name "Yuki" means (snow) and is normally given to girls born in December. "Sakura" is also another common name which means (flower). There are many and you will find a nice list here of Japanese names.





> I've also heard that only woman say "watashi wa" and guys say "Ownai wa" (probably not spelled right)



_Watashi_ is mostly used by women but men can use it also. Men use "_ore wa_" more which is pretty informal and usually spoken amongst family and friends or they may use "_boku wa_" which is formal, women cannot use either it just doesn't sound right.





> What is the status of Halloween in Japan? I hear it's catching on, but that the Japanese don't quite get it yet.



Halloween has been pretty popular in Japan for quite a number of years now. We look at it mostly as another reason to cosplay ^-^ but we do have basic understand that it's supposed to be scary occasions. Halloween is dragged out in Japan much longer. The celebration starts in later September and continues through the end of October. Events are planned in various places during this time period and you will see many houses full of Halloween decorations and there are even a few parades.





> Halloween special events are held from September 10 to November 3, 2009 at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. During the 14 days, from September 10 to 16, and from October 28 to November 3, guests can enter Tokyo Disneyland fully dressed in Disney character costumes.



here are a few photos of Japan dressing up for Halloween as you will notice is not really all that much different than any other time to cosplay ^.~

----------


## Maria92

I'm moving to Japan I'm _definitely_ moving to Japan.

----------


## tkdyo

> The manga and anime characters I've seen always appear to look quite masculine as far as the hero types. The Dragon Ball Z characters are a pretty good example. Goku and the gang are usually pretty ripped ^_^



well, yes dragonball is a notable exception lol.  but to me, characters like ichigo from bleach, light from deathnote, kenshin from rorouni kenshin all have pretty thin frames although they may still be "toned".  the way they stand and the long thin body types just strike me as feminine I suppose.

----------


## Armistice

> Romaji usually refers to the romanization of Japanese words that would usually be written in kanji or kana. It is normally used in Japan for street signs also for visiting foreigners, transcription of personal, company, or place names to be used in another language context, dictionaries and textbooks for learners of the language; or even simply for typographic emphasis. There are several variation of romanizations systems used in Japan. Here is an example how it works
> 
> *Example:* I (_referring to oneself_)
> Romaji: Watashi
> Hirigana: わたし　(わ＝wa, た＝ta, し＝shi)
> Kanji: 私



Gah, why didn't I think of that!  ::D:   That makes sense.  Romanji- Roman alphabet... dur, lol

----------


## khh

> Gah, why didn't I think of that!   That makes sense.  Romanji- Roman alphabet... dur, lol



I thought the same. Then I wikipediaed it  :tongue2:

----------


## Lëzen

> well, yes dragonball is a notable exception lol. but to me, characters like ichigo from bleach, light from deathnote, kenshin from rorouni kenshin all have pretty thin frames although they may still be "toned". the way they stand and the long thin body types just strike me as feminine I suppose.



Ah, yes. The infamous "bish" type. Fuck 'em to hell for completely ruining every console RPG since FF7...

----------


## grasshoppa

I always thought Freeza was a girl...lol

----------


## slayer

Switch, do you cosplay when you are in Japan? Or anywhere?

----------


## Emi Chan

Yes I've cosplayed a few times before when I was a teenager. ^_^ I was actually trying to find a few photos that I had taken during the time. If I can locate any I'll post them up so you all can see my kawaii outfits. ^.^

----------


## Oneironaut Zero

> If I can locate any I'll post them up so you all can see my kawaii outfits. ^.^



Stiiiiiiiill waiting!  ::content::

----------


## slayer

> Yes I've cosplayed a few times before when I was a teenager. ^_^ I was actually trying to find a few photos that I had taken during the time. If I can locate any I'll post them up so you all can see my kawaii outfits. ^.^



*Waits impatiently*

:3

----------


## dorpis

How common is nazi chic in Japan? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_ch...i_chic_in_Asia Have you personally seen is around? How do you feel about it?

----------


## Emi Chan

> Stiiiiiiiill waiting!







> *Waits impatiently*
> 
> :3



I'm sorry  :Sad:  but I literally have thousands of pictures on various media sticks. I'll keep looking and when I do find them I promise I'll post them ^.^





> How common is nazi chic in Japan? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_ch...i_chic_in_Asia Have you personally seen is around? How do you feel about it?



As far as I know it's not common at all. I've never seen this trend in Japan myself. I really never seen anyone have any type of Nazi anything on their costumes. As far as how I feel aout it. I don't condone racisim of any kind as for me everyone is essentially a part of one unified race, the human race. I don't like racisit people and when I sense racisim from anyone I immediately disassociate myself from that individual.

----------


## slayer

> I'm sorry  but I literally have thousands of pictures on various media sticks. I'll keep looking and when I do find them I promise I'll post them ^.^




I'll just say this now...

Shift will you marry me?

----------


## Emi Chan

> I'll just say this now...
> 
> Shift will you marry me?



