Japanophile - and other open discussion

[Nameless]

Ladyboys * pukes*.


Sorry I didn't see 'The cove' topic, I'll start reading it.

Ok one more question, what about the gerontocracy? A guy living in japan, claims people get better income, according to the time they have been working at the company (he also says there is no other way to get a promotion), the oldest members of the enterprise will always be at the top, whilst the newest will have a lower rank no matter what, furthermore, he also says the only requirement the companies ask for is a college degree, even if it has nothing to do with the activities of the enterprise, since the employees undergo a compulsory training.

P.S. Sorry for my repetitive english, I think I am having language amnesia ~.~

[ryuurui]

I think that this is nothing but a myth now.
Maybe in some companies it still takes place, but it is not a prevailing trend anymore.

[RealJames]

Originally Posted by MMM

I think you are onto something. I do agree that Japanese don't tend to get into heated discussions about religion and politics, but that doesn't mean they are not impassioned or opinionated.

I think the reason is that Japanese people do not feel personally connected to religion or politics the same way people in the West do, as you said.

Not only is it possible to bring up these topics without causing a domestic disturbance, these discussions can also go further and be seen more objectively, allowing for a much healthier perspective.
I really do appreciate this.

Getting someone's true honest opinion is a small reward for having your ear split open by someone.

Originally Posted by Nameless

Ok one more question, what about the gerontocracy? A guy living in japan, claims people get better income, according to the time they have been working at the company (he also says there is no other way to get a promotion), the oldest members of the enterprise will always be at the top, whilst the newest will have a lower rank no matter what, furthermore, he also says the only requirement the companies ask for is a college degree, even if it has nothing to do with the activities of the enterprise, since the employees undergo a compulsory training.

P.S. Sorry for my repetitive english, I think I am having language amnesia ~.~

Many of my students are working in jobs completely and utterly unrelated to their major.
My gf was doing programming with an English degree for example.
When it comes to lawyers, doctors, that kind of thing, it's a different story obviously.
The degree gets you the job.
In Japan most companies offer extensive training in the first months of employment, and in bigger companies you hop around in all the departments so it may not be until 6 months at a company until you know what your job (and fate for the rest of your life lol) will be.

Seniority is still a big factor, but Japan is changing.
Speaking of change;
Women are still expected to get married and leave the company, just last night though, there was a story on the news of a boss who said "you're next" to a woman in anticipation that she'd get married and leave the company next. He mean it as a good thing, like I'm sure you can find a nice guy soon. But he got sued for sexual harassment.
Does that sound a little like the 90s in America? It should, Japan is breaking out of it's old fashion male-domination, not very quickly, not very smoothly, but it's happening regardless.

[ryuurui]

Originally Posted by RealJames

Many of my students are working in jobs completely and utterly unrelated to their major.

The degree gets you the job.

Women are still expected to get married and leave the company.

All three statements are true. On a side note, the degree non related jobs is why we have so many incompetent people here. In my company people are made to believe that they can do something they have absolutely no skills in. They trully believe that learning from a senpai cannot fail, and if they try hard enough they will be good at whatever they try to learn.

As to the women - discriminatory behaviour towards them is visible.

[RealJames]

Originally Posted by ryuurui

As to the women - discriminatory behaviour towards them is visible.

One of my dear good friends is trying to be a stewardess for any Japanese Airline she can, she's had many interviews already.

weight, to 3 digits of accuracy
height
body mass index
age
gender
full body photo
3/4 portrait photo
face photo
a few other things that westerners wouldn't understand (like exact address to ensure she isn't buraku)

that's information required to step in the door

in the interview, it gets way more intense

those guys get thousands of applicants and only hire a hundred or so tops, they can afford to be picky, but they aren't very discreet about it lol

when I tell students that on Air Canada flight there are male flight attendants and fat old women also, they generally don't believe me at all

[ryuurui]

Well you would need to try hard to find fat chicks in Japan.

I flew so many times with JAL and I yet to see some hot f. attendants, though you are right I've never seen a Japnese male f. att.

Whatever you do, you can't beat Filipina fl. attendants

YouTube - ‪Cebu Pacific Dancing Flight Attendants‬‏

[Nameless]

I hate male chauvinism.
We have a lot in our country, there was even a case of a woman that wasn't allowed to vote, simply for being a woman(it was of course, taken to the court, but I guess you understand my point).

