This is a mobile optimized page that loads fast, if you want to load the real page, click this text.

What do you like about living in Japan?

What do you like about living in Japan ?

  • Tasty and cheap food

    Votes: 94 54.7%

  • Speciality restaurants, which means quicker service

    Votes: 47 27.3%

  • Reliable trains

    Votes: 104 60.5%

  • Huge department stores

    Votes: 49 28.5%

  • Order and respect of authority

    Votes: 67 39.0%

  • Peaceful people

    Votes: 103 59.9%

  • Clean streets

    Votes: 105 61.0%

  • Politeness and helpfulness of the people

    Votes: 82 47.7%

  • Cute girls with a real sense of fashion

    Votes: 67 39.0%

  • Mild and dry winters (in Tokyo at least)

    Votes: 38 22.1%

  • Onsen (hot springs)

    Votes: 71 41.3%

  • Japanese nature (better than in my own country)

    Votes: 56 32.6%

  • Japanese seasons (more clear-cut than in my own country)

    Votes: 39 22.7%

  • Matsuri (festivals) and other traditonal celebrations (setsubun, shichigosan, obon...)

    Votes: 76 44.2%

  • Love hotels

    Votes: 32 18.6%

  • The energetic atmosphere (of big cities)

    Votes: 54 31.4%

  • Japanese TV

    Votes: 53 30.8%

  • General non-religiousness of the Japanese

    Votes: 48 27.9%

  • Non-argumentative character of the Japanese

    Votes: 31 18.0%

  • Low taxes (by European standards)

    Votes: 27 15.7%

  • Japanese aesthetics (wabi-sabi, sado, traditional architecture, gardens...)

    Votes: 67 39.0%

  • The ability to integrate aspects of foreign cultures and systems

    Votes: 29 16.9%

  • The relative lack of political debates and demonstrations

    Votes: 25 14.5%

  • Japanese-style houses (with o-furo, tatami, kotatsu...)

    Votes: 80 46.5%

  • The numerous mountains, good for hiking and skiing

    Votes: 53 30.8%

  • Good service and attention to customers

    Votes: 70 40.7%

  • How easy it is to move around cities in bicycle

    Votes: 49 28.5%

  • The homogeneity of society

    Votes: 25 14.5%

  • The original street pattern, with very broad avenues and very narrow back streets

    Votes: 33 19.2%

  • The fact that Japanese banks don't charge monthly fees on bank accounts

    Votes: 25 14.5%

  • Kitsch decoration (pink, neons, cute characters...)

    Votes: 30 17.4%

  • The relax attitude toward sex (lack of Judeo-Christian shame about nudity, porn, etc.)

    Votes: 47 27.3%

  • The kindness and interets showed toward foreigners

    Votes: 48 27.9%

  • The blissful joy and excitement of Japanese women

    Votes: 45 26.2%

  • The dedication to work of the "salarymen"

    Votes: 18 10.5%

  • Shopping on Sundays

    Votes: 53 30.8%

  • The ambiance music in train stations and cute voice of the announcers

    Votes: 39 22.7%

  • The ease to set up a company in Japan (little redtape)

    Votes: 18 10.5%

  • The numerous bilingual Japanese-English signs in big cities

    Votes: 39 22.7%

  • The sense of honour (linked to the concept of "face" and "embarassment")

    Votes: 40 23.3%

  • The customs of "omiyage" and "duty presents" (who doesn't like giving and receiving gifts ?)

    Votes: 28 16.3%

  • Seeing women in kimono from time to time

    Votes: 65 37.8%

  • The Japanese imperial family (the oldest in the world and still respected)

    Votes: 24 14.0%

  • The abundance of convenience stores and vending machines

    Votes: 80 46.5%

  • Fast-food restaurants serving more kinds of teas than soft drinks

    Votes: 56 32.6%

  • The low cost or mobile/cell phones compared to the quality

    Votes: 41 23.8%

  • Living in Japan made me know JREF

    Votes: 24 14.0%
  • Total voters
    172
Compared to India, I really like a few things about Japan like the trains of course, the nature in Japan, greenery, cute Obachans, department stores, neon lights, onsen, clean streets.
But their is a flip side also.
I'm a vegetarian, so can't comment much on food part.
The fashion - I dont think Japanese women really have a sense of fashion. They follow Kata, a definite style. If it is the winters, it is short skirt with high boots, an overcoat. In summers, it is one-piece or short skirt and shoes. During my stay in Japan, that's what I have mostly seen and that's why this comment.
Good service and attention to customers - Depends. I've been to vaious electronic stores and shops where the behavior of Japanese sales man was completely unacceptable. They literally start running away from you the moment they see you heading towards them with some query.
I know why they do this but it looks very embarassing at the outset.
Cute girls - Well, I guess they take the word 'Cute' quite seriously
 