I haven't seen Shift come in but just so she doesn't miss your proposal you could send her a PM, I'm sure she will be estatic ^_^

----------


## Oneironaut Zero

> I haven't seen Shift come in but just so she doesn't miss your proposal you could send her a PM, I'm sure she will be estatic ^_^



 ::chuckle::

----------


## Maria92

Seeing as how Switch is still not taken then...

Switch, will you marry me?  ::D:

----------


## slayer

DAMNIT!

Switch will you marry me?

(btw I'm already carrying Shift's offspring)

----------


## Universal Mind

Swift, will you marry me?

----------


## grasshoppa

Pick me!

----------


## Universal Mind

> Swift, will you marry me?



Never mind.  I decided to marry Shitch.

----------


## Emi Chan

> Never mind.  I decided to marry Shitch.



The first time I saw you twist my name it was kind of funny but why would you do it twice? Is there a reason why you are purposely trying to derail my thread?

----------


## Maria92

::hijack:: 

I gotta ask...how strict is everyone on recycling? I've heard that they tend to be pretty tough.

----------


## grasshoppa

Ok, to get the thread back on track...

What are common foods in japan...as in, what does the average person eat for breakfast lunch and dinner? For instance, here we typically eat eggs or cereal for breakfast, sandwiches, soups and eggs for lunch...etc

I realize everyone eats different things, but try to generalize  :smiley:

----------


## Universal Mind

> The first time I saw you twist my name it was kind of funny but why would you do it twice? Is there a reason why you are purposely trying to derail my thread?



Slayer accidentally got your name wrong, and then several people joked about it. You were the first one to do it. My second joke was a two posts later follow up to my first one. That means I am trying to derail your thread? It was you who brought up the topic of the name screw up. This is strange. 

Swift and Shitch are both mixes of Shift and Switch, the two names Slayer got backwards.

----------


## Emi Chan

> I gotta ask...how strict is everyone on recycling? I've heard that they tend to be pretty tough.



Recycling is a big issue in Japan. Yes the government is extremely strict about it and throughout major cities you will see recycle bins in various areas. Plastic, Paper and glass are extremely major for recycling.





> Ok, to get the thread back on track...
> 
> What are common foods in japan...as in, what does the average person eat for breakfast lunch and dinner? For instance, here we typically eat eggs or cereal for breakfast, sandwiches, soups and eggs for lunch...etc
> 
> I realize everyone eats different things, but try to generalize



Rice is extremely the most common as we eat rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For breakfast Omuraisu is very common for most Japanese to eat, which is sort of an omelet rice. Gyoza or Miso Soup would be very popular for lunch or Soba and Udon noodles usually accompanied with Onigri which are rice balls wrapped in Seaweed. ^_^ We also eat fish for breakfast lunch and dinner. As far as common dinner dishes, Oden is pretty common as well as Nikujaga, or anything with fish ^.^ Hamburgers and French fries are getting to be more commonplace but Pizza we usually do not eat for dinner thats more of a lunch food for us.





> Slayer accidentally got your name wrong, and then several people joked about it. You were the first one to do it. My second joke was a two posts later follow up to my first one. That means I am trying to derail your thread? It was you who brought up the topic of the name screw up. This is strange. 
> 
> Swift and Shitch are both mixes of Shift and Switch, the two names Slayer got backwards.



I didn't have a problem with you toying with my name as everyone else has done so one time. I was more confused why would you do it twice? Since you've explained that it was a follow up to your first joke I understand now. No harm done ^_^ 

I don't normally create too many threads because one of the other threads I had to ask the admin to lock because someone derailed it so naturally, I'm a little on edge with this one. It's okay we are back on topic now  :boogie:

----------


## grasshoppa

> Japan Enforces Legal Limit On Waistlines
> 
> New York Times:
> 
> Japan, a country not known for its overweight people, has undertaken one of the most ambitious campaigns ever by a nation to slim down its citizenry.
> 
> Summoned by the city of Amagasaki one recent morning, Minoru Nogiri, 45, a flower shop owner, found himself lining up to have his waistline measured. With no visible paunch, he seemed to run little risk of being classified as overweight, or metabo, the preferred word in Japan these days.
> 
> But because the new state-prescribed limit for male waistlines is a strict 33.5 inches, he had anxiously measured himself at home a couple of days earlier. "I'm on the border," he said.
> ...



Taken from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/0..._n_106949.html

Have you heard of this? What does the average Japanese person think of this? I have like 32 waistline...not sure, but I'm considered very slim by Canadian standards. That's almost the max in Japan. I realize on average Asian men are smaller than North Americans but shouldn't they take into account height and frame? Woudldn't they be better off measuring BMI to determine someone as unfit? Do you think this goes against personal freedoms?

----------


## Armistice

> ^In my own experience, it's far easier to memorize the kana characters by hand writing them, over and over again. Same was true for learning Cyrillic; typing it out just never did it for me. I'd hazard a guess to say that learning each individual stroke embeds the character more firmly in your mind than simply hitting a key.
> 
> ...And to any optimistic foreigners who think they can learn kanji, forget it. It's hopeless. I know people who've studied Japanese for years and years, and they've only got a knowledge of...what, 40 characters max? Yeah. Pretty much hopeless.



