Anyone disappointed when they got to Japan?

[SSJup81]

Originally Posted by MMM

Assuming you are being sarcastic, I don't think it's too much to say on a thread covering this exact topic.

I was being more playful than sarcastic. I agree with you and rina, though. Not all of us will be able to go to Japan someday. It's a realistic way of looking at it.

[Salvanas]

It's always been my dream to live and work in Japan. I know for a fact that I'll work to that.

Since it was my dream, at first, my views of it were "Magical". I was quickly disappointed the first second I went there and landed in Kyoto. But I quickly reminded myself that all cities are the same, and I scolded myself for being so childish.

In the next week I had been there, I talked with the people, and although I was self conscious about the fact that I was white, the people there were amazingly polite.

Needless to say, even before I entered Tokyo by the Shinkansen, I was always planning on how to move over and what to do and what not.

When I laid my eyes on Tokyo though, the "magical" feeling came back. I fell in love with the place, and my disappointment from the first few hours of the trip was washed away permanently.

I'm well aware of the fact that I will never be "Japanese". And never have I expected to. I'll always be the outsider, but I want to worm myself into Japan culture and it's future. I'm willing to do anything to live there.

However, after the trip, I was hit by quite some disappointment. As soon as I landed in London, I felt depressed.

[SSJup81]

Originally Posted by ThirdSight

Just gotta' have an open mind is all; after all, you're the foreigner there, regardless of whatever foreign country you visit.This too, it hits a lot of people hard to know that no matter how hard they try, they'll always be considered an outsider. Of course, that's just generally speaking; I can imagine that on a personal level with friends you make, stuff like that doesn't matter too much.

IMO, this should be common sense.

[ThirdSight]

Originally Posted by SSJup81

IMO, this should be common sense.

Same here, but you'd be amazed at how uncommon sense common sense is. You tell someone you might run into some racial tension or culture shock over there, they're approaching everyone with a 10 foot skepticism pole.

[Tturtle]

Nah. I wasn't dissappointed. It was a great vacation. I was there for about 2 weeks in June and it was a lot of fun. Of course, it was a vacation and I didn't have to work. I stayed in nice hotels with room service and went site seeing all day...

[rina26]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

I am also one of those people who actually wants to obtain Japanese citizenship. Not for some immature dream of "becoming Japanese" - but because if I`m going to spend the rest of my life here, and raise my children here, I want to have a legal say. I want to be able to vote. I want to be able to hold public office (however minor) should I feel the desire. Those things many people cannot imagine giving up their citizenship because of are the same things that push me to want to have Japanese citizenship. This *is* my home, and there is no reason I should not be able to have a say. The wall there is citizenship.

I see nothing wrong with you wanting citizenship. I mean, like you said, your life is in Japan and why shouldn't you have a legal say in the country of your home. I was talking about those who don't want to come on a visa because it's not good enough for them. Please don't think I was including you.

[ishikawa]

Though Japan is the country of most of my ancestor's, I do not feel like living there. I have no friends there, I did not go to school there, and the family that lives in Japan, I do not know well. Possibly, I may move to Japan but even though the US is not the best country, it is alright. I may go there for vacation, or if my grandmother sends me(._. she wants to send me to go live with her niece so I can have my Japanese speaking skill be better...). But other then that, I am perfectly fine in Hawaii.

Hawaii has enough Japanese culture anyway. xD

[MMM]

Originally Posted by Salvanas

It's always been my dream to live and work in Japan. I know for a fact that I'll work to that.

Since it was my dream, at first, my views of it were "Magical". I was quickly disappointed the first second I went there and landed in Kyoto. But I quickly reminded myself that all cities are the same, and I scolded myself for being so childish.

In the next week I had been there, I talked with the people, and although I was self conscious about the fact that I was white, the people there were amazingly polite.

Needless to say, even before I entered Tokyo by the Shinkansen, I was always planning on how to move over and what to do and what not.

When I laid my eyes on Tokyo though, the "magical" feeling came back. I fell in love with the place, and my disappointment from the first few hours of the trip was washed away permanently.

I'm well aware of the fact that I will never be "Japanese". And never have I expected to. I'll always be the outsider, but I want to worm myself into Japan culture and it's future. I'm willing to do anything to live there.

However, after the trip, I was hit by quite some disappointment. As soon as I landed in London, I felt depressed.

How did you land in Kyoto?

[rina26]

Originally Posted by MMM

How did you land in Kyoto?

LMAO parachute?

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by rina26

I see nothing wrong with you wanting citizenship. I mean, like you said, your life is in Japan and why shouldn't you have a legal say in the country of your home. I was talking about those who don't want to come on a visa because it's not good enough for them. Please don't think I was including you.

You may not be referring to me, but it`s a sentiment I hear enough to be a bit defensive when the subject comes up...
No, defensive isn`t quite the right word. Exasperated is more accurate.　There are countless people who feel that even in my situation, there is nothing that could justify giving up US citizenship for that of Japan.