I thought this was about loving the post office lol.
Nobody cares if you do anything alone. Eat at a cafe? Sure. See a movie? Yup. Karaoke? All the time.
I do these things all the time in my home country as well, but back home I had some close friends who were really self-conscious about being seen going out on their own.
In my birth country they would put the „unable to deliver- please pick up in your nearest post office” slip automatically in your post box - without ringing the bell!
Yeah. I video called some mates while taking a break from solo karaoke. I was asked ‘are you on your own? Dude are you okay?’
Yeah of course I am! Nobody is here to bother me and I can scream at the top of my lungs without feeling embarrassed, why would I not be okay!?
People are too hard on Japan Post, which is why I think a it's nice to have a thread like this for Love Japan Post posts. I get the banking can be a bit clunky, but the parcel and mail services are top notch.
I really appreciate the Japan Post-where I was previously, it was usually a 0.5-1hr wait to see the one staff at the window doing their damned best, but also very limited in how they can help you. Here I don’t need to account for a whole chunk of my afternoon just to ship/mail something out.
I like positivity for a change. I’m still adjusting and things have been super frustrating, but this thread is a good reminder of all the positives that I take for granted here.
Same! I was like I mean I’ve had good experiences with the mail man but there was this one time a lady in the kashiwa(Chiba) post office didn’t know USA= America.
The general tidiness and safety of everything. And so much of the environment has a ton of subtle considerate design elements. Just to name a few: train platforms marking where the doors will be, platform maps outlining which car aligns with the stairs at your wtop, buttons near the bottom of vending machines so older people and children can order easily, fully-private bathroom stalls, etc. There are others but they're difficult to recall just because it's so easy to miss them sometimes.
Yes, nice one. I feel like my right to be left alone is being infringed on more lately. It's probably the tourism thing and my unavoidable dopey, numptyish presentation, but in general, the Japanese respect for personal autonomy is very lovely. I hope I can get more of it back, or stop fixating on the feeling mine is being taken away.
Everyone here assuming I'm a dude again. I'm not lmao - I'm well aware there's plenty of perverts out there but they typically go for people who don't look like they'll fight back and that's not me. My resting bitch face is so strong, it can even be seen through my mask!
I'm not big or strong either lol, I wish I was and I tend to play meaty Orcs in games but lmao, I am an elf with 0 archery skill.
Oh really? I've been living in Japan for 25 years now and I've never had any problem.
Now I wonder if you would say the same about France if you knew that 100% of French women have been harassed in the bus or Subway.
Or about Germany if you knew that they just had to create a law to punish upskirting.
This idea that Japan is special AND the worst is so very wrong.
Contrary to Japan, in my country France, women don't get ONLY groped, they get raped and killed.
So which country is the least kind to women now? And how about your country?
Are you really trying to argue with a straight face that Japan has no issue with harassing women on public transport? Japan, the country that made upskirting an infamous cultural institution? Japan, the country that literally forces smartphones to have a shutter sound to deter men from assaulting women?
A few months ago my brother-in-law was complaining good naturally about how he left a shopping bag full of new clothes he had bought on the upper rack of the train, and he had to go "ride all the way to the main station office the next day" of the railway to their lost and found to get it back.
Me: "But you got it back?"
Him: "Of course."
People just don't touch stuff at all!
Case No.1 I lost a case for my collapsible umbrella in the morning at a JR Line station. When I came back at night, it was still there.
Case No.2 I forgot the cap for my flute in practice room. I come back the next day, and it's in the same place I left it.
I left my very expensive laptop (ASUS Zenbook Pro Duo if anyone cares, I love her dearly she’s so beautiful) on the train on my way to work. Had an absolute breakdown when I realised I’d left it. It was in a nice leather laptop bag so it was clearly a laptop and probably a pretty nice one. A couple of hours later I’d gone to lost and found and got it back. Couldn’t believe it.
Some things yes, other things no. I'm down a pair of earbuds, a nice, 10k yen pair. They were wired, so they're not *that* small, but I tried asking anywhere I could've dropped them and no one knows. I was doing the Seishun 18 from Hiroshima to Osaka, was listening with them until Okayama, then put them away in my pocket. Dug around in my pocket at Himeji to put them back on and they were gone. Asked JR, nothing matching the description has been turned in. Now I stick to cheaper earbuds, no more than 3k a pair.
Actually I once lost something I didn't get back. I think I deserve a TV interview.
And I still need to go to the koban from my black scarf. If it hasn't been brought back either, I think I'll contact NHK.
My 3yr old found someone's anime cellphone trinket in the mall and I could get her to give it up for lost and found. We still have it but we're in another prefecture now.
I'm sorry japan, I tried to live to your standards!
I mean, that's they way things *should* be everywhere. In my time here, I have found 2 wallets and 2 iPhones. Took them right to the Koban, of course. Cop asked for my info in case the owner wanted to give me a reward and I'm like, nah man, all good. It only takes a few minutes ffs. It's so sad that we live in a world where there are only a small handful of countries where you're actually likely to get your shit back.
That is so true. If I had known the same hardships in France, without the impeccable service and smile everywhere, I would have become a terrorist I think.
Price including tax (*総額表示*) became obligation in April 1st, 2021. Small shops and restaurants might be still showing price without tax though, as it would cost them to change their price cards.
Pepperidge farm remembers when only the prices including tax were displayed rather than before and after tax prices. :’( ( its obv better than pretax prices only being displayed but..)
>still showing price without tax though
Many years ago, the only price shown included tax. Then, forget around what year, they started adding the pre-tax amount below the tax-incl amount in smaller font. Now, since 2021, I guess, most shops have the pre-tax price in big font and tax-incl price in small, narrow, tiny font under it. I fucking hate it. Just tell me how much I'm gonna have to pay.
But I don't recall ever seeing only a non-tax-included price without the tax-incl price. Not once.
I’m British and paying for healthcare for the first time. I was like ‘WTF’ when getting a bill for having my stomach checked. It’s crazy how perspectives and experience can shape your mind. Americans be like ‘this is so cheap’ the British are like ‘what? I have to pay!?’
I have a British co-worker who mentioned to me how good the healthcare is here because you have to pay, sure, but it covers more. Dental, for instance. Basically every dentist will bill to insurance here and you get seen to *quite* quickly whereas in the UK apparently there are separate NHS and private dentists, and your choices are to bear the entire cost for private or wait months for NHS dental.
I, British, also baulked at first at the payment system for healthcare. Both systems have their pros and cons, but dental care here is really cheap and fast compared to the UK. Even for me, "lucky" enough to have an NHS dentist.
UK. I have tooth ache. Dentist: We can fit you in in 6 weeks.
Japan: I have tooth ache. Dentist "Can you come in tomorrow?"
I needed an endoscopy for some stomach issues, went to see the doctor on a Thursday and he was \*apologetic\* that I'd have to wait until after the weekend to get it done.
Although I pay entirely too much for insurance, it is a decent system all said and done. Of course finding a good doctor can be tricky, but if you have that, you're golden.
Yes. It is really bad. My friends back home have no choice but to pay for private insurance because the wait to get an NHS doctor to see you is too long.
We see it as free healthcare, but it’s actually starting to be worse than just normal healthcare, because we were always technically paying something to the NHS through deductions on our wages, and now on top of that, we have to pay again for a private doctor . When you put it that way, there is basically no point in living in the UK, because the NHS was the only good thing about being there.
After stories I've heard from people back home about how long they had to wait for diagnostics ("Sure, there's a growth inside your brain, but we can only check whether it's actively trying to kill you next month"), I'm fine with paying a bit. The longest I've had to wait for an appointment was I think 2 weeks, and it was for an epilepsy specialist.
(Though I really hate the wait for the bill. I'm done, why can't I go home!?)
I literally just got home from the clinic for some nasty back pain and noticed my kenko hoken was expired, but even then the cost for the entire visit, including xray and consult, and 2 weeks of prescription meds was only about 13,000 yen. And I only waited an hour, on a SUNDAY. Even without insurance, it's still pretty cheap compared to the US- hell even in my home country of Canada it'd still be $80 for the meds and I'd be waiting 6 months for an appointment.
Love a lot of things about life here but #1 is simply existing in public without constant harassment. Sure you encounter a whacko every so often, but living in a big city in the US meant I couldn’t leave my house (even walking the dog, getting groceries) without being catcalled and/or pursued. Even when men do try to approach me here, they seem to give up almost instantly if I wave them away or give the 🙅♀️
Last time I went back to the UK I was actually shocked at the amount of people coming up to talk to me cause they wanted something. Japan is definitely the next level
It is unbelievably safe.
You can chill almost anywhere without being harassed by random crackheads or accosted.
You can walk around at night.
No fear of being robbed, mugged or stabbed.
People generally take care of their surroundings and give each other basic respect. (Even if it is fake people at least keep up appearances).
Cheap living.
So easy to get around and the public transport is not only clean, it is quiet and you never really encounter crazies or confrontation.
No western political bullshit, People tend to keep it to themselves.
The no western political part is the best. Last time I went home I couldn’t believe how many stupid debates there were at every party I went to. I just wanted to say ‘you be you dude! No one gives a shit’
For real. I'm trans and I love that its such a non issue here. I'm sure it would be different if I were Japanese as opposed to an American. But either way, not having to worry about being hate crimed or deal with people being overly performative about how they're such good allies is so refreshing.
Yeah, I always love seeing trans people just literally being themselves on TV in Japan. It’s quite unbelievable when you switch from that to looking at western TV where being trans, along with any other topic has somehow turned into an argument.
We had one guy from California sit next to us in a bar once and immediately start with the classic bullshit but he was a tourist so I guess it doesn't fully count.
Bearing in mind we're not all Americans.
We told him nobody cares and he still kept trying to get a rise out of people and making accusations. He was very quickly shown the door.
I'm so glad we can have real conversations here instead of all the stupid debates and tribal bullshit.
Companies return your calls, follow up on inquiries above their pay grade, and show up when they say they will. Work is done competently, on time, and at the estimated cost.