Well if the Japanese and Chinese can learn it, why can't foreigners?  My dad had a Chinese friend and he had to learn 8 characters a day.  Why can't a foreigner do that (once they have a grasp of the language of course)?  And yes, it'd be something you have to write 50times+ each to remember it.

It's like in German, many people say that foreigners will never know how to use the word "doch".  "Doch" is a "flavoring" word which has no English equivelent.  It is used either as a "yes" "no" or a number of other words.  It's also used to make a negative statement less negative.  you just need to learn how to use it properly and you will then be able to use "doch" properly, so it's a word that a foreigner can learn and use





> In my opinion, I think we suppress our emotions more than Americans. We tend to look at peoples eyes for emotional cues and I believe that Americans tend to focus on peoples mouths for emotional cues. We tend to shy away from overt displays of emotions in Japan. In America open displays of emotions are tolerated and accepted. We rarely smile or frown with our mouths and Americans use their mouths to display a great variety of emotions. We tend to emphasize more on conformity, humbleness and emotional suppression which is to promote better relationships. This type of conformity is targeted more toward females than males. The eyes are much more difficult to supress emotions thats why we focus more on the eyes rather than the mouths. If you look at our emoticons vs american emoticons it becomes pretty obvious  in which ways both displays their emotions.
> 
> Japanese emoticon - happy (^_^)
> 
> Japanese emoticon  - sad   ( ;_; )
> 
> American emoticon - happy  : )
> 
> American emoticon  - sad     : (



That is very interesting.  I know I use : ) as a regular smile and use ^_^ as a really happy expression

I know that Asian culture doesn't like their mouth to show so like when girls laugh they cover their mouth.  I can see how it can seem uncivilized seeing someone guffawing with their mouth hanging open, lol, so covering the mouth so no one can see inside your mouth is proper in that culture





> Thank you ^.^



That is a cool costume!  Saved





> Yes I've cosplayed a few times before when I was a teenager. ^_^ I was actually trying to find a few photos that I had taken during the time. If I can locate any I'll post them up so you all can see my kawaii outfits. ^.^



I have pics of my GF and her friend and my bro at Anime Expo from 2yrs ago.  Maybe I post them if I can find them?

----------


## Emi Chan

> Taken from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/0..._n_106949.html
> 
> Have you heard of this? What does the average Japanese person think of this? I have like 32 waistline...not sure, but I'm considered very slim by Canadian standards. That's almost the max in Japan. I realize on average Asian men are smaller than North Americans but shouldn't they take into account height and frame? Woudldn't they be better off measuring BMI to determine someone as unfit? Do you think this goes against personal freedoms?



Yes I've heard of this and I seriously do not like this law. This is assumed to be a proactive step in the right direction but I see it as a direct violation of privacy. I understand trying to concentrate on health issues and bring those issues to the forefront but at the same time new laws needs to be established for other serious health issues like smoking. There is a great number of people in Japan who are smokers and if health is really that much of a concern then the focus of health issues needs to be spread around equally so. In reality I see this as another way for the government to try to control the appearance of most Japanese women. Women who has as they say "A little meat on their bones" are not associated with what is considered to be attractive. It's the same way as color. Darker Japanese are looked upon to not be as pretty as their fair skin counterparts as fair skin is considered beautiful. 





> That is very interesting.  I know I use : ) as a regular smile and use ^_^ as a really happy expression
> 
> I know that Asian culture doesn't like their mouth to show so like when girls laugh they cover their mouth. I can see how it can seem uncivilized seeing someone guffawing with their mouth hanging open, lol, so covering the mouth so no one can see inside your mouth is proper in that culture.



This is true most parents instill this so deeply that it becomes an habitual trait for us. I find myself putting my hands over my mouth when I laugh all the time. It's a habit now.^_^





> I have pics of my GF and her friend and my bro at Anime Expo from 2yrs ago.  Maybe I post them if I can find them?



Sure ^_^ you are more than welcome to do so. I would love to see them, thank you.  :wink2:

----------


## Adam

> This is true most parents instill this so deeply that it becomes an habitual trait for us. I find myself putting my hands over my mouth when I laugh all the time. It's a habit now.^_^



I used to do this all the time (mainly because I didn't likemy smile). But more recently I smile out loud!

I have a question. How easy is it for an english guy to marry a Japanese girl, and how would he go about getting permission. Also would it be necessary for the marriage to be in Japan rather than another location?  :smiley:

----------


## tkdyo

oh, I just thought of something.  A couple of the metal bands I like seem to put japan only bonus tracks out, and I think this is actually a fairly common practice.  Is metal (in any form) really that popular in mainstream japan to warrent this?

----------


## Armistice

> Sure ^_^ you are more than welcome to do so. I would love to see them, thank you.



