Why do you want to live in Japan?

[Akakage]

I might actually want to add something:
i think thats all natural, if you are a kid you see something that fascinates you (like a airplane) and you say "Daddy, when i grow up i want to be a pilot". When you are a teenager you see a anime and say " i want to live in Japan and be a singer, mangaka, karata master,...." which is more realistic than your first dreams, but not to much. Sadly most people loose that "fantasy" after that age and just get to realistic and forget about their dreams, because they are hard to achieve, or everyone tells you its not possible,.... but i think if you really want to do something, you can do anything! Its just that basically you should finish school first and stand on your own feet before you start chasing dreams around the world.
Well thats all just my thoughts, so you don't have to agree with me (but im happy if you do )

I think this is very true. As you get older your interests change dramatically. But some things stick with you. It's those things that stick with you that you must give try to do or it will eat at you forever. When I was younger I was into football so for a while that became my life. Then one day while watching ESPN2, they showed a surfing contest. When I saw surfing I had to try it. I eventually ended up going to Hawaii and fell in love with place. I took a break from it because surfing was taking up WAY to much of life and I started to neglect things I shouldn't have been. I became interested in Chinese culture and took some time out and visited Taiwan to learn Mandarin. But the one thing that has always stuck with me is my interest in Japan, so I've set my sights on going there. Traveling is such a privilege and if you can do it, take advantage of the opportunity! There's so much of the world to experience...before you decided to make your life in one location...why not experience other places first. Who knows, you may like some place better than Japan.

[Henbaka]

Originally Posted by Akakage

I think this is very true. As you get older your interests change dramatically. But some things stick with you. It's those things that stick with you that you must give try to do or it will eat at you forever. When I was younger I was into football so for a while that became my life. Then one day while watching ESPN2, they showed a surfing contest. When I saw surfing I had to try it. I eventually ended up going to Hawaii and fell in love with place. I took a break from it because surfing was taking up WAY to much of life and I started to neglect things I shouldn't have been. I became interested in Chinese culture and took some time out and visited Taiwan to learn Mandarin. But the one thing that has always stuck with me is my interest in Japan, so I've set my sights on going there. Traveling is such a privilege and if you can do it, take advantage of the opportunity! There's so much of the world to experience...before you decided to make your life in one location...why not experience other places first. Who knows, you may like some place better than Japan.

Very well put!

[Hikikomori]

Originally Posted by tommasi

I think it's retarded that people fall in love with something that they have never seen or experienced.

I totally disagree with you on that one. The only reasons people experience new things is because they fall in love with a dream they have. And the reason why people think it's so exciting is because they don't really know anything about it.

I think that falling in love with Japan for instance and then dreaming about studying in japan is a good thing. I don't understand why people think it's retarded to be passionate about things they don't know that much about. It's human to fall in love with the unknown, trying to discover every part of it, dreaming about it, joining "Japanforum.com" asking questions like you will achieve your dream any second, pretending to know all about it, and then denying to people like you, that they are so passionate about it.

Every human being have a dream, but all personalities are different, and every one chase their dreams different ways, so it's not retarded to be in love with something you have never seen or experienced.. That you love that "thing" is the reason why you actually go and experience it in the first place.

[Senshi]

I really love the cultura aspects of Japan, the food, the orderliness, and I think Japanese art, video games, technology, and the style of a lot of women is really great.

I feel in love with the country a long time ago, and I'm just looking for a way to at least VISIT. I love traveling, so it's a no-brainer for me.

[butterflymiko18]

Originally Posted by narenji

I read some threads and was shocked by the amount of people who want to go live in Japan someday. Don't get me wrong, I really like Japan, that's why I'm here. But I could never think of leaving everything I have in my own country, my home, my friends and my family. I know it's gonna happen someday, I'm gonna have to leave all of them. But I don't want to.
So, what makes you guys want to leave your country and go to Japan? I'd love to know.

It's not that serious. It's not like Japan is some remote island in Anarctica or something. I'd love to live in Japan, but I don't know if I really really want to. I don't know how many veterinary jobs I'd find out there. These are the reasons I would want to live in Japan:

1) Japan rox my sox
2) I love Japanese culture, anime, the language, all that good stuff
3) I'm learning Japanese and want to study abroad there (preferably in Tokyo or Akihabara "otaku central" basically)
4) b/c probably about 80% of anime otaku want to live there someday

[imnihonjin]

because i was born and raised here in Japan

[Hikikomori]

Hehe, that's so true. But there have to be something wrong with people not realizing that Japan is a country with normal human beings, with positive sites and negative sites. If you are a sweaty otaku you won't get that much more accepted in Japan than in your own country.

In the beginning, when i only watched anime, and didn't know anything about japan in general, i wanted to visit japan just to see all the stores with otaku stuff in Akihabara. But then I realized that it was so much more to Japan than anime/manga..

[Hikikomori]

Heh, yeah! But I'm still going to visit Akihabara when I go to Japan, and I will surely empty my wallet But if you have anime as your hobby(not being all obsessed and sitting inside watchin 24/7) you just have to visit Akihabara and see what it's really like. I really want to buy a shinigami costume and run around in Tokyo and shout "BANKAI" and such. But thats just some crazy thought that pops up in my mind sometimes

[Hatredcopter]

Originally Posted by butterflymiko18

3) I'm learning Japanese and want to study abroad there (preferably in Tokyo or Akihabara "otaku central" basically)
4) b/c probably about 80% of anime otaku want to live there someday

This is the problem that I see around here all the time...

Please don't feel bad for me using your post as an example, it's nothing against you personally. There's just so many people who say they want to move to Japan and "because I love anime" is far too often the reason. Anime is really an insignificant part of daily life in Japan - the vast majority of adults in Japan don't even watch anime. If you go to Japan expecting to lead a life like anime characters do, you'll get laughed at, and reality will come crashing down hard. Being an "otaku" in Japan isn't a good thing - it's not quite the badge of honor that it is in western countries.

At the university that I went to (in the US), every semester we'd have Japanese exchange students come over... and every semester they would have to go out of their way to avoid the anime club, because the anime club would always hound them, asking questions about what their favorite anime is or what anime is popular in Japan at the time. It was a little embarrassing to watch. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy some anime just as much as the next guy (or girl)... I have a few series sitting on my shelves - but the bottom line is, anime isn't, nor shouldn't, be a reason for someone to make a life-changing decision like moving to a foreign country.

[Senshi]

I don't think the problem is with the Otakus. I think it's just they recognize something they really like about Japan, but don't get exposed to the depths of it. A lot of otakus are looking for something to get confidence in and when they can get expertise in a part of Japanese culture, that's something they can point at and acknowledge.

As far as the women go... I was an otaku. Women are vain (as well as men) sometimes because they're human. I don't think nerds have more respect in Japan than the U.S., although I could be wrong on that account. Just be yourself, and whether you're an otaku or not you can find people to get along with, but keep in mind Japan is much more than anime, manga, and video games.

But you can still enjoy those things.