i like in japan alot of that and i love japanes pepole there are kind and sweet

____________________
TaMaDa
 
hello Rock Lee..I like your avatar..its one reason I love Japan.
 
never been to Japan...will vote someday when i had the change to go there...
 
Ofuro Banzai! Tatami Banzai! Futon Banzai! The Japanese traditional style houses is the cure to all nightmares unless I was watching ir reading Ayakashi stories at night. As I've mentioned in another post, I am a light and troubled sleeper but the nights in Japan were the best. We slept in futon on the tatami and I can roll around without having to worry that I might fall off my bed. The air was clean, the room was cosy though small. And the food was fabulous, just that we had to kneel throughout the meal.
 
I guess food would top my list, both home-cooked and restaurant. I'm not sure I'd call it cheap, but maybe it compares differently to Europe (I'm from the US). In addition to more traditional Japanese food you have things like the curry, the gyuu-don, panya-san, Japanese-Italian (including wafuu spaghetti) and Japanese-Chinese (sometimes you can't beat chahan, gyoza and beer). Sometimes I think of the country as one big izakaya: so much to try, so little time.

Darn near a tie are onsen and sentou (my home ofuro loses points for all the upkeep). I've been to some truly gorgeous rotenburo with views of mountains or the sea, and even neighborhood sentou are an experience you just can't have in the States.

The trains also make the list, but I'm a little more ambivalent. I enjoyed their convenience and being able to read during my commute. When it comes to rush-hour though, there's an element of "six of one, half-dozen of the other." Unlike in a US traffic-jam you generally are moving, but I've never had to be shoved bodily into my car by a white-gloved attendant.

Just getting to explore a culture different from the one I grew up in was one of the greatest things, but I guess that would be true of any foreign country.
 
Kappa, I would've given you some good "rep" for your post above, but your profile says you have never been to Japan. However, from what you have written, either you have lived there or you copied from someone else. Which is it? Personally, I'd like to believe that you have lived there because you have "hit the nail on the head" so to speak and I'd like to commend you for it.

Kappa said:
but I've never had to be shoved bodily into my car by a white-gloved attendant.
Click to expand...
Then maybe you have never taken the trains in Tokyo during "rush hour".

Just getting to explore a culture different from the one I grew up in was one of the greatest things,
Click to expand...
I agree wholehartedly.
 
Sorry, by "car" I meant my automobile in the States. I have indeed been sardined into Japanese trains.

I've lived in Japan for about five of the last ten years, generally somewhere along the Tobu-Tojo railway. I'll have to see about fixing my profile.
 
Never been to Japan ... But I'm sure planning on it... Maybe then I can vote...
 
Bunshinsaba said:
skills - there's teaching English and ... what else? Unless you have a high level business skill that not one of the 123 million J-people here have... you teach English.
Click to expand...

I don't have a high level business skill that not one of the 123 million J-people here have....and I don't teach English.

Lots of foreigners in Japan don't teach English.
 
I moved to Japan a year ago...living in Okinawa. I love Japan and I love the people. From the good customer service i get everywhere i go, nice phones, electronics, good food, nice clubs and beautiful women...oh and the nice beautiful beaches of Okinawa...no complaints from me.
 
Why Do i Like about Japan?

"why do you like Japan?" My three mains reasons: *History *Festivals *Culture
 
of course by the foods, in addition i think japanese girl are the most beautiful than anyone, tradicions, costumes, festivals and finally the BUSHIDO.
 
the peeacefulltype of life , ane having school clubs for everything that student can polish his\her hobby , that mean i like the educate in japanese
 
I have never been to japan, but I think living in Tokyo must be amazing.
All these colorfull lights and styles.
 
There are so many things that I like from living in Japan, it's hard to name all of them.

