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pining?

MajideSaiaku

tsuyaku o tsukete kudasai
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The topic today ladies and gentlemen is this:

Your no longer in Japan, for variosu reasons, perhaps you were only visitting short while or you are away on vacation, but what do you miss from Japan?.

I find my memories of Japan very VERY vivid and strong as the day they were made, even though its been nearly a full year since I was there, I find myself pining for alot of Japanese things, or just places.

I'm going back in January, but I know I'll end up having to actually dig down and force myself through a departure gate.

At the momment I'm just missing the general area I stayed, other times I miss a bowl of Ramen or some Yakisoba.

I'll miss a certain drink, or an activity.

And then theres missing some people and yeah.

So, begin, what are you really missing at the momment?
 
When I was there, I didn't take part enough in experiencing everything that I could--- I found the subway where I lived to be amazingly confusing, and I felt scared to go out on my own--- but I should have explored more... I think at the time, I had it in my head that I was there to "live", not to be a tourist--- but, in trying to be this way, I missed all of the things I could have seen on my own...

I miss hot corn soup from vending machines, I miss the smell of yakiniku in the air walking in the neighborhood... I miss the Rekihaku (National Museum of Japanese History) I miss the train stations, and the food, and the grocery stores... I miss my girlfriend mostly, I miss breakfast together, and dinner at night... I miss my futon, and I miss my sabuton... I miss our friend's son Yui, I oddly miss Takeshi TV & Razor Ramon, Papaya Suzuki & the Do-Nuts playing all summer long, I miss using my keitai--- reading CNN on the train--- I think I miss everything.
 
Maybe you should move back! I'm here, and I will 'miss' when I leave;

being crushed on the trains

people running into me and leaving without apology or gesture to show they know they knocked into someone

people using cell-phones in the most inappropriate places at the loudest volumes

people blocking doorways on a regular basis

getting served small portions of some foreign food at obscene prices

people being surprised that my wife is not American


What is there to miss again? Well maybe the shinkansen.
 
It's still beyond me as to why some foreign nationals choose to live in over-crowded Japan other than job relocation assigned by US or European employer.I guess it's a heaven for those individuals feel kind of social outcast in their home country.

I would rather drive my own 4-WD red Toyota Tundra pickup truck than taking the human-sardine train ride to work.
 
ricecake said:
It's still beyond me as to why some foreign nationals choose to live in over-crowded Japan
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It's easy to forget that Japan is made up of many different people and many different places. Some urban areas and many rural areas are not crowded at all.
 
You just have to talk to Japanese people to find out that while they may look the same, they are just as diverse in ideas and beliefs as people in any other country.
 
craftsman said:
You just have to talk to Japanese people to find out that while they may look the same, they are just as diverse in ideas and beliefs as people in any other country.
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Only to a point. Theres certain topics and lines of thinking that are stuck with an overwhelming majority of the population.
 
Sorry everyone - I don't want to hijack this thread.

I just wanted to point out that the common belief that the Japanese are in some way different beings from the rest of the world. I have been here a while and I once walked from the top to the bottom of Japan - covering every single prefecture. On that trip I got to meet an amazing variety of people of every belief, thought and persuasion. It turned everything I had previously thought about Japan on its head.

So when I say that people are different - I really mean totally different. Just like in every other country.

My apologies to all for veering the thread. My original point was only really to say that it isn't crowded everywhere.
 
I will probably miss the Japanese food most, I can't buy Japanese indigrents from Finland. Probably I will also miss isakayas..I just love those places
 
I never experienced people using cell phones innapropriately--- Though everyone seemed to use them silently on the train--- I don't recall ever over-hearing anyone's conversation----

Contrast this to the United States, where people, I'm sorry, mostly young women, tend to use their cell phones ALL OF THE TIME regardless if they are in line at the grocery store, in the library--- wherever--- with little to no concern to any human beings who may even be helping them with some purchase etcetera...
 
Isn't Japan a homogenous society with over 98% native Japanese population ? !
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Britain is apparently 92% white, but were considored pretty multi-cultural.

Could be wrong.


Anyway, I'm the same, Yukio_Micheal, its not just specific things, its memory flashes, like I'll remember I bought a bottle of cola from a vending machine somewhere in downtoan Tachikawa at night, but I can remember everything so sharply even now, the colours, the lights, the people passing, the sounds, its creepy.

Its just the way I remember so strongly otherwise pointless little events or times and places, and I remember so much detail about it.

Maybe when I was in Japan my attention about my surroundings were just on hyper-drive, but yeah, I remember it very well, and I get flashes of those memories often lately.
 
nurizeko said:
Britain is apparently 92% white, but were considored pretty multi-cultural.
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Interesting,both Pakis and Hindus are racially classified as " whites " because they're in the " Aryan race " category whatever ? ! ☝
 
I think, especially, not being able to say "goodbye" to Japan in a way that I would have liked to, I forget about all of the things that I didn't like about Japan--- But I don't really care about those things too much... I loved the country itself, so, having kids stare at the strange gaijin in their small town was anoying--- but, what are you going to do?

I'm one of the LEAST appologetic people about tendencies of the Japanese that anoy me, but at the same time, I hold an almost romantic reverance for the country itself--- I think it's one of the most beautiful places I've ever lived.

this...



...is an excelent example of the things that I remember. As is



I remember the children's games at the summer matsuri, the girls in yukata, eating takoyaki & cucumber & drinking beer at the foot of a temple... Leaving a few yen for some prayers... the sound of the paper-boys riding in the streets on their mopeds & running up and down the steps of the appartments at two-am... The faint smell of the old tatami mats where we slept... I would be there, this time last year.
 
Ewok85 said:
Only to a point.Theres certain topics and lines of thinking that are stuck with an overwhelming majority of the population.
Click to expand...


Exactly,Japanese have " collective mindset " rooted in their concept of harmony.

Japanese are one homogenous people with several origins,NOT different people as someone falsely insinuated.

Only in recent months surfing Japan-oriented forums,I realized Japan became a place of fantasy for loner individuals who are social outcasts in their own country.
 

If you're trying to have a stab at me seeing as I'm the one that originally made the comments - please - grow up!
 
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