(L-R) Ashley- Naruto- Naruto, Theresa (GF)- Riza Hawkeye- Full Metal Alchemist, Brianna- Winry Rockbell- Full Metal Alchemist, Ashley- some Harvest Moon character, 2 guys(one is Ashley 2's bro) characters from Bleach


Another one of my GF as Riza Hawkeye


Ashley and Bri- Harvest Moon


My bro, Kyle- Garra(of the Sand)- Naruto


GF- Jill Valentine- Resident Evil, random girl that wanter her pic with them, Brianna- zombie (Resident Evil theme) (due to the rules, guns must be blue or orange or other bright color.  Orange tip doesn't count, so that's why the shotgun is blue)

----------


## Lëzen

> It's like in German, many people say that foreigners will never know how to use the word "doch".  "Doch" is a "flavoring" word which has no English equivelent.  It is used either as a "yes" "no" or a number of other words.  It's also used to make a negative statement less negative.  you just need to learn how to use it properly and you will then be able to use "doch" properly, so it's a word that a foreigner can learn and use



Well, you're kinda comparing apples and oranges there. With the word 'doch', it's basically one word with a dozen common meanings, the likes of which the human brain is more than capable of memorizing with relative ease. The way the word is written never changes, so it's all about context. 

With kanji, however, not only does one character mean different things depending on context, but there are also many different ways to read and pronounce each character itself. The Japanese word 'shi' - in the context meaning "death" - is written as 死. However, not only can 死 also be pronounced 'shinu', but there are an assload of other characters that represent the 'shi' sound as well: 四, 詩, 師, 仕, 市, and 士, to name a few. And on _top_ of that, each of those has readings that are totally unrelated to the 'shi' sound...like 四 can also be read as 'yon', 士 as 'samurai', and the list goes on. Not to mention that you need to memorize the _image_ of each character itself, especially how many strokes it has (something that is necessary when looking for specific kanji characters in a dictionary, as they tend to be listed by stroke count). Yeah...trust me, German is infinitely easier.

----------


## Maria92

Meh, kanji ain't so tough. After a while, you get to start associating certain images or pieces of images with the meaning of the word. Once you have the meaning, you can piece together the readings fairly easily. It takes a while to get used to, but it could be worse...at least there are only about 2,000. Last I checked, Mandarin Chinese utilized 50,000 or some such ridiculous number.  :tongue2:

----------


## Armistice

I would think you'd need to at least be able to speak the language before learning the characters (just like the children growing up are fluent before actually learing how to write, just like all children.  You're relatively fluent in your language before trying to learn to read and write it)

Could be worse like Chinese where there's 4 different ways to say "ma"

----------


## Maria92

> I would think you'd need to at least be able to speak the language before learning the characters (just like the children growing up are fluent before actually learing how to write, just like all children.  You're relatively fluent in your language before trying to learn to read and write it)
> 
> Could be worse like Chinese where there's 4 different ways to say "ma"



Not really. I've been learning how to read and write at the same time. I don't have the time I used to, but it was quite effective. Once I had the kana down, I moved to kanji. The study sheet I used wrote the readings in kana, with the meanings in English. Basically, if you know the reading and the meaning, you can kind of figure out the context in which to write the kanji, and what words it would be appropriate in.

----------


## Emi Chan

> I used to do this all the time (mainly because I didn't likemy smile). But more recently I smile out loud!



 Smiling out loud is starting to rub off on me as well  :smiley:  



> I have a question. How easy is it for an english guy to marry a Japanese girl, and how would he go about getting permission. Also would it be necessary for the marriage to be in Japan rather than another location?



 The new generation of Japanese are starting to date and marry outside of Japanese. I see quite a few English/Japanese couples when I'm in Japan. It's really becoming a lot more commonplace to see. If you are to ever marry Japanese girl you should first honor her Father by asking for his daughters hand in marriage just like here in the U.S. But it would be more commendable if you were to ask in Japanese even if the Father speaks English this shows a sign of respect to the family and small things like that makes a big difference. As far as wedding, one of my friends married an American and they had 2 weddings, one in the U.S. and the other in Japan. It is very important to have a traditional Japanese wedding when marrying a Japanese girl. Most of us dream of having traditional wedding because of the amazing Wedding Kimono that we have the opportunity to wear. You must also follow the tradition by wearing Japanese traditional male kimono ^.^





> oh, I just thought of something. A couple of the metal bands I like seem to put japan only bonus tracks out, and I think this is actually a fairly common practice. Is metal (in any form) really that popular in mainstream japan to warrent this?



There is truely a huge diversity of music pleasure in Japan. We all favor western music from metal to hip hop. Everyone has his/her preference just like in the U.S. CD prices are fairly high in Japan so in order to alleviate stores from buying CD's abroad at cheaper prices we get bonus tracks from artist who releases CD's in Japan ^.^





> (L-R) Ashley- Naruto- Naruto, Theresa (GF)- Riza Hawkeye- Full Metal Alchemist, Brianna- Winry Rockbell- Full Metal Alchemist, Ashley- some Harvest Moon character, 2 guys(one is Ashley 2's bro)  GF- Jill Valentine- Resident Evil, random girl that wanter her pic with them, Brianna- zombie (Resident Evil theme) (due to the rules, guns must be blue or orange or other bright color. Orange tip doesn't count, so that's why the shotgun is blue)



Wow,  ::shock::  Those photos are all very awesome ^.^ Very nice costume for sure ^.~ Thank you very much for sharing these cool pictures. ^_^

----------


## Kuhnada29

How is the hip hop scene in Japan? 

