/r/AskAJapanese
Learn about Japan, straight from the mouths of Japanese people.
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- Get your self a flair to let people know where you're asking a question from.
What's this?
- Have a question for the people of Japan? Then you came to the right place! Feel free to ask about different topics about Japan whether it be about its culture, history, or random thought.
Subreddit Rules
Be polite and respectful
No hate speech or bullying
No agenda pushing
Questions should be relevant to Japan
No low effort questions
No spam or self-promotion
No medical advice questions
Accepted languages: English & Japanese
Recommended Japanese Subs
- For questions regarding learning Japanese /r/LearnJapanese
- For questions regarding travel itineraries /r/JapanTravel
- For questions regarding immigration /r/movingtojapan
- Japanese-Language news subreddit /r/newsokuexp
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/r/AskAJapanese
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Arabic language school business.
Good evening
as the title says I’m thinking of starting an arabic language school in japan not sure where in japan exactly yet but i have few questions:
-is there a demand for arabic language there?
- how can i find a Japanese
representative?
I’m from Saudi Arabia hence a native arabic i dont teach but I’m interested in doing a business in japan.
Thank you for your time I’m just brain storming and i would appreciate your help! No judgment here
16:42 UTC
Please explain to me Japanese Humor.
I was watching the other day a youtube video called “ best Japanese audition on Got Talent”
And to be completely honest I couldn’t understand Neither MR. Tonikaku or MR. Uesaka ‘s auditions. I am not from europe or US but it seems I cannot understand where is the comedy about it.
Here hell would break loose and broadcast would stop immediately if anyone would hint at the idea of public exposure let alone present almost wearing nothing on TV.
I also am wondering that if Japan is known to be conservative why it is in some areas and it isn’t in other areas ? Like what is the red line or upper limit?
From my own cultural lens , ( i also got opinions from people around me) it is just indecent, inappropriate and a lot of comments would imply why no one around intervened and told the contestants that what they’re doing is shameful to themselves and their families .
This is a genuine question. Last time I asked anything people assumed I have mental issues while I am just inquiring about a part that I found exotic because I couldn’t understand or relate it to anything I have ever seen myself . Also english is my 3rd language , hence some misunderstandings may occur but I’ll make it clear that I am not in any way shaming any of the contestants or their audition, just pure curiosity about how vastly different two conservative societies ( where I am from VS Japan) can interpret what’s okay or what’s not. For example here if a guy walked around topless no one would bat an eye, in swimming trunks also no one would bat an eye , but there is a very big uproar and public dislike towards undergarments in public for any gender actually.
Please no hate. In all my posts I try to be as respectful as possible and as sensitive as possible with my post and replies but I don’t see the comments reflecting that.
12:24 UTC
How good are regional trains in japan?
It is well known that in Japan the high-speed trains are always punctual and reliable. But what about regional trains, do they also run on time and is there a good rail network in the rural region? So the traffic within the province or small towns? And what about the ticket prices?
10:53 UTC
Japan family reality show
Hello, i am half japanese and have been searching for my japanese father for quite some time now. We lost contact 10years ago, i only have one photo of him. I’m already 33 years old and have never met him in person. We only communicate via messenger before but he doesn’t have an account anymore. He said that he will contact me again but never came back. I have his phone number but whenever I call the person who answers said i have the wrong number. I don’t know what happened to him and I think about him every single day. There’s always a missing piece in my heart. Is there any show or any agency or any other way i can find him?
10:05 UTC
Where can I find someone/service who can go look for a very specific item from japan and send it overseas?
Hello everyone, I'm new here. I have a problem that i hope you can help me with. I've been trying to find a very specific item (image attached) but I haven't been able to find it in The US/Sout American Websites/ European websites. And when I find the websites most of them are really old and the item is not available anymore. I think there might be a big chance of getting it in Japan. I was wondering if there is any store or service in Japan that would look for specific items and sell them overseas. Any information would be much appreciated. Thank you.
07:28 UTC
Where to socialize and possibly make friends?
Good Morning/Evening everyone, I hope everyone is having a good day/night so far.
I have been interesting in going to Japan sometime this upcoming year, with some friends or by myself. However, I have a small concern with going on my own if it comes down to it.
