Creeply - Latest Comments

Re: I Need Some Japanese Help!

Jyemenai — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:09:18 -0000

It might interest you to write these posts on a website called Lang8.com. There, after you post your Japanese post, Native-Japanese speakers will come by and correct your post. You should check it out!

Re: Bits and Peices of Japan Pt. 1

freedomwv — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:18:57 -0000

I bet that is really fun after a few brews. I took off to Turkey during New Year`s so I missed all the goings on in Tokyo.

Re: My Trip to Japan

karen — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 06:02:04 -0000

dont eat in tourist places like Asakusa. Eat out where the loacls eat.
As you’ve got a rail pass, use the JR lines for everything, subway prices can look cheap, but add up if you keep changing lines. Most tourist attractions are free – temples, some museums, etc. Have you got international student cards? You can get discounts at some places with that. Where are you staying? If you are willing to stay in the suburbs and use your JR pass to travel in then that would be cheaper too. All in all though, it’s a myth that Japan is expensive, if you’re from the UK or Norway, you’ll have a ball on how cheap it is…

Re: My Trip to Japan

Name — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 03:33:56 -0000

so the point of the post was to get some suggestions about my trip

i am borrowing my mothers camera
i need the rail pass because i am living an hour outside of tokyo for the cost
not to mention my trip to osaka

Re: My Trip to Japan

Cailin Coilleach — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 07:46:35 -0000

I'm with Al on a lot of points.

JR Pass is useless if you're not leaving Tokyo. However, if you're traveling about be sure to get one. I spent two weeks in Japan in 2007 and traveled a lot, so it earnt itself back.

He's right about the camera, the food and the cellphones though.

1. Camera can be cheaper.

2. Food? I spent about $20-$30 a day. I splurged a little on one or two days, but definitely never broke $500.

3. Cellphones? Doesn't your current phone have UMTS/3G? If it does, enable international roaming on your own cellphone and you're good to go.

I also wonder where you're staying. Please stay away from expensive hotels. Instead go for business hotels like Toyoko Inn, which can be found literally everywhere in Japan and which I can heartily recommend. $500 for a few nights in a hotel is NUTS! At Toyoko Inn in the middle of Tokyo I paid $50 per night.

Re: My Trip to Japan

enekochan — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 03:28:32 -0000

To visit temples you should go to Kyoto.

- If you are going to Japan for only 2 weeks why do you need a cell phone? I made a 3 week trip this summer (me alone) and just bougth a public telephone card to call some people I know there.

- May be you can borrow a camera from a friend. Or just buy a cheaper one.

- Eating in Japan is very cheap. It sounds like $1000+ is too much. And may be better to just use regular money for it. If you don't use all the money, at the end of the trip you can change yens to $ again. I did soo (but to €).

Re: My Trip to Japan

Aseem — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 03:26:37 -0000

I agree with Al..
Buy 14-day JR pass – ~$550 USD (Unless you are travelling for more than 5 days out of your 15 day stay in Japan, its going to be worthless)
Buy camera for photos at Pillows concert – $400-700 USD (I would reduce that to $400 only. You can get a decent point-and-shoot camera for $400 on the first day of your landing in Japan or may be even less.)
Rent a SoftBank cell phone – $300 USD (Seriously, why do you need a cellphone for only 15 days, that too a Japanese cell phone with really terrible UI (to the extent of dont-want-to-use). You can use phonebooths for much lesser than that (About $1 per minute for local calls).
Anticipate food costs in travelers checks (including alcohol) – $1000+ USD (Make that $750 ($10 for breakfast, $10 for lunch, $30 for dinner per day) even if you are lavish including alcohol. I am assuming that you will encash your traveller cheques as soon as you reach here.)

Re: My Trip to Japan

Name — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 03:23:59 -0000

Have you checked whether it was economical to buy a JR-pass? You may consider taking the (night-) bus rather than the shinkansen...
Your food cost are enormous for only 2 weeks, I know that the dollar is weak but 1000$ is a lot!
What's the point of having a cell phone? are the 300$ for 2 weeks worth it?
I stayed in Japan for 3 weeks last year at the same period and I was nowhere near this travel cost (I had a place to stay and food).

Re: My Trip to Japan

Al — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:25:04 -0000

Things you don't need:
Buy 14-day JR pass – ~$550 USD (Unless you like sitting on the train, with only two weeks in Japan, you shouldn't bother with a pass since it only pays for itself if you travel to Hiroshima and back.)
Buy camera for photos at Pillows concert – $400-700 USD (You can get something that will do the job just fine for much less. http://traveljapanblog.com/wor... )
Rent a SoftBank cell phone – $300 USD (Why would you waste so much money on a phone for two weeks? I have two phones in Tokyo for year for less than that. For only two weeks I wouldn't bother with a phone at all.)
Anticipate food costs in travelers checks (including alcohol) – $1000+ USD (If you spend more than $400 on food and booze during two weeks in Japan then you are pissing your money away. You can eat and drink for much less with a tiny bit of planning.)

