"Anon" (tjsielsistneb)
08/22/2016 at 18:18 • Filed to: None
2
19|
"Anon" (tjsielsistneb)
08/22/2016 at 18:18 • Filed to: None | 2
| 19 |
As some of you know, I am going to be moving to Japan for year starting in two weeks. I am extremely excited but also nervous. I will be living around the Tokyo area, not too sure about the exact area as I will find out where my host family lives tomorrow. Do any of y’all have any good advice for living as a foreigner in Japan with not that great of Japanese? P.S. If y’all want to follow my adventures, I will be updating daily on my Instagram @thealexwray.
HammerheadFistpunch
> Anon
08/22/2016 at 18:28 |
|
its my opinion that most people HATE when you try and blend in, speak the language, learn the culture etc...so my advice is to be as loudly American as you can be, flag jumpsuit, heavy southern accent and make sure to loudly disparage anything that seems strange to you...
/badadvice
Luc - The Acadian Oppo
> Anon
08/22/2016 at 18:28 |
|
followed!
|
Anon
> HammerheadFistpunch
08/22/2016 at 18:32 |
|
All of that is pretty bad advice. However the heavy southern accent is happening regardless since I am from Louisiana.
Steve in Manhattan
> Anon
08/22/2016 at 18:32 |
|
SigOther is from Okinawa, and I’ve been to Japan once, so keep that in mind. I got around fine on my own, and I understand less Japanese than our cats.
Have sukiyaki at Imahan - expensive but worth it. Get yakitori at the place whose card I’ve attached. Go to the Tokyo Motor Museum and get a ride in their Toyota 2000GT. I’ll think of more ....
Clemsie McKenzie
> Anon
08/22/2016 at 18:33 |
|
My best advice to you would be to get Flavien Vidal to see this post!
Also, DON’T PANIC, and bring a towel.
lone_liberal
> Anon
08/22/2016 at 18:33 |
|
I don’t know about living in Japan but after living in Spain for a couple of years I can tell you that you will probably have weird cravings for American stuff that you would have never predicted. Just go with it. Four of us once drove two hours just to go to a McDonalds. Also, it’s a little exhausting to live in a foreign culture with a language you only kinda sorta speak. At some point you might get really sick of it. That will pass.
|
HammerheadFistpunch
> Anon
08/22/2016 at 18:33 |
|
Look at it this way, when you hear a strong UK or Aussie accent, do you secretly hope they change it to an American one? nope.
|
Anon
> Steve in Manhattan
08/22/2016 at 18:34 |
|
I went back in October but I was with a tour group so I never really had to worry about communicating. But what is this about getting a ride in a 2000gt?
|
Anon
> Clemsie McKenzie
08/22/2016 at 18:36 |
|
Wonderful advice. I too love hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy!
Montalvo
> Anon
08/22/2016 at 18:41 |
|
So get involved with the underground drift scene, learn under a master and tangle with the yakuza as you picked up some 2 bit gangsters girl, find a Mustang and decide to perform an RB26 swap to beat that 2 bit punk on a touge circuit to finally become the top dog in the drift scene and eventually hook up with Vin Diesel?
Scott
> Anon
08/22/2016 at 18:47 |
|
I’ve lived over seas, although not in Japan, I have spent a lot of time in Japan though. It is a great place, although personally Tokyo is like NYC, nice place to see and say you have visited, would not want to live there. I find Japan gets better the further you get from Tokyo. However Tokyo has so much to offer, it is certainly a wonderful place.
Work hard at learning Japanese, and insist on doing things Japanese tend to do... not just the things they think you will want to do. Don’t worry about not speaking much Japanese, in Tokyo most people will speak some English or someone near by will be eager to help you out.
Unless you look like your Japanese, strangers will always be looking out for you. I have been offered rides from strangers just because I was at a bus stop after the last bus had been through.
Try even a meager amount of Japanese, I have had hilarious conversations with people, in which we only knew a few words of each others language and yet we managed to some how understand each other. Sometimes just saying a couple words in Japanese can amaze those around you and they will be instantly interested in knowing all about you.
If you have blond hair... be ready to be everybody’s pet. Japanese have a fascination with blond hair, and will walk up to you and just start rubbing your hair.