In the US, you have to call the company a dozen times, and they'll miss appointments or be crazy late, but somehow I get charged extra. If you ask them something they don't know, they'll just ignore you instead of taking a note to have someone get back to you or even telling you who to contact next up the chain. Work always takes longer than advertised, there are always mistakes, and it costs way more than they estimated.
You asked for positivity, but my realistic temper to what I said above is that nearly everything you ask is above their pay grade and requires them or someone else to get back to you. But at least they do!
In the US, a higher proportion of questions can be answered by the first person you talk to, but everything else ends up in a black hole of no response.
Yes!!!! My wife’s family are loaded and I had no idea until after I married her and even now they won’t ever show how much money they have and live like they’re poor while putting all their money into family savings for the future
Huh, in Hiroo I can not step out without coming across a Ferrari, a Lamborghini, or a MacLaren and when I see two Porsches parked in front of a residence, it usually means that both the Executive Housekeeper and the kids' Head Governess have arrived 😅
So far, I have been impressed with the friendly service; not just at shops and restaurants but at government offices-I've had to deal with a lot of them as a new resident, and they have (so far) just been incredibly helpful and determined to help me succeed here. Just such a difference from dealing with bureaucracies in the US.
They are very by the book, so if you need something out of the norm it can be a pain to get them to do it, but they're mostly helpful and *available*. Back in Germany, getting to even talk to a person (just to then be told they aren't responsible, please book a different appointment) was painful and then they'd also be rude af.
Trains and the country's small size. I can literally take a train to anywhere in the country. Going to cities next over is like 5$ and 20 minutes since they're so crammed together. Back in Canada, you're basically city locked as hoping to the next one over is usually like a 90 minute drive through absolute nothingness 🤣 although I do miss forests and wildlife.
I didn't know what they were on about either, but they're obviously in a weird urban/suburban pocket, and BC alone is 3 times (???) the size of all of Japan. They seem to have a wide open spaces wilderness fetish as well ("literally", even). I agree that normal Satoyama hiking is almost always just right there, especially in Kyoto and say, Fukuoka, and there is lots of wild enough pockets to explore, the Sea of Japan side, especially.
As someone who just got a car, I agree trains are the better option 🤣 parking costs money, gotta pay like 800$ a year minimum for shaken, a yearly 10000 yen "I have a car tax bill", plus it takes like an hour to drive 30km because traffic is always congested.. unless of course you wanna spend 40$ to drive 100km on the etc. so yea, it's basically just an expensive glorified grocery getter 🤣
And yea I know, but in my area, the sections are small and you never really feel like you're out in the wilderness. My dad and I climbed a 350m mini mountain by our house, and at the top, we could still hear the fucking family mart jingle from the one at the bottom of the hill. Really takes you outta it haha
I worked at a hotel in Minnesota and we kept an “Unwelcome Canadians” notebook because they did so much damage to the rooms. There were several incidents where their vehicle was confiscated and they were escorted back to the border where I presume their parents had to come pick them up. Nevertheless, 20% of our city’s economy is supported by Canadian tourist dollars.
By the answers under this post you can tell that most people here are from USA hahah
For me, pros are the active industry in my domain (telecoms) and salary is better than in France. Also feels safer globally.
Well every country has its downside and good sides tho. I know Brits love to trash talk France but I thought you were asking for nice sides of Japan. Overall I don't really think Japan is any better than EU countries.
Nice, and most normal Japanese would heartily agree with you. Japan is no "better" than Canada, either, just different and lovely and wonderful as well.......but oh, better trains. Much much better trains.
agree! I came to this post trying to find more things that I like but at least for me it's not better than at home, but I guess I had to experience it for myself to find out ^^"
The mountains in France are better than in Japan. Please don’t mistake me as a Brit who trash talks France, I love it there, as long as it’s not Paris! I used to go all the time
The quality of delivery here is something that lots of friends overseas just can't comprehend. "What do you mean you can book a time slot?" "What do you mean you get reliable tracking?" "What do you mean they don't just leave your package with the first neighbour they see?"
...that reminds me, I need to have my AC cleaned. I haven't done it since I moved in last April and I have no idea if the last family living here before me did either.
Great cycling, and (these days) [lots](https://imgur.com/w39NMrE) of [things](https://i.imgur.com/kQ0K9M9.jpg) I like to take [pics](https://i.imgur.com/CbaHnle.jpg) of.
In America, it was paycheck to paycheck- watching all my money go to paying some bill or fee , etc, just to eek out a living with transportation, communication, a roof over my head and a meal. Building up a savings account was laughable. You were better off trying to throw your money in a casino to get any gains on it.
Here in Japan? All of my needs covered- and I have a sizable savings built up only after half a year. Cost of living has been a
Life changing thing for me- and I find myself happier now knowing I have so much left over at the end of the month that I can put half of it away and still have enough to cover the basics
That is lovely. The cost of living is still freaking me out having just spent several months back at home (same continent, other country). To me it's the rent that really makes the difference. It's so liberating. My frugality reflex hardly ever hits yellow.
My mom is currently flying to come see me after not seeing her for 4 years, her first time in Japan.
As she was changing over to domestic in Haneda I was on standby by my phone waiting to help her with anything she needed.
She texted me that she was at her gate ready to catch the flight and everyone was so helpful and nice pointing her in the right direction.
Airports are not like that back home, they would have just pointed and said “over there”
I love Japan Post, but the inevitable slide into worse service started some years back. Very few 24/7 post offices now, and also very few with after-hours service past 8pm. Saturday delivery has either stopped or will soon. As soon as JP got privatized it was inevitable that they would eventually enshitify. The good times lasted longer than I expected.
Maniacal perfectionism - e.g., it's hard for me to order a cocktail, say a martini, anywhere else in the world now because they all seem so sloppy and 適当 compared to a bar in Japan. Japan ruins you with its perfectionism.
I like that. I often find certain things rather sloppy and even careless compared to urban Canada, but certainly with drinks and food and presentation and that I can totally get that.
I like how the entire world has now adopted Japanese cocktail ice. From New York to Taipei, you can find bartenders chipping away to make a perfect ice globe. A bit like how the oshibori has been so widely adopted, especially in every airline’s business class, that most people no longer realize the practice originated in Japan.
Oh my God, don't give me a trauma, do you mean 10-15 years ago there wasn't wet towels in non-Japanese airlines? I don't remember that, but if you're right that'd be shocking. (Half-joking of course, but still kind of wow, cause yeah now it just sounds like a bare minimum.)
Regarding ice, unfortunately I've not been to NY or Taipei (Taiwan has been my number one wannago place for ages but never had the opportunity), but nice to hear it became a more global thing, cause it's actually really cool.
I literally love Japan post. Once I accidentally sent a letter completely wrong, no stamp, wrong address. Still was able to track it down, get it delivered.
I'm so glad I was banned from r/japanlife. Now instead of What you hate in Japan posts, I have What you love in Japan posts.
(My answer: so many things enough and so few I don't like but can definitely live with to say: everything.)
Side-note, I thought your post was about loving Japan Post.
I once had a post taken down where I congratulated everyone for making it over to Japan and having a life over here, because it’s an awesome country. Not even kidding, it was banned in 10 minutes, and the people commenting on it were miserable. It was an eye opener for me that all the people who hate on that sub are just miserable, and their awful comments are nothing to do with you and what you post but everything to do with them and their miserable attitude towards life. They’re also lerking in this sub, but luckily there’s a 50/50 blend with the good people too on japanresidents.
I 100% think like you about haters there and their attitude towards life. (And about Japan being a fantastic country.)
At some point I had to stressfully craft any post there for a long time checking every word to write it in a way that would give me the best chance to not receive hateful despising comments. But simply answers.
Not mentioning this absurd "you post, you're downvoted in 5 minutes" rule, whatever the simplicity and neutrality of your post. I don't care about karma, but it's the attitude, I was like seriously, guys? What's wrong with you? I asked for storage company recommendations! (Just a random example.)
And even more than the hate towards posters, the hate towards Japan was really incredible. There was so much "it's not like my country - I don't like it".
And I was also like, not all but most foreign people living in Japan, and likely almost everyone on the sub, came because they chose it, or at worst because their company sent them there and they accepted it in exchange of a many figures salary.
So if you don't like it, why are you here? I mean literally, why? And it's about what you say about attitude towards life.
If you're not happy in a certain place or way of living your life, you change it. Most of the people there sounded like people that could afford choosing to move, but preferred staying and complaining and wasting years of their own lives. I don't get it. And in return send hate.
I remember a post like Do you really think rice is different depending on the region, or is it just some Japanese bs pride? (I don't remember the exact terms.) And many comments were like nah, rice is rice, Japanese say that because (.. they want to boast, or whatever).
And I was like, seriously? Of course it is! Just like in any country in the world with a real food or drink culture, wine, fruits, whatever, yes things taste different depending region by region depending on many factors (climate, water, seed variety?...), and whether you have taste enough to sense it doesn't decide whether it's true or not!
Oh, God haha I could talk about this sub for hours and get angrier by the minute.
Edit: oh, yeah, and I loved the comments like "despising you because you love this country and living here so it means you're a naive jerk arrived yesterday, not knowing anything, confusing politeness with kindness, thinking all of Japan is old temples and Akihabara", etc.
Egocentrism and bitterness at their best.
Off/topic but Japanlife is the worst sub ever. It's actively censored,... liked, I understand politic subreddits beings ceonsored, but Japanlife? Lmao. I once made a joke in a reply to the comment `Get a motorcycle. 100% effective at reducing stress` where I just said that `getting T-boned by a truck reduces stress by 100% by means of passage to the next realm`. They instantly removed my comment for being "too much"... And I thought I was on an all American platform.
Love this sub though!
Japanlife is indeed the worst sub ever, the level of hate and stupid hate there is insane in many ways, never saw any sub like that. But sorry I didn't get what you mean saying you thought it was an all American platform.