Hip hop is getting big in japan, as far as I've heard and read, also in the anime area too.

----------


## Adam

> Smiling out loud is starting to rub off on me as well



Cool, smiling is under rated anyway  :smiley: 





> The new generation of Japanese are starting to date and marry outside of Japanese. I see quite a few English/Japanese couples when I'm in Japan. It's really becoming a lot more commonplace to see. If you are to ever marry Japanese girl you should first honor her Father by asking for his daughters hand in marriage just like here in the U.S. But it would be more commendable if you were to ask in Japanese even if the Father speaks English this shows a sign of respect to the family and small things like that makes a big difference. As far as wedding, one of my friends married an American and they had 2 weddings, one in the U.S. and the other in Japan. It is very important to have a traditional Japanese wedding when marrying a Japanese girl. Most of us dream of having traditional wedding because of the amazing Wedding Kimono that we have the opportunity to wear. You must also follow the tradition by wearing Japanese traditional male kimono ^.^



I better brush up then  ::D: 

娘さんと結婚させてくださいませんか ?

----------


## grasshoppa

What is smiling out loud? Laughing?

----------


## Maria92

> What is smiling out loud? Laughing?



I believe it has long been Japanese tradition to avoid expressing themselves through smiles, grimaces, etc. and thus, many tend to cover their mouths when laughing or smiling. So, "smiling out loud" refers to not covering one's mouth when grinning, I think.  ::D:

----------


## grasshoppa

I don't understand why one would hide a smile unless the situation was inappropriate, like laughing a funeral.

----------


## Adam

> What is smiling out loud? Laughing?



No, It's like laughing on the inside or laughing out loud LOI or LOL. It's the same with smiling. Sometimes you smile on the inside when you think of something, or smile out loud  ::D: 

But we digress..

----------


## Armistice

> If you are to ever marry Japanese girl you should first honor her Father by asking for his daughters hand in marriage just like here in the U.S. 
> 
> 
> Wow,  Those photos are all very awesome ^.^ Very nice costume for sure ^.~ Thank you very much for sharing these cool pictures. ^_^



I didn't think in the US you had to do that.  I thought it's faded out of our culture

And welcome

----------


## Maria92

> Smiling out loud is starting to rub off on me as well   The new generation of Japanese are starting to date and marry outside of Japanese. I see quite a few English/Japanese couples when I'm in Japan. It's really becoming a lot more commonplace to see. If you are to ever marry Japanese girl you should first honor her Father by asking for his daughters hand in marriage just like here in the U.S. But it would be more commendable if you were to ask in Japanese even if the Father speaks English this shows a sign of respect to the family and small things like that makes a big difference. As far as wedding, one of my friends married an American and they had 2 weddings, one in the U.S. and the other in Japan. It is very important to have a traditional Japanese wedding when marrying a Japanese girl. Most of us dream of having traditional wedding because of the amazing Wedding Kimono that we have the opportunity to wear. You must also follow the tradition by wearing Japanese traditional male kimono ^.^



*ahem* *suppresses a tide of ecstasy.* Thank you, Switch. I found this post most helpful.
*Vows to visit move to Japan if it kills him*

Public bathing: How big a thing is it, and is it expected from Westerners?

----------


## Lëzen

> *ahem* *suppresses a tide of ecstasy.* Thank you, Switch. I found this post most helpful.
> *Vows to visit move to Japan if it kills him*



I guess we can give the "black men only want to date white women" stereotype a rest, seems we've found a new one.  ::lol::

----------


## Emi Chan

> Cool, smiling is under rated anyway 
> 
> I better brush up then 
> 
> 娘さんと結婚させてくださいませんか ?



Very good Adam ^_^ and this may be your reply if you are fortunate ^.^

もしあなたが いい人場合にのみ~






> *ahem* *suppresses a tide of ecstasy.* Thank you, Switch. I found this post most helpful.
> *Vows to visit move to Japan if it kills him*
> 
> Public bathing: How big a thing is it, and is it expected from Westerners?



You are very welcome Mario ^.^ 

Onsen 温泉 is very big in Japan. There are thousands everywhere. You will find indoor notenburo or outdoor rotenburo baths. Yes, it is very expected of Westerners to join when requested because it's normally used as a way to break the ice and set the mode for open communication. I love Onsen and there are quite a few in my prefecture. When we have visitors from far away, visiting an Onsen is one of the first things we do. There are very few rural areas that still has the traditional unisex bathing but they are not completely obsolete but most are men only or women only. If you make friend in Japan and they invite you to Onsen do not reject as it would appear disrespectful. Westerners usually find the waters very hot for them but we are accustomed to hot waters. Ah something to keep in mind if you do happen to visit an Onsen in Japan. If you have large tattoos the owners may not allow you to use Onsen. Most Onsen establishments are owned by older traditional Japanese and large tattoos for them are a sign of someone with a rebellious nature or trouble maker.

