What are Japanese people like?

I am Japanese.

I was born in Japan and have been living for 21 years in Japan. But I don't think I understand Japanese people well because I often can't read other's mind and sometimes feel difficult and reluctant to communicate with Japanese. At the same time however, I love Japanese people, and I'm happy being Japanese people.

So, this time, let me write one good point of Japanese people and one Bad point of Japanese people as one of Japanese people.

One of the good points of Japanese people is, I think, to try to assimilate to others. Of course, every Japanese people have different thinking, but when people gather, even if they don't know each other, first thing they do is to make atmosphere peaceful, enjoyable and sociable. To do so, for example, at drinking party, sometimes people work very hard as moriageyaku.

I think, thanks to this custom, people take care of what are other thinking, wants, or how should I behave at this situation. So we can avoid vain fightings.

One of the bad points of Japanese people is "tatemae". I personally really hate tatemae. ( this is my understanding of tatemae; temae is to say some thing safe or noncommittal to varnish over this situation) Japanese people often say tatemae. As the example of tatemae, when you bought new clothes you really like it, and go to class wearing them, I'm sure 99% of Japanese people say "kawaii~~~'' or "niatteru~~". Even if they don't think these clothes good, but they would say so (especially girls!)

I experienced these kind of tatemae a lot, and every time, I got hurt because I know they are saying tatemae, and think if it is tatemae, I don't want to hear any more. I think at this situation, people need honest opinions.

These are my thinking for Japanese people. I am Japanese. So, living in and communicationg with Japanese are very natural thing. If foreigners experience Japan, they may have many different but unteresting opinions!

let me know~!

The drinking party picture came from http://photozou.jp/photo/show/1/10191

The jyosi kousei picture came from http://www.sanspo.com/geino/news/080608/gnj0806080336001-n1.htm



If you go following web site, you can know more about Japanese honnne to tatemae

http://search.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/search/search.php?flg=3&p=%

Hirakata lover

Do you like living in Hirakata city?

I have been living in Hirakata for about 3 years , and still don't know much about hirakata yet.What is like hirakata peole? How hirakata people think about their town? why are they living in hirakata/ etc,etc,etc,etc,....... !

To know about hirakata more,this time, I interviwed one guy who runs the bar near kansai gaidai, you can see above, about living in Hirakata. (I guess some of you know him !)

I ; What your name and how old are you?

Mr ; My name is Jean, and I forgot my age! ha ha ha.... ( "jean" is the assumed name, just to make sure)

I ; Alright, how long have you been living in Hirakata?

Mr ; um...about 25 years may be.

I ; o.k, do you like Hirakata? And why or why not?

Mr ; I LOVE Hirakata ! I had been lived "Neyagawa" city before, and I was wishful for living in Hirakata.

I ; Oh, really? why?

Mr ; That's because Hirakata has kyoto mood rather than Osaka one. Although Neyagawa is near Hirakata, Neyagawa doesn't have this graceful mood.

I ; I didn't know that. I have never thought about hirakata's mood and also never thought that hirakata's mood is resemble to kyoto. How do you think about hirakata people?

Mr ; Hirakata people are , I think , decent. They are more like kyoto people than osaka.

I ; next, What are the good points and bad points of Hirakata?

Mr ; I think one of the good points is that Hirakata is academic city, because 6 universities are in here. I really like talking to students.

I ; why do you like students?

Mr ; Because I can feel young gushing energy and bright future. And also, good point is I can meet foreigh students. Hirakata is international city because of Kansasi Gaidai. I'm enjoying hirakata life.

I ; How about bad points?

Mr ; I think, hirakata hasn't the industry of the district. There are komatu and kubota, but no other. So, hirakata can get less tax revenue. For example, parking is very expensive !

I ; Last question, what do you hope hirakata to be in the future?

Mr ; I hope hirakata will be educational - industrial complex, I mean, more academic city.

I ; Alright, all questions are done ! Thank you very very much. Finally, if you have a message for my blogreaders, please.

Mr ; To Japanese students, don't be shy~! Talk more to more people~! And to all students, drink more and more and more and more!

I really enjoyed this interview, because I have rare chance to talk to native Hirakatan. To be honest, for me, hirakata was not the city I want to live long because of too many people, too many buildings, and less nature. But as I talked to hirakata people more including bar master , workers and customers, my view for hirakata opened more.

am I "kansaijin"?

Look at these two pictures.

Upper one is the weekday's time schedule of Keihan rail line connecting center of the OSAKA

and KYOTO. Lower one is Etumihoku line's time schedule which is one of the line in Fukui

prefecture connecting central city of Fukui and my home town; Ono city.

Keihan line is one of the biggest rail line in Kansai area, and loved by many people. I

heard many friends says that "Keihan line is more comfortable compare to other lines like JR

or Kintetu line. Also, Etumihoku line is loved by people. We use this from when we were small

to when we become worker. When I was in Ono city, I often used it.

As you can see in this two pictures, the servise numbers are really different. Keihan line runs at least every 10 minutes, and in average, we can get in 5 minutes. However, on etumihoku line, if we miss one train, we have to wait at least 1 hours!! The worst, we have to wait more than 3 hours.

When I came OSAKA the first time, I was surprised at Friend's saying who was born in OSAKA.

She said ; " we have to run to get train"

I ;" why? Trains come one after another. we don't need to run."

Friend ; "No, we have to.　If we miss the the next train, we have to wait 7 minutes!! I don't want to do"

"How OSaka people are impatient !! " At this time, I thought so.

However, now, 3 years after it, I am saying same thing. I am now a excellent "kansai-jin".

(※） This blog is a class project for my "Visual Anthropology" class; as such it is for educational purposes only. All photos posted here are taken by the blog auther unless otherwise noted. If any problem with the posting of a particular photois brought to my attention, I will earnestly review the problem and remove the photo if necessary.

http://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/

If you are interested in Fukui, Ono city, visit here

http://www.geocities.jp/fphatabo/ono.html