Be an adventurous eater. Japan has some fantastic food, but while not as strange looking as Korean food, it can be difficult for Westerners to get past some of the appearance.
Try to just get out and explore. Not knowing you, or your background I am hesitant to suggest this too much, but the Japanese will assume you cannot navigate Japan at all without their guidance. Personally I have travelled enough it was never a problem, but I know some people are intimidated by not being able to read signs. That said, often wonderful experiences await for those willing to venture out, and this is even more so if your clearly a foreigner.
The year will go by fast, so make the most of your time, which will probably not be a problem. But also take time just to take in the simple pleasures. I remember more about hikes in the woods and brief encounters with strangers than I do all the touristy sites combined. And often those golden moments come from just relaxing at the sushi bar and having a stranger strike up a conversation, that may result in learning something new you want to try. If you eat and rush for the door, no one will have time to say Hallooo. doo you... ah speak English?
|
Steve in Manhattan
> Anon
08/22/2016 at 18:48 |
|
http://www.megaweb.gr.jp/area/historic/
They run the cars nearly every day, and we narrowly missed getting a ride in a 2000GT.
Your boy, BJR
> Anon
08/22/2016 at 19:09 |
|
When in doubt just loudly go “ME AMERICAN. AM-ER-I-CAN. ENOLA GAY *whistle* *bomb noise*” then just give a big goofy smile and a thumbs up. You’ll be good.
Svend
> Anon
08/22/2016 at 19:26 |
|
No specific advice on moving to Japan but best advice for moving to any foreign country, be well mannered and courteous, learn if there are any customs that you will either need to observe or respect and lastly I can’t stress this enough, find out what is considered rude and/or offensive. So many things we take for granted in our own countries is considered highly offensive in others.
We had some Texans staying in the U.K. And every was biggger is America ‘our roads are straighter’, ‘our roads are longer’, ‘our cars are bigger’, ‘our fuel is cheaper’, ‘our food is cheaper’, etc... stuff like that while not offensive or anything is a little disrespectful and highly irritating.
BayAreaMiataBoi
> Anon
08/22/2016 at 21:21 |
|
Research related blogs, there are a few such as:
http://blog.aftercollege.com/win-fame-modes…
Flavien Vidal
> Anon
08/22/2016 at 21:30 |
|
I think I’m the textbook example of the foreigner living in Japan with no japanese skills haha. I’m not very good but I manage and progress little by little. When I first arrived here, eventhough I had been with my girlfriend-now-wife for 8 years, I didn’t speak any japanese.
Other than that, being a loud slightly obnoxious american is not really a good thing anywhere around the world, but it tends to be even more visible in Japan, so avoid that :)
And that’s pretty much it really.
Get ready to freeze your ass off in winter too. Japanese can’t freaking build properly isolated houses... It’s not even very cold or anything, but inside houses is terrible. Good luck!
|
Anon
> Flavien Vidal
08/22/2016 at 22:47 |
|
Thanks Flavian! Kat and you were the two people I really wanted to hear from! I’m not obnoxious, I don’t think, though I do have a thick louisiana accent which apparently makes my Japanese sound “adorable”. I will pack my thick Parka for the cold!
Nauraushaun
> Anon
08/25/2016 at 08:02 |
|
Spoken to Kat Callahan? She’s an American living in Japan I think. Different for a lady, but not entirely
Minardi Gras
> Anon
11/20/2016 at 13:42 |
|
I lived in Tokyo for a long time, moved back to the UK this year sadly. You’ll be fine without Japanese and will learn the essentials pretty quick. If you’re staying with a family a lot of the boring stuff will be sorted, otherwise rental contracts, utilities etc can be a little difficult to set up.
I guess it depends which prefecture you end up living in but the Setagaya local government was really helpful for foreign residents, they had a nice ‘living in Setagaya’ guide and had 1:1 Japanese lessons run by volunteers for 200 yen each time. Also cheap bike rentals and other helpful stuff. I guess other prefectures will have similar.
Make the most of it and enjoy yourself, but try not to be a dick. You’ll see other people being loud, obnoxious, and trying to get away with things because they think being foreign gives them some licence. Just try not to fall into that trap.
Let me know where you end up, might be able to give you some recommendations for places to see and things to do.
Edited to add... Just saw this was from August so you’re probably sorted now... Not sure why it came up on the sidebar for me.