The Japan Thread

I just had the same conversation about black people dancing around in Japan with a friend who was recently a tourist there. He was there for over a month, and saw some antics on trains himself. Mostly tourists being way too loud, but when I mentioned to him this video I saw, he said exactly what @Laner just said.
 
It looks like this won't last, lol:



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Another thing to mention about race and specifically blacks in Japan. They are often seen as a burden on America and instead of being a net contributor, they are seen as entertainment at best. So in a way they are pitied by Japs so busking is actually a good loophole for them. But those days are going to be gone soon, I definitely felt that Japanese are a bit fed up with idiot tourists at this point. So I would expect there to be more crackdowns coming pretty quickly.
 
Does anyone know which is a better degree to get if one plans to work or live long term in Japan?

1. A Bachelor's Degree in English or
2. A Bachelor's Degree in Digital Communications (eg Marketing, Corporate Communications, etc) or
3. A Bachelor's Degree in IT ( eg Programming, Fullstack, Web Dev....not Network & not Databases)

Possible plans to retire there, too. Any advice would be good.
 
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Eagle3 said:
Does anyone know which is a better degree to get if one plans to work or live long term in Japan?

1. A Bachelor's Degree in English or
2. A Bachelor's Degree in Digital Communications (eg Marketing, Corporate Communications, etc) or
3. A Bachelor's Degree in IT ( eg Programming, Fullstack, Web Dev....not Network & not Databases)

Possible plans to retire there, too. Any advice would be good.
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Are you a a teenager planning retirement?

Any degree is fine it's just a box to tick and wouldn't necessarily hinder you changing lanes later on.
 
RedLagoon said:
@Laner how do you find the school system there so far
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We are back in Vancouver now. Overall it was good, with Japanese elementary school being extremely good by comparison.

There is a good variation between work/play/sports. My son enjoyed the focus on art (mostly drawing) and gym (which is everyday, sometimes twice, and pretty stern on athleticism). Math is pretty advanced comparatively, so he struggled there. Same with geography, which Japanese kids know a lot about. But it is very Japanese centric, so my son did struggle with this but nothing an afternoon of homework couldn't solve.

The kids also all do juku (after school tutoring) to some degree. In elementary and part of junior high, it's more of a conditioning exercise. It becomes very important in the latter part of junior high as competition for high school placements becomes almost an obsession. It then goes to new heights during high school where university admission is an obsession.

The positives are that the system in Japan fosters, encourages and makes pathways for the best and brightest. Vancouver has gone the opposite, completely shutting down the advance education system two years ago. There is also a high respect for athleticism - sports days should be visited by any visiting family to Japan. Kids learn music at the same time they are developing their kanji (Chinese), which makes so much sense. There is a lot of patriotism in the education, which is awesome if you are Japanese. They are definitely not taught to hate their culture. Much the opposite, which many westerners actually find to be problem (lol).

And of course not once even seeing or hearing mention of LGBT or BLM or any of the other pet causes that seem to distract us so efficiently here in the west. The kids are still comfortable and happy to spend time in mixed groups (which actually threw my son off to some degree). All the girls dressed modestly and there were no whores-in-training to be seen by the casual observer - which I think has a huge effect on boy/girl groups in the west. 10yo boys want nothing to do with 10yo girls who are learning Dua Lipa dance moves while flashing their underwear, and for good reason. Japan, like much of conservative Europe, still uses the local grandmas to police the kids.

If we end up back in Japan for a spell, we would most likely have to put him into an international school. It would just be too much to be able to catch up to the Japanese kids. I am sure it would be possible for the right kid, but realistically it would be pretty rough on the boy. But if you can start your kids off in kindergarten, they would benefit a great deal from some years of Japanese education.
 
Laner said:
The kids also all do juku (after school tutoring) to some degree. In elementary and part of junior high, it's more of a conditioning exercise. It becomes very important in the latter part of junior high as competition for high school placements becomes almost an obsession. It then goes to new heights during high school where university admission is an obsession.
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I used to teach a lot of high school kids doing juku and they all seemed pretty exhausted and beaten down by their routines of a day of conventional school followed by evenings of additional tutoring in subjects as well as perhaps a sport and an instrument. While such lifestyles are preferable to kids coming home and vegging out in front of screens, it was clear to see that Japanese elementary school kids were full of energy and enthusiasm while the high school age children appeared completely distant and exhausted. I can't pinpoint it to any one source but I have a theory this obsession with achievement is soul destroying in some way.

While Western kids are totally pandered to in a liberal sense of 'do whatever you feel', in Japan the problem is more that almost all acts are externally motivated by parental and societal pressure. I think people lose touch with who they are with that and don't even really know what they like, dislike or want.

It's better in many ways but still inredibly unhealthy and in some ways seems conditioning for the corporate slave lifestyle that awaits many when they enter the workforce.

It's not utopia.
 
Tippy said:
I used to teach a lot of high school kids doing juku and they all seemed pretty exhausted and beaten down by their routines of a day of conventional school followed by evenings of additional tutoring in subjects as well as perhaps a sport and an instrument. While such lifestyles are preferable to kids coming home and vegging out in front of screens, it was clear to see that Japanese elementary school kids were full of energy and enthusiasm while the high school age children appeared completely distant and exhausted. I can't pinpoint it to any one source but I have a theory this obsession with achievement is soul destroying in some way.

While Western kids are totally pandered to in a liberal sense of 'do whatever you feel', in Japan the problem is more that almost all acts are externally motivated by parental and societal pressure. I think people lose touch with who they are with that and don't even really know what they like, dislike or want.

It's better in many ways but still inredibly unhealthy and in some ways seems conditioning for the corporate slave lifestyle that awaits many when they enter the workforce.

It's not utopia.
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I definitely notice the change happening somewhere around junior high. It's essentially full swing by grade 8, and for a westerner it's kind of sad to witness. Young Japanese kids have so much spirit! This is a part of the reasoning behind wanting to put our son into an international school if we end up there during the junior high/high school years. It might actually harm his chances of getting into a good university, where as the international school would make his entrance easier. He would be 4th gen Waseda alumni since his great grandfather went there as well as his grandfather. There are special entrances for this, but not if he has to grind it out in the bottom tier of Japanese regular education. And as you mention, there are just so many high school kids that are completely beaten down and burnt out.

International schools have their own issues though. You know those westerners who hate the Japanese being patriotic and teaching about Japanese accomplishments rather than LGBT nonsense? Well those are the parents of those kids, they are the teachers at those schools and they have a special bone to pick. Not all are like this, but there are enough for it to be minefield.

At least in the west you know they are trying to brainwash your child. Japan gives one the impression that they are safe.
 
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