Quote:
Originally Posted by GoNative
I can fully understand people being fascinated with Japan. It's a fascinating place. I can fully understand people wanting to come on a holiday to see some of the wonderful places here. What I do struggle with is some of the passionate longing of some of the people on this forum to come live here when they have never been here previously and really have very little idea about what it's like to live in Japan. They seem to have some rather incredibly naive views that Japan is some sort utopian society. It's somewhat irrational and I can't help but think it stems from some serious unhappiness they have living in their own society. As though here they would magically find a happier existence. Well maybe they would....I don't know.
|
I don't get that kind of mad longing either. I've lived there for a year, and I'm keen to go back, but all my plans to move there again are based on the premise that at the end of the day I might well need to, or want to return to the UK. That's partly why I've lingered after graduation; setting myself some foundations at home I can come back to. And actually, it's a move i'm kind of anxious about. Having been there I have a much bigger appreciation for how large an obstacle things like the language barrier can be when you live and work somewhere (and i'm upper intermediate at Japanese, so i'm no rookie either) full time, and I know how hard it can be to live alone and be responsible for every area of one's life- doing that on the other side of the world is a challenge. I like to think i'll manage it just fine, but who knows? I've only seen one area of Japan really, and things change. Perhaps living there again won't live up to the memory of it. Or perhaps it will be better.
I also have never been driven to want to go to Japan out of a dismissal of my own country. I love the UK. I'm British, and I don't think i'd ever give that up unless push came to shove (like I had kids and my whole life was in Japan, then I might consider it, as I don't think dual nationality is an option, right?). Honestly, I think that the UK has a lot of good points that Japan lacks, although conversely, Japan also has a lot of good points that the UK lacks. And to whoever said (non-verbatim) that British politics and advertising stinks, well basically, those things stink the world over.
So... why? Hard to pin-point really. My reasons have always been kind of hazy, and my reasons now are not the same as the ones I had starting out. I want to go to Japan to improve my Japanese, to get work experience in a field I that i couldn't easily get here. To temper myself, I guess? Prove I can do it, and have something I can say I've done when I'm 80- That I didn't just dream about it; I tried it. To eat more. I guess just to live to my fullest. I could move to London or America and it would be the same; I've just chosen Japan as it has more of that Thing about it. No idea what to call it. It's just that Thing People Look For. Last time I got a glimpse of it was in Japan, so... that's my road.
and that all sounds a lot less crazy in my head. :/