Rezz's Japan Forum Q + A Thread

[ONYX]

oh....and what's with the "harimasta" sounding word that the news readers say after almost every singe sentence?

[Rezz]

I got a question for you guys that are thinking about coming to Japan:

Do you think Japan has become more 'accessable' for tourists (Aussies in particular) in the last 5 years or so? I ask because every 2nd guy I meet is either Canadian or Australian...

[InspectorGadget]

oh....and what's with the "harimasta" sounding word that the news readers say after almost every singe sentence?

It's possibly wakimashita , which means 'I understand'.

It's been about 3 years since I last watched the news here, because it's generally not balanced or well investigated, and the media in Japan has a tendency to 'navel gaze' (ie focus almost entirely on events within Japan and hardly anything on international news) . Instead I rely on the internet and BBCWorld for information on current events, and the same is true of most of the other gaijin that I have contact with.

IG

[Rezz]

It's possibly wakimashita , which means 'I understand'.

'Wakimashita' means 'it boiled' in polite form... don't you mean 'Wakarimashita'?

Anyways, on the News in Japan, they're using general polite forms with all verbs (ie: verbs in the past tense end in --- mashita) and in Japanese the basic sentence structure is 'Subject - object - verb'... so it's likely that they don't just say 'Wakarimashita' at the end of every sentence (although in an interview it could) it's more like they're using a multitude of different verbs in the past tense... hense you hear '---mashita' all the time while watching the news.

[InspectorGadget]

'Wakimashita' means 'it boiled' in polite form... don't you mean 'Wakarimashita'?

 

Anyways, on the News in Japan, they're using general polite forms with all verbs (ie: verbs in the past tense end in --- mashita) and in Japanese the basic sentence structure is 'Subject - object - verb'... so it's likely that they don't just say 'Wakarimashita' at the end of every sentence (although in an interview it could) it's more like they're using a multitude of different verbs in the past tense... hense you hear '---mashita' all the time while watching the news.

You're right. It was a typo on my part. I meant 'wakarimashita'.

And yes, my Japanese is still craptacular. I yield to your superior knowledge.

IG

[funkymonkey]

Q. Is it Watanabe or Tanabe?

People who say watanabe irritate me for some reason.

[DaiOni]

if you're talking about suspension - it's tanabe (no doubt there are 'watanabe' parts though - as it's a name about as common as 'jones' in english)

[Rezz]

Btw Shan... Tanabe is pronounced 'Tah-nah-beh' remember?

Someone on here sent me a PM aaaaages ago *insisting* it's 'Tah-nay-b'... because his best mate was half Japanese or something LOL.

[Sciby]

I got a question for you guys that are thinking about coming to Japan:

 

Do you think Japan has become more 'accessable' for tourists (Aussies in particular) in the last 5 years or so? I ask because every 2nd guy I meet is either Canadian or Australian...

I would definitely say so... a few reasons being:

- Japanese is like *the* LOTE (languages other than english) course being taught these days - apparently started in the mid-80's when a boom of japanese investment happened in Australia... of course, kids who study it also want to visit it now. Same happened with my parents and French/France.

- You can teach english over there, get paid fairly well and experience another culture, so of course, heaps of people want to do that. *waves hand and babbles "Me too, me too!"*

- Interest in Japanese cars has of course increased interest in Japan itself... this forum is proof of that.

- Japanese tourist visas are fairly trouble free to get, and the working visas not much beyond there... it's almost to the point where you flip Customs a fiver as you walk through the gate, to cover your visa fees...

- Finally, popularity of things like Iron Chef, manga, anime, tentacle porn, all of these things add up...

To summarize: Japanese culture becomes popular + semi-'open door' visas = lots of gaijin.

[Sciby]

Btw Shan... Tanabe is pronounced 'Tah-nah-beh' remember?  

 

Someone on here sent me a PM aaaaages ago *insisting* it's 'Tah-nay-b'... because his best mate was half Japanese or something LOL.

Half drunk, maybe... I can't remember half the stuff I learnt in my jap intro course I did as part of my degree last year, but it was very good for getting mispronounciation out of the way... even if I don't understand it, there's lik a 99% chance I'll correctly pronounce something... if it's romanized.

[Sciby]

You're right.  It was a typo on my part.  I meant 'wakarimashita'.  