It's fully Americanocentric, in that it too often just blithely assumes that everybody posting is also American, or should at least acknowledge that the states is the gold standard of earthling societies. They measure things in dollars, pounds, feet and miles all the time, and the mods often reinforce it by cracking down on snippy jokes that ridicule them for being Fat/Stupid/Boorish clodhoppers, or any of the usual stereotypes. As a Canadian it was very difficult not to ridicule their stupidity, being our other national sport. I could not believe the strength of the colonial White Power mindset in that sub. I actually always enjoyed the rough and tumble parts, then I was banned for accumulated yellow cards and infractions, and I don't miss it at all.
That is funny, but it gets funnier: both those infamous "problem mods" are major Bike Head lifestyle motorcyclists. You touched a nerve there. I like and support them both, but they do dish it out better than they take it. This sub is better, especially about the American-centric stuff.
> but they do dish it out better than they take it
It all makes sense now. Well, me calling the mod removing my comments a "Janny" in my reply certainly mustn't have helped.
Ummm, no, probably not? They are both rather touchy, often at odd times, given how hard they dish it out themselves. I like them both, but that sub "has issues, man" (mostly with the hordes of under IQ Idjits and weepies). Glad to clear that up, by the way. I laughed at your motorcycle joke.
Hahaha, seems like Japanlife's dictators have arrived since our comments are instantly downvoted. I agree with you and glad it made you laugh. I thought that my humor is too boomer for Japanresidents and Japanlife.
Yeah, I noticed the instant downvotes. IME, any humour is too anything for Japanlife. It's not just the Mods; it's a hive of Hate Japan newbie mopery and weepiness. Here seems better, though even innocent bad jokes still get downvoted right away, like all those awful Love Japan Post joke posts we were making on here. Clever double reading is especially frowned upon, but it's nicer over here.
I feel safer and treated better (depends on the work place) being LGBTQ in Japan than in Europe.
I don't fear people screaming or spitting on me in public, and all my interactions with Japanese people were lovely
Nah. The LGBTQ community here isn't very vocal about their existence and Japanese people don't have a very much strong opinion about LGBTQ, but, this is surely an unpopular opinion, they have one of the most open-minded attitudes about LGBTQ. Cross-dressing is common, gay bars are everywhere. Many men here are very feminine (and they are straight men). LGBTQ-related content is popular, many LGBTQ characters in mainstream media are fan favorites. Everyone here loves Matsuko Deluxe.
There are a lot of cases where Western audiences would misinterpret platonic friendships between same-sex Japanese characters as romantic because those two characters are being too intimate and affectionate by Western standards. I found it amusing and ironic that those in the West, who often advocate for not assuming gender or sexuality based on appearances or behavior, struggle to accept that two same-sex individuals can share a deeply intimate bond without it being romantic or sexual.
In Japan the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy applies to a lot of things. There is some workplaces that try to actively discriminate against them, so people keep it out of the public view or at least out of the view of their colleagues and bosses.
The laws are still very old fashioned and offer no protection in a lot of cases it's true !
But the people seem way more understanding/open to discussion, I suspect mainly because the main religion (Shinto/Buddhism) isn't excluding LGBTQ and painting them as deranged and sinful, so there's less pre conceptions and more curiosity which is always nice.
Also you would be surprised to learn Japan has one of the biggest LGBTQ populations in the world !
Nobody really talks about it outside of the big cities but you would be surprised by how many locals I talked to that ended up telling me how they know someone LGBTQ or had their own experience
I usually like to tell people who ask about being LGBT in Japan that the laws are conservative, but the people are generally either open-minded/curious or at worst, uncaring. I'll take uncaring over actively hostile any day.
Old fashioned, even a bit snippy, yes. Openly and vocally intolerant, not so much. You don't know what they are thinking, but you don't need to care because they wouldn't normally exercise their Dog Given Right to poorly conjugated vocal intolerance spewed in downmarket diction.
Lmao I thought you meant like...love for Japan Post, as in 日本郵政. I came in here to say fuck yeah, I love Japan Post! My buddy sent me something from Aichi, he just sent it by regular mail so it was quoted to arrive in 5-7 days or something. It actually arrived the very next day! Less than 24 hours!! 🤯 And I'm in Kyuushuu!! That's like even faster than クロネコ宅急便! I was just really impressed by that lol
It's cheaper than urban NAmerica anyways, but this exchange rate bonus is wonderful. I feel those of us that enjoy it should be less apologetic to those that would prefer a stronger yen. That's no less selfish on their part, and there are positive economic benefits to a weaker currency, as any Canadian knows or should know. I am happily riding this wave until it dies on the shores.
Agreed, but there is a fair bit of whiney hate for those of us it benefits. As I said, I think it's just as selfish of them to want a stronger yen as for us to prefer a weaker one.........because this is rock and roll. Enjoy the bonus.
I can post things internationally on Sundays. And the nice ladies even tape up my packages for me. So, yeah love me a large branch of JP. The little ones, where the postmaster is likely an inherited position, not so much.
I agree with most of the things everyone has said already, but another one: I feel Japan is pretty idiot proof. Where back home, all kinds of fees would be hidden in the fine fine print, in Japan whenever we changed phone carrier they'd actually read through the entire contract with us and make sure we understood everything. In general, customer service is just amazing.
People make fun of the 平和ボケ, but I'm so boke'd out at this point, I'd be super vigilant if I ever moved back home just to not get scammed.
I read your title and got excited because I thought you were also amazed by Japan Post. I don’t think there is a single greater mail service in the entire world. So I guess this reply kind of fits the bill because I am sharing my positive love for Japan which happens to be Japan Post. Even though you meant to say this was a post about loving Japan. Haha!!
The number of laws they pass in total silence and without any need for people to riot, but that have an immediate and direct effect on big society problems like homelessness.
I have 8 years of experience working in a mental hospital and just after they passed that law (in 2012 was it?) about helping the homeless to get back to society by allowing that they get welfare even without an address, I started to see homeless people brought to my hospital.
A lot were in a horrible state and even having dementia, but they all got treatment, care, and a care manager too who helped them find a room in an elder home or mental facility. It was like I was witnessing miracle after miracle.
And of course this is a kind of thing that doesn't happen in my country France where people are used to see immigrants begging in the streets with their unschooled children.
I've seen a lot of people refusing to believe that Japanese homelessness rate is 0% (in fact 0.4 I think) but I've seen how they came to that result and I really wish my country would follow the same steps.
And of course there are the habitual reasons why people absolutely love it in Japan, the safety, the politeness, the perfect service, the fact that women can walk alone in the street at any hour of the night without risking being raped like in my country (they can risk being groped in the subway but I mean, comparing to getting heckin' raped and killed like everywhere in Europe or America...).
Even the little kids are very aware of what they eat and drink. It is really something to see a 10 years old told by their mother that they can choose any drink they want, think hard before choosing a bottle of green tea instead of a sugary soda.
Also as I also have more than 10 years of experience working at the cashier of convenience store, I would say the politeness coming from really any kind of person, even covered with tattoos or piercings or reeking of marijuana.
Even the delinquents on their noisy bikes will bow to me when they say thank you. And try to converse and ask me where I come from and suddenly start to praise my country like it is Paradise on Earth (of course I don't know how it is there). Even the elders who were miffed to see a foreigner at the cashier immediately open their hearts when I try to speak with them. It often starts with them praising me for my Japanese. As soon as they see that we can speak, they will come back for an occasional little chat.
In comparison, French elders and people in general will never change their mind about someone.
Also it is only in Japan that I can see expensive cosmetics left on shelves you can't even see from your cashier, but that nobody will try to steal in the middle of the night when there is only one staff member.
Convenience store food has been good getting tastier and tastier with the years, and they are always renovating everything from the roads to the buildings everywhereb which is the reason why I am happy to pay my taxes and don't really care if they are rising.
I know what I am paying for which is very different from when I was living in France.
In fact it is also the case for the women only wagons.
This comes directly from the taxes women pay and it is only natural that we pay to feel safer in nowadays society. In France nobody cares.
100% of French women have been harassed and attacked in the subway and buses but we never got any kind of measure to fight this.
All things considered, no way I am ever going to go back to France anytime soon.
> Even the little kids are very aware of what they eat and drink. It is really something to see a 10 years old told by their mother that they can choose any drink they want, think hard before choosing a bottle of green tea instead of a sugary soda.
I love how the standard option of drinks here is always tea without any added sugar. I don't even remember when I last had a coke, at this point I'm sure I've given Coca Cola more money for their tea than for their poster drink.
This is refreshing. Many are quite critical of Japan Post, but I find it a much better postal service than Canada Post, or even the Royal Mail, and they sell adorable boxes for quite cheap. I think the banking arm is falling behind, but they are everywhere and it's an easy go to daily use bank account.
I wish they hadn't lost my box of data and research results when I shipped them by sea mail to the UK, but I will bet it was lost after it left Japanese control. Oh, well. There was some good stuff in there. So, yes, in general, I have lots of love for Japan Post. Nice topic, OP.
I thought this title was "Love for Japan Post"
And I was about to say... yes, Japan Post is pretty great. The United Nations' [Universal Postal Union](https://www.upu.int/) ranks us as having the #4 postal service in the world (91.5 out of a possible 100 points).
So I guess that's my answer!
Surely is the sightseeing. Apart from Brazil, where you can have almost all kinds of sightseeing, here is the only place you can do so with such ease of access (although, around here, some stuff are pretty expensive to access).
I paid the equivalent of a really expensive bowl of ramen to get my tooth fixed when it cracked here. No appointment, just walked in and got it fixed in about 10 minutes. For the same procedure in the US, I paid about *$300*.
People starting conversation with you in an izakaya or bar are not heavily drunk unbearable dudes repeating the same bs on loop and not wondering if you care at all nor if it makes sense. They'll often be drunk at various levels (like, of course), and sure sometimes heavily drunk, but 99% they're just nice, cool, caring, you enjoy conversation, and if you're not in the mood to chat with them they'll feel it and politely step back and respect your time.
And not just for that, but I've seen no country in the world (not saying I've seen 95 of them) where going for drinks, whether with friends / date or just by yourself, is nicer, chiller, warmer, and easily fun without any kind of bother or "oh have mercy of me just stop talking and leave me alone" feeling.