[RealJames]

Originally Posted by ryuurui

I am confident that I would have issues with any place I move to, and it is not because of the place, but due to my really difficult character and strong personality. I simply know what I like and dislike, and nothing (or nearly nothing) can change it. I cannot really blame the place for that, can I? I am also not shy to speak up my mind, regardless of consequences. If you cannot voice what agrees with you and who you are, you don't exist.

Nonetheless, or perhaps because of its "oddness", Japan is the best place for me to be. The most difficult to understand is the futile struggle with reaching out to Jaopanese poeple, and in matcheting through all those shells and masks of artificial politness. On the other hand, plastic politeness is way better that outright rudeness that I often experience, whenvisiting plaaces like American base in Yokosuka, or interacting with people back in Europe (including my own country, which I find extrememly anoying).

The anonymous life we lead in Japan, has its pros and cons. You can do push ups on the street wearing eye-poking orange spandex, and no one will bother. On the other hand, you may be dying on the sidewalk and people will pass without even looking.

Nausea-causing cuteness, Western kitsch blind fascination, Disneyhell mania, brand brain washing, really dull pop-culture mass-production, and mass-murdering of the beauty of traditional Japanese taste are other factors that put me in a war mode.

I mean how can you forget this:


and go with this instead:


This is a subject river, but despite my ranting and numerous frustrations with Japan, I think it's a great place to be. After all, it is in Japan where I found my soulmate, and discoovered what I want to do with my life (calligraphy). I also met Japanese people that share the same passion and we understand each other through art. Besides, my calligraphy teacher is like a father to me, and him alone would be a good reason for me to stay here.

I am not a type of person that could be any-nation-phile. I simply choose the people to interact with, and don't bother with those who waste my time or bring nothing that I can learn or appreciate, in which capacity, a small talk that starts with 暑いですね！drives me bananas, and makes me instantly want to strangle the person. My teacher comes to mind again. He is posibly one of the most knowledgable people in the field of calligraphy in Kanto region, yet his humblemness and naturalness stuns me every time I meet him. He is the best teacher of dealing with ego issues. At the age of 73 he is more open minded and curious of other cultures than 90% of the kids in Japan. That also teaches me to try to be more understanding and patient towards those who I don't agree with. So here is the irony, I admire a Japanese for teaching me how to stop ranting about the Japanese, and all those things that make me rant about them.

In short, I feel that life in Japan is a great challenge on its own, and difficult enough for me to enjoy it, and settle down here for good.

This is a good post, I like it.
I think people wanting to move to Japan should be expose to information like this.

Perhaps we should delve into "the futile struggle with reaching out to Jaopanese poeple, and in matcheting through all those shells and masks of artificial politness. On the other hand, plastic politeness is way better that outright rudeness".

To me this is probably the most difficult thing to adjust to for people trying to live in Japan, and the way it affects non-friendships.

[Fr3sh]

Originally Posted by ryuurui

Women are the sharks. Guys are main target as they are the ones who's ego is retarded enough to let them "impress" the ladies through buying a bottle of Dom Perignon for 350.000yen (zero'z are correct) hoping to be able to drag them to the Ibis hotel and shagg them. Little do they know they are being scammed. Girls have deals with bartenders, and their drinks are fake, not to mention that many of them are ladyboys anyways... Guy gets drunk, girls don't, guy's cc gets raped and the girls don't. All they do get is a cut from the bar sales, and the guy wakes up with 1.000.000 debit on his cc, headache and a mental jet lag.

sorry for typos, but i slept only 3 hours...

Daaaaamn!!!! Why doesn't the dude get himself a whore loool! Personally nothing turns me off more than a women that asks me to buy her a drink....

Anyways there has always been some sort of theft but it doesn't sound too bad in Japan lol....just push away the girls that throw themselves at you. Over here in Canada its not that bad but fights outside or outside of clubs\bars and theft isn't something that is too rare.

But daamn those women sound vicious though

[ryuurui]

@ James, ty mate, yup, it is hard to relate to someone that does not want to open. This is exactly why I have no Japanese friends at my age. And I hate shopping.

@ Fr3sh This is the same mechanism that secures hostess clubs existence. Ego. Showing off. Low self esteem medicine need. Effortless entertainment. In Japan it goes a bit deeper, though.