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

When you landed in Japan for the very first time in your life, what was your reaction when you landed? What did you do? If you haven't been yet, what do you think your reaction will be?

This may seem quite strange, because most peple will say 'nothing much, just walked through the airport and onto my destination with some excitement,' but the reason I ask is because I've seen a surprising number of people who say that when they touch Japanese soil, they'll collapse onto the floor, start crying and praising God that they're in Japan... right in the middle of the airport. Of course that'll probably never happen... but still, it got me thinking.

There are many people on here and other places that are quite obsessed with Japan. I've never really heard of these kinds of people actually ever making it to Japan though, and backed up by lots of people not even knowing what a 'Japanophile / Weeaboo' is even though they live in Japan, until they came onto this forum.
So when these Japan-loving people actually touch down at the airport, do you think their reaction is quite.... noticeable, so to say?

But yes, I'm interested in everyones reactions, and what you think your reactions will be if you haven't been yet. :)

For me, I was simply too jet-lagged to be jumping for joy when I landed, and the train into Tokyo just seemed like a blur I was so tired :L

My first thought was:

"Bugger me, I'm roastin'!"

This is exactly what I was playing through my mind :)

And I am going to do just that next year January and I am going to kiss the floor that I am still so blessed to visit Japan in this time at my age and with my dreams in my little head.

I will cry when I am getting out to the Airport, crying with so much happiness!

Maybe you don't believe me, but thats exactly how I see my first steps in this beautiful country! Call me what you want.. I don't care, I am living my DREAM then!!!

My emotions will overcome me I just know it!

I fit into the kind of "chill" feeling you described. I was glad I made it through the trip (14 hours on the plane) but I didn't have any kind of "awakening" while hanging out at Narita Airport. Truthfully, I was more excited on the plane ride with the cute stewardesses and good food of ANA than when I actually touched down :cool:
But I probably would have felt different if I was just visiting and not moving to Japan.

For me, it was a non-moment.... I walked out of a crappy 747, walked down the stairs onto the tarmac at Yokota and proceeded to board a crappy C-141 on my way to Tohoku.... I don't remember much else-it was October 1987....

"I'm here. I'm actually here!"

Random memories from my trip in 98.

" It's just like Blade Runner " ( after spotting a road crew directing traffic with light-up sticks )

" They have BEER vending machines on the hotel landing! " ( no panty ones tho a-hem )

" They have COLD TEA vending machines in alleyways " ( presumably strained thro panties :) )

" Its ****ing humid here in June "

" Haven't seen anyone with huge eyes and purple hair "

" Why have they got airfix models of food in the window of restaraunts?"

" That person that told me that all western men look like Brad Pitt to Japanese women was lying!"

" Wow! People actually give a bit of thought to taking their mobiles to the end of the train carriage rather than bellowing I'M ON THE TRAIN! "

" It's 11 p.m on a weekday and pissed-up salaryman are just going home. It's a bit different to back home when theres a train full of drunks!"


OK thats many thoughts! I would love to go again ( only not in june! )

You must be from the British Isles! Haven't heard "Airfix" since James May's Toy Stories....

I am indeed, sir! :) Didn't know James May had made it onto american tv but those Top Gear boys get everywhere!

Quite a while ago...... so things have changed a lot. It's gotten easier for "first timers" every time I have gone back.

First thought...... "It's hotter than Hades."

Second thought....... "Crap.. I'm functionallly illiterate."

best,

.................john

Hehe, I was on Finnair when I went, and if I'm completely honest I slept through most of the flight so I don't remember them that well. You're lucky to get ANA ;)

Woah, so your first time there was when you were moving there?
And yes, I'm not surprised after all the probable headaches of getting everything ready for a new start in such a difficult to get to country :L

C-141... sounds military, is that right?
What were you doing in Japan all the way back then, to land at Yokota? Were you posted there in the military? :)
Bet landing there back then was a different world to landing there these days :L

I was more concerned with finding my luggage and the people who were supposed to come and get me than anything else, really. It had been my first time flying, and I wasn`t exactly used to airports.

The first hint of "Wow, I`m really here..." was on the drive to my host family`s house. Seeing all the signs in Japanese left a strong impression... But I`d arrived in the early evening and it was getting dark.

The strongest thing that hit it home was waking up the next morning, looking out the window, and seeing all the students heading to school in their uniforms.

Most certainly no huge revelations, and definitely no breaking down in the airport. Also, no thoughts about the temperature as I first arrived in March.

