patrick.net

I will expand on this more.

I should start one on what I dislike about Japan too...

I liked Malaysia better, though they exhibit order on an extraordinary level, they are an uptight lot. The Taxi driver at the Airport about had a hemorrhage when I told him to take me to a train so I could go to Tokyo to buy a Guitar from Fender Japan.

He ran out of the cab like I was crazed lunatic to get corroborators to convince me that it is not possible to go to Tokyo from Narita and make it back in 8 hours(had a long lay over). They were yelling at me in a deep gravely Japanese stereo type voice.

It was like they would have felt responsible if I missed my flight. They wouldn't tell me the ramifications if I did, but they were not enabling me to miss it.

I was like OK OK Take me to the Hotel.

Geesh I thought the trains were fast.

But yes it does seem more Civilized and structured in not just Japan buy most of those countries.

Thanks for the story... Lol! I can believe it.

thunderlips11 says

But wow, anybody see those airport security chicks in Japan? Full makeup and nicely dressed, smiling and polite, unlike some of the slobs you see at US airports.

Hmmm, I must of missed that, as I was busy seeing the Chicks in Japan full makeup and nicely dressed smiling and polite. Unlike some of the slobs you see at US airports.

JAL flight attendant pref flight schpeil was in Nipponese, but the LCD screen showed an animation that suggested the gist of what she was saying for the other language speakers. One of the animations showed a guy expelling a green cloud, then the other folks around him gave the angry face. I was the only one laughing loud, to my chagrin.

You'll never hear a flight attendant tell you "Please Don't fart" on an American flight.

Wow, I'm not sure I'd survive in Japan. I'd do my best to be "polite." I'm afraid that my enculturation in an Italian/Jewish family would clash with the Japanese "politeness."

I've never been there so I'm just talking after reading the posts here. Japan seems like a very uptight place. I would like to visit one day to experience it definitely. Hopefully I wouldn't offend too much. I'm a very polite international traveller and that has served me well in Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Jordan, and Egypt. But all of these places seem like they might be less uptight than Japan. Well, maybe an exception on my list would be Switzerland. That was the most compulsively clean country I've ever seen.

Those people are all dead simchaland, you do realize that was over 60 years ago,
simchaland says

I’m just talking after reading the posts here. Japan seems like a very uptight place.

You know simchaland, it felt refreshing to see people on the ball that do their best to their ability, wanted to make sure that I didn't get lost, or not arrive back in time. Japan has some of the strictest immigration laws in the world. Another thing you really have to respect.

Tenouncetrout says

Those people are all dead simchaland, you do realize that was over 60 years ago,

OK, you lost me here. To what people are you referring? If you are referring to my family members, then I'm not sure you understand what enculturation means. I'm only 41 so I couldn't have been enculturated by family members over 41 years ago, let alone 60 years ago. And I don't see dead people so I certainly wasn't enculturated by dead relatives.

If you are talking about the Japanese, I have some news that may surprise you. There are Japanese people who are alive in Japan today. No, really, it's true.

If you're talking about British, French, Dutch, German, Austrian, Italian, Swiss, Jordanian, and Egyptian people, you may be surprised to learn that there are people with those nationalities alive in the respective countries I've visited in my 41 years.

On to the last part of your post that also makes no sense...

Tenouncetrout says

Japan has some of the strictest immigration laws in the world. Another thing you really have to respect.

Actually, no, I don't have to respect that. I do know from friends who have lived in Japan that some Japanese can be some of the most racist people on Earth. Strict immigration laws may be an extension of some Japanese people's general disdain for non-Japanese people. I believe we are called "Gaijin" in Japan. I know that this term used to be neutral long ago. But it's not considered a very polite term today, from what my friends who lived there have told me. Some of my friends who have lived there and some of my friends currently living there say that they always had the feeling that no matter how politely they were treated, they were considered to be less than the Japanese. And they said that they always had the feeling of being an "outsider" as the term "Gaijin" indicates no matter how long they had lived in Japan.

Strict immigration laws are neither good nor bad on their surface. Strict immigration laws are not necessarily a commentary on how much a country should be respected or not respected.

So, no, I don't have to respect Japan because they have strict immigration laws.

I guess it's afternoon over at ToT's house, and we all know what that means.

simchaland says

Some of my friends who have lived there and some of my friends currently living there say that they always had the feeling that no matter how politely they were treated, they were considered to be less than the Japanese.

You're Jewish right?

Let's see if this sound right...

Some of my friends who have lived Israel and some of my friends currently living there say that they always had the feeling that no matter how politely they were treated, they were considered to be less than the Jews.

ToT, put the bong down, really.

I liked Japan. I was there twice, the first time for several weeks, the second time for several months. On my second visit, I had a pretty sweet deal and had plenty of money to spend on nice hotels, going out etc.
If you have money, Japan is great. The people are nice and dating was also very fun. Your results may vary ;)
One of my favorite parts of Japan was hit by the tsunami, too bad, I loved the seacoast area there. It was really beautiful and uncrowded too.
As an American I felt getting around Japan was fine, but I had studied some Japanese. By contrast, although China was completely fascinating, I felt really like I would be lost on my own.
Therefore I recommend both, why not since you flew all the way over there. It's only money, right?

simchaland says

ToT, put the bong down, really.

Never! Now answer the question, how is Israels national pride in self identity(to put it mildly) any different than Japan's? Or some small redneck town in Texas for that matter.