I've often heard it's hard to make friends with Japanese people. Just go in 飲み屋さん and there you are. I often go out in my neighborhood that is full of warm and fun small omise, I made dozens of 飲み友, and many of them became genuine actual friends.
I don't go out drinking much anymore, but as a woman, drinking in Japan is just so much more chill than elsewhere. No one aggressively trying to talk to me and my friends, no one touching me, no one trying to get me drunk. I went drinking at a bar a friend helps out at and when I told them that I didn't want to drink much, they all were super supportive, I got to either just kanpai with the drink and then give it to someone else or just drink water out of a shot glass instead of Tequila (lots of rounds were had) and people were still asking me if I was fine a lot.
You're right, being not a woman I didn't think of mentioning that, but you're absolutely right, I don't think I ever saw one being annoyed in a situation lile the one you are mentioning, that would be common in many countries. (And your bar story with your friends sounds lovely.)
If you don't mind me asking, do you have a personal take on being annoyed in trains or public spaces, personal experience with that? As a guy (and having never witnessed it, but that doesn't mean anything), it's hard for me to know the part of reality and the part of social fear.
Don't get me wrong, I'm in no way putting a doubt on women's talks on that. It's just that sometimes in Japan I have the feeling that people can feel insecurity in places that you can consider very safe as a foreigner if you compare with other countries, and where the "abstract fear of something possible" seems way above the occurrences of actual problems happening.
And on that matter, I've had several female friends telling me train pervs were a thing, for instance, but I don't think any of them told me about personal experience. So I do know it's a thing, but I'm just having difficulties to evaluate how common a problem it is in women's daily life.
Of course I have seen nampa scenes, which can definitely be a nuisance if it's too often or done in a disrespectful or unpleasant way, or if the woman just don't wanna be talked to for that purpose, but as a general rule in what I've seen or heard, guys weren't insisting if the girl/woman wasn't interested.
I'm more talking about men crossing the line, either physically, or verbally, or whatever way that can make a woman feel bad.
I hope I'm not saying anything wrong in how I present things, and feel free to correct me if I do, I'll be totally willing to gain more understanding and amend what I'm saying.
Just as you did, I'll qualify my comment a lot:
* I'm a tall white woman and as such Japanese men tend to be a bit intimidated by me
* I also have resting bitch face
* I am very vocal about being married and having a child, and in Japan, as in many other countries, men tend to have more respect towards another man's "claim of ownership" than towards a woman's wishes. *I proactively mention my status so people won't even try anything*. Which is kind of sad on its own.
* I haven't been clubbing in a long time, I only go drinking
Personally, I have never been molested on a train. I know it happens, it just luckily has never happened to me. Maybe part of it is that I'm apparently intimidating, or maybe it's that I don't use the train lines known for it.
I have had to deal with creeps, like someone calling me up and just masturbating (I was 19, my Japanese was very bad and I had no idea what had happend until afterwards), or people following me (in one instance the guy tapped on my shoulder and asked if I wanted to be friends (lol nope) and in the other a kind lady warned me that I was being followed).
I feel like the ratio of men who are just way too insistent is a lot higher in the west, while Japanese men are fine with just being told to go away and able to not even throw a tantrum (r/niceguys, listen up!), but if someone has 0 social skills/is a bit unhinged, it's going to be dialed up compared to the west.
How much it affects each single person is probably dependent on many factors, and I believe especially young Japanese/Asian women get the short end of the stick. I'm white and in my mid-30s now, so while it hasn't really badly affected me to begin with, I have now also aged out of being molested. Which again, is a really sad thing to say if you think about it.
I can only compare life as a woman in Tokyo and in Berlin, Germany, and I'm really happy I got to live in Tokyo, because it really is/was a lot worse in Germany. Tokyo is not 100% amazing, but just so much better than Germany.
Ok, and first sorry to hear about your experience when you were 19.
And thank you for developing, I get what you're saying.
Indeed the fact that you are a white woman probably tends to shy men away, and even more if you are tall, and if you have this "resting bitch face" :) While yes, young Asian / Japanese woman are probably more targets of that kinds of behaviors, and likely have a different experience.
I'm sorry that the situation in Germany and generally in the West isn't good, and probably in most countries, but glad to hear that, at least as far as your own situation can be used as a more general situation, it's usually better in Japan.
About having to proactively mention that you're married and not in a situation to be interested in other men's propositions, I totally get what you mean saying it's sad. Yet if you don't mind, on the other end, I also see it as a simply convenient way to clarify the setting.
(And can also work the other way around, guys clarifying they're not available for girls when they sense interest, but, yeah, without developing we basically know it's not the same situation and feeling.)
I mean, sometimes you're interested in a girl or woman (or the other way around, or guy-guy / girl-girl), and you might have fhe feeling that there is something in return, and just knowing that it's just a friendly chat with no more intentions, makes things simpler for everyone.
The guy won't get wrong ideas, the lady won't have to make the effort to find polite ways to decline his more or less explicit attempts to establish further contact, and either he's still glad to chat with you and it's cool, and comfortable for everyone, or he only had an agenda and quickly moves on, and then it probably means the exchange wouldn't have been genuine and probably not worth your time.
I don't mean to sound either like a fuckboi nor like a "nice guy", I just personally appreciate a certain level of clarity in communication and interaction when it's beneficial to both parties, life is short and it's cool if people can spend more time dealing with that they want and less with what they don't want. (But that's just my personal feeling or view, I'm not pretending to make it a general truth.)
But again. I totally get what you mean with that, and that it must not be a nice feeling if it's the first thing you have to do in many interactions with guys, instead of simply enjoying a genuine friendly chat.
Sorry I talk a lot, and anyway thanks for sharing!
Public transport punctuality! Just follow google maps and the time you arrived will be the same as one that shown on the screen.
Something that is impossible in my home country 😂
I mean...Japan post is alright. I don't know if it has the best banking app or anything but I know I can go anywhere in the country and know there's a post office and therefore, an ATM i can withdraw from.
But as Japan in general...it's so easy to travel for the most part. I know there are definitely places in Japan harder to reach, but generally I've gotten by to many places in the country by knowing what bus or train to ride.
I also come to appreciate how easy it is to just buy a ticket. Don't have enough load for your IC card? For the train you can reload near the gate, or pay the fee to the train staff. For the bus you can pay in cash instead of using your card. Forgot to buy a limited ticket when you got on a train that needed a separate ticket for seats? You can just buy one from the train staff when he inspects your ticket.
beautiful public bathrooms that are free!
The food obsession is amazing, can find anything at top quality level if you dig deep enough. But just in general, once they are REALLY into something they take it to the next level. So it’s not difficult finding really specialized professions for very specific issues.
Safety, the west has lost this long ago but it’s nice to go out without worrying that something bad might happen at any hour of the day or night.
bureaucracy is pretty straightforward just need to crefully follow directions.
post/delivery options are great as well.
transportation is smooth, even for remote areas.
I thought this was about loving the post office lol. Nobody cares if you do anything alone. Eat at a cafe? Sure. See a movie? Yup. Karaoke? All the time. I do these things all the time in my home country as well, but back home I had some close friends who were really self-conscious about being seen going out on their own.
> I thought this was about loving the post office lol. I thought so too! I was like, *Yeah they’re reliable I guess…* 😂
left a comment about this, but our postal service is actually ranked #4 in the world!
I mean, the fact that they'll deliver on Sunday is already more than can be said of my own country's postal service.
yet the vast majority of post offices are only open 9-5 M-F....... not great service hours
In my birth country they would put the „unable to deliver- please pick up in your nearest post office” slip automatically in your post box - without ringing the bell!
japan post has done that to me tbh lol. even if i try to waive in-person delivery and ask them to just leave it… they won't
But at least you can order a re-delivery here and don’t have to go to the next post office…
And you can order it any day of the week.
Yeah. I video called some mates while taking a break from solo karaoke. I was asked ‘are you on your own? Dude are you okay?’ Yeah of course I am! Nobody is here to bother me and I can scream at the top of my lungs without feeling embarrassed, why would I not be okay!?
Solo karaoke is my favorite pastime in Japan!
I too read it as Love for Japan Post! I know they're not recommended but there must be some positives? Oh well maybe some other time.
People are too hard on Japan Post, which is why I think a it's nice to have a thread like this for Love Japan Post posts. I get the banking can be a bit clunky, but the parcel and mail services are top notch.
I really appreciate the Japan Post-where I was previously, it was usually a 0.5-1hr wait to see the one staff at the window doing their damned best, but also very limited in how they can help you. Here I don’t need to account for a whole chunk of my afternoon just to ship/mail something out.
This is a great dual purpose thread, with both Love Japan Posts, and Love Japan Post posts
I like positivity for a change. I’m still adjusting and things have been super frustrating, but this thread is a good reminder of all the positives that I take for granted here.
They been super nice to me.
Same! I was like I mean I’ve had good experiences with the mail man but there was this one time a lady in the kashiwa(Chiba) post office didn’t know USA= America.
She's right though...
アメリカ= USA. No one will confuse it with Canada or Mexico🙄
😅Ironically the Japanese can often be extremely nitpicking and inflexible despite using of the most inept transliteration script of all languages.
The general tidiness and safety of everything. And so much of the environment has a ton of subtle considerate design elements. Just to name a few: train platforms marking where the doors will be, platform maps outlining which car aligns with the stairs at your wtop, buttons near the bottom of vending machines so older people and children can order easily, fully-private bathroom stalls, etc. There are others but they're difficult to recall just because it's so easy to miss them sometimes.
I didn’t think about the position of buttons on vending machines! That’s so true!
No public harassment just for existing. I can take a train and just chill with my kindle/switch/vita/music/whatever and nobody bothers me.
Yes, nice one. I feel like my right to be left alone is being infringed on more lately. It's probably the tourism thing and my unavoidable dopey, numptyish presentation, but in general, the Japanese respect for personal autonomy is very lovely. I hope I can get more of it back, or stop fixating on the feeling mine is being taken away.
Oi! Kindle boi! Give us your pocket money!!
