Comments by "Jordan, inside-outsider in Japan" (@Jordan-inJapan) on "What No One Tells You about Living in Japan" video.

I could add quite a few…especially if you add the word “rural” before Japan. Just one now: 自治会, or ‘neighborhood committee’. Takashi might not be able to relate to this living in a city. But in small-town or rural Japan you join one of these committees when you move in to a house. It collects money from all the members to manage upkeep on a meeting hall, where it has regular meeting about all kind of local issues that community members are suppose to attend. It organizes area cleanup and weeding days (and more) that residents are expected to take part in. It has a fire brigade that members are expected to join. Everything on a rotating basis, so eventually, all able bodied community members will have to do everything, even be the area leader for a year or two. “You won’t have to do all that as a foreigner”. People told me. But I did… and still do…. and it’s a lot of work. 😅
233
@earlysda It’s the cost of being accepted as true member of the community you live in. I guess I could have just refused…but then I would be ‘one of those foreigners who doesn’t follow the rules properly’. But I’d rather be a community-member…even if it’s a bit of a pain sometimes.
57
@bsrhoad Agreed. (Even though I sometimes complain about it. 😆)
4
@OfTheGaps lucky you. 😆
2
@rubyrose7858 Thanks! Well, my wife is actually Japanese, but 自治会 duties became my responsibility since she works long hours. I manage somehow. 😅 So you have 組長 duty coming up? It’s actually not as demanding as it used to be (in my town at least) since a lot of activities have been cut due to the pandemic. Anyway, good luck!
2
@j.ericsandoval566 Wow, lucky you. Maybe you live in a ‘progressive’ area that has moved past that system already. Mie is pretty conservative, I guess.
2