What do you like about living in Japan ?

[Maciamo]

A bit over 4 years ago, I made a poll What are your interest for Japan ?. This poll was very general and regarded "interests", regardless of whether members had actually been to Japan or not.

(If you wonder, I voted for every option in the poll, except Anime & Manga, Video Games and J-Pop, although I do not dislike them occasionally, but I do not have a deep interest enough compared to the other items on the list).

One and a half years ago, I asked our members what they thought werethe Greatest Japanese contribution to the world ?. This is a non-personal poll, not asking what you like, but what has had the biggest impact on other cultures, economies and lifestyles around the world.

3 weeks ago, I realised that nobody had posted a poll about the negative side of Japan, in spite of the fact that there had been many threads discussing them. So I created a poll What do you dislike about Japan ?

In reaction to that, the next day, craftsman, who joined recently and probably hadn't seen my old poll, started a thread What do you like about Japan and Japanese people?. However I find his poll to be far too personal, and in fact couldn't find anything to vote for despite my long list of things I like about Japan.

So I decided to create a new poll, this time not about Japan-related interests, nor peculiar likings, but more general likings about living in Japan. I will do my best to include as many options as possible and not just those that are true for me.

Do not excpect to find things like anime, video games or martial arts in the poll, because they are hobbies that can be enjoyed outside Japan as well, and aren't part and parcel of living in Japan. This poll is also not about Japanese contributions, but how you (and only you) feel about life in Japan.

[RockLee]

Although I didn't stay in Japan that long, this is what I liked about living there.

[Bucko]

A lot of those points are really precise and detailed. Good job putting the list together.

[yukio_michael]

Voted. Though some things like "shopping on a Sunday", which would be less prevalent or non-existent in Europe, is not such a big thing in the United States--- as everyone goes shopping on Sunday, and though some small stores may be closed or close early, most large stores are open the same hours.

[hkBattousai]

I really wonder Japanese love hotels...

[Karamuucho]

Looks like people hate giving gifts huh! Haha, I think it's a marketing scam myself, but I do it for relatives (and will probably do it for everyone else).

[yukio_michael]

Looks like people hate giving gifts huh! Haha, I think it's a marketing scam myself, but I do it for relatives (and will probably do it for everyone else).

Well, take a look at valentine's day in Japan--- definitely a marketing scam, and they managed to squeeze two distinct holidays into it!

Rather than lose the adult male market, who aren't expected to be eating sweets, Japanese chocolate companies, since the mid 1980's have went on massive PR blitzes to promote "adult" candy...

[gaijinalways]

Some of the points seemed odd, like;
Low taxes (relatively true, but...higher and higher insurance premiums, ah, the downside of making more money).
The ability to integrate foreign concepts and systems, do you mean like Chinese characters, ha ha?
Good service and attention to customers, are we including real estate agencies and some 'private' clubs?
For cell-phones, the 'quality' of service was subpar for quite awhile as Japan couldn't seem to integrate their service. Hence, we used to have 2 phones, one for Europe and one for Japan.
As to political demonstrations, the black vans outside the language school I work at spewing right-wing nonsense don't count?!

[Maciamo]

Some of the points seemed odd, like;
Low taxes (relatively true, but...higher and higher insurance premiums, ah, the downside of making more money).
The ability to integrate foreign concepts and systems, do you mean like Chinese characters, ha ha?
Good service and attention to customers, are we including real estate agencies and some 'private' clubs?
For cell-phones, the 'quality' of service was subpar for quite awhile as Japan couldn't seem to integrate their service. Hence, we used to have 2 phones, one for Europe and one for Japan.
As to political demonstrations, the black vans outside the language school I work at spewing right-wing nonsense don't count?!

As I said, this list is extensive enough to match most people's liking of Japan. It doesn't mean that you have to agree with all of them. You will notice that I didn't vote for any of the points you mentioned for the reasons you mentioned. (except mobile phones because systems are actually different in North America, Europe and Japan, like for a lot of electronics)

[taehyun]

This poll is nice, but I find it little bit one-sided concerning the gender.I mean these topics about the cute girls and women in kimono...Would you add, some topics about your female voters, please?

[Talitha_Cumi]

tahahaa,
it's simply that J-men are not universally popular!
or those who visits abroad are mainly males.
Much more males visit Japan, than woman.
da!

[Maciamo]

I am simply amazed. So far the most popular reason to like living in Japan is : reliable trains !

[taehyun]

tahahaa,
it's simply that J-men are not universally popular!

I know that, and believe me, there's reason for that

or those who visits abroad are mainly males.
Much more males visit Japan, than woman.

Probably...Noone can be sure
I was just acusing Maciamo of sexism .Is this a typical Belgian feature, or personal problem?

[White Rose]

I know that, and believe me, there's reason for that
Probably...Noone can be sure
I was just acusing Maciamo of sexism .Is this a typical Belgian feature, or personal problem?

fight! fight! fight!

[japantvhost]

I think what most gaijin like about Japan is what they don't like in their home countries. What they don't like about Japan is what they like in their home countries.

[Maciamo]

I think what most gaijin like about Japan is what they don't like in their home countries. What they don't like about Japan is what they like in their home countries.

