A Life in Japan - Documentary (English with English subtitles)
Video Statistics and Information
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Channel: Petri StorlΓΆpare
Views: 3,861,095
Rating: undefined out of 5
Keywords: a life in japan, Japan, documentary, γΏγΏγγγ, foreigners, experiences, good, bad, English subtitles, live in Japan, Japanese culture
Id: prNYOW0_kms
Channel Id: undefined
Length: 79min 43sec (4783 seconds)
Published: Wed Jan 02 2013
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Seeing a lot of negative stuff on this thread so I actually signed up (newbie alert) to explain my experience and point of view on a few things I've seen.
I've been in Japan for about six and a half years, lived in Osaka for three of them and now currently reside in Tokyo.
I feel a bit disappointed with some of the reactions I've seen on this thread, especially stereotypes about people being losers in their home country before they come or losers because they can't get a job outside of teaching English. The majority of long term English teachers I know here are excellent at their jobs and really have a passion for teaching. The majority of them have a ton of friends in their home countries. It's hard to move to a new country if you're not a gregarious person.
There are people who see it as a working holiday but these days, they are few and far between and the expectations and standards of the major teaching companies have improved as the demand for quality and competition from other companies increases. It certainly is possible to move into another industry if you are willing to, it's just that a lot of people are satisfied with the job they have. I get something rewarding every day from interacting with the Japanese people I work with and it's great getting to know students and teachers from around the world.
I think the reason people are taking so much negativity and putting it in comments and recycling the same old tired ideas about Japanese life is pretty simple. This is the Internet.
We all have frustrations, we all need to vent and there are some immigrants in this country who feel trapped, bored, disenchanted, irritated, lonely, tired etc. Just like there are people feeling that way who have never moved out of their hometowns. Unfortunately, as with everything else on the Internet, people tend to turn to other people with the same opinions as their own and that's why for every good comment you see on Reddit about Japan, there are several more negative ones. Perhaps a lot of the negative posts on here exist because people behind them are looking to complain rather than engaging with and trying to change the things they hate so much about their lives here.
People on this thread are making sweeping generalisations which do not hold any weight when actually looked at carefully and without prejudice.
I would be happy to answer any questions as a person who likes living here but has a realistic perspective about life as an immigrant in Tokyo
TL;DR Live in Japan. It's nice. It's not perfect, but that's OK.
I kinda expected seeing people through their everyday lives not them talking about living in japan. Very disappointed.
There is this sort of racist stereotype that the Japanese society is a whole thing. A big yellow mass and to fit in you have to become yellow yourself, but if you are white you are never allowed to.
This is completely wrong.
Japanese all have their own opinions and they also struggle with society. The Japanese are being discriminated against because they are women, because they work for a low level company, because they graduated a good University, because they are wealthy, because they have tattoos, because they have a different opinion, because they like art, because they are a celebrity, because they are not married or have no children, because they do not watch television, because they have a strange hobby,...
Fitting into any society is more about profiling and accepting the image you radiate to society than expecting a society to accept you.
Yes, you will always be a foreigner, just like a good looking Japanese girl will always be good looking, someone who graduated a poor University will always feel it, someone whose parents are rich or poor, cannot escape the stereotypes.
Japanese society is not a big yellow mass, but it is a myriad of different personalities and situations, who may appear similar at first, but are very different. What does a single Japanese mom with just middle school education struggling with two jobs in a run down apartment buy for her "Japaneseness"? How is she treated more equally than an English teacher with fair housing, a steady paycheque and very little job pressure? You could easily argue that he is more included in the system.
I'm one of the 19 people interviewed in this video, and I've known Petri for quite a while. I'd be happy to try and answer questions if anyone has some.
I've been in Japan for 8 years now, and I can relate to a lot of the complaints in this video but man, it's just complaint after complaint!
Every now and then one or two good things. Seems like an hr and a half bitch-fest.
Holy hell, why do half the guys in this documentary look like total douches? Every time they open their mouths I cringe just thinking what turd is about to come out of it again.
Turn back now if you are interested in going to Japan. Toxic comments and butthurt expats. Nothing positive if you are to believe them.
Awesome, I am moving there in just a couple months! I'm American and have never been there. This will probably be really helpful.
ITT: People who have never lived abroad share their opinions on living abroad.