----------


## slayer

I don't know if I could handle going to a public bath >_>

----------


## Maria92

> I don't know if I could handle going to a public bath >_>



Same. Are bathing suits permitted? Or is it birthday-suits only? As you know, most westerners are quite shy about these things (damn you, stupid American society!).

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## grasshoppa

Haven't you ever been in a change room at a gym? It's the exact same thing, old fat naked people walking around, plus you. It just takes getting used to. I'm getting used to it myself, I still wear a towel in the sauna.

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## Maria92

> Haven't you ever been in a change room at a gym? It's the exact same thing, old fat naked people walking around, plus you. It just takes getting used to. I'm getting used to it myself, I still wear a towel in the sauna.



Actually, no, I haven't had this experience. I always went off somewhere else to change, and never showered in Gym class (not that I ever sweated). So, yeah, this makes me a bit nervous, but I guess I'll stick out more if I don't do it, eh?

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## grasshoppa

Pretty much. 

And yeah, about the water in japan. I've heard they let hot tubs get up to 114C. Most hottubs here are 104C and under. That is crazy hot.

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## Adam

> I'm getting used to it myself, I still wear a towel in the sauna.



And that's good. Cold mens bits, resting in between wooden slats on the benches, expanding with the heat and then.... ouch when getting up! It's not pretty*!!

*This is not a personal experience

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## Emi Chan

> Same. Are bathing suits permitted? Or is it birthday-suits only? As you know, most westerners are quite shy about these things (damn you, stupid American society!).



Swim wear is normally inappropriate but you can wear them if you are shy. I would suggest not wearing them if you are to go. If you are wearing swim suit and others are not, people may feel a bit uncomfortable. Just a word of advice. ^.^

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## slayer

What are the views on games in Japan? Do people accept them as much as the cosplaying stuff?

I read a story about a Korean man who died from playing to much StarCraft.

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## Emi Chan

> What are the views on games in Japan? Do people accept them as much as the cosplaying stuff?
> 
> I read a story about a Korean man who died from playing to much StarCraft.



 
Games are very popular of course ^.~ Every year we have the Tokyo Game Show. This is a huge event and many other gaming events surrond this one. Also it gives us another reason to cosplay ^.^ The Akihabara district that I mentioned earlier holds many gaming events and contest throughout the year. You just never know what kind of fun you may run into there. It's always something exciting and different. I've been to the Tokyo Game Show once a few years ago and I didn't have a very good time. Places full of electronics gives me bad headaches. I can't stay in Best Buy for no more than about 10 minutes. ; _ ;

For those that loves games visiting Japan will be a wonderful treat as Tokyo is not the only city dedicated to the gaming industry. There are so many other places that are as well. ^.^

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## slayer

Gaaaaaaah I want to go to Japan so baaaddddllllllyyyy!

Btw, out of curiosty, have you ever been to Kamakura, Japan?

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## Hercuflea

what happens if you go to a unisex public bath and you get a boner?  is that inappropriate?

but it would be disrespectful if you didnt go :p

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## Maria92

Out of curiosity, what is the general stance on premarital sex and cohabitation in Japan?

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## Emi Chan

> Gaaaaaaah I want to go to Japan so baaaddddllllllyyyy!
> 
> Btw, out of curiosty, have you ever been to Kamakura, Japan?



I've heard of Kamkura shi but I have never been there before. Are you thinking of visiting? I think there's a lot of interesting history there.





> what happens if you go to a unisex public bath and you get a boner?  is that inappropriate?
> but it would be disrespectful if you didnt go :p



It's natural to get aroused if you find someone there attractive and they are soaking naked near you. It's not inappropriate because it's something natural. Most do not care. We only care that you respect others and not harass with sexual gestures.






> Out of curiosity, what is the general stance on premarital sex and cohabitation in Japan?



Premarital sex occurs in Japan just as every other country. I think here in America is a lot more acceptable and it occurs a lot more often. I can't really speak for the majority of people in Japan. I can only relate to my own stance on it. I think they've done a University survey on this a few years back when I was reading the newspaper in Japan. From what I can remember, around 70% of women stated that premarital sex is okay when there seems to be a unified agreement between the two partners which is usually anticipation of marriage. I think the general idea would be, sex as one of the primary focuses for Japanese men regarding marriage and it's normal to see if you are able to satisfy each others sexual needs. ^_^ There are classes in Japan that women can take to learn ways of satisfying their men.

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## slayer

> I've heard of Kamkura shi but I have never been there before. Are you thinking of visiting? I think there's a lot of interesting history there.



It'd definitly be a place I would want to visit if I want to Japan.

*cough*elfen lied*cough*

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## khh

> *cough*elfen lied*cough*



I believe the color is supposed to be #f4f4f6.

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## Maria92

> I believe the color is supposed to be #f4f4f6.



I thought it was #f3f3f6

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## khh

> I thought it was #f3f3f6



Possibly.

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## slayer

If I was going to Japan, what would be some places I would want to go see? What do you recommend?