I'm a bit of an introvert, so making acquaintances is a bit difficult for me. However, I'm not too introverted to where I can't initiate a conversation with people. From the very little research I've been trying to make so far, I heard that people in Japan are also very mindful of their personal space (which I always try to be considerate) and quiet as well. So with that in mind, are there any places where people go to socialize?
As I was writing this, I also wanted to ask, is there any festivals that occur during October? (Halloween to be precise.) I have some friends who wants to go during October to see costumes, but I'd like to know if there's any other events that also happen during October that doesn't have to involve costumes.
Thank you for reading this, and have a wonderful day/evening.
21:43 UTC
Overseas debts to Softbank - why don't their debt collectors find me back in the US?
Why hadn't Softbank Mobile gotten its debt collectors to hunt me down and find my contact information overseas after I had left Japan with an outstanding mobile service bill of ¥76,500 for the Panasonic 920p I had borrowed (was supposed to only borrow and use just in Japan, but took back home to America) in 2008?
How much penalty interest and fees have they tacked on since leaving Japan with the phone in August 2008?
When I pay off all other domestic debts, I plan to pay off the unpaid bill to Softbank. What's their number to call their billing department (and in English) to settle up on this bill? What will the call exchange be like?
How does Japan's mobile providers deal with delinquent phone bills, particularly of international customers?
And if I ever return to Japan without having settled up on that bill first, will I be arrested at the Arrivals gate upon having my passport scanned? Or what would happen?
20:26 UTC
What does the card reader in a 7/11 say before you tap your credit card?
Maybe this question doesn't belong here, but I don't know where else to ask.
When in Japan I used to pay for stuff in the 7/11 with my phone. When you do so, you select payment by card and the card reader says something and I want to know what it says. My guess is something like "place card here".
"Wtf - what a weird question is this?" you may ask and won't be wrong. To me as a non Japanese speaking gaijin the card reader sounded very happy and the words kinda got stuck in my head.
19:56 UTC
Japan toy world - does anyone recgnoize this doll brand?
Hello everyone, Im making a database of dolls from Asia. I was looking into some vintage Japanese doll blog posts and ran into this great blogger who talked about Mimi dolls by Shiba in the 70s. But I cant find any full photos of these dolls. Does anyone by chance have photos for the database? Additionally if you can please check out the wiki of the sub r/dollsofasia and see if any Japanese dolls you love arent there or any info you think should be there. I still have to update the info from the last few posts so i didnt add the vintage dolls yet lol
Here is the blog post, its Mimi family doll set Im hoping to find better photos of.
15:42 UTC
How common is weed smoking in japan?
I have some japanese friends that smoked a lot of weed when they traveled but i didnt ask them about how often they smoke while theyre home in tokyo. How common is it amongst people in their 20s/30s?
08:50 UTC
Are Asian American tourists or residents seen as "Asian" or "American"?
I always had that confusion. I'm Chinese Canadian (ethnically Chinese, but spent my entire life in Canada) and when I went to Japan last month, no one questioned "what kind of Canadian" are you (which happened to me multiple times in the US).
Thus, when you see an Asian American/Canadian person, do you see them as "American" or "Asian"? Would you treat them as an "American" or "Asian"? Thanks!
05:39 UTC
Question
I’ll be going to Japan next April. I was wondering if there were any places where I could find ornaments (as in for a Christmas tree)? I would really like to bring one home. I was just wondering if I could find any in April? Thanks.
01:09 UTC
How Hokuto no Ken and other animes from the 80s perceived in Japan ?
Hello, I'm trying to find out how animes (especially ones with some kind of violence) were perceived back then. I'm from France and when anime like Hokuto no Ken, Saint Seiya, Mugen kidō SSX etc. were broadcasted, there was a huge drama over the violence and how it could affect kids. Were these animes made for kids ? Was there any kind of rating systems ? How was it perceived ? If you have any kind of resources i could read i'd be glad (i don't speak nor can read Japanese though)
Edit: typo
12:00 UTC
Are there any decent japanes cookbokks tranlated into english?
I love japanese cuisine, and i am greatly interested adding more japanese cooking into my own cooking. Most books on the topic from a very western origin tend to be incredibly superficial or junkfoody, or are like here‘s how you make your own ramen at home, you need to put a week into this, buy a pigs head on monday.