True for most things, but not all in my case. For example I like Japanese food, but also my country's food. It's just different.

[blue_rebel]

I absolutely love 100-yen shops. Yay for the hyaku-en shoppu!!!
Every time I visit Japan I spend loads time in the 100-yen shops buying all sorts of junk, from mascara to hair clips to funky stuff for my pet dogs. I also love the fact that the streets are MUCH cleaner than in Malaysia, and the roads are broad and rarely ever seem congested (yay for public transport). Plus, the buses and trains are almost always punctual.

[Maciamo]

Reliable trains is definitely the best reason for living in Japan : 80% of votes so far (20 voters). *sarcastic tone* Makes newcomers want to go to Japan, doesn't it ? Any trainspotters on the forum ?

[Mrjones]

Life is convinient once you get to Japan and get a job. I quess that is the main reason why many people stay in Japan for a long time. Trains are part of this convinience.

[Philanti]

food is not cheap there, and popmusic is very good too.

[Arch]

The food without a doubt ! It just saves so damn good ! man its been two years sine i posted here !

[Mathan]

Well guys and girls..
Never been to Japan..but planning this Summer..

I love Japanese Animation since I was small.... And Japanese Cars..Drive an imported model in Germany myself
architecture is wonderful too...

[Cheery Cherry]

Well, I don't live in Japan, but I sure do miss it. I really miss the food, people and the way the houses are built...with kotatsu and tatami...*sigh*...

[Taiko666]

architecture is wonderful too...

Mathan, you are in for a big, big, big shock when you get here. Enjoy!

[Pachipro]

What do I like about living in Japan? Hmm it's hard to say as there are so many things I like.

I like the way the trains were always on time right to the second. If the sign said the train departs at 10:42 you can be damn sure it will.

Easy, cheap and accessable food like ramen at the corner shop, or "eki"soba at the station. A quick "onigiri" at the local "7-11" or Lawsons convenience stores or Gyudon or ramen late at night. Ramen was especially good at the street stalls.

Being able to buy beer at all hours of the night at convenience stores. (Back in the day it was 24/7/365 beer and whiskey machines.)

If I was alone at home and hungry I could always dial up the local Chinese or Japanese restaurant, Sushi ya san, pizza, or ramenya san, and it would be delivered in a short time, in glass bowls and plates! No tips or anything. Just leave the plates outside when you're done and they'll pick them up. If you were a foreigner and they could understand your Japanese it didn't matter.

Always getting an "irashiaimase" (welcome) when entering, or a "domo" (thank you) when leaving an establishment, whether they really ment it or not. Or the cashier in the supermarket or department store handing you your change on the receipt and bowing to you and thanking you for shopping there. For some reason you felt that they appreciated your business.

The excellent customer service I always received anywhere in Japan. I especially liked when you needed your oil changed that Toyota would send a couple of men in a car to your house, leave you a car and take yours to be serviced. At the end of the day they would retrurn your car with the oil changed, vacumed, and washed all at no extra charge.

I liked the sense of community in that all the neighbors would participate in keeping the neighborhood and streets cleaned and that there would be a few days set aside throughout the year for the general cleaning of the neighborhood. I also enjoyed the greetings of the neighbors at all times of the day, whether they knew me personally or not after living in the neighborhood for a while. Even though I was a foreigner almost no one ignored me.

I like the hustle and bustle of the major cities and the fact that you could buy anything you desired and I also enjoy the crowds of people. I also like the serenity of my local area in the suburbs. Just a 7 minute walk from the train station and you are completely isolated from any noises. Also, you could be 10 minutes from a major train station and feel like you were in the country with little farms just off the major roads. Quite a contrast.

I liked the fact that, with a minimal amount of money and minimal hassle, I was in business for myself teaching English out of my home and an accountant provided me, free of charge for one year, at the expense of the local government.

I like that you can get virtually anywhere in the country by train/mass transit.

I like that you only heat/cool the rooms you are using as it seems such a waste in my country to heat/cool the entire house/apartment when 90% of it is not being used. Very uneconomical and a waste of energy. But when in Rome....

I like the Japanese winters also with warm, toasty rooms and kotatsu's to warm the feet and mikan and ocha and hot baths. And when "Haru ichiban" (first winds of spring) come you know warm weather is just around the corner.

I like the Japanese spring of warm air and cherry blossoms and parties and drinking under the cherry trees.

I like Japanese summers and the heat and humidity and beer gardens and oscillating fans and "air con" and the incense of the "katori senko" (mosquito killers); cold beers, cool edamame and cool showers. (The rainy season I can do without thank you.)

I like Japanese fall with the crisp, dry air and the changing of the trees.

Most of all I like, for the most part, being treated with very little discrimination or animosity from my neighbors or the places I visit, especially when I visit for the first time. For example, I am still greeted warmly in my old neighborhood when I return for visits and, when I recently made a reservation at an onsen, my family name, in katagana, was listed outside the onsen, alongside the other Japanese guests as one of "todays guests", and not once was I made to feel like a foreigner.

I especially liked the fact that when dinner was to be served that night in our room and I was taking my bath and only my wife and mother-in-law were present, that the lady serving our meals said, "we'll wait for the 'master' to return." When my wife told that to me it kind of made me feel like I was not a foreigner.