Re: The Image of Japan

kuroshirohaiiro — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 02:00:30 -0000

Thank you very much! I really enjoy hearing from you guys....advice and good words is everything I want to hear. I am visiting for new years this winter!...I am mega super excited

Re: The Image of Japan

Japanese Words — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:01:13 -0000

Kuroshirohaiiro, great article. I think the best way to visit Japan, especially for the first time, is to try and go without any expectations at all. Like you mentioned, Japan will be different than it is perceived from the outside, and will also be a little different if you are visiting than if you are living here. Learn as much as you can (watching Japanese television is a great start), but when you visit, try to keep an open mind. That will make your visit to Japan much more fun!

Re: The Image of Japan

kuroshirohaiiro — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:39:24 -0000

I have read that blog.....and what i meant by "love" was that I love to study japanese culture etc... i dont think i'll disappointed when i go there....its just a place....I really have no expectations

Re: The Image of Japan

Aka Gaijin — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:56:42 -0000

Reply to #3) I've told my friend something along those lines, but he doesn't care. It makes his wife happy, and taking care of his wife and kid is his first priority. I can't fault him for that, but I still cringe and make fun of him sometimes.

Reply to #4) I rarely watch TV, so I haven't even looked at prices. But I'm well aware of the pricing differences. At the current dollar-to-yen exchange rate, I feel like I'm getting raped every time I buy a 120 yen soda from a vending machine.

Reply to #5) I brought up the Compton example to illustrate my point. I'm a white boy from the DC area. I'm familiar with some pretty dangerous parts of the city, but I've never been to Compton. I've only heard about it from the news and rap CD's. If I ever go there, I'll be cautious and lock my doors because I've only heard that it's a dangerous area. The average Japanese citizen basically sees media clips of American car chases, armed psychotic nuts, and the occasional "stupid human trick". When they meet a foreigner after only hearing about their societies strange or dangerous aspects, I can't fault them for being cautious. ...just like I can't fault some of my American friends for thinking that every Japanese guy is obsessed with Anime, tentacle rape porn, and school girls.

P.S. About the "gaijin" part of my name, I chose not to sweat it years ago. I'm pretty sure the American equivalent is every nutjob that says English is the national language, and Christianity is the national religion. Assuming that the loudest part of a society represents everybody is a fallacy. I've met lots of Japanese who don't like the use of that word just like many Americans don't like the "N-word" for African descent, or some other racial epithet.

Re: The Image of Japan

poop — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:06:11 -0000

word, not saying that its necessarily a bad place but you gotta know what you are getting into. here is a situation that frustrates me nearly everytime i do anything

if i go to a store with an asian friend (they dont even have to be japanese) and i ask questions in perfect japanese, the staff will answer my friend. even if they cant speak a word of japanese. this frustrates the hell out of me.

i will have to disagree with aka gaijin (btw, gaijin is a term that i hate as well as it implies that we will never ever be able to assimilate into japanese culture)

point 1, i agree

point 2, i agree

point 3, i know a guy that does the same thing and i dont think he realizes how gay he sounds lol.

point 4 have you noticed the excessive difference in the cost of tvs here? jesus christ.

point 5 japan isnt racist, its xenophobic. if you dont believe me, look up the word 野蛮人 (やばんじん) in your japanese to japanese dictionary (it means barbarian BTW). you will find that it lists 外国人 (がいこくじん） as one of the definitions. not only is that insulting, it puts the mindset into perspective. there are times when this island seems like they are pushing for national isolation again and there are times when its not.

to some degree you cant be too upset at the people, because they are very impressionable and they believe basically everything they see on tv. for example, everyone i have met in japan that hasnt been to america thinks its dangerous because they think everyone has a gun. thats not a joke.

also, i currently attend university here, at my school there are only 2 (including me) foreigners who are not of asian descent. i get asked nearly every class if i speak japanese. fyi, my uni required me to take an entrance exam (in japanese of course) and do an interview (again in japanese of course) so why in the world would anyone ask me that question.

japan is a wacky place, you will find what you like and what you dont. you cant really compare it to cali at all, but i will say this, if you "love" japan and you have never been here, you may be severely disappointed when you get here. if you want to learn more about how we get treated at times, read the (albeit slanted) debito blog.

Re: The Image of Japan

Aka Gaijin — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:01:54 -0000

Not a problem :-D

About #1, there's also another slight advantage in not having to deal with extremely subtle flirtation. Because of the language barrier, I've had some pretty... um, open and honest conversations in clubs and bars.

And #2, keep in mind that there are various dialects in Japan. However, all news broadcasts use the Tokyo dialect because it's viewed as a kind of alpha dialect for the nation. For example, you wouldn't hire somebody with a think southern accent to do the news in America. Well, Japanese wouldn't hire somebody using the Osaka dialect because it's viewed as a working class town. Thanks to that alpha dialect I've found that many Japanese have a strange view of international dialects like the three primary forms of English. ...as I described earlier. It took me several tries to explain that very little media is shared between the three nations.

Good luck!

