Japan - Expectations and Anime

[Aoie_Emesai]

Originally Posted by Ewok

Had an interesting conversation on a different forum about peoples expectations about Japan and then actually going and finding out for themselves what it is like. One of the biggest stereotypes has to be people who like anime/manga/jdrama/jpop, have various paraphernalia, and pretty much spend allot of their time on the topic and decide they want to go to Japan because of this interest.

Not that there's anything wrong with that, I once watched anime too, but

What do you think about this? Do you think that wanting to go to Japan purely because you like anime etc? And more importantly, what do you think about the expectations that people have OF Japan from such things?

To get the ball rolling I'd like to point out that anime is aimed at the under-14 year old crowd, so when people in the late teens have a strong interest in anime it seems a little bit weird to me personally.

Personally I find that traveling to Japan just for the sake of Anime isn't such a bad idea but there's more to offer than just anime. I hate sea food and exotic food so the restaurants I can avoid a bit ^_^.

[hobbes_fan]

Everything is a valid reason to go (I'm 24 BTW). If that's what interests you then you should go. Plenty of people go on wine tasting tours of Southern France, just as many go to Italy to sample food and wine. But probably the best comparison I can give you is millions of people flock to Louvre in Paris to see Mona Lisa. How is that any different as to what you want to do?

BUT

You've gone all that way to Japan don't get so focused on anime, there's other things that you'll never experience anywhere else. I wouldn't mind taking a tour if there is one to see how anime is made but Take a trip to the hot springs, see the cherry blossoms, ride the bullet train, see the geishas, and kabuki plays (typical touristy thing). Do the stuff you can't do anywhere else. That'd be my priorirty. I mean its not like its impossible to get stuff imported from Japan and you can pretty much watch anime anywhere you feel like.

[Zishi]

Well I think most of us got interested in Japan because of anime/manga/games. Atleast I got. But I agree to only go down there to check out manga/anime is a little silly.

Through anime I started to like japanese old architecture, culture and food. I would like to go to Japan for several reasons.

Eating good sushi, shopping, visiting a temple, see cherry blossoms(only if its spring), who wouldnt want to see a IRL schoolgirl("zomg they do exist outside of anime" I would go like), why not check out the nighlife in tokyo and Japan is also famous for their technology then why not go check it out.

Hell I wouldnt mind going to Japan to just experience real sushi, I want to know the difference between this sushi where I live and there.

[Shay]

Samurai, ninja, technology, manga, anime, nice food, hot chicks. < -- This is all I need to know about Japan to make me want to go there. You can keep the rest.

[ibreatheanime]

I would love to go to Japan, but not just because of manga/anime. If the culture intrests you why not visit? Personally I have found japanese culture very cool, not just anime/manga. But to blindly decide to go to japan because you like anime, would be rather stupid.

[kj1980]

I personally have no I idea why you guys would want to come here; all in the while, I'm wishing to escape.

[Kyuusai]

Originally Posted by kj1980

I personally have no I idea why you guys would want to come here; all in the while, I'm wishing to escape.

My desire to go to Japan is allowed to flourish because I know that I'm only going to be visiting.

There are many wonderful things about Japan and its people... but I can fully understand why you want out.

I would not want my stay to be permanent.

[raikage]

Originally Posted by kj1980

I personally have no I idea why you guys would want to come here; all in the while, I'm wishing to escape.

Your English seems to be good enough for you to get a job here in the States -- maybe not permanently, but just for a little while.

If I didn't get a job in my career field straight out of college, I would have applied for the JET program and spent a year in Japan teaching English. Not too long...

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by kj1980

I personally have no I idea why you guys would want to come here; all in the while, I'm wishing to escape.

Because "going somewhere else" is always fun. I always think it is amusing when groups come to visit my locale....

Besides when it gets annoying one can always go back to familiar territory.

Japan has the unique situation of being both accessible to western understanding yet alien in so many other ways.

In my case there is also heritage conflation -- my wife is japanese-american and, ergo, my two sons have japanese ancestry. We also are quite interested in my ancestry (irish/scottish/scandinavian) and have visiting Denmark, Scotland, and Norway on our list of things-to-do.

[ibreatheanime]

I would only want to go on a trip for like a month or so to japan. I still love western culture, and I don't know if I would want to leave that behind.

In general I just want to travel, learn many languages and absorb a lot of cultures. Life is so boring if you stay in one place your whole life.

[hobbes_fan]

Why? Put it this way. If you read the same book every day for 24 years you'd get pretty bored too. I guess we go there or anywhere to experience change. I guess you're still quite young, try an exchange program or a working holiday, ypu'll really experience life in your desired country (I assume you're Japanese, and I know that there are exchange programmes to Australia, the UK and the US) but after a while on the road and travelling, there's no place like home.

The things you don't like about Japan, we probably have similar gripes with where we live as well. But I went on 1 year working holiday to the UK and I loved every minute of it but I always loved coming home too. I really recommend it if you feel like you're stuck in a rut.