Well the airport is not a good representation. Airports all look the same. When I was waiting by the bus stop I noticed it was hot,but then later,on the bus,I noticed just how quiet,and calm people were. My mother noticed I was more relaxed than usual.

I have already goosebumps

Yes, I was in the military. I wasn't at all happy about going to Japan. My Air Force training allowed me only 8 duty assignments in the world-4 in Asia/Pacific (Misawa JPN, Elmendorf AK, Clark PI and Osan KOR) and 4 in Europe (RAF Chicksands, San Vito ITA, Augsburg FRG and Iraklion GRE). I wanted any base in Europe so I can make it home on weekends (Madrid), but I was sent to Misawa. I was ticked off, but I thought to myself it may be a blessing in disguise. I worked there at the 6920th Electronic Security Group, but I really can't discuss what I did there....

Northern Tohoku back in the 80s was quite a change from what I was used to in Spain. About a klick out of town and nothing is in English. At first it was just trying to identify the Kanji for the towns in the vicinity, but after a while, it was not difficult to drive everywhere-from Mutsu Bay to Sendai. I loved Lake Towada and the Oraise Gorge leading up to it. Hirosaki Castle was awesome and the whole of Tohoku is beautiful, though parts of it not so much for the time being.

I will head back there late next year and see if I can make it up to Sendai and beyond for a day or two....

I'd done quite a lot of travel around the world before coming to Japan. And coming to Japan wasn't because of some lifelong dream and love of the country. It was to go skiing. I was pretty amazed though to see everything covered in snow right to sea level and the drive from the airport to the ski area was spectacular. Fell in love with Hokkaido very quickly.

Umihito - most likely that people who were crying and kissing the floor didn't do it because they landed in Japan. i bet on them being afraid of flying and finally feeling hard ground was the thing that made them to burst into tears. :cool:

The first overseas trip I ever did was to South America way back in 1992. On the first internal flight I took in Peru from Lima to Cuzco when it landed everyone onboard cheered and clapped! I wondered is it that unsual for a plane to land safely that it's something to get so excited about!! It was a bit disconcerting! ;)

well. when you think about it then flying could be still viewed as magic. look at history - 60 years after invention of aircraft we went to space. not to mention continental flights are everyday occurrence. all that in a span of 2 generations. it used to take us 10 000 years to come up with a slightly better tool for crafting.

in flights that i have been people always applauded. and it is understandable. if you think about it - you just spent 10 hours flying 500mph in a comfy chair 10 000 feat in the air.

30.000 feet, 10.000 meters. :D

My reaction when I've been in Japan, I was totally shocked!!!
It was one of the beautiful places in Asia.

I felt that I am a total stranger there because I don't understand their language at all. I tried to listen to people's conversation, yet, I am not able to relate and communicate with them.

AS I am seeing their culture, it was so good. I really wanna go back in Japan after seeing the places and their culture.

Now, as a preparation for my next visit in Japan, I am practicing its language, to be able to further understand everyone in this place, I really really love it here.

I also have noticed, that the people here are cheerful and hospitable. =D

Yeah, I'd never been to Japan before moving there. Some people think it's a good idea, some people think it's a bad idea. I just used my own judgement.

I was more concerned about making sure all luggage was accounted for and making sure i knew where to go plus i was god tired i dont think my excitement set in that i was in another country till day later.

My first abnormal feeling was
- Why is everyone looking at me? (mostly glances, but quite often, well hidden)

And then the first strong feeling was
- HOLY SHIT DON'T TURN THERE! I'M GOING TO DIE!! (It took me a while to adjust to left-side driving, that first turn scared the shit out of me)

That's funny, within a few weeks I distinctly felt like I was being mistaken for Brad Pitt...
I definitely got laid about 1000 times more easily here, by significantly sexier women, than in any other place I've been. Including Korea.. what a bunch of prudes...

oh i remember that day vividly, i was actually overwhelmed and sort of "squashed" under all that sea of concrete around me. friends of my ex gf picked me up, so my first trip was in a car through the fly-overs straight to minato ku, which is in the center of tokyo. it was an outstanding day indeed.

ya i ve heard that many times, but for me it is the exact opposite. i simply would not know what to do with the chicks here, since i dont dig disneyhell and i find karaoke annoying to say the least, which basically summarizes dates in tokyo, 超つまらない...zzzzz....

My arrival in Japan huh... to be honest my memories are pretty vague, I only remember bits.

Context:

End of August, the UK is suffering SEVERE flooding (of the people died variety), it's freezing and wet. The flight took almost a whole 24 hours, with an 8 hour stop. I'd just had a wisdom tooth removed and was on heavy antibiotics and pain killers which doped me up big time. I was with a classmate, who almost got beat up by a crazy man on the plane.

