Top 5 things you hate about living in Japan

[Bl4cK32]

Winging foreigners ...sorry guys...lol

[DCD]

LOL this list is growing really fast!

Rezz...what about that weird smell on larger trains, a concoction of rice crackers, obentos, mothballs, BO, that nasty old people smell....creates one disgusting fragrance!

I'll add a few more

21)The Yakimo seller waking me up ever saturday morning when I want to sleep in!!

22)Middle aged men walking around in their wives shoes at the supermarket

23)The small portions of food at the restaurants

24)having to stop at train crossings...why????? Or how about after you have been waiting in line for a train to pass cars in front of you still stop and look left and right just to make sure a stranded wagon is not on the loose! Pathetic!

25)People having absolutely no regard for the environment. On one road I use as a short cut I have to slalom through plastic bags (neatly tied) left in the middle of the road. Filth b@stards!

[Sciby]

DCD: I can't handle rice cracker smell on its own... I can literally smell it from miles away. Hate it, hate it, hate it.

Great list... I don't think I could handle being interrupted. I hate it in english, I'd hate it even more in japanese... probably get kicked out for smacking some guy in the head for interrupting me repeatedly.

[Evo_Lee]

the Japanese guy who sits adjacent to me dines on rice cracker with a very very strong smell like it is burnt...I swear he is getting fatter and fatter everyday.

[InspectorGadget]

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, OIISHIII YAKKKKKKKKKKKIIIIIMOOOOOOOOO. (InspectorGadget runs for the tire spikes and the fire extinguisher)

41) Men walking around with their handbags (trying to look European)

42) Completely fooked up Engligh on T-Shirts. "Open All Hours" printed in block letters on an attractive 20 something womans top. "BITCH!" being worn by a woman old enough to be my grandmother (and the look on her face when my mate told her what it meant) . . . .

43) Teaching a kid soooooooo dense that light bends around him.

44) The culturally acceptable practice of men urinating anywhere they damn well please.

45) About half the country smoking like chimneys.

46) Being surrounded by rice fields ( and the associated mosquito's and pests that they hgarbour)

47) Police who don't do anything.

48) Being surrounded by about 10 different nuclear related sites . . . . . and Japan having the nuclear safety record that it does. (It's ranked below some ex-soviet states in certain aspects)

49) 20A connections to the national grid that ensures that you can't operate a microwave and an airconditioner at the some time or you'll get a mini blackout in your apartment.

50) That mangnitude 5.8 earthquake that we just had. It scared the crap out of my goldfish.

[Rezz]

Rezz...what about...that nasty old people smell

hahaha, yeah... about the only thing thats worse than that is when old people try and cover up the old people smell with heaps of perfume... the old ppl smell *still* finds it's way out! Bllleeeeaagh!

21)The Yakimo seller waking me up ever saturday morning when I want to sleep in!!

TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!!

Whats with the whistle anyway? You'd think the singing was bad enough?

[Demon Dave]

I so agree with that 20A thing. Our place is pretty big, including an outbuilding with 3 offices that I use as my school and still, the entire thing is run on 20A. I've lost count of the number of times I've been in the middle of a class only to have the power go out when the wife downstairs starts cooking dinner!

[yukz2daizzo]

7) stop lights and how they have so many

[Sl!m]

But you guys got a mad internet connection

just wish I could understand then majority of what u were talking about

[Rezz]

I so agree with that 20A thing...

You know, thats pretty wierd... I used to have problems in an old place I used to live in, yet now I'm living in another old place (built early '70s) and I haven't had any electrical overload problems :confused: The 20A thing used to give me the sh*ts whenever I used the microvawe, but now (as Troy can attest) I'm running ALL my appliances - air con, TV, DVD, PC, Microwave, coffee machine etc - at once, and nothing happens! It's how it should be really... I don't understand, has my place got a higher ampage breaker or something???

[InspectorGadget]

I don't understand, has my place got a higher ampage breaker or something???

Some places have a communal connection and the metering is done off that.

[Ant]

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, OIISHIII YAKKKKKKKKKKKIIIIIMOOOOOOOOO.  (InspectorGadget runs for the tire spikes and the fire extinguisher)

49)  20A  connections to the national grid that ensures that you can't operate a microwave and an airconditioner at the some time or you'll get a mini blackout in your apartment.

50)  That mangnitude 5.8 earthquake that we just had.  It scared the crap out of my goldfish.

The first one - keh??

The 20A cct breaker is more to do with limiting household power consumption than anything else - goes back to the whole vulnerable power distribution system (see no's 48 and 50!). I have a feeling it is in the Japanese regs somewhere.

