I live in Kyoto. What do you want to know?

[Glitchfinder]

Do the Japanese practice more common sense than Americans do? And, before you wonder if I'm serious or not, I'll explain. There are all sorts of things people not only can do, but should do, to make things easier for themselves and others. Things like having a bus pass out before stepping intp the bus, or decideding that it isn't a good idea to count out 31 cents worth of change in pennies when there are twenty people in line behind you. Things like deciding to get out of the way when you're done with what you need to do, and let the next in line head on up. (You'd be amazed at how many people just sit there after making a purchase or fulfilling whatever purpose their line had) Anyway, a lot of common sense things that should occur to people, or be a habit, but that somehow isn't.

 

[psiclone]

Do the Japanese practice more common sense than Americans do? And, before you wonder if I'm serious or not, I'll explain. There are all sorts of things people not only can do, but should do, to make things easier for themselves and others. Things like having a bus pass out before stepping intp the bus, or decideding that it isn't a good idea to count out 31 cents worth of change in pennies when there are twenty people in line behind you. Things like deciding to get out of the way when you're done with what you need to do, and let the next in line head on up. (You'd be amazed at how many people just sit there after making a purchase or fulfilling whatever purpose their line had) Anyway, a lot of common sense things that should occur to people, or be a habit, but that somehow isn't.

All you have to do is get out of Massachusetts for that one (though I don't know where you live, but I just moved to Mass and nobody gives two poops about anyone but themselves..). Try Maine, everyone is nice there.

Ok, another question...

How often do you see hot cars like these around? With the loud exhausts and flashy lights and etc?

Spoiler: Nissan Skyline GTR

That car is the main reason I want to go to Japan.. I want to drive one so bad.

 

[Tindy]

Moog: It's college exchange. This school is one of....I think three maybe that my college trades with. I (think) I pay my home tuition (not 100% sure though). I'm paying for everything else with a 40,000yen-per-month (~$450) scholarship and parental handouts (in that order - this recession is really tough ;_ The tuition itself is currently being handled with a different scholarship and a loan.

I suggest not trying to go to Japan right now, btw - the yen has gotten really strong whereas the US Dollar (and a lot of other currencies, btw) are still weak. I'm losing mad amounts of money (and, on the flipside, gaining tons from that scholarship! If only I didn't need to eat.)

Sechs: Only a week? Gah. I don't think I was even over my jetlag by that point. ;-;

1. I honestly don't know what the level of high school classes are. Though I attended school for a few weeks, I wasn't actually expected to perform. The math class, as I recall, was easy as balls - but that's because I had taken the class at home the year before coming. The only other classes I participated in were English (which...I can't really judge difficulty on XD) and Health (which...yeah, it was exactly the same as health class anywhere else.)

My friend attended for a year though - I'll ask!

2. The people here are mostly quite pleasant. I have a sneaking suspicion, though, that it's at least partly a front, but I've also met some quite nasty people. And then there's just a certain amount of ignorance that you have to take with a grain of salt - like when people will say "No offense, but, you have a gun, right?" But honestly, most of the people I've met were quite nice. Just smile and you'll be fine.

I think I mentioned this somewhere above - if they speak any English, they'll try to speak to you. If they don't, they'll just remain quiet (more often then not) - but if you speak to them in Japanese, they'll be more than willing to talk to you (generally speaking). And living in a metropolitan area, there's at least enough tourists and semi-permanent foreign residents that most people don't much care that you're foreign. Once you get out to the countryside people more evenly split into "OMG FOREIGNER HIDE" and "OMG FOREIGNER SOOOOO COOL!" Ok maybe not hide but you get what I mean?