I also have Japanese Homestyle Cooking by Tokiko Suzuki, which is alright but a bit short, and Le Livre de la vraie cuisine japonaise by Hiroshi Fukuda et al, which is pretty great but i hardly speak any french (only german and english).
Are there any cookbooks you would recommend? Any japanese cookbook classics that got an english translation?
10:39 UTC
In Nara/Kyoto/Tokyo a place with private onsen
In Japan atm, have all of accomodations booked but want to visit an onsen. Want a private one, but only finding hotels which dont allow reservations to non guests. Help!
07:07 UTC
Anyone visiting London soon who could help me find a small souvenir?
Hello! I know this is a long shot, but I’m hoping to ask for a bit of help.
During my recent trip to Japan, I bought a souvenir for a little cousins of mine which unfortunately I lost.
It was from a convenience store and it was a Super Mario Bomb Keychain like this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/195868429533?chn=ps&_ul=GB&mkevt=1&mkcid=28&google_free_listing_action=view_item
IIRC these keychain were sold in closed plastic boxes and the bomb was one of the 4 random characters you could get
I will indeed pay for having bothered you too
Thank you!
22:45 UTC
WNN Weather Network
This YouTube channel has a huge following.
Who is this presenter?
22:02 UTC
What’s currently popular or a trend for kids in Japan? Also, what’s a gift from America that parents living in Japan would want?
I want to ship a gift to my niece (7) and nephew (11) a Christmas gift. They live in Japan. I have no idea what to send. I know Transformers is popular with the kids here in America, but not sure if they are even into that.
Or maybe something Marvel related? But then my coworker said anime or Manga? What's popular?
07:42 UTC
Is octopus really a thing?
So I’ve recently heard about in ice cream flavour in Japan that’s octopus flavoured and I have to know more and if it’s really a thing or if someone made it up. If so, what does it taste like and does anyone know what’s in it?
04:59 UTC
random bathtub drain question
i'm researching wet baths/ofuro tubs...are the tubs connected to a drain, like in the US, or do they just drain freely into the central drain (shower drain)?
if there is no dedicated drain, is there a bunch of gross gunk under the tub? how do you deal with that?
if you can share photos that would be great!
23:27 UTC
Has there ever been an instance of a show never seeing the light of day even after it was completed?
For example, just see this article on Disney pulling shows for money.
There's been a lot of coverage on major film corporations like Disney and Universal pulling shows and movies as tax writeoffs. Does the same thing happen in other places, such as Japan?
12:24 UTC
What are current military campaign ongoing lead by the Japanese army?
...
11:34 UTC
What do you call an art style in Japan specifically during the Heian period where they depict clouds with gold paint or gold leaf?
Examples:
Battle scenes from the Tale of Heike, early 17th century
"Kogō" and "The Imperial Procession to Ōhara"
Results from chatGPT (I know, but I'm grasping at straws here) said that it's Yamato-e (大和絵) which seems like a broad category like "French art" as using the keyword on Google also shows Ukiyo-e (浮世絵) art as well.
Thanks in advance, kind and wise stranger.
09:33 UTC
How do you guys cope with an election result you don't just not like, but utterly hate and how would you comfort Americans who are upset with this year's election results and what would you tell them or recommend them to calm them down?
Well you know for the past several weeks here in America, you should know by now that half the country is still grieving over and reeling from an election result they despise and the victory of a candidate they have long held and had no feeling for beyond so much visceral contempt.
So I ask Japanese how would you guys deal with an election outcome that you cannot tolerate? How do you cope and go about your daily lives moving forward?
Would you tell your American friends in this time as words of comfort? What are things you would recommend to them especially from your country of Japan to cheer them up and help make them happy in times of unparalleled stress, anxiety, and negativity?
05:25 UTC
How is the mail service and parcel delivery in Japan?
Hi, I work in customer service for a mail and parcel delivery company in Europe. Around ~96% of our parcels are delivered on time, but there’s still a lot of parcels that are lost or delayed. So I have to speak with angry customers all day asking where their parcels have disappeared. And I don’t really offer them much service other than telling them to make a complaint. Even if there is obvious error by delivery personell, the answer most of the time is still “file a complaint”. Searching for lost parcels is not a high priority. They can get their money back in some cases, but mostly the company treats them with indifference. And if a parcel that a customer really needs urgently is delayed we just say “sorry but the delivery time is not guaranteed, you’ll just have to wait”.