What time of the year should I go? Are there any special events I should look for before going?

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## Emi Chan

> If I was going to Japan, what would be some places I would want to go see? What do you recommend?
> 
> What time of the year should I go? Are there any special events I should look for before going?



I would recommend going during the  Sakura Festival which is during the time when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. There are many festivals that occur in various regions of Japan depending on the time that particular region's blossoming occurs. Cherry blossom seas is from early February until late May. The best time to be in Japan is in April to view the best blossoms. The best place to be is Kyoto. Kyoto has by far the most beautiful Cherry Blossoms ^.^ Kyoto also symbolizes historic traditional Japan. This is a very big tourist city on par with Tokyo. 













Of course Tokyo is also a place of importance to visit. I would also recommend visiting Osaka and Nagoya. Also there are many things in Japan that you can do that you cannot do anywhere else in the world. When you come to Japan you can have a MimiKaki!. Most foreign men love this service to have a pretty Japanese girl dressed in traditional Kimono pampering you and cleaning your ears ^.~

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## slayer

Ear cleaning parlors?

Wow, Japan really does have it all...

Edit: If I wanted to start a pen pal thing with a Japanese female person, how might I go about doing this?

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## grasshoppa

> Ear cleaning parlors?
> 
> Wow, Japan really does have it all...
> 
> Edit: If I wanted to start a pen pal thing with a Japanese female person, how might I go about doing this?



Lol, you're very forward. 

I agree, Japan seems to have everything and then everything else Westerners would never think about...

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## Hercuflea

What is Sapporo and basically Hokkaido like in the winter I think i've seen pictures, it looked nice

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## XeL

_"Pokemon is not popular in Japan"._

I have a really hard time believing this. Please elaborate. Awesome thread btw =)

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## Lëzen

> I agree, Japan seems to have everything and then everything else Westerners would never think about...



I don't think it's so much about whether we think of these things so much as it is about whether we _need_ these things. Ear-cleaning parlors? Seriously? Especially when a bottle of Debrox and an eyedropper will work just fine? And at half the price?

...Nah.

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## Taosaur

I have a question: are there any Japanese equivalents of Engrish? Things that sound hilarious in Japanese when gaijin try to use your phonemes?

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## Emi Chan

> Ear cleaning parlors?
> 
> Wow, Japan really does have it all...
> 
> Edit: If I wanted to start a pen pal thing with a Japanese female person, how might I go about doing this?



Are pen pals still pretty popular to do? I wouldn't know how you could aquire one but I would think social sites could be the next best thing. you can take a look at Japanese Lifestyle and meet lots of people there ^.^





> What is Sapporo and basically Hokkaido like in the winter I think i've seen pictures, it looked nice



Hokkaido is cold during the winter and it could be on par with New York as far as temperature in the winter time. Sapporo-shi is very very beautiful in the winter. There is an Annual Snow Festival that happens there every year. I haven't been there during the winter in quite sometime but I do remember how incredibly nice and big the snow festival was ^.^

























> _"Pokemon is not popular in Japan"._
> 
> I have a really hard time believing this. Please elaborate. Awesome thread btw =)



Thanks for complimenting my thread ^.^. I actually should have stated that it's not as popular as it used to be. I haven't seen not very much of Pokemon stuff in Japan for quite some time now. I'm sure there are tons of places in the Akihabara district that caters to collectibles, but that's an anime and gadget smorgage board <--(*SP*). *^_^*





> I have a question: are there any Japanese equivalents of Engrish? Things that sound hilarious in Japanese when gaijin try to use your phonemes?



Mostly all the words that has an 'R' sound. lol. It's just the opposite. I find that most English speaking people who starts speaking Japanese put very strong emphasis on words. For instance the 'R' sound in Japanese words sounds almost equivalent to the 'D' sound in English. So when we pronounce words like 'Arigato' the 'r' sounds very close to how a English 'd' sounds because our tongue touches the roof of our mouth when we speak a word with 'r'. So when an English person pronounce a Japanese word with the 'r' sound they normally make it the exact same 'r' sound as in English. It normally sounds like they are saying "_Are Re Ga Toe_! when it should sound like _Ah de ga toe_ but not so much emphasis on the '_de_' sound the tounge lightly touches the roof of the mouth when pronounces 'r's. ^.^

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## Maria92

> Mostly all the words that has an 'R' sound. lol. It's just the opposite. I find that most English speaking people who starts speaking Japanese put very strong emphasis on words. For instance the 'R' sound in Japanese words sounds almost equivalent to the 'D' sound in English. So when we pronounce words like 'Arigato' the 'r' sounds very close to how a English 'd' sounds because our tongue touches the roof of our mouth when we speak a word with 'r'. So when an English person pronounce a Japanese word with the 'r' sound they normally make it the exact same 'r' sound as in English. It normally sounds like they are saying "_Are Re Ga Toe_! when it should sound like _Ah de ga toe_ but not so much emphasis on the '_de_' sound the tounge lightly touches the roof of the mouth when pronounces 'r's. ^.^



Hehe, every language book and site keeps saying the Japanese "r" is really more of a hybrid "r" and "l" sound, though I think your definition helps a lot more.  ::bowdown::

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## Hercuflea

thats weird its kind of like the way you pronounce r in spanish

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## Lëzen

^That pretty much _is_ the way to pronounce it, only with a very subtle difference. Sometimes when Japanese are talking fast, they "forget", so to speak, to touch the roof of their mouths, so it ends up sounding like an L. My Japanese sensei did it occasionally. 

