Rezz's Japan Forum Q + A Thread

[Sciby]

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

IG

Aaaaah.

""

""

[Rezz]

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?

It's a curtesy thing... taxi drivers started doing it years ago in order not to blind oncoming cars and pedestrians. Eventually (as alot of stuff happens here) everybody starts doing it. The trouble is, people forget to turn the lights back on after they start driving again, so it's not really a good idea. I don't do it myself.

Another thing people may have noticed is that Japanese use their hazard lights to park... or change lanes... or illegally double park... almost like they can do whatever they want *IF* they put the hazard lights on.

[Rezz]

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.

I'm not going to pretend I'm an expert at Japanese history but... during the Edo period in Japan, missionaries from different countries (particularly Portugal) where based in Nagasaki in Kyushu and where chiefly trading goods, but also trying to spread the word of God. The emporer at the time saw that his people were being converted at an alarming rate - the ladies were getting married to foreign guys etc - so he sent a whole army there to basically arrest and/or kill all the foreigners and basically close Japan to the outside world for about 200 years.

The effect this had was akin to the Rennaiasance in Europe, it was when Japan really developed it's own individual culture. So having said that, people even today still have this 'curiosity mixed with ignorance' of other cultures amongst some older people... and even some younger kids. These people are a minority though, so more often than not Japanese are either genuinely shy or they are afraid foreigners are going to babble some strange language to them. It doesn't help on the foreigners part that Japanese language is so hard

All the Japanese people (other than my in-laws) that I've spoke to about this all are aware of the apparent 'uncoolness' of the Japanese penchant to be ignorant or even a little hostile to other cultures and really view it as the #1 reason why Japan isn't progressive as Western countries.

[ONYX]

I see recently in japan the new PSP was release, and the punters went mad for it, and they sold all 200,000 units on the first day, which got me thinking, that japanese people seem to be very "compulsive" for want of a better word...ie they really get into "fads" and trends and collectable items etc, was just wondering why this is, and what the latest fad is?

Also seeing as were in backwards country here and we get stuff like 10 yrs after japan, what are the latest gadgets/gizmos doing the rounds , as a lot of the time the new technology and the latest fads are one in the same

[Sciby]

Well, yeah... Japan is a product company's playground because they're such hyper-consumers... candy/snack food is a great example: they have a 3 month cycle (apparently), so they find out what works or is liked and what doesn't... then they're off to remake/redesign and then try again for another 3 months... of course, stuff like the PSP doesn't have such an aggresive cycle, but still...

Basically, if something is successful in japan, it'll do well everywhere else.

Except for bukkake.

[InspectorGadget]

Aaaaah.

""

""(

Spot on!

[Rezz]

I see recently in japan the new PSP was release, and the punters went mad for it, and they sold all 200,000 units on the first day, which got me thinking, that japanese people seem to be very "compulsive" for want of a better word...ie they really get into "fads" and trends and collectable items etc, was just wondering why this is, and what the latest fad is?

Also seeing as were in backwards country here and we get stuff like 10 yrs after japan, what are the latest gadgets/gizmos doing the rounds , as a lot of the time the new technology and the latest fads are one in the same

I wouldn't say Japan had any more compulsive buyers than any other country... what about when (ok, ok, I can't think of a better example right now) Windows '95 was released? You had people even in Alice Springs lining up outside PC shops at midnight the night before the release waiting for the store to open... thats compulsive too right?

It's just presented by the media in western countries as a wierd kinda compulsive behaviour of Japanese people... did you know that in Japan they're shown news reports of Americans lining up outside movie theaters 5 days before waiting to buy movie tickets for the latest Brad Pitt extravaganza? So here the reverse applies... Japanese think westerners are compulsive fad driven buyers... especially at Christmas time.... Japanese are just trying to keep up with the west it seems.

[ONYX]

Thats quite an interesting quirk of human behaviour

[DaiOni]

compulsive buyers? kind of - but that's a 'face value' analysis. They CAN spend (even if it's partly a hangover from the 'bubble economy') - for various reasons, the average person here has a high disposable income (despite being one of the greatest 'saving' cultures on the planet).

[mcmn]

On a different note: does Japanese Coke taste different to Australian Coke? (Yes, I'm drinking a coke now).

YES!!!

it tastes better, so much so i spent all my change at the airport buying bottles from the vending machine before boarding the plane

its less carbonated and sweeter i think

[InspectorGadget]

YES!!!

it tastes better, so much so i spent all my change at the airport buying bottles from the vending machine before boarding the plane

its less carbonated and sweeter i think

I've got this mental image of you strung out on coke and sugar . . . . . and locked inside a plane for 11 hours. ARRRRRRRRRGH! I hope that you werend in the middle of the centre aisle!

:wassup:

IG

[Rezz]

This is really interesting about the Coke taste thing... honestly I don't think they're any different. Are you guys tasting them side-by-side? Maybe it's just me...

[DaiOni]

I think it might be just you - it's a pretty common comment

you know, the longer you live here, the more you tend to forget what things were like back home. Like bad customer service, I forgot what that was like, then I went home for xmas...

[Sciby]

I drink a buttload of Oz coke, so someone in Nihon, send me some jap coke. I'll do a blindfolded taste test.

[Evo_Lee]

Dear Rezz...

Are you ghey? Not that there is anything wrong with that.

It's just that I have notice so many male openly express their love for you?

I would sign off as Love but I don't want you to get the wrong idea and your not a female.

The other Kinki kid

[funkymonkey]

Coke from australia tastes different to coke in singapore and different to the US. (I'm talking about the bottled variety, not the water added syrup that mcdonalds serves out).

and I know for sure the aussie one tastes different to the US one because I had a bottle of aussie coke and a US bottle (the vintage style one) at the same time... because at one point in my life I too was intrigued by this question.

[Poida]

Rezz another question for you...

If i want a SUICA Ka-do, (you've got them in Osaka right?) how do i go about getting one? Can i buy one from the Ka-do machine at my JR station? Or do i have to apply for one etc?

Ta =)

*off to find the fittest, sexiest 'lil Japanese bunny rabbit that'll take me*

[Rezz]

Dear Rezz...

Are you ghey? Not that there is anything wrong with that.

It's just that I have notice so many male openly express their love for you?

I would sign off as Love but I don't want you to get the wrong idea and your not a female.

The other Kinki kid

Am I gay? When have I 'openly expressed love for another bloke' on the forums??? I think the question should be "Are SAU members other than Rezz ghey?" ;)

Having said that, it does worry me when members PM me and say "...if you're ever in **** (city) let me know..." Yikes.

[Rezz]

Rezz another question for you...

If i want a SUICA Ka-do, (you've got them in Osaka right?) how do i go about getting one? Can i buy one from the Ka-do machine at my JR station? Or do i have to apply for one etc?

Ta =)

*off to find the fittest, sexiest 'lil Japanese bunny rabbit that'll take me*

No... SUICA Card is JR Higashi (East) Nihon only... in Osaka we have ICOCA Card it's exactly the same thing. I get mine from machines marked 'ICOCA' (obviously) and I can choose the 'monthly pass', it expires one month from the activation date that you decide on. The monthly pass allows you to travel infinately between 2 selected stations (eg: Osaka <---> Ashiya for me) but thats it... if you travel outside those 2 stations you have to pay extra. It's really only good for commuters like me.

^^^ I love the choice of animal for ICOCA Card... no other than a blue Platypus.

[Evo_Lee]

LOL, I'd think I would know if you were ghey...else you wouldn't enjoy your job and the ladies .

Speaking of which, f**k my new office surprisingly has some nice looking chicks .