Food.
I love Japanese food. Back in Holland food was just food, and you needed to eat otherwise you would die. But here in Japan it is more than just food, it's a pleasure. I love having Okonomiyaki on my Friday evening after work together with a beer, temaki sushi together with friends, etc.

Safety
I feel safe in Japan, I can walk on the street without any problems. If I leave my wallet on the train there is a 99(.9)% change to get it back.

Transportation
The railroad system is just perfect here, especially the Hankyu line. Except for one time, I have never been late for work the train.

24/7
Although my family think it's ridiculous, I think it's a great thing to be able to come home after work in the evening and still be able to do your shopping. The other day as well, I needed to go somewhere during the night, and I could buy some bread in the convenience store at 3 AM.
(I can't say the 24/7 thing about post offices and banks though... I have to take a half day off when I have business to do at the bank or post office... )

Vending machines..
When I am thirsty I can buy a drink everywhere at any time... Problems is, I became addicted to vending machines and spend about 20.000 yen per year drinking bottles, and it's not really eco friendly.

Architecture
Just walking trough Nara, or Ako and see the old style Japanese houses and walls is a pleasure.

Onsen
I really started to enjoy going to Onsen, I can really relax over there.

Clean streets
I always have to laugh when Japanese people say their streets are dirty, because I think it is 100x cleaner than my hometown Amsterdam.

Customer service
When I am spending my money on something, it's nice to get a smile from the clerk (even though you know it's a fake one most of the times). Back in Holland (I try to be not too negative about my country) clerks would talk to you with their backs, and show their moody face, etc....

Their are many other things that I like, and also thinks that I really dislike, but this is not the thread to talk about that.
 
I would add TRANSPORTATION. I like the transportation system here. Trains go practically everywhere, usually on time, clean, fast and safe. I love shinkansen in spite of its overpriced fees.

I also like COD (cash on delivery) service, easy and safe.
 
oh I love looking at old places and antiques. I was born and raised in the philippines then grew up in america, when I was still young i saw many tv commercial of japanese sightseeings and i was fascinated by the beauty of old places and things... next year, i want to go visit japan again and give myself more time staying there to visit the castles, temples, shrines or even climb up the mountain hehehe. I just need to study some more nihongo so i wont get lost again hehehe
 
i have never been in Japan,but people and the old customs are so interesting to me,
Honestly sorry! i don't like living in Japan,but travel can be pretty nice^_^
 

I know this is not a debate thread but I wanted to comment on these.

Transportation is very good, except for the roads and highways (lots of jams and overpriced tolls)

24/7.. when I came to Japan for the first time 8 years ago I was surprised at the lack of 24/7 things (other than conbinis), there were no grocery stores, no atms, macdonalds was not even 24/7 then. I came from the middle of America where many grocery stores/retail outlets, and gas stations were open 24/7 and had been that way for a long time. Nowadays this is not so true, many grocery stores are open 24/7, and other businesses tend to be open later than they used to be. Banks are still a totally different story and in my opinion are the most inconvenient, slow, and frustrating places to deal with in this country. I came from a land of 24/7 atms, banks open until 8 (drive thru, lobby until 6) and open on Saturdays and now sundays for a few hours I hear. Here the whole 9 to 3 M-F, with online banking more trouble than it is worth is total BS.

Last, customer service is great, but return policies totally suck compared to what I was used to back in the States. And lots of times I find that even when the store screws up somehow, the best you will get is an apology, in the States store screw up means= discount for you, as a way to show they are sorry for inconveniencing you, rather than just say it with smily pretty words.
 
I absolutely LOVE that within my first week here a conversation drifted towards religion and I said something about Jesus. Then the people I was talking to all looked at me like "who's this Jesus person?" hahaha... That's when I knew I was staying here forever!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

  • Sticky
  • Poll Poll
What are your interests for Japan?
24 25 26
Replies
644
Views
244K
thomas
G
Why do most Japanese women sound like they are talking to babies?
3 4 5
Replies
124
Views
138K
nice gaijin
  • Poll Poll
Would you rather live in America or Japan?
15 16 17
Replies
418
Views
88K
ClarkH
  • Sticky
  • Poll Poll
What Japanese Foods DON'T You Like?
5 6 7
Replies
166
Views
65K
Ketti
Nihongo ga jouzu desu ne! What the?!
2
Replies
47
Views
191K
Osaka21
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…