What Keeps You Motivated To Stay Here In Japan?

[br3ndan]

I got a couple of 1st cousins in japan... although ive never been there to visit them.. i really should go..

However i did stay in Korea for 6 months or so.... You know the country next to japan!

Cant complain at all about their culture. No racism what so ever.

Car scene not so great tho! only saw 1 skyline!

i picked up korean pretty quick by just hanging out and having fun!

[m3gtr]

I picked up a korean pretty quick by just letting it out and having fun with her!

Sick dude! All fixt - You GOTTA luv double entendres.

Seriously but, its good weve got such a strong relationship wit JPN...Even the americans dont get whoring holiday visas and theyre spewing. ROFLMAO, theyve gotta join teh military to get over here before they hit 18 to 24.

Us Aussies should NEVER knock what weve got or how it came about....theres always someone worse off.

Edited May 29, 2008 by m3gtr

[MostH8D]

that's not entirely true. ive been over there plenty for "holiday" and never used my military affiliations to go. i just got a visa and went. its simple. you might be mistaken about that.

[m3gtr]

Well, tourist visas dont count. Those are only good for 90 days and you cannot work on them...well you can but it would be on the dodge.

If you are looking to live here you need more than a tourist visa...working holiday visas are good for a year and a half for Aussies between the ages of 18 and 30. A pretty good deal. No other country gets that. All the other countries have a year and America doesnt have a WHV at all...

You are either going to have to have a degree or be eligible for "specialist" or "diplomatic" visas...

[ZOKU]

woops, sorry m3gtr. I was having a bad day and don't like hearing people mucking around in Japan. I thought it was you. how did you make 2400+ posts?

Good mate of mine used to get into fights with americans that are mucking around in Osaka. even shared a taxi to the hospital with them after the fight! what a champ, he interpreted their injuries to the nurse. haha

fighting is wrong, though.

Do they still have Team-er (チーマー) over there? Group of three to four guys come into the city night spots just to have fights with each other. It used to be a problem about ten years ago.

Oh, I read the other day. They are now awarding citizenship to iligitimate children born to non-japanese hostesses that have residencies inJapan. I remember that there was alot of nonsence when it came to visas and residencies in Japan. I hope things have changed for the better. I had to change my surname to my mother's Japanese surname for years until it was overturned by us.

another rubbish from my personal life. there is no shame on the net..

[R-sanichi]

Hi,

Adam, I've skipped most of the posts between here and your original starter post.

I'm back in Aus, have been for 2 years now. My wife and I have been back once to visit family (Oct 07), and we are going back for 3 weeks in Feb 08. The main reason why we came to Aus was for me to obtain my Masters degree.

I thought I was ready to come back to Aus and was getting bored. Mainly becasue most of my friends (Nova teachers) were all moving on after one year, and the ones who did stay in the country mainly moved cities.. anyway, I digress. I was not ready, and there was soooo much more I wanted to do (but realised this after being back in Aus about a month later). I will do it later in life though, and probably with kids (when they happen).

So, I really had to have a big think about "what I love about life in Japan". Its very difficult to put into words. A lot of little things make it interesting, but its mainly the feeling of not being too comfortable. I remember Carlos Gohsn (who has become my business idol) say once on Eigo de shyabe ra naito, "you can never allow yourself to become comfortable. Becasue when you're uncomfortable, your mind is open to new things and is always challenged".

This made me think that it's communication and culture differences that I find an ongoing challenge. My own persona is more Japanese than most westerners (and I think perhaps there are many here on SAU). My wife sometimes points out to me, while part way through a movie with complicated dialogue "can you understand?". I say, "well kind of but it's difficult". She'll reply, "No, you cant. If you can understand the meaning of this, then you are defintiely Japanese. But you never will be."

She does not mean to put me down, but simply saying that the meaning is so deep that only a Japanese can understand the true meaning.... Hey, I just realised I'm rambling.

So, to summarise. Its the challenge of communication and culture adaption.

Michael.

[akeenan]

for a movie to be so deep that only a Japanese person can understand, that movie must be a couple of days long. The good old youll never be Japanese, you will never understand line.

R-sanyon just wondering what the things you wished you had done while still in Japan but didnt are. As im leaving Japan for good to come home to get married etc etc and wanna double check my list before I go. cheers for anyhelp

[Laurence]

You guys do realise that "you will never be Japanese" is a compliment

[elrodeo666]

I'll say its a bloody compliment... with the lack of common sense on a day to day basis astounds me...I'm bloody glad i'm not japanese..life would be hellish.

[akeenan]

hehe hellish

[R-sanichi]

In regards to the deep and meaningful language, its the stuff thats really old style language, and rarely used, that she says I wont truely feel the meaning of.

Things I didnt do? I should have made more of an efffort to get my language to a higher level. That would have allowed me to form stronger relationships with people I'd still like to call friends. It would have also allowed me to get more involved with cars and motorsport (though working at Rally Japan was fine cos they assigned me a translater).

