What's it like for an American to live in Japan?

[PumaMan]

Jeez, I just asked a simple question and look what it has turned into. I can't believe that I've been called to task also. I just asked the question because I'm thinking about moving to Japan. That's all. I found this forum and it seemed like a good place to ask. I guess I was wrong. I'll continue my search for another forum -- the internet is a huge place.

For those that gave me good helpful responses, I thank you.

[spoonybard]

Actually, if you want to be in Japan, no matter what country you're from, you absolutely must have a reason to be there and a visa to prove it. You're a tourist, you must have a visa; you're a student, you need to have a student visa; you want to work, you need a work visa given to you by a Japanese embassy/consulate outside Japan. The only difference is the process by which people from various countries have to go through to get the visa(for example, they might require extra documentation).

[GoNative]

I find it amusing though when foreigners complain about other foreigners getting drunk and obnoxious as though this is just something peculiar to foreigners! Either some people don't go out much or they choose to ignore all the Japanese guys getting drunk, obnoxious and trying to pick up girls as well. In the bar I own in Hakodate it's hardly unusual to see Japanese girls getting drunk, obnoxious and trying to pick up foreign guys for that matter.

I personally don't act like that myself but I am almost 40, been married for over 10 years and have a kid so my days of heading out partying and trying to pick up girls are well and truly over!

I don't think I would want to live in Japan though if I didn't live in the Niseko area. Most of the foreigners and Japanese alike who live at the ski resort are here for very similar reasons. We love skiing/boarding and the laid back lifestyle of living at a ski resort in an absolutely beautiful part of the world. This commonality very quickly breaks down any barriers between the different peoples living here. Extremely few of the foreigners here are english teachers just over for a year or two. Many have settled in the region with their families and hope to be here for good or at least very long term.

This makes a big difference to their behaviour I think because if you're only here short term it's easy not to care how you effect others around you or how you are perceived. When you've committed yourself to a place long term and invested time and money into the local community you're much more likely to be respectful and caring of that community.

[WingsToDiscovery]

Originally Posted by GoNative

I find it amusing though when foreigners complain about other foreigners getting drunk and obnoxious as though this is just something peculiar to foreigners! Either some people don't go out much or they choose to ignore all the Japanese guys getting drunk, obnoxious and trying to pick up girls as well. In the bar I own in Hakodate it's hardly unusual to see Japanese girls getting drunk, obnoxious and trying to pick up foreign guys for that matter.

I think it's just that Japanese can get away with being drunk/obnoxious, but if a foreigner does it than he's judged more. I feel like a lot of foreigners here are walking on egg shells all the time, not trying to be meiwaku, I guess. But you're right, this consideration is taken more to heart by long term residents.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by WingsToDiscovery

I think it's just that Japanese can get away with being drunk/obnoxious, but if a foreigner does it than he's judged more. I feel like a lot of foreigners here are walking on egg shells all the time, not trying to be meiwaku, I guess. But you're right, this consideration is taken more to heart by long term residents.

Again, I think it depends on the situation. In certain social circles, overdrinking is encouraged in Japan, but I have never seen an foreigner held to a different standard than a native Japanese. In fact, I have never seen anyone who is on two feet, keeps their hands and mouth to themselves, and has kept the contents of their stomach in its proper place judged at all.

Walking on eggshells? Where do you live?

[GoNative]

Originally Posted by MMM

Again, I think it depends on the situation. In certain social circles, overdrinking is encouraged in Japan, but I have never seen an foreigner held to a different standard than a native Japanese. In fact, I have never seen anyone who is on two feet, keeps their hands and mouth to themselves, and has kept the contents of their stomach in its proper place judged at all.

Walking on eggshells? Where do you live?

I don't think the Japanese judge us too differently but there are certainly foreigners who judge other foreigners differently and hold them up to standards that they wouldn't hold Japanese locals to. It's as though they expect every foreigner here to be some sort of ambassador for their nation. Some people though just want to have fun!

