I wasn`t necessarily saying it to you - just to anyone out there who is thinking "Hey, I can live in Japan if I marry someone Japanese! Time to get looking!"

I don`t know about overcrowding. Tokyo is overcrowded, but the REST of Japan (as in most of it) isn`t.

And no, you don`t have to become a Japanese citizen. Most people don`t. I am currently in the long-never-seeming-to-end process of paperwork required for it, as I have absolutely no plans to ever return to the US to live.

Thank you for the brief response Nyororin. I also had another question in mind for quite some time now, might as well throw it out there. All right, when one thinks "Japan", they generally think or see "Tokyo"; of course I can come off completely bias on that statement alone, I'm just commenting on general results from various experiences. With that aside, I hear Tokyo is quite expensive to live in considering the amount of human traffic alone, especially if you don't find the right setting for your expenses or "savings".

1. From your experience or opinion, where should one stay if he or she doesn't want to live in the "crowd" of Tokyo, rather live in a more laid back environment but near Tokyo and the excitement as well, or is this place too expensive and rife with travelers as well?

just my 2 cents..

I would suggest Osaka or Kobe. It's still 2 of the major cities of Japan but compared to Tokyo, its more laid back. Tokyo is just a night bus away or 2 -3 hours by shinkansen :D . Of course I am a bit biase cause I live here, but I have live in both cities and I definitely love living in Kansai Area :rheart: and besides, Kyoto is just a train ride away :vsign:

Ah, sounds nice. What makes you love living in Osaka or the Kansai area? I mean, I'm looking for an environment thats laid back, serene, fresh, lively, while still being in the center where the fun is at. Well, I hope you can invision that (haha). With that aside, my first choice while living in Japan was of course Tokyo, like anybody else, but I hear its too expensive to live in, quite dirty (forgive me), and overcrowded (surprise?). So till then, I'm quite caught up in various decision making. But hey, Osaka has a nice ring to it, and definitely a plus for being beside Kyoto and Tokyo as well.

Question...
 

Hi, Nyororin!

I'd like to ask you something, but before that I'd like to share what happened to us last year.

Before I graduated college, I think that was March, 2006, an ambassador from Japan came to our school. They came to discuss about the free trade agreement (FTA). They were like promoting Japan for having good working opportunities for new nursing graduates. They've started an open forum with an opening question: Do you like to work in Japan? Most of us answered no. Why? First, because we were required to take the Nihonggo lessons for 6 months. 2nd, because of their culture of having women as, somewhat, lower than men. Well, it brought up a heated debate.

1st question: Is it true that inequality in authority/position between male & female still exist in Japan?

2ns question: Can I still find real good friends from Japan?:D As in real kind Japanese people?:)

What makes like living in Osaka? Well I like living in a city, but not too crowded. Population density, Tokyo comes first. Osaka is second BUT only on DAY time. why? Surrounding Osaka is Kyoto, Nara,Hyogo where most people come from. Night life, well lots of them here, but don't ask me about that, I don't know much about them. Outdoor? lots of them. Temple? Nara and Kyoto is just a train ride away.

But it would really depend upon your lifestyle. Ive live in both cities, and I still choose Osaka. :vsign:

Here is a link I found while look up some info on the different visas and getting Nationalized and thought i would share to with everybody:

The Ministry of Justice

Samokan is going to hate me for this, but....
I hate Osaka just as much as I hate Tokyo. In fact, in all my time in Osaka (which is much more than Tokyo, as Osaka is a lot closer) I found the city dirtier , and in general more dangerous than even Tokyo. (Ever walk around Osaka station on the "bad" side? Where all the homeless live, and it smells like sewage all the time?)

I much prefer my own local city of Nagoya - which is third in the population density scale. Not only is it clean here, the city is full of parks and *the air is clean*. You don`t end up choking and coughing like I did in both Tokyo and Osaka. I could never imagine choosing to live in either of them.

For your first question, I think you have to give thought to what true equality means. It means that a woman has equal power to make choices in her life as a man does.

In this sense, there is no inequality. The big misconception is that women would never choose to make traditional choices for themselves - say to quit work when they get married, etc. In Japan, they do. And it is entirely their choice. There is nothing standing in the way of a woman doing pretty much the same thing as a man... But she usually *chooses* not to.
Is it really inequality if a woman chooses to stay at home and be a nice little housewife? What`s important is that she has the choice available.

This really applies with older people too. You think that older woman is being oppressed by her husband? Or in her workplace? No way. She`s usually the one in charge of everything, and is quite happy with it, thank you.

Japan is no longer run by samurai who make their wives walk 3 steps behind them - and it hasn`t been for a very very long time.

Your second question;
Umm, yes? People are people. I seriously don`t think race has anything to do with whether a person is "real kind".