My arrival went (aproximately something) like this:

-well, that was the worlds most pointless and retarded escalator. <.< -

-finger prints! Immigration security! Posters about terrorism! I should look more serious for this occaision.... *unfortunately too drugged to apply this* :D~ hiii!-

-"Matt? wh-" we're hiding why? "Shhh! Crazy man who wants to bite my nose off!"-

-It looks humid outside, urghhh... it's humid outside. It's like Africa. No, let's hover by the door like scared owls until the university man forces us to go to the bus stop.-

-HURRY UP BUS AIGPIOHAgHPAHmelting I cannot cope with this heat, it is atrocious, it was barely 4 degrees C when we left and it's, what's the temperature here? *sign board* THIRTY TWO!? D8 and 97% humidity. fffffff-

-"Matt, did I take my pills yet or not, I can't remember." ...."I think you did, you're dribbling." ....."Your hair has gone massive." "Maybe, but I'm not dribbling." ..."I hate teeth."-

-BUS! ....airport areas always look like crap, hope it's not this grey and built up where we're going. Oh hello terrified looking American,...What? uh... ok? I-will-speak-slowly-for-you?- seriously though, I don't have that much of an accent.-

-No trees, no grass! D: "It's pretty industrial." "Reminds me of Santander, a bit..." -

- MASSIVE FERRIS WHEEL! We should go there!-

-Urghhh...Aircon is my friend FOREVER.-

and then I passed out again pretty much until we arrived at the university, but that's a whole other scenario.

Yeah,Canada,America,all these European countries should start driving the correct side of the road!

I'm amazed about the South America story. They must be really paranoid.

Minato-ku is quite big. Do you remember which part? I currently live in the ward now :cool:

Now I gotta say that this is an interesting topic you are talking about here James. Would you mind going a little more into details maybe? :ywave:

Bobby all you need to know about that subject is ensapsulated in the Charisma Man comic

Charisma man^^ this is great Native :)

I felt already that something was wrong with my body when I landed in Singapur. Something went through my whole body like a lightning^^ It must have been the SuperPower I've received :)

If there is even more Power for me in beautiful Japan :D


I will make every lovely Japanese girl feel like she rides on cloud nine^^

ugly guys are ugly regardless of where they are in the world
decent looking western guys are a few notches higher on the Japan scale

I'm not ugly, in Canada I was ... above average, I'd say... so of course I didn't get the super hot ones

there's another factor too, what I call "hot/sexy" is not always what Japanese men and women think is "hot/sexy", so I could find myself super proud and glad with this one chick who all my buddies back at home would drool over, but then a Japanese guy might be like "eww.. no thanks"
it's certainly not just that, I've been with strippers and models here who are considered hot in either culture, my 7/10 in Canada became a 8 or 9 in some Japanese women's eyes, certainly not all though haha

Oh^^ I love that scale James :) I am certainly not below 7 thats for sure lol without sounding arrogant now. Maybe even an 8 or hell 10 in Japan then yyyppii :D

The thing which I love the most James is the character of the Asians. They are all like SuperModels inside. Thats why you can concentrate a little more on the looks I guess^^

But how do you do it James?? where do you use your SuperPowers? :)

Are you kidding?! I've never seen a nationality of people so self conscious and afflicted by inferiority complexes than Japan.

Koreans though, my god it's like every one of their young girls is a royal princess on her throne of righteousness, prude-land and conceitedness veiling insecurity none-the-less.

I just chill out wherever, wait to hear the "Kakkoiiiiiii" or something and then approach whoever said it if she's my taste. I get it a lot more often than I'm comfortable admitting.

put a pic of yourself up here and I'll get a few chicks to rate you

I think western women really hate handsome men because I'm not very popular.

I found it messed up and hilarious at the same time that there were copies of Charisma Man at a kiosk in Narita Airport.

Lol same feelings man same feelings riding in the cab was a whole new (felt like life threatening) experience.

I got over the glances pretty quickly but it was easy to notice when someone was staring. I mean honestly im sure most Japanese have never seen a 6'2 black American not on tv before i couldn't really blame them and it didnt bother me too much anyway.

Yeah I got used to the glances too, I've been in Kobe for a while now and there are more foreigners here, but during golden week I went to a suburb of Osaka city and got mega stared at, pointed at even by a few kids lol, it was like I'd just landed here all over again haha

I guess that they don't like men who are full of themselves and conceited. I take it-- youwere just kidding?