Japan Meme Day 30
Day 30 - Did Japan meet your expectations, both good and bad? What has been the most surprising thing about Japan for you, or the thing you least expected?
I didn't have any real expectations when I moved to Tokyo about 6 years ago. I guess to be more exact I didn't know what to expect so it was kind of impossible to have expectations. I had never lived abroad before and I hadn't really thought about what life would be like in Japan until after I had settled in.
The thing that surprised me most about Japan is how I did not feel any real culture shock when I moved, which a lot of people go through during the first couple of years. I guess it's easy to not feel that when you have no expectations, huh?
And the thing I least expected about Japan is how it seems so similar to Canada on so many different levels, but at the same time is completely different in other aspects. My greatest criticism of Japan is that they try far too hard to be accepted by the west, when they really need to somehow figure out a way to create two "modes" that can be utilized in different situations. As it stands now, my stance on the culture here is that it's been butchered in a lot of respects because they feel the western way is the right way without really knowing why it's the right way. They just accept that it's the popular thing to do or it's the most widely accepted trend and go with it.
Also, today is my 30th birthday. Sheesh.
I didn't have any real expectations when I moved to Tokyo about 6 years ago. I guess to be more exact I didn't know what to expect so it was kind of impossible to have expectations. I had never lived abroad before and I hadn't really thought about what life would be like in Japan until after I had settled in.
The thing that surprised me most about Japan is how I did not feel any real culture shock when I moved, which a lot of people go through during the first couple of years. I guess it's easy to not feel that when you have no expectations, huh?
And the thing I least expected about Japan is how it seems so similar to Canada on so many different levels, but at the same time is completely different in other aspects. My greatest criticism of Japan is that they try far too hard to be accepted by the west, when they really need to somehow figure out a way to create two "modes" that can be utilized in different situations. As it stands now, my stance on the culture here is that it's been butchered in a lot of respects because they feel the western way is the right way without really knowing why it's the right way. They just accept that it's the popular thing to do or it's the most widely accepted trend and go with it.
Also, today is my 30th birthday. Sheesh.