a question for the people who live (or lived) in Japan

[dochira]

Does anyone know how the Edy prepaid card system work? Can you purchase it at any store that accepts it? If possible, I want to put some money on such a card and then use it where possible (am/pm convenience stores, some stores at Narita airport, for example). Thanks.

[Romance]

whenver, whatever, i lived in japan for one year, touched its reality and i think its the best country on earth, cant wait to get back ;D

[Aulcard]

whenver, whatever, i lived in japan for one year, touched its reality and i think its the best country on earth, cant wait to get back ;D

I have to return to Australia in 4 months.... I don't want to go back, I want to stay in Japan!

However I certainly wouldnt say that Japan is the best place on earth. I dont think such a place exists. Anyway, despite the fact that there are some things about Japan and Japanese society that I dont like, I still like it a lot better than Australia.

[TrashTerror]

This is probably going to piss off some, if not all, Aussies here, but my favorite place in the world is New Zealand. (All Blacks!!! ) After my first holiday there, I was hooked.
But I really want to visit Japan as well. From what I read here, it's got it ups and downs. But which country doesn't?
Well, anything is better than boring, flat Holland....

[liku]

everywhere you go you will always meet some racism.... which means racism depend on the people...... in any place you go you will always meet some good or bad people... if you go to a country and you met only bad guys it doesn't mean that the Whole country is bad... you were just unlucky....

an example in my real life.... i'm chinese but born in italy... so i never got a problem with communication or human relationship.... infact a lot of people always praised for my being polite.... but always since when i was little i always heard the people when see me say "look a chinese" or other people started making fun of me... i know these people are just immature but it always bother me a little.... when i was in middle school the things weren't too good... at least 3/4 of the class was not speaking to me or got bad treatment... but i guess i was just unlucky of being in that class infact aside from my own classroom all the male of the school were my friends^^ so the moral is
"racism it doesn't depend on the place you are but it depend from the people you meet"

sry for not the perfect english

[ephesus]

Why do I get the feeling that my carmel skin will cause me issues if i ever visted.

Yeah, i'm half Korean and half black and the first time I went to Japan (4 months in 2003) I had a great time because I didn't speak any Japanese and didn't realize people were talking about me all the time.

The second time I went back (10 months in 2005) I realized that Japanese people tend to be assholes. People would talk about me on the subways, and assume I couldn't use chopsticks or speak Japanese.
Although, admittedly, I hate chopsticks even though i've been using them my whole life - but that's neither here nor there.

Just like anywhere, you just have to pick your friends.

[Riee109]

I went to Japan again this years summer holidays and it was just crazy...
I felt like everybody was looking at me...
but never heard them saying bad things just always "kawaii" or "kirei".
The most embrassing thing happend on a date with the guy I'm falling for. We were waiting for the train as some girl eyed me up and started to scream loudly "kirei". My crush and I were so shocked...
Another crazy thing is that people I got to know often wanted to touch my face O.o
Also when I was in a game-center it happend several times that some older men gave me things they won there as a present, but after handing it over they suddenly disappeared.
It also often happend that some men offered me money to go out/do H with them (I'm definitely not a girl who would do things like that!)O.o

[dee8o8]

basically i would like to know how hard is it.
- i cant speak japanese to save my life
- i cant read any japanese
- im not rich
- my profession (auto industry) would require me to speak japanese fluently
- i have a couple of friends that are located in Chiba.
- i dont have a degree in teaching.. so eng teacher .. i dont think i can do that with out a degree of some sort.



has anyone done this before???

[SSJSubgeta]

basically i would like to know how hard is it.
- i cant speak japanese to save my life
- i cant read any japanese
- im not rich
- my profession (auto industry) would require me to speak japanese fluently
- i have a couple of friends that are located in Chiba.
- i dont have a degree in teaching.. so eng teacher .. i dont think i can do that with out a degree of some sort.



has anyone done this before???

1. Learn japanese, or should i say START ASAP!

2. You can worry about this once your able to speak it.

3. You dont need to be rich to live anywhere just depends on the lifestyle you like.

4 Auto industry, as in auto sale or mechanic? If its a Mechanic your in the right place theres many shops that are out there especially by Chiba and next to them is Yokohama. Theres alot of Dori dori drivers and racers out there. As well as many auto shop. looking around migh land you a nice position.

5 By having friends you have a big advantage, you have crash space while you save abit and they can show you around.

6. Also your friends can spread word of mouth. that your from the USA and can do some private tutoring, its not hard to teach individualy. Get you some money on the side. And you dont need to have a ESL/TESOL, etc. to do that. If you did it might land you some extra money.

Its not only about moving out there and being like oh yea im going and so on. It more about why your going there and what you plan on doing there. If its just for a while or for a short term period.

Im about to leave next year early spring or in the middle of summer.

[dee8o8]

o i see. hmm looks like the hard part is learning the language. dammit!
thank you for the info i really appreciate it! learned a lot.
i never thought of teaching on the side.
but yeah it does make sense to learn the language. dammit. my friends were saying like they speak english there. guess its only in tokyo.
umm yeah i CAN wrench on cars if i wanted to.. im more of a cust relations/ sales type of person. but i can wrench if need be and yes im into the whole drift thing. (before it blew up mind you)
ok looks like ill have to go buy some books.


are there books that are easier to learn from than others? sorry im the type of guyt that needs to do things to learn them quicker and understand it. im not book smart.

[SSJSubgeta]

Well i recommend o good one called Japanese for Busy people series, but i need to give you a heads up, it stars off slow but as soon as you move in to lesson 2 things pick up quick. Even tho its a book and movies fast, take it at your own pace.

[nivek]

Since I can speak Japanese, and I apparently look Japanese too, I never experienced any sort of racism...because I was one of them, so to speak. When I flashed my American passport they were like .... You're not Japanese?!

One time I was biking 7km to school with my friends from New York, who's with me, and he's from Bangladesh so he's got dark skin, and I sped in front of him and waved at some police officers. When I got to the corner about 2 minutes later I waited. And waited. And waited. Turns out he got stopped by the cops and were asking him about the bicycle and was wondering if he stole it... He ended up saying home stay like 3 times and it got through to them. He eventually caught up with me near the university as I was making the last couple of meters to the front gate.

I have to say, it's more racism and nationalism played together. That's just how it is in Asia. You can't really expect it to go away.

[Rasckita]

I read all your post and it was very interesting because i have plans of going to Japan. I would like to know if anyone here has experienced going to Japan as exchange student in high schools and universities. And how were they treated by the teachers and the classmates. Also I would like to know how foreign girls are treated by japanese people. I'm asking this because if i go i would go alone and i know nobody in japan and i would go there to study.

[spacecommand]

The way you're "treated" all depends on who you run into, just like any other place in the world. As an exchange student I wouldn't worry too much, you'll probably meet a bunch of other people in the the same situation as you are.

I'm asking this because if i go i would go alone and i know nobody in japan and i would go there to study.

So you're saying if you know nobody in Japan you'll actually study and do your classwork while in the exchange program, but if you know people you won't?

[Rasckita]

Thanks for the answer!

No, i want to go there to study ... but if i know someone there i would still be there to study eheheh. it'll be nice to make some friends there but the main reason about the trip would be the studies.