Living in Japan is not easy

[MMM]

Originally Posted by Nathan

This was also vice-versa in my experience.

I saw Japanese women/men hook up with some awful gaikokujin during my stay.

Totally. How many times did I ask myself "How did that fat sweaty dude hook up with that gorgeous Japanese girl?"

[tommasi]

Originally Posted by MMM

Japanese men have a definition of beauty. It's not universal, but there are standards. Obviously not all Japanese women fall into that catagory. Men from other countries might have different definitions of beauty. Some overlap with Japanese men's ideas, and some don't. I knew foreign guys in Japan that liked big girls. I knew some that liked really tall girls. These are two types of women Japanese men tend not to be attracted to.

You can call it "bad taste" if you want, but it's just a matter of preference and culture. I knew Japanese guys that dated girls I found incredibly unattractive, so I guess it works both ways. If we all had the same tastes, there would be a lot of lonely people aout there.

What I'm saying is because non-Japanese speak so highly of Japanese women and I get surprises, that's all I'm saying.

If people find Japanese pop stars attractive, what happens in between??

[tommasi]

Anyways, enough about women.

My bad to comment on something silly.

Anyways, I have questions to MMM and other who lived in Japan about medical care in Japan.

How does it work for non-Japanese?

Also, if there are any female members out there, how did you guys deal with birth control?

My cousin who is mixed Japanese/American is asking me about this but I was clueless so if anyone could answer, it would be great.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by tommasi

Anyways, enough about women.

My bad to comment on something silly.

Anyways, I have questions to MMM and other who lived in Japan about medical care in Japan.

How does it work for non-Japanese?

Also, if there are any female members out there, how did you guys deal with birth control?

My cousin who is mixed Japanese/American is asking me about this but I was clueless so if anyone could answer, it would be great.

I had insurance from my job, so I basically had the same heath care as my Japanese coworkers.

[mn00]

I dont think living in japan will be difficult for me but everything will be new and exiting. I just dont get why people so want to live in japan without any future plans or whatever.. I'm from Mongolia and I have been studying in the US for the past 5 years and living in a different country is not easy. You will miss your family, friends, and most of all your home country. Even though life is good in the US or Japan, wherever , you will always miss your country.. i guess people will learn that when they get to japan and it hits them in the face.

I am a sophmore in college and thinking about majoring in asian studies both in chinese and japanese.. also latin american studies... I know I am a language freak. I was wondering if I get sick or something... is it really expensive to get medicine and go to a hospital??? do I have to go see a doctor for a simple cold?? how does the system work?? please help me.. I am planing on going to japan for a semester.. and now I am taking a summer japanese course ( JPN 101 and 102) so far so good.. got my hiragana and katakana down.. I think I want to stay with the host family to better my japanese. Please reply to my message. sorry for the stupid rambling.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by mn00

I was wondering if I get sick or something... is it really expensive to get medicine and go to a hospital??? do I have to go see a doctor for a simple cold?? how does the system work?? please help me.. I am planing on going to japan for a semester.. and now I am taking a summer japanese course ( JPN 101 and 102) so far so good.. got my hiragana and katakana down.. I think I want to stay with the host family to better my japanese. Please reply to my message. sorry for the stupid rambling.

Japan has socialized medicine, so as long as you are there legit, you will have insurance. It's very inexpensive and easy to use. People go to the hospital for everything.

[ozkai]

Originally Posted by eruchan

Just a little intro about myself. I am from Australia and have been living here in Japan for 4.5 years now. I have worked in a japanese office of an international company for 3.5 years and decided to quit the job and learn japanese fulltime.

I just happened to find this forum and realized that there are many people out there like me who want to come to japan or will actually come here in the short future.

This has just reminded me how difficult it was to settle in and adapt to japanese cultures and their way of doing things when I first arrived. Luckily, I have my husband to help me a bit (he is japanese) but I can really imagine for those who are coming here on your own with no friends/family, it can be hectic.

So, for those of you who want to have some advice, please feel free to post a reply to this. I will help as much as I can.

G'day ER-Chan

I was just browsing back through the threads and noticed this.

I think as you say, many eperience the fear scenario of not speaking the language and knowing much when they first arrived.

My first American work colleague in Japan was one of these and I also once was contacted by an American girl who wanted my orientation help.

With me, it was a case of being married in Sydney whilst I had a full time job working on the Sydney Olympics, being married in Sydney to my Japanese girl, and the eventually obtaining my very easy then to get spouse visa andmitting her at Kansai airport at midnight Boy was it cold!

One of the first things I did was purchase a motor scooter and then I was off to explore Kyoto whilst my wife worked her full time job.

The first scare I got was getting lost somewhere in Kyoto city, pulling up to the sidewalk to ask directions from the multitude of workers walking by, and people simply ignored my question.

I got of my scooter, ran up to a "salary" man, and grabbed his suit to stop him, of which he then politely explained directions in broken English to me.

I guess like you, health insurance, living rrangements were never difficult having the native partner behind us.

I guess it was never so alien for me being their as I was very used to international travel since a young age.

Stopping their, Japan is certainly one of those more "difficult" places, Kyoto probably tops the list, although once mastered, possibly a year or two later, it becomes a pleasant breeze.

Good luck, an update would be great and that's a realy nice gesture from you to offer your orientation help to newcomers who may see your message

In the true Aussie spirit, you are a true legend

[MMM]

Ozkai, you can look and see that eruchan hasn't been on this site in almost a year, so addressing the OP directly is like trying to raise the dead.

That's why posts like this are called "necroposting".

Although your points are valid, chances are eruchan is never going to read them.

[ozkai]

Originally Posted by MMM

Ozkai, you can look and see that eruchan hasn't been on this site in almost a year, so addressing the OP directly is like trying to raise the dead.

That's why posts like this are called "necroposting".

Although your points are valid, chances are eruchan is never going to read them.

I don't really mind and it was more focussed on the topic for other's to chip in, although referring to the original poster was more out of politeness as to fully respect them for making the thread.

I was actually going to post a thread related to Japanese vehicles, cars, scooters, get people's thought's on what sways them, brands, etc., hopefully with photos and the likes., and did a back search to check if one had been posted which meant I would add to it. Didn't find one..

I then found this thread..

It get's a bit confussing searching all aspects of every user's info, dates, etc. before posting and refering to them, with the odd exception, one of which you made previous reference to regarding the GF situation, although once again I chipped in only after you posted on topic along with Allan, and then of course realizing the gentleman had indeed mentioned that he had split, although that was overlooked by me between pages....

Many people linger and continue to read posts, even though they appear gone.

I think you will find that many outside are not members, but do actually read..

Certain posts may bring them back which surely is a good thing for the forum, or even irrelevant, but simply taking the posts into consideration as not "gone", but rather still fully available and replyable on this forum.

Anyway, as they say, you can please some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time

[MMM]

That is why I said "your points are valid" but I wouldn't feel the need to address the OP who hasn't been online in almost a year.

Of course the mods would much rather you refresh an old thread than start a new thread if you have something to add, and for that I say thank you.

At the same time, it isn't hard to see when the last time someone was online. As I have said to other people, if you are too busy to do this much, then you are probably too busy to be on JF.

Again, you had legit points, and I am glad you brought them up. I am sorry if I cam across too harsh.