Your reaction when you first land(ed) in Japan?

[Umihito]

Originally Posted by tokusatsufan

An unexpected comment Bobby. You didn't have a go at her for not jobbing around like an idiot!

Let me tell you guys,I was really excited about going to Japan(I mean really REALLY excited) but when I got there I did just act like it was normal. Yes I was with my mum but I really didn't want to leave when we were leaving,but I didn't act differently. You would have to,I don't know,just ignore the fact that these are Japanese people and ignore that they are being reserved and that if you are a weaboo then you will want to do what they're doing. You would have to be completely ignorant of everyone around you. It does extremely unlikely that even the weabbiest of weaboos would be kissing the ground and yelling! Are you sure that's not just being a loud obnoxious tourist?!

But people like Bobby who says their reaction WILL be like that is what makes me think differently! If he says he'll be like that, whats to say he wont? I don't know why, but I have absolutely no doubt that someone, at some time, has absolutely over-reacted when they landed in Japan for the first time, cried, kissed the floor, whatever. I'm just sure that it must have happened at some time.

[BobbyCooper]

Originally Posted by tokusatsufan

An unexpected comment Bobby. You didn't have a go at her for not jobbing around like an idiot!

Let me tell you guys,I was really excited about going to Japan(I mean really REALLY excited) but when I got there I did just act like it was normal. Yes I was with my mum but I really didn't want to leave when we were leaving,but I didn't act differently. You would have to,I don't know,just ignore the fact that these are Japanese people and ignore that they are being reserved and that if you are a weaboo then you will want to do what they're doing. You would have to be completely ignorant of everyone around you. It does extremely unlikely that even the weabbiest of weaboos would be kissing the ground and yelling! Are you sure that's not just being a loud obnoxious tourist?!

Oh you don't have to do this, not at all! I will do it because my happiness needs an outlet. But if she can control her overcoming emotions like that, good for her.

I won't be able to.

[Umihito]

Originally Posted by BobbyCooper

Oh you don't have to do this, not at all! I will do it because my happiness needs an outlet. But if she can control her overcoming emotions like that, good for her.

I won't be able to.

And if anyone wants their proof, there it is.

[BobbyCooper]

Originally Posted by Umihito

And if anyone wants their proof, there it is.

I'm not the only one out there who values the Asian society much, much higher then the our shity one. It's the people dude..

very understandable if you aren't blind!

[Umihito]

Originally Posted by BobbyCooper

I'm not the only one out there who values the Asian society much, much higher then the our shity one. It's the people dude..

very understandable if you aren't blind!

But is that any reason for you to go crazy with happiness when you land? I mean, there's only so long one can be fascinated with the people and society.

[JohnBraden]

Maybe he will freak out and kiss the floor and run around like a chicken with its head cut off.... And maybe the authorities will see this, deem him mentally incompetent and deny him entry to his wonderful utopia.... He will then go on a rampage and then get arrested, deported and forever denied entry....

[GoNative]

Originally Posted by Umihito

About your second paragraph:
I see what you mean by saying it's good for tourism, but I still think it's unfair. I am a little biased because I do find English signage annoying, and to me it's nothing but slow culture loss on show. I've been to countless other countries that have an even bigger booming tourism industry and they have signs in nothing but their native tongue, and some even don't have announcements or station guides on their trains, not even for the locals! Yet I've never seen any problems, nor have I had any.

Anyway, as to why I said it's unfair. What about French tourists who can't speak Japanese or English? Germans? Dutch? Italians? What if they can't speak English or Japanese? But surely they manage fine or we'd have Germans, Italians, French, Dutch etc roaming the streets of Tokyo in a lost daze. Maybe more speak English than I think, but I don't know.

I'm not sure how much you have travelled but in my experience in countries that have completely different alphabets or writing systems to english they generally have more signs in english if they want to promote tourism. You see if you travel to say Portugal, Argentina or Germany you can still at least read the letters on the signs even if your pronounciation may be totally wrong. For someone wanting to holiday in Japan who's never studied Japanese (the vast bulk of people who travel to Japan) they just couldn't manage with only Kanji and Kana. Especially as not many Japanese people can speak english that well and even if they do they are often too shy to try. People from China and Taiwan manage reasonably well without any english signs as they can understand the meaning of the Kanji (if not the pronounciation) but they generally can't read the kana.
And in my experience of travelling around the world I don't think I've ever met a European person who's travelled outside of Europe who doesn't speak a reasonable amount of english and can read it pretty well. In fact I've generally found they speak at least 3 languages!

I don't see the use of english as slow culture loss though. Kanji itself was derived from Chinese characters. Wasn't that also a huge culture loss if you think of it that way? It's just the culture evolving as all cultures do. Anyway some of the funniest stuff you'll see in Japan in the engrish on signs. It's way too funny to get annoyed at!

[Umihito]

Originally Posted by JohnBraden

Maybe he will freak out and kiss the floor and run around like a chicken with its head cut off.... And maybe the authorities will see this, deem him mentally incompetent and deny him entry to his wonderful utopia.... He will then go on a rampage and then get arrested, deported and forever denied entry....

Now that'd be some good free entertainment for fellow passengers!

[Columbine]

I'm flying to Tokyo on the 21st; I'll let you guys know what my second entry to Japan reaction is!

probably something mundane like 'oh it's hot and humid. I don't like airports. :/' But might be interesting if it's not.

[Umihito]

Originally Posted by GoNative

I'm not sure how much you have travelled but in my experience in countries that have completely different alphabets or writing systemsto english generally have more signs in english if they want to promote tourism. You see if you travel to say Portugal, Argentina or Germany you can still at least read the letters on the signs even if your pronounciation may be totally wrong. For someone wanting to holiday in Japan who's never studied Japanese (the vast bulk of people who travel to Japan) they just couldn't manage with only Kanji and Kana. Especially as not many Japanese people can speak english that well and even if they do they are often too shy to try. People from China and Taiwan manage reasonably well without any english signs as they can read the Kanji but they generally can't read the kana.

I don't see the use of english as slow culture loss though. Kanji itself was derived from Chinese characters. Wasn't that also a huge culture loss if you think of it that way? It's just the culture evolving as all cultures do. Anyway some of the funniest stuff you'll see in Japan in the engrish on signs. It's way too funny to get annoyed at!

Okay then, you've got me here :L
It's true the only country I've traveled to that doesn't use Roman alphabet is Japan. And I admit I have heard that the Korean train systems have English announcements too...
So I'm guessing it'd be the same for places like China and Thailand right?

Hehe, yeah I suppose so. I just hope 'evolving' doesn't equal losing!
Oh oh, don't forget shirts Japanese people wear with English on! In only a week there, I saw some gems of shirts with English on lol