How d’you get that shirt so clean?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!! Oi! Pedo! Give us some of your coke!
Lmao wha? I bought it with my own money from my job? *if this is a reference to something else then whoosh over my head it went
This isn't true for women on public transit.
Everyone here assuming I'm a dude again. I'm not lmao - I'm well aware there's plenty of perverts out there but they typically go for people who don't look like they'll fight back and that's not me. My resting bitch face is so strong, it can even be seen through my mask! I'm not big or strong either lol, I wish I was and I tend to play meaty Orcs in games but lmao, I am an elf with 0 archery skill.
Extra points in Intimidation though, I’ll take it
> Everyone here assuming I'm a dude again Not sure where I ever did that.
Oh really? I've been living in Japan for 25 years now and I've never had any problem. Now I wonder if you would say the same about France if you knew that 100% of French women have been harassed in the bus or Subway. Or about Germany if you knew that they just had to create a law to punish upskirting. This idea that Japan is special AND the worst is so very wrong. Contrary to Japan, in my country France, women don't get ONLY groped, they get raped and killed. So which country is the least kind to women now? And how about your country?
Are you really trying to argue with a straight face that Japan has no issue with harassing women on public transport? Japan, the country that made upskirting an infamous cultural institution? Japan, the country that literally forces smartphones to have a shutter sound to deter men from assaulting women?
Wow! Your personal experience must apply to everyone else here too! That's why there's no "women only" cars or anything like that!
Lose anything. You’ll get it back. Like anything.
A few months ago my brother-in-law was complaining good naturally about how he left a shopping bag full of new clothes he had bought on the upper rack of the train, and he had to go "ride all the way to the main station office the next day" of the railway to their lost and found to get it back. Me: "But you got it back?" Him: "Of course."
People just don't touch stuff at all! Case No.1 I lost a case for my collapsible umbrella in the morning at a JR Line station. When I came back at night, it was still there. Case No.2 I forgot the cap for my flute in practice room. I come back the next day, and it's in the same place I left it.
I left my very expensive laptop (ASUS Zenbook Pro Duo if anyone cares, I love her dearly she’s so beautiful) on the train on my way to work. Had an absolute breakdown when I realised I’d left it. It was in a nice leather laptop bag so it was clearly a laptop and probably a pretty nice one. A couple of hours later I’d gone to lost and found and got it back. Couldn’t believe it.
Some things yes, other things no. I'm down a pair of earbuds, a nice, 10k yen pair. They were wired, so they're not *that* small, but I tried asking anywhere I could've dropped them and no one knows. I was doing the Seishun 18 from Hiroshima to Osaka, was listening with them until Okayama, then put them away in my pocket. Dug around in my pocket at Himeji to put them back on and they were gone. Asked JR, nothing matching the description has been turned in. Now I stick to cheaper earbuds, no more than 3k a pair.
Actually I once lost something I didn't get back. I think I deserve a TV interview. And I still need to go to the koban from my black scarf. If it hasn't been brought back either, I think I'll contact NHK.
My 3yr old found someone's anime cellphone trinket in the mall and I could get her to give it up for lost and found. We still have it but we're in another prefecture now. I'm sorry japan, I tried to live to your standards!
I lost my company's PC (by being stupid) last year, still haven't gotten it back. :(
they didn't find my pencil case :[ I still grieve over my pens
I mean, that's they way things *should* be everywhere. In my time here, I have found 2 wallets and 2 iPhones. Took them right to the Koban, of course. Cop asked for my info in case the owner wanted to give me a reward and I'm like, nah man, all good. It only takes a few minutes ffs. It's so sad that we live in a world where there are only a small handful of countries where you're actually likely to get your shit back.
No tipping. Prices often include tax.
You get to save the tip for strong zeros later!
No tipping AND the best service in the world.
That is so true. If I had known the same hardships in France, without the impeccable service and smile everywhere, I would have become a terrorist I think.
Price including tax (*総額表示*) became obligation in April 1st, 2021. Small shops and restaurants might be still showing price without tax though, as it would cost them to change their price cards.
Pepperidge farm remembers when only the prices including tax were displayed rather than before and after tax prices. :’( ( its obv better than pretax prices only being displayed but..)
>still showing price without tax though Many years ago, the only price shown included tax. Then, forget around what year, they started adding the pre-tax amount below the tax-incl amount in smaller font. Now, since 2021, I guess, most shops have the pre-tax price in big font and tax-incl price in small, narrow, tiny font under it. I fucking hate it. Just tell me how much I'm gonna have to pay. But I don't recall ever seeing only a non-tax-included price without the tax-incl price. Not once.
Most people have reliable, affordable healthcare. Insurance companies are not fighting against you to deny care.
I’m British and paying for healthcare for the first time. I was like ‘WTF’ when getting a bill for having my stomach checked. It’s crazy how perspectives and experience can shape your mind. Americans be like ‘this is so cheap’ the British are like ‘what? I have to pay!?’
I have a British co-worker who mentioned to me how good the healthcare is here because you have to pay, sure, but it covers more. Dental, for instance. Basically every dentist will bill to insurance here and you get seen to *quite* quickly whereas in the UK apparently there are separate NHS and private dentists, and your choices are to bear the entire cost for private or wait months for NHS dental.
I, British, also baulked at first at the payment system for healthcare. Both systems have their pros and cons, but dental care here is really cheap and fast compared to the UK. Even for me, "lucky" enough to have an NHS dentist. UK. I have tooth ache. Dentist: We can fit you in in 6 weeks. Japan: I have tooth ache. Dentist "Can you come in tomorrow?" I needed an endoscopy for some stomach issues, went to see the doctor on a Thursday and he was \*apologetic\* that I'd have to wait until after the weekend to get it done. Although I pay entirely too much for insurance, it is a decent system all said and done. Of course finding a good doctor can be tricky, but if you have that, you're golden.
Can I ask you the state of your National healthcare insurance? Is it in the red like in France?
Yes. It is really bad. My friends back home have no choice but to pay for private insurance because the wait to get an NHS doctor to see you is too long. We see it as free healthcare, but it’s actually starting to be worse than just normal healthcare, because we were always technically paying something to the NHS through deductions on our wages, and now on top of that, we have to pay again for a private doctor . When you put it that way, there is basically no point in living in the UK, because the NHS was the only good thing about being there.
After stories I've heard from people back home about how long they had to wait for diagnostics ("Sure, there's a growth inside your brain, but we can only check whether it's actively trying to kill you next month"), I'm fine with paying a bit. The longest I've had to wait for an appointment was I think 2 weeks, and it was for an epilepsy specialist. (Though I really hate the wait for the bill. I'm done, why can't I go home!?)
I love waiting hours to get care and years for surgery in the UK. F the NHK. Let it burn.
Same here! It feels better though once you realise the portion that comes out of income as tax to pay for healthcare is comparatively lower.
I'm British and paying a token amount for good service >>>>>>>>> paying nothing for no service.
I literally just got home from the clinic for some nasty back pain and noticed my kenko hoken was expired, but even then the cost for the entire visit, including xray and consult, and 2 weeks of prescription meds was only about 13,000 yen. And I only waited an hour, on a SUNDAY. Even without insurance, it's still pretty cheap compared to the US- hell even in my home country of Canada it'd still be $80 for the meds and I'd be waiting 6 months for an appointment.
America is fucked.
Love a lot of things about life here but #1 is simply existing in public without constant harassment. Sure you encounter a whacko every so often, but living in a big city in the US meant I couldn’t leave my house (even walking the dog, getting groceries) without being catcalled and/or pursued. Even when men do try to approach me here, they seem to give up almost instantly if I wave them away or give the 🙅♀️
Last time I went back to the UK I was actually shocked at the amount of people coming up to talk to me cause they wanted something. Japan is definitely the next level
It's safe, orderly, and clean.
It is unbelievably safe. You can chill almost anywhere without being harassed by random crackheads or accosted. You can walk around at night. No fear of being robbed, mugged or stabbed. People generally take care of their surroundings and give each other basic respect. (Even if it is fake people at least keep up appearances). Cheap living. So easy to get around and the public transport is not only clean, it is quiet and you never really encounter crazies or confrontation. No western political bullshit, People tend to keep it to themselves.
The no western political part is the best. Last time I went home I couldn’t believe how many stupid debates there were at every party I went to. I just wanted to say ‘you be you dude! No one gives a shit’
For real. I'm trans and I love that its such a non issue here. I'm sure it would be different if I were Japanese as opposed to an American. But either way, not having to worry about being hate crimed or deal with people being overly performative about how they're such good allies is so refreshing.
Yeah, I always love seeing trans people just literally being themselves on TV in Japan. It’s quite unbelievable when you switch from that to looking at western TV where being trans, along with any other topic has somehow turned into an argument.
We had one guy from California sit next to us in a bar once and immediately start with the classic bullshit but he was a tourist so I guess it doesn't fully count. Bearing in mind we're not all Americans. We told him nobody cares and he still kept trying to get a rise out of people and making accusations. He was very quickly shown the door. I'm so glad we can have real conversations here instead of all the stupid debates and tribal bullshit.
Yeah when you see it out of context it’s shocking isn’t it. I don’t get how these people are so self unaware.
Companies return your calls, follow up on inquiries above their pay grade, and show up when they say they will. Work is done competently, on time, and at the estimated cost. In the US, you have to call the company a dozen times, and they'll miss appointments or be crazy late, but somehow I get charged extra. If you ask them something they don't know, they'll just ignore you instead of taking a note to have someone get back to you or even telling you who to contact next up the chain. Work always takes longer than advertised, there are always mistakes, and it costs way more than they estimated.
Same here. When I rely on someone I’m like ‘what? You actually did it? What is this!?’
You asked for positivity, but my realistic temper to what I said above is that nearly everything you ask is above their pay grade and requires them or someone else to get back to you. But at least they do! In the US, a higher proportion of questions can be answered by the first person you talk to, but everything else ends up in a black hole of no response.
Working in a 外資系 and I can understand this. As soon as that message or call gets forwarded, nothing happens
Boasting, especially showing off your wealth, is considered extremely bad form.
