Comments by "" (@earlysda) on "What it's like living in Japan since 1986" video.

  1. Cool, joe. Are you still into rugby?
    60
  2. Japan was booming in 1989 when I first came to live. It's dying now. Saw just last week on the news that 1 in 10 people here are over 80 now.
    28
  3. Same here - late 80s Osaka. I couldn't believe the skyline was all cranes! Now those cranes are in Cambodia and Vietnam.
    16
  4.  @allentoyokawa9068 allen, I forgive your ignorance.
    4
  5.  @AdamPayne1975 Sounds interesting, Adam.
    4
  6. 22:05 Takashi, there was no "N1" system in 1988. I know because I took the 「日本語能力試験」in 1992. Private language lessons are best. Agreed totally with the need to learn Kanji to get fluent. 28:15 His measure for "success" sounds like an insecurity issue. Overall, an interesting interview with a down-to-earth kind of guy.
    3
  7. Interesting. What part of Japan?
    2
  8.  @NSXWayneNZ  NSX, I did the Shodo thing for one year. Interesting to hear your experiences.
    2
  9.  @philipb1889 philip, I know some Japanese people who would be considered "non-fluent" in Japanese, except that they are naturally Japanese. . But to answer your question, this man in the video is at a 10 in speaking fluency (adult level), not sure about written.
    2
  10.  @stanleyrobson4622 stanley, Most Japanese had favorable views towards Chinese until around 2012 or so when it started to sour. Yes, Chinese tourists were noisy and young Chinese did some crimes, but really, until Xi came into power and started trash-talking Japan and trying take Japan's islands, relations were pretty good. . Now, Chinese are hated in Japan.
    2
  11.  @shanman2002 shan, you wrote: "My family moved here 2 years ago from Hawaii USA after living most of our life there. Wife is from Japan but lived in America for the last 26 years." . Do you see the problem now?
    2
  12.  @somerandomchannel382 somerandom, Do you want to overcome your ethnicity issues?
    2
  13. I explain to Japanese 30 year olds about how Japanese people used to line up at train stations in front of rows of green phones to make a call, and they look at me and nod to each other that I'm a foreigner and don't know what I'm talking about - ha!
    2
  14. 80s weren't so hard. We even had color TV!
    2
  15.  @stevemartin4249 Cool. I've been either in or just out of Osaka most of my nearly 3 decades in Japan (that started in 1989). I've told many people that I wouldn't have lasted this long in cold-hearted Tokyo. Osaka obahans are usually really friendly and talkative.
    2
  16.  @AdamPayne1975 Adam, interesting story. Good luck to you!
    2
  17.  @AdamPayne1975 Adam, Based!
    1
  18.  @ellaofficiel ella, actually, the root problems with not getting married or having kids has almost nothing to do with money or work. . It has a lot to do with believing that ones' ancestors rose up from pond slime to become what you are today, and that religion's evil spawn, which is belief that humans are causing Mother Earth to overheat (so we need to reduce the number of humans). . Even Japanese pollsters see this problem as young people not wanting the hassle of dealing with anyone, even/especially intimately.
    1
  19. @@homie3461 homie, Jesus Christ is calling you to repent, turn from the sins that are turning you into your current leader, and receive his gift of eternal life. . Revelation 22:1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, [was there] the tree of life, which bare twelve [manner of] fruits, [and] yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree [were] for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: 4 And they shall see his face; and his name [shall be] in their foreheads. 5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. . I hope to see you there!
    1
  20. @@homie3461homie, agreed with you there! . I'd define "success" as hearing "Well done you good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord" by the lips of Jesus Christ himself.
    1
  21. @@homie3461homie, Nice to see the Holy Spirit working on your heart.
    1
  22. Yes, that was the saddest part of the video - to measure success by what others feel about you.
    1
  23.  @sanjabago4180 sanja, If one sees bad customs in the culture, should you still "adapt to" them?
    1
  24.  @antonyzhou6602 antony, No. The point of my comment was this almost became true in the past, and may become true in the future. Nobody knows.
    1
  25.  @antonyzhou6602 antony, were you aware that it was debated in the Japanese govt. strongly whether to abolish Japanese and adopt French as the national language?
    1
  26. No idea what "here" means to you.
    1
  27. Your experience is similar to mine, except I never tried cashing checks. I was asked many times when I was "going back home". It was a strange question to me, because I was living in Japan. So I would say "maybe in an hour", and they would always raise their voice and say "your country".
    1
  28. 38 years?!
    1
  29.  @krunchie2024 stewart, glad to know that there are still some who can make money translating. I haven't seen any permanent positions for translators for years now, as most businesses I know think they can just deepl or google it, and it's good to go.
    1
  30.  @yishihara55527 ayako, are you calling out for help?
    1
  31. Michael, just a note of warning. Many westerners who have come to Japan that I know love everything for 2 years, hate everything for 2 years, like some things for 2 or 3 years, hate some things for 2 or 3 years, and go thru that cycle as they learn more things about the real Japan. Most of them quit Japan either around the 3 year mark, 10 year mark, or 17 year mark. Less than 10% have stayed over 22 years. . Things that might make you think twice: If you are employed full-time at a Japanese company, you are expected to put the company first in your life, over God, yourself, or family. Also, Japanese women control everything in the homes. The laws are not in foreigners' favor, so, for example, if the Japanese spouse wants to run off with the kids and never see you again, there is nothing you can do about it. . Good luck!
    1
  32.  @MiChael92617 Good luck!
    1
  33.  @mollytovxx4181 molly, please reread the comment I was commenting on, if you want to understand.
    1
  34. He didn't mention anything about God at all. That was the saddest part of the interview where he measured success by others' feelings towards him...
    1