Quote:
Originally Posted by Crownedinterror
I just spent 5 weeks in Japan, backpacking around Tokyo and southern cities.
Now I'm back home, and happy to be.
Before going to Japan, I didn't expect anything. But now... damn how do I put this.
I learned to hate and love Japan.
Tokyo is the most depressing city I've ever been to. People are either overworking and spending all their money in shopping centers or pachinko. Or they have stupid part-time jobs and aspiring to be like the other ones.
Tokyo is the most exciting city. Neon lights, crowds, this city is alive energetic. People move back and forth like fish in big metallic streams they call "Metro". At dinner or supper, restaurants are full. Even on week days, there would be people everywhere.
This is but only one of the paradoxical emotions I felt about the two-faced giant.
Of course I wasn't there to criticize Japan, only to see. But I couldn't just stand there and not think about right and wrong. Anyway, I'm still pretty confused about this travel experience as I just got back. But what I'm sure of is that there is something not very sane about the Japanese people, something I didn't appreciate at all. Cultural shock you might say? Maybe, but that would be too simple.
So this is a small message to all of you who see pink or even gray. There are other things in Japan than Mt. Fuji and Amine. And the dark side of Japan is even darken than you can imagine.
I'm not even sure of what I'm saying. Things seem so unclear. But I have this feeling that could be translated by the sentence : "What the hell was that country full of crazy people".
Peace
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Sounded like quite the experience.
There is definitely a darker side to Japan - as there is with almost every other place - and it's not something I expect a lot of "die-hard" Japanese enthusiast would be willing to genuinely accept.
To most outsiders, Japan is the land with the exotic culture. It's the kingdom of sugar pop, fantastic fashion, and extraordinary technology. But what of the actual natives of all of it? To the natives, generally, it's their home; it's still amazing but familiar to an extent that they may view it all differently. The way I see it, there is a commercial super power occupying a certain part of Japan's mentality. It's aimed at the outside world, but the natives get caught in the middle at some point also. They develope a belief in it. That, to me, can create what a lot of visitors may define as, in this case, partial insanity?
I'm probably sounding really ridiculous...
Underneath the laminated image presented to visitors, real human issues exist: murder, suicide, robberies, scams, etc. All that is not presented to us, the foreigners.
It's such a cliché point, and I'm not saying anything profound... but some people really do need to let go of their illusions about Japan. It may even make things a lot more pleasant.
Culture shock being "too simple"? I'm not sure I agree with that. Anything can be too simple if you give it the chance. In my opinion, culture shock is significantly complex, and it is probably most (but not entirely) relevant to your case.