Also relates to the insanity of a 100V power system, 'tis a bastard to design for as all the current levels are double what they should be.

And on the subject of Japanese power wierdness, check your appliances (fridge etc) for earth connections. See any? Nope, just as I thought. The regs say that you don't have to have 3 pin plugs in the appliances as most houses don't have 3 pin outlets. So many appliances are supplied with an earth lead that you are supposed to connect seperately to an earth point. Anybody want to hazard a guess how many people bother doing this..... At least a 100V zap isn't as bad as a 240V one....

So is poor old (!) Negatoro a bit, umm, shaken?

[InspectorGadget]

So is poor old (!) Negatoro a bit, umm, shaken?

Negitoro (my goldfish) hides under his log during every earthquake. He survived all right, just with a bit less water that when it started.

A lot of newer appliances now have a 3 pin plug, but as you say, most wall outlets don't have a 3 pin socket?!

[Evo_Lee]

As said only some places.

Same 20A rating over here...operating microwave, heater/aircon, TV, vacuum all at the same time...no blackouts. Cause here in the Central West we don't have the same power company to the East Oh yes Rezz's places is incredible, so many goods running off only 2 power outlet in a 20yo building.

Generally there is only 2 pin outlets but newer places are getting 3pins plus most offices use 3pins.

[KTW]

I literally spit out my Rootbeer reading some of these "complaints". Obviously; some of them, I don't understand since I am not located in Japan but they are still amusing. Do not think you have a monopoly on "weirdness". Many of the "things" are the same or near the same as are found here in the U.S. The drivers license and insurance situations are very similar. Noone seems to really want to work and do their job to get stuff completed. I am going to list a few examples I saw in the hopes of an explanation of what it means and just to make some comments. 1) Hanko? 2)Bozosoku? 3) The "staring" thing I would find very strange and I would probably really get looks. I am 1.94 meters 115 kilos and look like a cross between a Pro Football(not soccer) Player and a Banker. 4) "Racism" would bother me a great deal since I am as Liberal as they come.I am VERY easy going. 5)"The proliferation of cute"? 6) Japanese males have, for a long time been regarded as the most "perverted" males on the planet when it comes to "Young Girl" situations. I am surprised that was even mentioned. 7) The "weird" questions asked by people would not bother me. I talk to anyone. No big deal. NOONE could intimidate me out of speaking to them. 8)Pachinko? 9)I LOVE the "Canadian Male" comments. I agree 100%. Too funny! 10)Hello Kitty? 11)I like attractive women of all sorts so the "School Girl" thing wouldnt bother me. 12)"Gaijin force field"--- That would really bother me since I am so ANTI-RACIST. 13)"My local Shell station. I get out and pay but I cannot pump gas myself and the idiots there never ever ever ever fill the tank to the max like I would." Why dont you make DAMN certain the tank is full! I would ! I do not understand this 1 at all. You paid for the gas didnt you? 14) I find the electrical quandry a bit strange..... I would like to visit Japan some day. I visited South Korea in 1995 and loved it. The most beautiful women I have ever seen and GREAT spicy food. I will add that you really need to have a great deal of money to vacation in that country. I guess Japan is the same. I welcome any comments. Thanks,Later.

[Sciby]

1) Hanko - Personal "signature" stamp... the gaijin could elaborate.

8) Pachinko - 'gambling' game that's a cross between pinball and a video game.

I'd personally love the gaijin force field. I don't really enjoy people crowding up against me and like you (6'3", 110kg), I take up a lot of space, so less people around me, the better.

I think the school girl thing is a Good Thing.

[Polski]

i'd have to agree with you on both points sciby

[Evo_Lee]

Hanko is a signature stamp...which dates back to the ancient days in China where they used "CHOP" aka marble stamp to represent authority, authentication of action or seal. Usually only used by wealthy or imperial people, such that who holds the Imperial CHOP rules the country. Japan obviously have kept this tradition to this day but by use of a much much smaller stamp.

Pachinko like all gambling is bad. Slot machine fuelld by pinballs falling, gambling for goods in exchange. Usually there is a pawn shop just around the corner to exchange the goods for cash.

[yukz2daizzo]

8)how the male plucks their eyebrows and wears make up.

9)ganguro's!!! (well i actually like some of em, hehehe)

[DCD]

8)how the male plucks their eyebrows and wears make up.

I know a few guys that shave their arms!! Ok so they have 3 hairs on them but male grooming in Japan is a bit too camp IMO. And whats up with all the guys getting hair cuts like women?? You know all those stylish Tokyo rich boys? Look like a bunch of pillow biters to me:D