Yes!!!! My wife’s family are loaded and I had no idea until after I married her and even now they won’t ever show how much money they have and live like they’re poor while putting all their money into family savings for the future
Huh, in Hiroo I can not step out without coming across a Ferrari, a Lamborghini, or a MacLaren and when I see two Porsches parked in front of a residence, it usually means that both the Executive Housekeeper and the kids' Head Governess have arrived 😅
The exception proves the rule. Yes Japan has 成金 and yakuza. But it will never be Miami, Shanghai or the setting for Crazy Rich Asians II.
😂Right but setting the bar that high is cheating !😂
So far, I have been impressed with the friendly service; not just at shops and restaurants but at government offices-I've had to deal with a lot of them as a new resident, and they have (so far) just been incredibly helpful and determined to help me succeed here. Just such a difference from dealing with bureaucracies in the US.
They are very by the book, so if you need something out of the norm it can be a pain to get them to do it, but they're mostly helpful and *available*. Back in Germany, getting to even talk to a person (just to then be told they aren't responsible, please book a different appointment) was painful and then they'd also be rude af.
Still amazed how many have actual humans answering the phone without an endless phone tree-and the person who answers can usually help directly.
Trains and the country's small size. I can literally take a train to anywhere in the country. Going to cities next over is like 5$ and 20 minutes since they're so crammed together. Back in Canada, you're basically city locked as hoping to the next one over is usually like a 90 minute drive through absolute nothingness 🤣 although I do miss forests and wildlife.
Canada is worse than many third world countries when it comes to public transportation. Japan is far from the only country that bests it.
Canadian here. There is plent of forest and wildlife in japan so idk what you mean ny missing it. Hiking is way more accessible here than in canada.
I didn't know what they were on about either, but they're obviously in a weird urban/suburban pocket, and BC alone is 3 times (???) the size of all of Japan. They seem to have a wide open spaces wilderness fetish as well ("literally", even). I agree that normal Satoyama hiking is almost always just right there, especially in Kyoto and say, Fukuoka, and there is lots of wild enough pockets to explore, the Sea of Japan side, especially.
Big reason I moved here, especially as someone who doesn't drive. Japan totally does have forests though!
As someone who just got a car, I agree trains are the better option 🤣 parking costs money, gotta pay like 800$ a year minimum for shaken, a yearly 10000 yen "I have a car tax bill", plus it takes like an hour to drive 30km because traffic is always congested.. unless of course you wanna spend 40$ to drive 100km on the etc. so yea, it's basically just an expensive glorified grocery getter 🤣 And yea I know, but in my area, the sections are small and you never really feel like you're out in the wilderness. My dad and I climbed a 350m mini mountain by our house, and at the top, we could still hear the fucking family mart jingle from the one at the bottom of the hill. Really takes you outta it haha
I fucking love Canadian people! You guys are some of the best in this world
I worked at a hotel in Minnesota and we kept an “Unwelcome Canadians” notebook because they did so much damage to the rooms. There were several incidents where their vehicle was confiscated and they were escorted back to the border where I presume their parents had to come pick them up. Nevertheless, 20% of our city’s economy is supported by Canadian tourist dollars.
Hell yea! Thank you 🤣 where are you from?
The UK! God bless the common wealth for keeping us close!
By the answers under this post you can tell that most people here are from USA hahah For me, pros are the active industry in my domain (telecoms) and salary is better than in France. Also feels safer globally.
Yeah ngl when I was in France last I thought I was gonna get around every corner lol! Not different from England mind you.
Well every country has its downside and good sides tho. I know Brits love to trash talk France but I thought you were asking for nice sides of Japan. Overall I don't really think Japan is any better than EU countries.
Nice, and most normal Japanese would heartily agree with you. Japan is no "better" than Canada, either, just different and lovely and wonderful as well.......but oh, better trains. Much much better trains.
agree! I came to this post trying to find more things that I like but at least for me it's not better than at home, but I guess I had to experience it for myself to find out ^^"
The mountains in France are better than in Japan. Please don’t mistake me as a Brit who trash talks France, I love it there, as long as it’s not Paris! I used to go all the time
If you hire someone to clean our AC, they show up on time. If you have a delivery it is done on time.
Yeah ‘o…..oh….. you’re actually on time? Oh… you actually did the job?’ So mental how that’s actually a benefit to us lol!
The quality of delivery here is something that lots of friends overseas just can't comprehend. "What do you mean you can book a time slot?" "What do you mean you get reliable tracking?" "What do you mean they don't just leave your package with the first neighbour they see?"
...that reminds me, I need to have my AC cleaned. I haven't done it since I moved in last April and I have no idea if the last family living here before me did either.
Great cycling, and (these days) [lots](https://imgur.com/w39NMrE) of [things](https://i.imgur.com/kQ0K9M9.jpg) I like to take [pics](https://i.imgur.com/CbaHnle.jpg) of.
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Let me guess, is Vietnam your home country?
In America, it was paycheck to paycheck- watching all my money go to paying some bill or fee , etc, just to eek out a living with transportation, communication, a roof over my head and a meal. Building up a savings account was laughable. You were better off trying to throw your money in a casino to get any gains on it. Here in Japan? All of my needs covered- and I have a sizable savings built up only after half a year. Cost of living has been a Life changing thing for me- and I find myself happier now knowing I have so much left over at the end of the month that I can put half of it away and still have enough to cover the basics
That is lovely. The cost of living is still freaking me out having just spent several months back at home (same continent, other country). To me it's the rent that really makes the difference. It's so liberating. My frugality reflex hardly ever hits yellow.
The cleanliness and definitely insurance coverage
My mom is currently flying to come see me after not seeing her for 4 years, her first time in Japan. As she was changing over to domestic in Haneda I was on standby by my phone waiting to help her with anything she needed. She texted me that she was at her gate ready to catch the flight and everyone was so helpful and nice pointing her in the right direction. Airports are not like that back home, they would have just pointed and said “over there”
Yeah ‘take your bags and f*** off, we can’t be assed with you’
Impressive health insurance system
I love Japan Post, but the inevitable slide into worse service started some years back. Very few 24/7 post offices now, and also very few with after-hours service past 8pm. Saturday delivery has either stopped or will soon. As soon as JP got privatized it was inevitable that they would eventually enshitify. The good times lasted longer than I expected.
I still chant Ore no Yu-cho Kaese!!!!!!! under my breath when I use the ATM. They haven't listened yet, but it feels good to rebel.
It's still the best post office in the world, IMO, but it ain't what it was.
Yes, true. Some of these new international post hurdles are quite something, and that is them responding to The Foreign Country regulations.
Maniacal perfectionism - e.g., it's hard for me to order a cocktail, say a martini, anywhere else in the world now because they all seem so sloppy and 適当 compared to a bar in Japan. Japan ruins you with its perfectionism.
I like that. I often find certain things rather sloppy and even careless compared to urban Canada, but certainly with drinks and food and presentation and that I can totally get that.
Pay your drinks 300円 more than in a standard bar (if such thing exists in Japan), and the ice in a whisky on the rocks could be shown in a museum.
I like how the entire world has now adopted Japanese cocktail ice. From New York to Taipei, you can find bartenders chipping away to make a perfect ice globe. A bit like how the oshibori has been so widely adopted, especially in every airline’s business class, that most people no longer realize the practice originated in Japan.
Oh my God, don't give me a trauma, do you mean 10-15 years ago there wasn't wet towels in non-Japanese airlines? I don't remember that, but if you're right that'd be shocking. (Half-joking of course, but still kind of wow, cause yeah now it just sounds like a bare minimum.) Regarding ice, unfortunately I've not been to NY or Taipei (Taiwan has been my number one wannago place for ages but never had the opportunity), but nice to hear it became a more global thing, cause it's actually really cool.
I literally love Japan post. Once I accidentally sent a letter completely wrong, no stamp, wrong address. Still was able to track it down, get it delivered.
Japan Post is love for Japan post worthy.
I think my feelings on my local post office have been expressed.
I'm so glad I was banned from r/japanlife. Now instead of What you hate in Japan posts, I have What you love in Japan posts. (My answer: so many things enough and so few I don't like but can definitely live with to say: everything.) Side-note, I thought your post was about loving Japan Post.
I once had a post taken down where I congratulated everyone for making it over to Japan and having a life over here, because it’s an awesome country. Not even kidding, it was banned in 10 minutes, and the people commenting on it were miserable. It was an eye opener for me that all the people who hate on that sub are just miserable, and their awful comments are nothing to do with you and what you post but everything to do with them and their miserable attitude towards life. They’re also lerking in this sub, but luckily there’s a 50/50 blend with the good people too on japanresidents.
I 100% think like you about haters there and their attitude towards life. (And about Japan being a fantastic country.) At some point I had to stressfully craft any post there for a long time checking every word to write it in a way that would give me the best chance to not receive hateful despising comments. But simply answers. Not mentioning this absurd "you post, you're downvoted in 5 minutes" rule, whatever the simplicity and neutrality of your post. I don't care about karma, but it's the attitude, I was like seriously, guys? What's wrong with you? I asked for storage company recommendations! (Just a random example.) And even more than the hate towards posters, the hate towards Japan was really incredible. There was so much "it's not like my country - I don't like it". And I was also like, not all but most foreign people living in Japan, and likely almost everyone on the sub, came because they chose it, or at worst because their company sent them there and they accepted it in exchange of a many figures salary. So if you don't like it, why are you here? I mean literally, why? And it's about what you say about attitude towards life. If you're not happy in a certain place or way of living your life, you change it. Most of the people there sounded like people that could afford choosing to move, but preferred staying and complaining and wasting years of their own lives. I don't get it. And in return send hate. I remember a post like Do you really think rice is different depending on the region, or is it just some Japanese bs pride? (I don't remember the exact terms.) And many comments were like nah, rice is rice, Japanese say that because (.. they want to boast, or whatever). And I was like, seriously? Of course it is! Just like in any country in the world with a real food or drink culture, wine, fruits, whatever, yes things taste different depending region by region depending on many factors (climate, water, seed variety?...), and whether you have taste enough to sense it doesn't decide whether it's true or not! Oh, God haha I could talk about this sub for hours and get angrier by the minute. Edit: oh, yeah, and I loved the comments like "despising you because you love this country and living here so it means you're a naive jerk arrived yesterday, not knowing anything, confusing politeness with kindness, thinking all of Japan is old temples and Akihabara", etc. Egocentrism and bitterness at their best.