 

 And yes,  my Japanese is still craptacular.  I yield to your superior knowledge.

   

IG

Trying to understand why a news presenter would be saying "I understood" after each sentence... :confused: ...although it is Japanese, and i gave up on trying to understand them... watashi wa nihon-jin wakarimasen yo.

[InspectorGadget]

Trying to understand why a news presenter would be saying "I understood" after each sentence... :confused: ...although it is Japanese, and i gave up on trying to understand them... watashi wa nihon-jin wakarimasen yo.

I was thinking more of the banter that they have between the presenters sometimes.

IG

[Poida]

Rezz, i got a question..

At the mo i got a few jobs working in/around tokyo, but im on a working holiday visa. Now i understand this is valid for a maximum of 1 year and a half? If i wanted to stay longer would this A) Be possible? B) How? Im lead to believe that if you want to stay in Japan under a Working Visa, you need proof of a degree. Is this right? If i wanted to stay here in Nippon, without a degree (im just 19 going on 20 this year) could i smooze up to my boss and lick a lot of ass and try and get a working visa that way? Or should i start looking for a girl who wants to marry soon?

Thx

[Rezz]

Rezz, i got a question..

At the mo i got a few jobs working in/around tokyo, but im on a working holiday visa. Now i understand this is valid for a maximum of 1 year and a half? If i wanted to stay longer would this A) Be possible? B) How? Im lead to believe that if you want to stay in Japan under a Working Visa, you need proof of a degree. Is this right? If i wanted to stay here in Nippon, without a degree (im just 19 going on 20 this year) could i smooze up to my boss and lick a lot of ass and try and get a working visa that way? Or should i start looking for a girl who wants to marry soon?

Thx

Your right, to 'qualify' for a working visa you need a degree...

Working Holiday Visas are given in 6 month blocks, each block is extendable a mximum of 2 times, for a total of 18 months. You *must* reapply every 6 months! We just had one of our Canadian teachers taken into custody at Kansai Airport because he overstayed his original 6 month working holiday visa by 6 months.... he flat out forgot to reapply!!!

If you want to stay in Japan after your Working Holiday visa has been used up (after 18 months) without a degree, your best bet would be to take Karate lessons and apply for a 'Cultural Visa' (in that order). The Cultural Visa is given in two 1 year blocks, for a maximum of 2 years. I believe it IS illegal to work on a Cultural Visa... so you have to show Japanese Immigration evidence that a) you're actively taking lessons of cultural importance, B) show decents funds held in a bank account and/or show a letter signed by your parents/guardians that they will support you for the duration of your Cultural Visa. ;) then all will be fine.

[CircusMonkey]

What is the antenna/stick thing on the left side on the front of the cars?

Mainly upclass Toyotas and Mercs.

[Rezz]

What is the antenna/stick thing on the left side on the front of the cars?

Mainly upclass Toyotas and Mercs.

I think it's to aid in parking... so the driver has a better idea of where the front of the car is, has the little light at the top for *cue 80's robotic voice over* n-n-n-n-n-ight p-p-p-p-p-parking...

[topi]

I noticed when driving at night, drivers would switch their main lights off when at a junction, and just have the sidelights on. Whats all that about?

[akeenan]

In regards to the visa question just look for a new job that sponsers visas as you are living in ueno your in the centre of decent places to work... I am currently in the process of getting a new job and changing my visa and also in the process of what rezz mentioned...

Here is my question: Why are japanese people so ignorant when it comes to different races. Any culture which is not japanese is labeled as being foreign.

[Ant]

I think it's to aid in parking... so the driver has a better idea of where the front of the car is, has the little light at the top for *cue 80's robotic voice over* n-n-n-n-n-ight p-p-p-p-p-parking...

Yep, parking aid, so that spacially challenged people known where the LF corner of the car is.... Once had a Corona loan car, had a switch on the dash labelled 'pole'. Much head scratching went on about the function of this switch, until we spotted the antenna/stick thing on the LF corner going up and down....

[InspectorGadget]

Yep, parking aid, so that spacially challenged people

Japan is a breeding ground for spacially challenged people. If you've ever watched the kids here, they rarely climb trees, build things etc due to environmental factors (ie no space or trees), or concerns over 'safety'. Because they dont use their spacial awareness, they don't develop it.

IG