Re: The Image of Japan

kuroshirohaiiro — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 02:15:06 -0000

THANK YOU!!! This is the kind of response i was looking for....not anything like that "poop"^^^^^ said....ew....awesome thanks!

Re: The Image of Japan

Aka Gaijin — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 01:40:19 -0000

Please don't think I'm trashing you in my response here. All of these are being typed with a smile :-)

1) No, women aren't mobbing foreigners. At the most, you'll get a slight advantage in some areas because you're considered exotic or unusual. Still, if you don't have a personality, they'll lose interest quickly. ...no matter how good you are at Nihongo. On the flip side, I've seen guys get laid without knowing a single shared word with the lady. Personality is key.

2) Ask your friend where "the real Japan" is. I'd like to know. I've had several Japanese friends ask me if Australian, British, or American English is "the real English". Sound familiar?

3) One of my friends learned Japanese from his wife. So any time he talks he shifts to a higher register to mimic her. He also uses the female form of various words, and she doesn't correct him because she thinks it's cute. Anime slang isn't so bad in comparison. I have to plug my ears when he orders food at a restaurant.

4) I probably order the same electronics from the states because they're cheaper and in English (still haven't gotten around to learning Kanji).

5) If locking your car doors while driving through Compton is racist, then Japan is racist. Given available information from Japanese media, I think the average Japanese citizen it's just being sensible when encountering a strange situation.

Re: The Image of Japan

kuroshirohaiiro — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 01:38:38 -0000

As much as I'd love to chew you out on this one I have to somewhat agree. I find Japan might be xenophobic. Now as far as my friends...I just used them as an example to why Japanese culture gets misconstrued so often through the media...esp. to the West. I really appreciate the rant but I do truly love Japanese culture (see previous article for why) and such put downs do not discourage my studies in the language.

Re: The Image of Japan

poop — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:42:36 -0000

japan is not racist, its the close close close cousin to racism, xenophobic.

i hate all anime/manga and the people who watch it and enjoy it back home. most of the people back home that wanted to study japanese seemed to think that japan consisted of 2 things, anime and manga. i wish those people a future full of fecal matter getting rained upon them.

getting laid every night just because you are white wont happen. although not being japanese in this mostly homogeneous society can work in your favor, dont expect to just bat eyes at a girl and take her home. you have to realize that the japanese view of sex is different because there is not the christian backbone to the society like there is in the west.

your friend rejecting the kanto region is an idiot.

your friend only buying electronics from japan is an idiot.

there are certainly many positive and negative things to japan. my suggestion is dont bother learning the language. i have been studying for over 10 years now and am fluent, yet i am still treated like a moron everywhere i go because i dont appear asian.

the end.

Re: To a Friend 2

kasca — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:10:35 -0000

Three things that jumped out at me: that first sentence rambles on, it needs some sort of punctuation; a flea is a small leaping bloodsucking insect, to flee is to run away or disappear quickly; and what the hell is a hurple?
Something about the second sentence seems awkwardly phrased to me, and awkwardly placed in context of the piece, but that might just be preference. You use the word "Only" a few too many times in the next few sentences. Words sound weird to me if they are repeated too many times, so grab a thesaurus.
In the second paragraph, who is conversing with the moon alone? Are you imagining the friend with the moon, or are you imagining the friend while you are with the moon?
The vibrant chaos within you seems like it itself is inspiration; in which case you would be inspired by the inspiration within you, and that seems repetitive. Also that sentence could use a "to be" or something to continue the flow established at the beginning. "Being inspired" followed by "but [to be] inspired" flows better, I think; if the second half just goes on "but inspired" the tone changes subtly and makes it confusing for the reader to follow smoothly.
Overall: watch punctuation and which words you end up repeating; and it's often a good idea to read the work out loud to yourself to see if it makes as much sense coming out of your mouth as it does in your head.

Re: The Image of Japan

Crew — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 04:04:51 -0000

Best and only way is to come over and see for yourself! Japan is indeed many different things to many different people. They are a diverse people in denial!

Re: Japan From My Perspective

Kingandcountry18 — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 22:53:00 -0000

Wow, you are the first person other than me to say that you were drawn to Japan because of its history and culture, not because you had some misconstrued otaku love affair with anime :D

I just did a home-stay this summer and it was amazing. Good luck with your studies, and I hope you have a great time there like I did!

Re: Japan From My Perspective

harvey — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 11:14:43 -0000

Awesome! Good luck! If your interest holds I'm sure you'll go far with your Japan studies. がんばれ〜応援してるぞ！

Re: It has been a while since I last posted.

someone — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:28:37 -0000

Love is not only just give kisses. Love demands sacrifice. Yah, we don't have lots of interests in common, but interests can be developed, I know you like Japan,so I choose to learn Japanese, so at least we have one thing in common. I am ignorant, but I don't think it's a bad thing. I am closed-minded, because I am Chinese. I admire your talent in many fields, you do many things that I can't do, but I still choose to leave, because I can not feel your love.
P.S I am good, just a long night.

Re: Glass Onion

yilin — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:07:26 -0000

i saw ur bad handwritting...