One thing that really gets my goat is that whoever came up with the orthography for romaji actually bothered to use "fu" instead of "hu". Is that really necessary? According to my sensei, there ain't a lick of difference...like you could pronounce Mt. Fuji as "huji-san" instead of "fuji-san" and no one would be able to tell.

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## Emi Chan

> ^That pretty much _is_ the way to pronounce it, only with a very subtle difference. Sometimes when Japanese are talking fast, they "forget", so to speak, to touch the roof of their mouths, so it ends up sounding like an L. My Japanese sensei did it occasionally.



Yup, I've been known to do this a lot now that you've mentioned it. ^.^





> One thing that really gets my goat is that whoever came up with the orthography for romaji actually bothered to use "fu" instead of "hu". Is that really necessary? According to my sensei, there ain't a lick of difference...like you could pronounce Mt. Fuji as "huji-san" instead of "fuji-san" and no one would be able to tell.



In my opinion I think it's necessary because Romaji focuses more on visualized writing system which includes the Roman alphabet. Pronunciation as you mentioned is not to hard to differentiate "_fu_" from "_hu_" when pronounced by Japanese person. But considering Romaji is actually directed toward people who do not comprehend Japanese script or the language the writing system should mirror what they are more familiar with. An English speaking person who is not familiar with Japanese words would pronounce (*Mt Huji*) as "_Mt. Who Je_" or "_Who Je san_."  ^_^

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## chroNick

Emi. Perhaps we know each other, lol. I live in Japan too. Tokyo to be specific. How about you?

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## Maria92

Looks like she'll be gone for a while, mate...she just got a promotion, I think, so she'll be really busy. Something like that...

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## grasshoppa

> Emi. Perhaps we know each other, lol. I live in Japan too. Tokyo to be specific. How about you?



Tokyo is a big city...lmao

Switch changed her name  :Sad:

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## Maria92

Yeah, I kinda miss Switch...but Emi Chan is also very cute. ^_^

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## slayer

What are Japanese Hotels called? And where would be a good city to go to in case I want to go on vacation to Japan?

I would like to be able to easily visit big places like Tokyo, but if it's really really crowded then I might not want to find a hotel there, but instead a neighboring city.

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## chroNick

> What are Japanese Hotels called? And where would be a good city to go to in case I want to go on vacation to Japan?
> 
> I would like to be able to easily visit big places like Tokyo, but if it's really really crowded then I might not want to find a hotel there, but instead a neighboring city.



It depends what you want to see. If you want to see the historical places, go to Kyoto and Nara. Hotels don't have a special name in Japan. I don't see why you wouldn't be able to find a hotel here in Tokyo, there are plenty. 

But be prepared to spend a lot of money. Tokyo is the 3rd most expensive city in the world I believe, and in general Japan is very expensive to live in.

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## Man of Shred

do you know any good online japanese radio stations that i could stream on WMP? preferably ones that have talk shows or comedy. I've heard that it's important to listen to a language a lot while learning it.

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## Maria92

MoSh, I looked through the WMP big dumb list of radio stations, and I couldn't find anything.  :Sad:  I know that right now, I'm watching subbed anime shows, and even though many shows use informal words and slang, etc, I am beginning to recognize words. ^_^

EDIT: oh, wait...under miscellaneous, there is a j-pop, etc station called hotmixradio Japan. Only one I can find. Sorry.

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## Man of Shred

the problem with anime is... actually well I've learned a few phrases. but if you talk like people do in anime you will sound retarded. Imagine a foreigner watching nothing but goofy cartoons to learn english. how would he/she sound?

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## XeL

> the problem with anime is... actually well I've learned a few phrases. but if you talk like people do in anime you will sound retarded. Imagine a foreigner watching nothing but goofy cartoons to learn english. how would he/she sound?



ROFL, so very true.

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## Maria92

Aye, this is true. I was thinking more along the lines of practice, rather than your primary learning tool.  :tongue2:

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## slayer

> the problem with anime is... actually well I've learned a few phrases. but if you talk like people do in anime you will sound retarded. Imagine a foreigner watching nothing but goofy cartoons to learn english. how would he/she sound?



Oh god...

I just thought of a couple shows that people should never watch. If they watched them and learned english from them, I don't know what would happen to society...

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## Noogah

Would you be considered illiterate or dumb in Japan if you didn't know all the Joyo kanji? Or is that just a basic necessity there?

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## Maria92

I think I remember reading that most Japanese don't know all the readings/meanings of the joyo kanji, so yeah, I think you'd be kosher for the most part, as long as you didn't try to read through an entire newspaper.

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