Glitch: Yah. Maybe not so much with counting pennies and all that (though I do, and it seems like the bus and supermarket lines move quite quickly), but just in general. In the way that America is lawsuit-happy, Japan is the opposite. You're riding your bike and you crash? Your own damn fault. A little kid bites your own little kid? Well, it's the little kid's fault, and it reflects poorly on his/her mother, but there's not going to be a lawsuit involved. You ate peanut shells and were surprised that your stomach cannot handle it? You moron. It feels like, also, that people just pay a little more attention to things that need to be paid attention to. Like, in America, I'd never ride my bike out on a major road - I'd DIE! But here, even though the roads are soooooooo narrow, bikes and pedestrians and cars get along quite well. There are accidents, sure, but I feel like they occur much much less often than on a similar street in America.

Psiclone: I've seen cars with under-the-chassis lights, but not that specific car. O_o

 

[Glitchfinder]

All you have to do is get out of Massachusetts for that one (though I don't know where you live, but I just moved to Mass and nobody gives two poops about anyone but themselves..). Try Maine, everyone is nice there.

Dude. I live in California. As far as most Californians are concerned, anybody who isn't doing what they tell them to is fodder for a lawsuit. And if you work in a service industry, you have to learn to smile through anything, or you're out the door in a week.

Also, I have another question. What kinds of differences are there between American businesses and Japanese ones? What are the differences between the restaurants, or the stores?

 

[candle]

I suggest not trying to go to Japan right now, btw - the yen has gotten really strong whereas the US Dollar (and a lot of other currencies, btw) are still weak. I'm losing mad amounts of money (and, on the flipside, gaining tons from that scholarship! If only I didn't need to eat.)

What are you talking about? the yen is extremely weak. I mean it takes almost 100 yen to equal 1 dollar, and it takes 130 to equal a euro.

 

[sojournen]

Are rabbits and cats a popular pet in Japan?

 

[Venetia]

I've heard that like 90% of all dogs in Japan are Shiba-Inu. A professor of mine told me that once he visited some city outside Tokyo and was walking up this suburban street, and dozens of shiba-inu were sitting in the street, in front of their respective houses, all facing north, all sitting the same way. As he walked past, they glanced languidly in his direction, not moving, then looked back north. There was nothing in that direction he could see that was of any interest. Sounds creepy :x

Anyway in Kyoto have you seen many dogs other than Shiba-Inu?

Spoiler: well even if not they're adorable dogs :x

 

[Perihelion]

That dog is incredibly cute, and I don't even like dogs that much.

Tindy, what surprised you the most about Japan when you came over?

 

[bashful crobat]

I suggest not trying to go to Japan right now, btw - the yen has gotten really strong whereas the US Dollar (and a lot of other currencies, btw) are still weak. I'm losing mad amounts of money (and, on the flipside, gaining tons from that scholarship! If only I didn't need to eat.)

What are you talking about? the yen is extremely weak. I mean it takes almost 100 yen to equal 1 dollar, and it takes 130 to equal a euro.

Western currencies have been weakened, while the yen is slowly rising. This reduces the dollar:yen conversion rate, so she literally gets fewer yen for her buck. It's not hard to understand. Concerning the amount of yen you get per £/$, it's not as bad as the numbers make it seem, since japan hasn't adopted a decimal currency and trade in whole amounts (one yen doesn't get you much in japan, just like a cent or a penny doesn't get you much in the west (funnily enough 1y is worth around 1c/p)).

 

[Tindy]

Darkfire: Well, Holly already answered this one pretty well. But, as of yesterday, 100 yen = $1.12. That means that if I were to pull the equivalent of $100 from the bank (which naturally is 10,000 yen), I'd actually be pulling out $112. And it just goes up from there. It was worse a few weeks ago - 86 yen to the dollar or something like that.

Soujournen: Not as far as I've seen. Almost everyone I know here, if they have a pet at all, has a dog. They're trendy (which really pisses me off, btw.) Pets are ridiculously expensive here - you really can't get a dog for less than maybe $900 at the pet store. And no one seems to adopt from animal shelters - which is a ridiculous shame because Japan does not have the space to keep animals in shelters for longer than two weeks. T-T

But back on topic, it's mostly dogs. Cats are also expensive, and with a few exceptions, cats in Japan are generally antisocial bastards. I haven't seen any bunnies around, but I did see a hamster on a leash the other day.