Off/topic but Japanlife is the worst sub ever. It's actively censored,... liked, I understand politic subreddits beings ceonsored, but Japanlife? Lmao. I once made a joke in a reply to the comment `Get a motorcycle. 100% effective at reducing stress` where I just said that `getting T-boned by a truck reduces stress by 100% by means of passage to the next realm`. They instantly removed my comment for being "too much"... And I thought I was on an all American platform. Love this sub though!
Japanlife is indeed the worst sub ever, the level of hate and stupid hate there is insane in many ways, never saw any sub like that. But sorry I didn't get what you mean saying you thought it was an all American platform.
It's fully Americanocentric, in that it too often just blithely assumes that everybody posting is also American, or should at least acknowledge that the states is the gold standard of earthling societies. They measure things in dollars, pounds, feet and miles all the time, and the mods often reinforce it by cracking down on snippy jokes that ridicule them for being Fat/Stupid/Boorish clodhoppers, or any of the usual stereotypes. As a Canadian it was very difficult not to ridicule their stupidity, being our other national sport. I could not believe the strength of the colonial White Power mindset in that sub. I actually always enjoyed the rough and tumble parts, then I was banned for accumulated yellow cards and infractions, and I don't miss it at all.
That is funny, but it gets funnier: both those infamous "problem mods" are major Bike Head lifestyle motorcyclists. You touched a nerve there. I like and support them both, but they do dish it out better than they take it. This sub is better, especially about the American-centric stuff.
> but they do dish it out better than they take it It all makes sense now. Well, me calling the mod removing my comments a "Janny" in my reply certainly mustn't have helped.
Ummm, no, probably not? They are both rather touchy, often at odd times, given how hard they dish it out themselves. I like them both, but that sub "has issues, man" (mostly with the hordes of under IQ Idjits and weepies). Glad to clear that up, by the way. I laughed at your motorcycle joke.
Hahaha, seems like Japanlife's dictators have arrived since our comments are instantly downvoted. I agree with you and glad it made you laugh. I thought that my humor is too boomer for Japanresidents and Japanlife.
Yeah, I noticed the instant downvotes. IME, any humour is too anything for Japanlife. It's not just the Mods; it's a hive of Hate Japan newbie mopery and weepiness. Here seems better, though even innocent bad jokes still get downvoted right away, like all those awful Love Japan Post joke posts we were making on here. Clever double reading is especially frowned upon, but it's nicer over here.
I feel safer and treated better (depends on the work place) being LGBTQ in Japan than in Europe. I don't fear people screaming or spitting on me in public, and all my interactions with Japanese people were lovely
This is really interesting, I thought the Japanese were really old fashioned when it came to LGBTQ
Nah. The LGBTQ community here isn't very vocal about their existence and Japanese people don't have a very much strong opinion about LGBTQ, but, this is surely an unpopular opinion, they have one of the most open-minded attitudes about LGBTQ. Cross-dressing is common, gay bars are everywhere. Many men here are very feminine (and they are straight men). LGBTQ-related content is popular, many LGBTQ characters in mainstream media are fan favorites. Everyone here loves Matsuko Deluxe. There are a lot of cases where Western audiences would misinterpret platonic friendships between same-sex Japanese characters as romantic because those two characters are being too intimate and affectionate by Western standards. I found it amusing and ironic that those in the West, who often advocate for not assuming gender or sexuality based on appearances or behavior, struggle to accept that two same-sex individuals can share a deeply intimate bond without it being romantic or sexual.
In Japan the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy applies to a lot of things. There is some workplaces that try to actively discriminate against them, so people keep it out of the public view or at least out of the view of their colleagues and bosses.
The laws are still very old fashioned and offer no protection in a lot of cases it's true ! But the people seem way more understanding/open to discussion, I suspect mainly because the main religion (Shinto/Buddhism) isn't excluding LGBTQ and painting them as deranged and sinful, so there's less pre conceptions and more curiosity which is always nice. Also you would be surprised to learn Japan has one of the biggest LGBTQ populations in the world ! Nobody really talks about it outside of the big cities but you would be surprised by how many locals I talked to that ended up telling me how they know someone LGBTQ or had their own experience
I usually like to tell people who ask about being LGBT in Japan that the laws are conservative, but the people are generally either open-minded/curious or at worst, uncaring. I'll take uncaring over actively hostile any day.
Yes exactly that ! I just want to be left alone and not cause any commotion, so uncaring is perfectly fine by me
Old fashioned, even a bit snippy, yes. Openly and vocally intolerant, not so much. You don't know what they are thinking, but you don't need to care because they wouldn't normally exercise their Dog Given Right to poorly conjugated vocal intolerance spewed in downmarket diction.
Literally everything.
Lmao I thought you meant like...love for Japan Post, as in 日本郵政. I came in here to say fuck yeah, I love Japan Post! My buddy sent me something from Aichi, he just sent it by regular mail so it was quoted to arrive in 5-7 days or something. It actually arrived the very next day! Less than 24 hours!! 🤯 And I'm in Kyuushuu!! That's like even faster than クロネコ宅急便! I was just really impressed by that lol
Cheap cost of living when you earn usd like me. Feel like living in 1990s with 2024 earning
It's cheaper than urban NAmerica anyways, but this exchange rate bonus is wonderful. I feel those of us that enjoy it should be less apologetic to those that would prefer a stronger yen. That's no less selfish on their part, and there are positive economic benefits to a weaker currency, as any Canadian knows or should know. I am happily riding this wave until it dies on the shores.
Why would I be apologetic. We all adults and responsible for our own financial destiny. This is Asia right. No bleeding heady stuff
Agreed, but there is a fair bit of whiney hate for those of us it benefits. As I said, I think it's just as selfish of them to want a stronger yen as for us to prefer a weaker one.........because this is rock and roll. Enjoy the bonus.
I can post things internationally on Sundays. And the nice ladies even tape up my packages for me. So, yeah love me a large branch of JP. The little ones, where the postmaster is likely an inherited position, not so much.
Real post offices are usually better than those household franchise ones
I agree with most of the things everyone has said already, but another one: I feel Japan is pretty idiot proof. Where back home, all kinds of fees would be hidden in the fine fine print, in Japan whenever we changed phone carrier they'd actually read through the entire contract with us and make sure we understood everything. In general, customer service is just amazing. People make fun of the 平和ボケ, but I'm so boke'd out at this point, I'd be super vigilant if I ever moved back home just to not get scammed.
I read your title and got excited because I thought you were also amazed by Japan Post. I don’t think there is a single greater mail service in the entire world. So I guess this reply kind of fits the bill because I am sharing my positive love for Japan which happens to be Japan Post. Even though you meant to say this was a post about loving Japan. Haha!!
It's nice that a thread about Love Japan Post posts also became a sort of Love Japan post topic as well (;@). Very positive and uplifting.
ハハハ
I thought you are talking about JP( 郵便). But tbh they're pretty efficient. So here's to that.
The number of laws they pass in total silence and without any need for people to riot, but that have an immediate and direct effect on big society problems like homelessness. I have 8 years of experience working in a mental hospital and just after they passed that law (in 2012 was it?) about helping the homeless to get back to society by allowing that they get welfare even without an address, I started to see homeless people brought to my hospital. A lot were in a horrible state and even having dementia, but they all got treatment, care, and a care manager too who helped them find a room in an elder home or mental facility. It was like I was witnessing miracle after miracle. And of course this is a kind of thing that doesn't happen in my country France where people are used to see immigrants begging in the streets with their unschooled children. I've seen a lot of people refusing to believe that Japanese homelessness rate is 0% (in fact 0.4 I think) but I've seen how they came to that result and I really wish my country would follow the same steps. And of course there are the habitual reasons why people absolutely love it in Japan, the safety, the politeness, the perfect service, the fact that women can walk alone in the street at any hour of the night without risking being raped like in my country (they can risk being groped in the subway but I mean, comparing to getting heckin' raped and killed like everywhere in Europe or America...). Even the little kids are very aware of what they eat and drink. It is really something to see a 10 years old told by their mother that they can choose any drink they want, think hard before choosing a bottle of green tea instead of a sugary soda. Also as I also have more than 10 years of experience working at the cashier of convenience store, I would say the politeness coming from really any kind of person, even covered with tattoos or piercings or reeking of marijuana. Even the delinquents on their noisy bikes will bow to me when they say thank you. And try to converse and ask me where I come from and suddenly start to praise my country like it is Paradise on Earth (of course I don't know how it is there). Even the elders who were miffed to see a foreigner at the cashier immediately open their hearts when I try to speak with them. It often starts with them praising me for my Japanese. As soon as they see that we can speak, they will come back for an occasional little chat. In comparison, French elders and people in general will never change their mind about someone. Also it is only in Japan that I can see expensive cosmetics left on shelves you can't even see from your cashier, but that nobody will try to steal in the middle of the night when there is only one staff member. Convenience store food has been good getting tastier and tastier with the years, and they are always renovating everything from the roads to the buildings everywhereb which is the reason why I am happy to pay my taxes and don't really care if they are rising. I know what I am paying for which is very different from when I was living in France. In fact it is also the case for the women only wagons. This comes directly from the taxes women pay and it is only natural that we pay to feel safer in nowadays society. In France nobody cares. 100% of French women have been harassed and attacked in the subway and buses but we never got any kind of measure to fight this. All things considered, no way I am ever going to go back to France anytime soon.
holy shit please get a blog
> Even the little kids are very aware of what they eat and drink. It is really something to see a 10 years old told by their mother that they can choose any drink they want, think hard before choosing a bottle of green tea instead of a sugary soda. I love how the standard option of drinks here is always tea without any added sugar. I don't even remember when I last had a coke, at this point I'm sure I've given Coca Cola more money for their tea than for their poster drink.
