Please tell me some negative things about Japan...

[Gnarf]

Hi,
I visited Japan a couple of years ago and fell in love with that country. Since then I have prepared for my next trip by studying Japanese at evening courses after my job, reading an unhealthy amount of Japanese and traveling forums and web sites, hooked up with a Japanese person in my city for language exchange, been looking up stuff to do and where to stay in Japan, looked up witch language schools are the best for foreigners in Japan, if it is possible to work, made a budget and of course been saving money.

Since my wife can't go I have persuaded a friend to come along so I don't have to go alone. But tonight it have been made clear that I can not go either due to family matters. I can not visit Japan again for at least the coming 8 years... Since I have been looking forward and preparing this trip for the last couple of years, this information was sort of an anti-climax to express it mildly. I am devastated...

I now ask you to please write some negative things about Japan so I don't want to go anymore. Thank you.

 

[Dogen Z]

"What I don't like about Japan"

There's another thread for this called, "What I don't like about Japan."

IMO, most Japanese would think you are lazy not to search for such topics before creating another thread. Furthermore, they would think you are foolish to be thinking so much about Japan when you don't have to--there's a whole other world to explore and learn about in your region.

[Is this negative enough?]

 

[Glenski]

Sales tax will go up.
Korea is going to shoot missiles over the country, and they have the potential for nuclear weapons.
Global warming has affected cherry blossoms' blooming time.
No amount of studying Japanese will make you feel 100% accepted.

Blah, blah, blah.
Cry in your beer over this. You can still learn and experience a lot just from your own country.

 

[konki_d]

Hm . . . if I were going to attempt to say something philosophical with a Japanese twist to it, I would say that longing to go to Japan and remaining steadfastly dedicated to that dream even though its fulfillment is doubtful is poetically bittersweet.

Suffer nobly.

 

[Gnarf]

Dogen Z: Yes, that is negative enough, thank you. And also thanks for pointing my to that great thread

Glenski: Beer, now that was a good thought! Even though I prefer whiskey. But I can manage sobbing over a glass of whiskey as well.

konki_d: Your answer was almost like a poem I will suffer nobly, thank you.

 

[Haruspex]

Umm, I've never been there, so I can't help much, but I'll throw in one as well. J Rock

 

[JerseyBoy]

The perpetual economic stagnation.
Higher taxes coming down the pike (even now it is very high)
The aging population (more taxes on the working people).
1/3 of its workforce is not full time workers.
Sclerotic political system. (nothing is getting done).
Very closed culture.
You need to be bona fide Japanese-y to be successful financially in Japan (mostly).
Onerous regulations and rules.
Very crowded.
Very crowded train rides in the rush hours.
Too many toll roads. (What am I paying for my taxes?)
Build and demolish housing policy (Your home is like a perishable good).
Very backward looking legal system.
Strong sexism in place still.
If you stick out, they will try to hammer you down in line with the rest. (the collectivist culture )
I know I have more. The above is a good starting point.

 

[Gnarf]

Derfel: Hehe good one, but I actually like some of the j-rock (having a harder time of the j-pop scene tho).

JerseyBoy: Great! I feel less motivated to go already! I've heard that the legal system is not very secure/fair for foreigners, how bad is it really?

 

[JerseyBoy]

Great! I feel less motivated to go already! I've heard that the legal system is not very secure/fair for foreigners, how bad is it really?

You can be held by police for a few weeks without any charge. There is no habeas corpus in Japan. There are no jury trials in Japan. The odds the prosecution side win is very high.

 

[Gnarf]

You can be held by police for a few weeks without any charge. There is no habeas corpus in Japan. There are no jury trials in Japan. The odds the prosecution side win is very high.

We don't have jury trials in Sweden either but you can't arrest anyone without any charge. And here the defending side often wins since we have to policy "rather set a criminal free than punish an innocent". The Japanese legal system sounds a little bit dangerous...

 

[JerseyBoy]

We don't have jury trials in Sweden either but you can't arrest anyone without any charge. And here the defending side often wins since we have to policy "rather set a criminal free than punish an innocent". The Japanese legal system sounds a little bit dangerous...

If you are white, then, you should be okay. The J-authority would be careful with white people. However, if you look like an Asian, then, disregard my comment here.

 

[Gnarf]

If you are white, then, you should be okay. The J-authority would be careful with white people. However, if you look like an Asian, then, disregard my comment here.

Hm, racism is not cool, especially not from a government...

 

[Haruspex]

Jury trial is bollocks anyway, just a bunch of fools.

 

[JerseyBoy]

Jury trial is bollocks anyway, just a bunch of fools.

It's like picking a lesser evil. A jury trial or a trial by an opinionated Japanese-y judge. Judges are the product of the Japanese society (even though they are indoctrinated by the outmoded J-education system). So, we are talking about relativity here.

 

[Larry Battle]

The language barrier should be the biggest problem, if you not good at it yet.
The jobs in Japan will take a lot out of you, and for some people jobs are hard to find.
Also, the prices are quite expensive, and you have to find new ways of meeting people, if you want a lot of friends.

 

[hideway]

It is too far away!