Japan - How To - General - Facepunch Forum

I dont know why but i cant stop watching these.... It's pretty much a series of video explaining cultural differences in japan. Episode 1: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj0aVNQrR1M[/media] Episode 2: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVEg9CZYOLk&feature=relmfu[/media] Episode 3: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtPu5hDGcS8&feature=relmfu[/media] Episode 4: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkCFmU2wzUs&feature=relmfu[/media] Episode 5: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c67A0zPctc&feature=relmfu[/media] Episode 6: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO1oJLkR-WE&feature=relmfu[/media] Episode 7: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31gTyjFVx84&feature=relmfu[/media] Episode 8: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q14GpoTjB4U&feature=relmfu[/media] Episode 9: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPyggXg6-mg&feature=relmfu[/media] Episode 10: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HG6bycveG8&feature=relmfu[/media] Episode 11: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuhVcAqD9kw&feature=relmfu[/media] Episode 12: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1z92kDZejY[/media] Episode 13: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBI0qrMd7XA&feature=relmfu[/media] Episode 14: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS0rsmMNUQg&feature=fvwrel[/media] Episode 15: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqsfUzFl-ws&feature=relmfu[/media] Episode 16: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL7E4HRY_zU&feature=relmfu[/media] Episode 17: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qpp-q_LIPK0&feature=relmfu[/media] And so on...

This is relevant to my interests because I plan to teach ESL there after I'm finished with college. And most likely live there.

Actually really interesting. Sure kept me occupied.

so is using emoticons a cultural requirement there too or what [sp]xD[/sp]

This is actually very interesting, better than the woman who's a weeaboo explaining absolutely nothing of the Japan culture other than anime and emoticons on youtube.

So where's the one about groping women on trains?

kawaii desune

Another fool who claims Japan is wildly different from every other culture in the world. Yeah, no, I'm from a Western country too, but you don't blow your nose in public or wear shoes inside there either. Other parts, like not always speaking up when someone is doing something wrong (due to "tatemae") is really common in Asian cultures. I don't mind him teaching anglophones the cultural differences between the anglosphere and Japan, but I really hate it when they make wild claims like this.

I want a Japanese bathroom.

The "buffer zone" for shoes is present in plenty of cultures, I found that pretty interesting. [QUOTE=Keyblockor;33545686]This is actually very interesting, better than the woman who's a weeaboo explaining absolutely nothing of the Japan culture other than anime and emoticons on youtube.[/QUOTE] The tits, too. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKMO2Ptji2I[/media] You [i]don't[/i] forget those tits.

Japan is great in many ways, but under the surface incredibly backwards as explained in #16.

Japanese are weird

So are we.

Japan sounds too socially cold for me to ever want to live here.

That guy has 77 how-to videos and so much more on other things. I'm on #27 now.

he makes it sound like a cold and miserable place

[QUOTE=MasterG;33557441]Um, people blow their noses in public all the time here in Britain... and lots of my friends, myself included, don't take our shoes off indoors unless they're really muddy.[/QUOTE] I'm fully aware of that. I was using the anglosphere as a [I]contrast[/I], meaning I couldn't be talking about Britain (I'm not from anywhere in the anglosphere). edit: Sorry, it may have looked like I was generalizing all Western countries in that one sentence when I said "there". That's not what I meant. I meant to say there are cultural differences between Western countries too that make some of his points completely moot from his "us" and "them" perspective, and it goes without saying that if you compare globally, there's going to be a lot more examples of this.

heated toilet seats genius

[QUOTE=jA_cOp;33557514]I'm fully aware of that. I was using the anglosphere as a [I]contrast[/I], meaning I couldn't be talking about Britain (I'm not from anywhere in the anglosphere). edit: Sorry, it may have looked like I was generalizing all Western countries in that one sentence when I said "there". That's not what I meant. I meant to say there are cultural differences between Western countries too that make some of his points completely moot from his "us" and "them" perspective, and it goes without saying that if you compare globally, there's going to be a lot more examples of this.[/QUOTE] Although thats true, in 95% of his videos he always says "But the most important thing to do is watch what everyone else is doing. Don't take a foreigner's words for complete fact when in another country." Basically, the famous phrase "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" applies. What he is saying is, he is living there and this is his experiences with the country.

[QUOTE=salty peanut v2;33556317]he makes it sound like a cold and miserable place[/QUOTE] I agree. Someone who hates the over-friendly nature of some areas (like in the southern parts of the US) may like the strict culture for a change I guess. I don't think I'd last a day there since I like friendly people.