Sometimes I think about Japan, which has a reputation in the west of being a country where everything works perfectly, and if it doesn’t work perfectly then you get a deep and sincere apology. At least, that is the reputation of the Japanese railway.
My questions is: do parcels and letters ever get lost or delayed in Japan? And how are you treated by customer service if your parcel is lost?
19:02 UTC
Still feel guilty over a "tipping" interaction in Osaka almost 10 years ago--was I being cringe?
So I arrived with my girlfriend in Osaka for a spur of the moment trip in August 2015. I was completely unprepared. We just happened to be in Asia, and I HAD to visit Japan while I was in the area. It was an amazing trip, but there's one moment that really bothers me when I reflect on the trip.
Of course we could only go right in the middle of summer holiday season, and every single hotel and hostel was booked. Everywhere. The only one I could find in Osaka was a very low-key, dingy hostel for traveling businessmen. It was naturally on the 5th floor of some random building.
Back then, Google was really hit or miss in Japan (hopefully it's gotten better since then), so the Google Maps directions weren't correct.
Some Japanese couple saw my girlfriend and I poking around on our phones, looking lost, and offered to help. They walked us probably 10 blocks--it had to be at least a half hour walk. We chatted a bit, the boyfriend spoke pretty decent English and we made small talk. Very nice guy.
When we finally arrived, I was almost groveling at their feet. We really would've been screwed without their help. Everything was booked so I don't know what we would've done if we couldn't find it. And it was late, like past midnight by the time we arrived.
In my stupid, American naiveté, I offered him 20k yen for his troubles. He politely declined, but I insisted, and he accepted. In America, if someone really goes out of their way for you like that, it's not uncommon to give them some money as a thank you.
After learning what I know now about Japanese culture, I'm afraid I really offended the guy. This guy who just took a huge chunk of his night to help me out. I'm afraid that by offering him the money, it was like an "American tipping when he shouldn't" situation, but even worse. Especially with his girlfriend there. He didn't seem flustered, but I still feel really bad about it. It's just one of those things you think about at night before you go to sleep, "wow that was really cringe and stupid of me."
So for you Japanese folks--how would you have felt about that situation? Would you be super offended, or just write it off as some dumb tourist doing dumb tourist things?
(Also, if y'all are still out there and remember us, thank you again!)
02:45 UTC
What are stereotypes of people from Tohoku, both positive and negative? How is the temperament and sensibility of people from there?
How do people from there present themselves?
18:57 UTC
TLDR: Is there an active Japanese wiki community not Japanese wikipedia?
Hello. I'm looking for a Japanese language public knowledge base (e.g. a sort of active wiki community) generally run by fans. Topics mostly related to music/idol culture, gaming cheats/FAQs, and entertainment that sort of things.
I know anon forums like 2chan exist, but I'm looking more about an organized site where a user is like reading a page from a book, search and click with ease, with texts neatly organized into subtopics, links, and references at the bottom. Users can upload and edit their own content too (scans and photos).
I tried using search engines with Japanese input but the results are almost always pointing to Japanese wikipedia. If I tried the same in English text, there is the Fandom Wiki, if it exists. I know there are Japanese Fandom sites, but they are not as many as and not as active as the English equivalents.
Though Japanese Fandom sites might lack content, the Japanese Wikipedia seems more informative than the English Wikipedia if pertaining to the topics mentioned above. The downside is, it is mostly just walls of text but limited photos or scans. If so, is writing independent wikis not a thing for Japanese fans and just edit directly the Japanese wikipedia entry? Thank you.
13:47 UTC
I'm a little bit curious About Food Prices in Japan...
!!! Dear readers! This post is not intended to insult any country, demean, or degrade human dignity !!!
Today, during lunch, I became curious about the prices of some food items in Japan compared to those in Russia. I also fully understand and agree that Japanese food is very different and often of much higher quality.
However, I would be very interested to know any information about food prices in Japan.
Additional:
I would be very interested to see the current food prices in any part of Japan. If you can share information about prices in villages or smaller towns, it would be even more valuable.
12:39 UTC