Vennie: I really wouldn't be surprised if that were true. My host mom used to have an adorable loving yellow lab, and then it died - and she got a shiba inu. Shibu inu are incredibly smart - they'll try to escape a lot if they're not stimulated enough. And yeah, a lot of the shiba inu I've seen literally just sit. I've gone past one on my bike before and didn't even receive so much as a cautionary growl.

But interestingly enough, though I've seen tons of shiba inu I've also seen tons of other dogs. And they all wear clothes :X I've actually seen an Irish Wolfhound! I don't know where on earth he lived. But generally they're the small breeds around here - poodles, terriers, chihuahuas, bichon frise, et cetera.

Peri: Hmm.... Well, I'll be honest here (though it's kind of boring): When I came over my plane landed really late, so me and my friend stayed at a youth hostel. We planned that, in the morning, we would find out where the school was and take a bus to our respective dormitories. We spent seriously an hour figuring out where the bus stop was, what bus to take, when the bus came, and how I was going to get all of my very heavy luggage down the hill and onto a bus.

So we leave the hostel, me with a very heavy gym bag and a large suitcase, my friend kindly rolling my smaller suitcase behind her, and we get to the bus stop at the base of the hill. We're chatting, and noticing no busses coming, and I notice a sign on the other side of the road that has my school name on it. I wonder, "Maybe there's a special bus that goes to the school?" So we cross the street, and lo and behold - it's my dormitory!

Other than that I was very surprised that you can buy hot cans of coffee from vending machines. (I thought my machine was actually broken when I accidentally bought one.)

 

[Sechs]

I never saw any pets on my trip. I only saw a Geisha walking across the street by the Heian Jingu Shinto Shrine.
Speaking of shrines and temples, do you go to them often? I found them quite nice to spend some time at. I loved the Kiyomizo-Dera temple the most! It had the best view of Kyoto. Do you know these places?

 

[Tindy]

Certainly. I actually just went to Kiyomizudera a few days ago - it was PACKED! They`re having the autumn　light-up right now,so all the tourists are in full swing. Other than that, I don`t really go to temples that often. I pass by them all the time, but I just never really go into the temple grounds. The one I have been to the most (all 3 times total) is the temple/shrine in Amanohashidate. Other than that...no, not really.

 

[bacon]

I've never lived in Japan or anything, so what's the weather and climate like in Japan compared to where you lived before? o:
Also, Hi Tindy. :3

 

[Tindy]

Hi Bacon. ^_^ How's life? We never talk anymore. :down:

Weather in Japan is surprisingly varied for a country the size of California. In Kyoto, it's almost constantly 10 degrees higher than in Pittsburgh (where I'm from) - so right now, even though my body's saying "It's time for SNOW! SNOW YAY SNOW AND CHRISTMAS!" it's still green and around ~45 (7c) degrees. The summer here is the worst - Kyoto is protected on three sides by mountains, so it's like a giant bowl...so in the summer, the city literally bakes. It's hot, and humid, and worst of all, it RAINS. Which, combing both the hot and the humid, only makes it worse. Ugh. And I'm here until July or August.

But, if you travel up north a bit, the weather gets noticeably cooler. Tokyo is about the same as Pittsburgh at any given time (though, due to the tropicality (is that a word? No? It should be.) of Japan, still a bit more humid), and Hokkaido, the northern island, actually gets so much snow that they have a festival devoted to it every year. Going more South, Hiroshima is a bit warmer than Kyoto at any given time, and the southern islands more than that. Going even further, I hear you can swim at any time of the year in Okinawa!

Sechs: I asked my friend about high school academics. She says if you're there just to experience it, or your school has a program for foreign students, it's fine, but if you're going for grades and you're taking normal classes, I believe she said something like "God have mercy on your soul." Pleasant!

