[Heavenly Jumper]

In preparation for my upcoming move I've been letting my mind drive me crazy with questions...

Are there any books or anything I can read that can shed some light and demystify Japanese culture?

Everything is going to be SO different. 1 US dollar = 106 Yen!

I mean, think about how if you go into a shop to order ice cream and your flavor choices include EEL.

Or how if you are tuning the car radio and all you hear is another language news broadcast or songs in a completely different style?

Are people going to stare at us? Will my clothes be really weird looking to them?

LOL I told you I was full of questions...

[MyBelgianAzzy]

Don't order ice cream. Problem solved. Have a good week!

Just teasing. Check your library for Japan tourist books. They're geared for the average person looking to have a pleasant short stay abroad, so they focus on communication and how-to that you can apply (as opposed to trying to teach you the language and history/customs).

Contact the base and see if they have a welcome committee or the like so someone can answer questions for you about clothing and what to bring from stateside that you can't get over there. Ask about medication, hygiene products, snacks, etc.

Your cell probably has a calculator built in that will be your best friend for converting to yen.

[Heavenly Jumper]

Ack...I am so overwhelmed I could just cry...and sometimes I'm so excited I want to giggle and laugh.

I need help.

[Heavenly Jumper]

Oh my gosh...look what I've found!

http://www.generatemusic.com/japan/

You didn't expect a Japanese toilet to look normal, did you? Not all but a lot of loos are actually plugged into the electric grid. That can feel pretty unsettling for a first-timer, but you adapt. After all, there's a sign alerting you to the risks involved (you can see that on the right). Some toilet lids have heating wires inside, so your WC session won't be too chilly. You can regulate the temperature and check it on a digital display. Plus, you can sprinkle your butt with water from all types of angles. Now, here's something I can do without.
But I did find this button with the musical note symbol on it pretty amusing, I must say. If you press it, it'll cause some 30-second-long noise that is supposed to sound like a toilet flushing. Since my return home, I've managed to uncover the mystery of this mechanism: The Japanese are deeply embarrassed by the pooping sound they make while on the toilet, so they constantly and noisily flush it to drown out their pharts. Then someone found that a waste of water and thus the fake flushing sound was born.

[idlewild]

My cousin, as apart of her Maritime Academy training has to go on "cruises" aboard ships to learn how they operate and whatnot, kinda like an internship. Well, last year her ship went to Vietnam and the South Pacific, one of their stops was Tokyo. They let all the students have a day in the city. Now, my cousin is a pretty petite with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes, she what's you imagine when you think of a southern california surfer chick (and she is!). She said she got asked so many times for pictures or for locks of hair from japanese people. They were just facinated by her hair and apperance. She said she found it rather amusing!

...I think on that trip someone even tried to buy her but I'm not sure where that happened! (don't think it was in tokyo)

[horse_freak001]

Just so you know, according to wiki,

Ice cream is also a popular dessert in Japan , with almost two in five adults eating some at least once a week, according to a recent survey.[21] Since 1999, the Japanese Ice Cream Association has been publishing the Ice Cream White Paper once a year, and the four most popular ice cream flavors in Japan has not changed (including their orders) since 1999 according to the Paper.[22] The top four flavors are vanilla, chocolate, matcha (powdered green tea) and strawberry. Other notable popular flavors are milk, caramel and azuki (Red Bean) also according the Paper.[22] Azuki is particularly favored by people in their 50s and older.[22] While matcha is a truly Japanese flavor favored by Japanese and well-known among non-Japanese outside of Japan, plum and ginger, tastes often presented as Japanese flavors outside of Japan, did not make the cut in the top 17 favorite flavor list in 2006.[22] In Japan, a soft serve ice cream is called softcream which is also very popular. As a seasonal treat during the cherry blossom season, ice cream is available that is actually flavored with cherry blossoms.

Really, anywhere you go, you will come across "weird" flavours. Where I live, there is one place that serves gelato flavours such as kimchi, balsamic vinegar, curry, wasabi, gorgonzola blue cheese,and all these other weird flavours. So, yes you may run into them, but there is no harm in trying new things Anyways, the weirdest flavours that are the norm are things like red bean (which is pretty good) and green tea.

For clothes, just remember that in japan, people are skinny so clothes are also smaller compared to North America (a large may be a medium or something liek that).


Really, I know you will be there for a while, but try not to get so caught up in little things. Go there and have fun and experience everything for yourself. There's no fun in reading up on everything, you have to do it yourself. I know you will have a lot of fun when you get there and although the cultures are different, you should still enjoy it.

[haunani]

Ooooohhhh... green tea and red bean ice cream is YUMMY (separately, of course)!! I pick it up from one of our local oriental shops as a treat sometimes.

[horse_freak001]

Found this site: http://www.transitionsabroad.com/lis...n_moving.shtml

Although you will be living on base and all that, it's still interesting to look at.

[ShowJumper23]

Originally Posted by idlewild

My cousin, as apart of her Maritime Academy training has to go on "cruises" aboard ships to learn how they operate and whatnot, kinda like an internship. Well, last year her ship went to Vietnam and the South Pacific, one of their stops was Tokyo. They let all the students have a day in the city. Now, my cousin is a pretty petite with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes, she what's you imagine when you think of a southern california surfer chick (and she is!). She said she got asked so many times for pictures or for locks of hair from japanese people. They were just facinated by her hair and apperance. She said she found it rather amusing!

...I think on that trip someone even tried to buy her but I'm not sure where that happened! (don't think it was in tokyo)

That happened to us too. We were in Germany at a big tourist spot, and had some friends with us. Kristen is tall, platinum(completely natural) blond with blue eyes. She used to do modeling as a child in Asia. And my brother had just highlighted his hair blond. And the japanese tourist were taking all these pictures with them.

I second the motion about not eating ice cream But I do suggest going to the library and checking out books and stuff.

Boy are we going to miss you. (I mean, yeah, you'll still be here, but still, I"m trying to be sentimental here).

[Gallop N Gal]

Are you going to go visit Endo while you are there?

I hope everything works out well and you have a great time! Are you there for good or just awhile(I thought I remember seeing 2 years, but that could have been something else)?