Also, I'm yet to purchase an R34, and I wish I had have done so. I passed up a nice Impul version at DR00p, my local tuning shop (f*kuyama - Kasaoka). So I wish I had bought one then.

So, they are really just personal goals not reached (which came out of laziness).

Akeenan, you've been there a while right? What are you plans (apart from marriage) in Aus? Yeah, right leaving for good? Might be difficult.

[akeenan]

R-sanyon . yep ive been here for 5 years now. I really enjoy my job.. however I think its time to move on. I intend to come back and try my hardest to get into the telecommunications industry. (hopefully my degree is still worth something . . . ) , get a mortgage and either build or buy a newish house. Ill hopefully be able to come back once a year or every few years.

It weird. because the longer I am in Japan the more I find that annoys me about the place yet I know that when I leave I will probably miss it.

[dodgybrooks]

You'll miss it less than you think mate.

[elrodeo666]

I'll never miss the "Candy"....hmmmm smooth candy..

I"ll never miss kabba kura...

I'll definitely wont miss the blatant lack of common sense and driving in the snow and ice for 4 months ever year.

But I'll still be here for 1 more year, after that no idea where to go.

[sleeper_et]

Just curios, but there seems to be a fair few people that have a major dislike of Japan and the people in it. Have you ever travelled and lived in other countries before? If so did you have the same feelings about them?

I am only asking because people have a tendency to compare everything to their birth country because that is "normal" to them, so therefore anything different is a negative.

Would you/ do you have the same feelings towards China, Brazil or America if you lived there?

Don't take my post the wrong way I am just trying to see if people think that Australia is better because it's normal to us.

Personally I like both countries. Some things annoy me about Japan but then some things drive me nuts about Australia.

I haven't spent enough time in Japan but the time I did spend I enjoyed and would like to live their again.

[akeenan]

dodgybrooks, after todays shopping expedition I think you could be correct.

sleeper et Ive lived in canada for 7 months also.

Its very difficult to explain. but the longer people live in Japan the more they learn / understand the culture/ experience "Japan" . You cant get this experience from a short trip to Japan. You have to live the life of an unfairly treated, high tax paying outsider resident for a few years.

[sleeper_et]

Ok, seems like a fair explanation. Whilst living in Japan what job have you been doing for a job? If its constantly teaching English I

could understand your frustration.

I can see where you are coming from but I think the situation would be very similar for a Japanese person to come to Australia wouldn't it?

I think that I will have to make a judgment in time about it. I think across the board the wages in Japan are low for both Japanese and gaijins,

seems like you really have to do the hardyards for a heap of years before you can start making the big $$$, at least that is what I have been told from

friends.

[StageaNaWa]

Blokes and Mates,

I am not in Japan, but in Okinawa....yes part of Japan, the best part! Have a 97StageaRS turbo AWD, my first "skyline" and am loving life. Been here three years. I'm soaking up that American/Military connection. I'm a civilian working for the military. I can throw a Guinness ball into the East China Sea from my 4bed 2bath apt balcony, courtesy of the US/Japan alliance. I just got home from taking my 21 year-old girlfriend out. We've been seeing each other for 2.5 years....yeah do the math. What a sweet sweet girl. Don't know why she's with this old guy, but not going to give her a reason not to be. The night before her and her mum came by and mum fell asleep on my couch. She knows I will take good care of her daughter. Fresh Sushi when ever I want, soba noodles around the corner, several bars I can walk to. Every month I'm here, I miss the States less.

Now the drivers here are going to give me a stroke. They all SUCK, but when I get some open road in front of me I floor the Stagea and shift it through the gears with over drive off and my stress leaves. This doesn't happen a lot cause like I said, the drivers SUCK and some asshole is going to pull in front of me and ruin my run, but it's good while it lasts.

I love Okinawa, and I love my Stagea. It's more fun than my previous 944 or 911.....well maybe not my 911 that is still my favorite vehicle I've owned, but I can pack in 8 SCUBA Tanks and all my gear and take two people with me. Not possible with the 911.

What keeps me motivated to stay in Japan?(Okinawa)

I can leave the windows down, the keys in the ignition and a 5,000 yen note on the dashboard and come back and it's still there.

I can have a 21 year old girl friend who appreciates me and be seen in public without anyone saying "pervert".

I don't get paid a lot, but have lots of benefits...ie the apt..did I say it was new when I moved in 3yrs ago?

Most everyone wants to speak English.

SCUBA, Surf, SCUBA, Surf, SCUBA, Surf!

I like the food.

Come see me, I'll take you diving!

[Rezz]

^^^ What an awesome post. Welcome mate

[sleeper_et]

Good stuff, great to hear someone who is positive and enjoying themselves. Good on ya.

I am jealous.

I would love to get to Okinawa and have a look at some stage.