 

[Glitchfinder]

I think I'll repeat my last question, since it appears you missed it:

(Other stuff aimed as psiclone.)

Also, I have another question. What kinds of differences are there between American businesses and Japanese ones? What are the differences between the restaurants, or the stores?

Weather in Japan is surprisingly varied for a country the size of California.

I will have to disagree with this statement. California is a total of 163,696 square miles, or 423,970 square kilometers. (This makes it the third largest state) That's bigger than many countries in the world. (If it were a country, it would be the 59th largest in the world) Not only that, but California has climates varying from a warm and dry Mediterranean climate to a cool and damp temperate rain forest. We have steppes, deserts, and highland climates as well. My point is that you implied that, due to Japan's and California's relative sizes, the weather would not be as varied as it could be. This is just untrue, because the size of the state, and Japan as well, basically requires that you have varied weather patterns, due to the necessarily large range of geography and location.

 

[sojournen]

Have you heard any "dumb westerner" type jokes? As in, do they make as many racial slights as westerners do?

 

[Tindy]

Glitch: Sorry, I did actually miss that question. Differences between businesses how? How business is conducted, or how it outwardly operates?

I have no experience working at a business, so I can only answer that one based on what I've read. One works hard to get to the best highschool, and then the best college, and almost immediately upon graduation looks for work. When you've found it, you stick with the company basically for life - and there are all sorts of measures to keep that in place. For one, a lot of companies, from what I've heard, won't hire you if you have previous experience - they want fresh faces so they can mold you to their standards. In addition, working for a company your entire working career awards you all sorts of benefits - not only the Three Month Bonus in January (yes, that's three full months of pay awarded as a bonus), but also housing, medical care, and et cetera.

In terms of how stores operate as seen from the customer, they don't really seem all that different to me. Although maybe I've just grown used to it. Restaurants are a different story, though - when you're ready to order, you tell them - literally. They won't come to you. In some places, there's a button you press to alert a waiter, but traditionally you just yell "SUMIMASEN!" And they'll come and get your order. You do that for anything - another drink, another food order, and the like.

As for California: I'll admit that I'm not well-versed in California's weather. But generally, if you ask a non-californian, they'll probably say that it's hot, but that there's desert and not-desert. If you ask someone not well-versed in Japan, they'll say that it's hot and humid (hell, I say it's hot and humid, and I know better.) The point of the matter is that Japan, especially in comparison to Korea and China, is a pretty tiny country, and even more so when you consider that 75% of the country or so is more or less unlivable (mountains, rivers, etc...). And traveling the country, you'll see essentially the same things - mountains, rice paddies, and beaches, whereas if you travel the Eastern Coast of America, you'll see beaches, mountains, plateaus, plains, hills, forests, and et cetera. The only thing, really, that changes about Japan is the temperatures.

So, I suppose really the only "glitch" that you've found in my statement is that I used the word "weather" instead of "temperatures" - but they kind of impact the weather, no?

soujournen: I don't usually listen to what Japanese are saying when they're not talking to me, and it seems to me that they're too nice to say anything rude (except in a few cases), so I'll leave it to Avenue Q to answer this one.

"Everyone's a little bit racist/All right? All right./Bigotry has never been exclusively white."

 

[sojournen]

LMAO I love avenue Q.

I live in redneck central, where I live. The racial slandering that goes on makes my ears burn, mostly due to my closest neighbhors. :sad: Thank god it's becoming less and less socially acceptable to behave that way. I was just curious if it's the same way across the water, the outspokenness I mean. Sounds like society there is much more polite then ours.

 

[mawk]

glitch do you

legitimately not have anything better to do

 

[Ulqiorra]

I must know, do they have any really good metal bands over there? I know of a couple, but a lot of what i hear from japan is either creepy and sad and poetic or really poppy.