[QUOTE=salty peanut v2;33556317]he makes it sound like a cold and miserable place[/QUOTE] Apparently, it's pretty common for anglophones to feel that way, or they're just very vocal about it. Most of the myths like "you'll never know what people are thinking" and "people are extremely racist" stem from white English teachers with little to no teaching experience and zero experience with Japanese language or culture, who subsequently do not bother learning after they arrive and keep to themselves. Yes, being locked in a minority enclave sucks - you didn't have to go to Japan to figure that one out. Most white people coming to Japan (myself included) have no prior experience with being a minority to begin with. I have no sympathy for the people who behave like guests and expect to be treated differently from guests - and like the guy in the videos in the OP is telling you all about: Japanese people are generally very nice to guests. Additionally, while geographically a lot smaller, Japan has a little under half the population of the USA, which is a [B]lot[/B] of people. He's generalizing 130 million people based on the people and culture around him. Despite the "Japan is a homogeneous country" myth, Japan is home to a lot of different people with different opinions, behaviours and cultures, just like everywhere else. So yeah, keep in mind his considerable bias if you're watching these videos. [editline]4th December 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=JCDentonUNATCO;33557704]Although thats true, in 95% of his videos he always says "But the most important thing to do is watch what everyone else is doing. Don't take a foreigner's words for complete fact when in another country." Basically, the famous phrase "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" applies. What he is saying is, he is living there and this is his experiences with the country.[/QUOTE] I am guilty of only having watched a small number of his videos; I just noticed he was making characteristic sweeping generalisations and exaggerations, so I felt compelled to post about the typical bias in the environment he's part of and surely influenced by. I know it's his personal experiences but I at least want people to know that, like he said, "there are reasons for all these things". Some of his "facts" are really misleading too, like claiming most crime is committed by foreigners. Firstly, that's not even close to true, and it would be a significant achievement considering the relatively low number of foreigners in Japan. Secondly, if you adjust for per capita, it's only marginally true if you include mere visa violations, which is a crime Japanese people cannot even commit.

[QUOTE=TAU!;33546865]The "buffer zone" for shoes is present in plenty of cultures, I found that pretty interesting. The tits, too. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKMO2Ptji2I[/media] You [i]don't[/i] forget those tits.[/QUOTE] In all seriousness I typed out "The Weeaboo with the huge tits" before changing it to something more appropriate, :v:.

[QUOTE=Glorbo;33554965]Japan sounds too socially cold for me to ever want to live here.[/QUOTE] True, but on the other hand, society has formed itself really well. In comparison with Japanese westerners are assholes.

Does anyone else have the slight urge to travel there now, and follow these rules to see how they'd respond/not respond?

[QUOTE=TAU!;33546865]The "buffer zone" for shoes is present in plenty of cultures, I found that pretty interesting. The tits, too. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKMO2Ptji2I[/media] You [i]don't[/i] forget those tits.[/QUOTE] I wanna yuki on her face.

[QUOTE=jA_cOp;33558111]blablabla[/QUOTE] I missed your post, which is okay, but i just wanted to reply about the guy in the video's. I've seen most if not all of his video's and yes he does generalize, but it's no secret. All his video's are just to tell his experience to the outside world. This guy lives in Japan with his Japanese wife in his Japanese house. He speaks Japanese pretty good, but it's obviously not perfect. Better than other english teachers on youtube tho.

[QUOTE=Supacasey;33544665]so is using emoticons a cultural requirement there too or what [sp]xD[/sp][/QUOTE] ＼（＾ ＾）／

[QUOTE=sami-elite;33565215]True, but on the other hand, society has formed itself really well. In comparison with Japanese westerners are assholes.[/QUOTE] Obviously, it seems like if a country is being more socially cold makes it have a more peaceful society. I think Norway is also cold. At least in comparison to other cultures I've experienced. It kinda conflicts with thinking out loud and having your own opinions which I don't like. In Norway it seems like the only people who talk to other people they don't know are either drunk people, "mentally challenged" people or old people. They all share something in common which is that they ignore the fact that the person might not like you. I've seen these kind of people talk to strangers and it does nothing more than put a smile on their and everyone around them's faces, as if "someone finally noticed me" Maybe it's more or less the same in Japan? The guy in the video seems to be "one of them" so I wouldn't trust him when he says that Japanese people are not very fond of change. [editline]5th December 2011[/editline] When I think about it, I've seen Japanese TV shows on youtube where there's a guy going around doing wacky stuff to people that everyone including the target. That's media though. A more funny example would be Japanese Garry's mod servers compared to Korean Garry's mod servers. The Koreans are building airplanes and fighting them spamming music (that they all agreed on) with a mic and just generally seem to be having a blast, while on the Japanese server they're building every day stuff like a peaceful subtrain train while communicating at all as if every one's minding their own business. A western server in comparison are full of greifers and assholes though. It's not a very valid comparison since there are like 1 japanese build server, 2 korean build servers and the rest of the build servers fit into the western category.

that's alot of episodes. Well I like the martial arts they made, the samurais. The rest is fucking wierd (the videos they make)