[MMM]

Originally Posted by GoNative

I don't think the Japanese judge us too differently but there are certainly foreigners who judge other foreigners differently and hold them up to standards that they wouldn't hold Japanese locals to. It's as though they expect every foreigner here to be some sort of ambassador for their nation. Some people though just want to have fun!

That is certainly true. It's about a comfort from the culture they are coming from. I wonder if WingsToDiscovery it walking around on eggshells around Japanese or other foreigners.

[manganimefan227]

We just had a group of Japanese people come to America for exchange. In the end they said Americans eat alot, touche XD, but that we are not as shy as Japanese people sometimes are. Also Japanese people apparently say "Thank you" and "I'm sorry" alot more.

They understand alot of English =D

[WingsToDiscovery]

Originally Posted by MMM

That is certainly true. It's about a comfort from the culture they are coming from. I wonder if WingsToDiscovery it walking around on eggshells around Japanese or other foreigners.

What GoNative said was more or less what I meant, but I also take the Japanese into consideration. I don't want to do anything that will make myself look bad in front of people, even cultural misunderstandings.

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by dogsbody70

Surely the Occupation did have a huge effect on Japan and the japanese.

You missed out on my emphasis. I do not believe that the occupation has much of an impact of the current opinion Japanese people have of Americans. Of course it had an effect. But an effect on the modern feelings people have toward Americans? Very little to none.

some may forget it-- but I imagine there are many descendents of the armed forces and Japanese women from that time and as OKINAWA seem to have to bear with an ongoing military presence that must also have an effect.

somewhere on this thread someone mentioned that there are many children born/ American/ Japanese---

I do not know the numbers, but think of it this way - 500 children is "many children"... Japan`s population is over 127 million. Even 5000 children wouldn`t have much of an effect on the ethnic background and on society as a whole. Even the 150,000 or so western expatriates in Japan now are really a drop in the bucket.

America won the war so the American influence must have had strong repercussions and many changes than pre war when the soldiers etc were willing to die for their Emperor.

I would say the influences were more in industry than culture.
A bit off topic, but I have yet to speak to anyone who was willing to die for the emperor during the war. For country, for family, for glory - sure - but I think that assuming that people were ready to die for the emperor is a bit of leftover propaganda. It would be along the lines of saying those who fought from the US were "willing to die for the president" - or those fighting from the UK were "willing to die for the king".

I also strongly feel that history should never be forgotten because how else to avoid the same thing happening over and over.

Japan spends an incredible amount of time on WWII in school - I don`t believe that it is forgotten so much as not having a direct effect on peoples feelings and attitudes now.

Considering many Europeans are White-- why on earth should the Japanese think they are automatically American?

I think that in the situations where this does happen, it is more because the exposure people have to white foreigners is almost entirely American. US television programs, movies from the US, and the preference Japanese schools have for US English leads to the majority of the native English speaking teachers being from the US. For a child, every foreigner you meet being American will naturally lead to thinking the next you meet is also from there. But, as I said before, I have never really had this problem.
I think it`s more of an issue that Japanese tend to assume all foreigners speak English, regardless of where they are from.

Originally Posted by GoNative

This makes a big difference to their behaviour I think because if you're only here short term it's easy not to care how you effect others around you or how you are perceived. When you've committed yourself to a place long term and invested time and money into the local community you're much more likely to be respectful and caring of that community.

I think you have hit this on the nose when it comes to poor behavior in Japan. Personally, I could really care less about people getting drunk, etc etc... It`s the issues with people who see Japan as nothing more than a playground with no connection to their real life - so no consequences to their behavior. I think this is an issue with tourists in a lot of places, but in Japan is especially bad as it happens with people here for over a year. I would say that short term tourists are generally much better about things. It is the people who are here long enough to find things they dislike but who aren`t here long enough to understand most things that seem to be the worst. Doing things that are blatantly offensive, not paying bills, intimidating people for the fun of it, etc etc. As they aren`t just random tourists it`s much harder to just roll your eyes at them.
They don`t experience any real consequences for their behavior - they just have their fun then hop on home and leave the fallout for the long term residents who DO care and DO invest in their communities. THIS is what makes me generally very critical of other foreigners in Japan.