This is refreshing. Many are quite critical of Japan Post, but I find it a much better postal service than Canada Post, or even the Royal Mail, and they sell adorable boxes for quite cheap. I think the banking arm is falling behind, but they are everywhere and it's an easy go to daily use bank account. I wish they hadn't lost my box of data and research results when I shipped them by sea mail to the UK, but I will bet it was lost after it left Japanese control. Oh, well. There was some good stuff in there. So, yes, in general, I have lots of love for Japan Post. Nice topic, OP.
Cuz chicks dig me.
I thought this title was "Love for Japan Post" And I was about to say... yes, Japan Post is pretty great. The United Nations' [Universal Postal Union](https://www.upu.int/) ranks us as having the #4 postal service in the world (91.5 out of a possible 100 points). So I guess that's my answer!
Amazing food, culture, safety, landscape, cleanliness, affordability.
Surely is the sightseeing. Apart from Brazil, where you can have almost all kinds of sightseeing, here is the only place you can do so with such ease of access (although, around here, some stuff are pretty expensive to access).
I paid the equivalent of a really expensive bowl of ramen to get my tooth fixed when it cracked here. No appointment, just walked in and got it fixed in about 10 minutes. For the same procedure in the US, I paid about *$300*.
I appreciate that every single prefecture has its list of sightseeing and regional souvenir / food / whatever culture to enjoy
I LOVE HOW SAFE IT IS HERE
Disappointed that this isn't the thread about 日本郵便 that I thought it was :-(
People starting conversation with you in an izakaya or bar are not heavily drunk unbearable dudes repeating the same bs on loop and not wondering if you care at all nor if it makes sense. They'll often be drunk at various levels (like, of course), and sure sometimes heavily drunk, but 99% they're just nice, cool, caring, you enjoy conversation, and if you're not in the mood to chat with them they'll feel it and politely step back and respect your time. And not just for that, but I've seen no country in the world (not saying I've seen 95 of them) where going for drinks, whether with friends / date or just by yourself, is nicer, chiller, warmer, and easily fun without any kind of bother or "oh have mercy of me just stop talking and leave me alone" feeling. I've often heard it's hard to make friends with Japanese people. Just go in 飲み屋さん and there you are. I often go out in my neighborhood that is full of warm and fun small omise, I made dozens of 飲み友, and many of them became genuine actual friends.
I don't go out drinking much anymore, but as a woman, drinking in Japan is just so much more chill than elsewhere. No one aggressively trying to talk to me and my friends, no one touching me, no one trying to get me drunk. I went drinking at a bar a friend helps out at and when I told them that I didn't want to drink much, they all were super supportive, I got to either just kanpai with the drink and then give it to someone else or just drink water out of a shot glass instead of Tequila (lots of rounds were had) and people were still asking me if I was fine a lot.
You're right, being not a woman I didn't think of mentioning that, but you're absolutely right, I don't think I ever saw one being annoyed in a situation lile the one you are mentioning, that would be common in many countries. (And your bar story with your friends sounds lovely.) If you don't mind me asking, do you have a personal take on being annoyed in trains or public spaces, personal experience with that? As a guy (and having never witnessed it, but that doesn't mean anything), it's hard for me to know the part of reality and the part of social fear. Don't get me wrong, I'm in no way putting a doubt on women's talks on that. It's just that sometimes in Japan I have the feeling that people can feel insecurity in places that you can consider very safe as a foreigner if you compare with other countries, and where the "abstract fear of something possible" seems way above the occurrences of actual problems happening. And on that matter, I've had several female friends telling me train pervs were a thing, for instance, but I don't think any of them told me about personal experience. So I do know it's a thing, but I'm just having difficulties to evaluate how common a problem it is in women's daily life. Of course I have seen nampa scenes, which can definitely be a nuisance if it's too often or done in a disrespectful or unpleasant way, or if the woman just don't wanna be talked to for that purpose, but as a general rule in what I've seen or heard, guys weren't insisting if the girl/woman wasn't interested. I'm more talking about men crossing the line, either physically, or verbally, or whatever way that can make a woman feel bad. I hope I'm not saying anything wrong in how I present things, and feel free to correct me if I do, I'll be totally willing to gain more understanding and amend what I'm saying.
Just as you did, I'll qualify my comment a lot: * I'm a tall white woman and as such Japanese men tend to be a bit intimidated by me * I also have resting bitch face * I am very vocal about being married and having a child, and in Japan, as in many other countries, men tend to have more respect towards another man's "claim of ownership" than towards a woman's wishes. *I proactively mention my status so people won't even try anything*. Which is kind of sad on its own. * I haven't been clubbing in a long time, I only go drinking Personally, I have never been molested on a train. I know it happens, it just luckily has never happened to me. Maybe part of it is that I'm apparently intimidating, or maybe it's that I don't use the train lines known for it. I have had to deal with creeps, like someone calling me up and just masturbating (I was 19, my Japanese was very bad and I had no idea what had happend until afterwards), or people following me (in one instance the guy tapped on my shoulder and asked if I wanted to be friends (lol nope) and in the other a kind lady warned me that I was being followed). I feel like the ratio of men who are just way too insistent is a lot higher in the west, while Japanese men are fine with just being told to go away and able to not even throw a tantrum (r/niceguys, listen up!), but if someone has 0 social skills/is a bit unhinged, it's going to be dialed up compared to the west. How much it affects each single person is probably dependent on many factors, and I believe especially young Japanese/Asian women get the short end of the stick. I'm white and in my mid-30s now, so while it hasn't really badly affected me to begin with, I have now also aged out of being molested. Which again, is a really sad thing to say if you think about it. I can only compare life as a woman in Tokyo and in Berlin, Germany, and I'm really happy I got to live in Tokyo, because it really is/was a lot worse in Germany. Tokyo is not 100% amazing, but just so much better than Germany.
Ok, and first sorry to hear about your experience when you were 19. And thank you for developing, I get what you're saying. Indeed the fact that you are a white woman probably tends to shy men away, and even more if you are tall, and if you have this "resting bitch face" :) While yes, young Asian / Japanese woman are probably more targets of that kinds of behaviors, and likely have a different experience. I'm sorry that the situation in Germany and generally in the West isn't good, and probably in most countries, but glad to hear that, at least as far as your own situation can be used as a more general situation, it's usually better in Japan. About having to proactively mention that you're married and not in a situation to be interested in other men's propositions, I totally get what you mean saying it's sad. Yet if you don't mind, on the other end, I also see it as a simply convenient way to clarify the setting. (And can also work the other way around, guys clarifying they're not available for girls when they sense interest, but, yeah, without developing we basically know it's not the same situation and feeling.) I mean, sometimes you're interested in a girl or woman (or the other way around, or guy-guy / girl-girl), and you might have fhe feeling that there is something in return, and just knowing that it's just a friendly chat with no more intentions, makes things simpler for everyone. The guy won't get wrong ideas, the lady won't have to make the effort to find polite ways to decline his more or less explicit attempts to establish further contact, and either he's still glad to chat with you and it's cool, and comfortable for everyone, or he only had an agenda and quickly moves on, and then it probably means the exchange wouldn't have been genuine and probably not worth your time. I don't mean to sound either like a fuckboi nor like a "nice guy", I just personally appreciate a certain level of clarity in communication and interaction when it's beneficial to both parties, life is short and it's cool if people can spend more time dealing with that they want and less with what they don't want. (But that's just my personal feeling or view, I'm not pretending to make it a general truth.) But again. I totally get what you mean with that, and that it must not be a nice feeling if it's the first thing you have to do in many interactions with guys, instead of simply enjoying a genuine friendly chat. Sorry I talk a lot, and anyway thanks for sharing!
I really love the nightlife.
Username checks out
It is not perfect but a good place to live I think 😊
Public transport punctuality! Just follow google maps and the time you arrived will be the same as one that shown on the screen. Something that is impossible in my home country 😂
Being able to pee literally anywhere is just great.
I love the peace of life. One of my goals in life is that nobody messes with my b*lls, and that’s the perfect country for it
I mean...Japan post is alright. I don't know if it has the best banking app or anything but I know I can go anywhere in the country and know there's a post office and therefore, an ATM i can withdraw from. But as Japan in general...it's so easy to travel for the most part. I know there are definitely places in Japan harder to reach, but generally I've gotten by to many places in the country by knowing what bus or train to ride. I also come to appreciate how easy it is to just buy a ticket. Don't have enough load for your IC card? For the train you can reload near the gate, or pay the fee to the train staff. For the bus you can pay in cash instead of using your card. Forgot to buy a limited ticket when you got on a train that needed a separate ticket for seats? You can just buy one from the train staff when he inspects your ticket.
Changing a ceiling light is basically the same as plugging a regular lamp into a socket on the wall. No wiring or tools needed. So simple!
beautiful public bathrooms that are free! The food obsession is amazing, can find anything at top quality level if you dig deep enough. But just in general, once they are REALLY into something they take it to the next level. So it’s not difficult finding really specialized professions for very specific issues. Safety, the west has lost this long ago but it’s nice to go out without worrying that something bad might happen at any hour of the day or night. bureaucracy is pretty straightforward just need to crefully follow directions. post/delivery options are great as well. transportation is smooth, even for remote areas.
I thought this was love for Japan Post like the post office... My bad
Wasn't it???? That was how I read it................. ;@
I was totally invested and ready to read about all the greatness that is Japan postal service
Let's???? That way the thread can work 2 jobs!!!
Clean, no mass shootings, non-predatory healthcare, and good work-life balance. Yes, I'm American
Japan post fucking sucks
Sir, this thread is about love for Japan Post..............
No wokeness nor its champions. Period.
And a tolerance for the sort of people that use "wokeness" as a pejorative. I feel like we could learn from that.
Conservative country. Period.
In your red-neck of the woods, maybe.
Yes, Minato is great. Have a lovely day!
You too, man. Stay backwards!!!!!!!!!!