Differences between Japan and other countries

[MatrixStorm]

That's because Japan doesn't have a GSM-network like Europe and America.
They have a kind of phone subscription AND one for Internet so they can email each other like we text.
I did some searching on Google after Bakuman for this, it was pretty interesting.
Apparently phones outside of Japan have a chance of not working and vice versa because of this.

Wow, that's certainly interesting, thanks.
[/quote]

Oh, forgot to mention one more thing:
Because of the all the WiFi hotspots in Japan, many people don't have an Internet-on-phone subscription and use these instead.
And if you live in Tokyo you can imagine that having Internet via hotspots can't be that difficult.

But then again, I've never been there myself and it was mainly some research done on sites like Wikipedia and other forums.

[megido-rev.M]

I've remembered another different thing. They seem to "email" each other instead of texting (sms). Watching Bakuman atm and apparently email number and phone number are 2 different things.

Assuming email is always free, this beats paying excessive cash for texting.

[AceHigh]

Difference between Japan and other countries?

Are you implying that all other countries are so similar to each other that they can be lumped together and Japan is the only one that stands out? I would say that other countries are also very different from each other.

More importantly here is one thing that my country shares with Japan: wailing. We eat whale meat like badasses, while the rest of the world bitches and moans.

[undetz]

Difference between Japan and other countries?

Are you implying that all other countries are so similar to each other that they can be lumped together and Japan is the only one that stands out? I would say that other countries are also very different from each other.

More importantly here is one thing that my country shares with Japan: wailing. We eat whale meat like badasses, while the rest of the world bitches and moans.

"Wailing" is more or less the same as "bitching and moaning". I think you meant to write "whaling".

[Nikkoru]

Difference between Japan and other countries?

Are you implying that all other countries are so similar to each other that they can be lumped together and Japan is the only one that stands out? I would say that other countries are also very different from each other.

More importantly here is one thing that my country shares with Japan: wailing. We eat whale meat like badasses, while the rest of the world bitches and moans.

Actually, given the responses, the implication is Japan isn't particularly dissimilar from the countries our forum posters come from. Then again, we're not exactly anthropologists.

[MatrixStorm]

Difference between Japan and other countries?

Are you implying that all other countries are so similar to each other that they can be lumped together and Japan is the only one that stands out? I would say that other countries are also very different from each other.

More importantly here is one thing that my country shares with Japan: wailing. We eat whale meat like badasses, while the rest of the world bitches and moans.

Your country might be whaling (which is, regarding the current population of whales, irresponsible. But hey, so is tuna fishing and I LOVE tuna) and eating the meat, people in Japan barely eat it anymore.
I even heard about the government forcing some schools on serving whale meat in dishes because they can't get rid of it.
Then why do they whale, you ask? It's simple:

They are the most proud and stubborn people this planet will have known in the 9-10 billion years it will have existed.

Don't ask me why, I've wondered why they are like this since I discovered their culture.
Maybe it all begun in 1853 when the 'Black Ships' from America forced Japan to trade, and while they were at a constant fear of colonisation, they probably thought something like "Never again, will we let outsiders decide what we do.''.

But that's just some wacky theory of mine, and I'm getting sleepy too so don't mind me blabbering.

[F1ForFun]

I've remembered another different thing. They seem to "email" each other instead of texting (sms). Watching Bakuman atm and apparently email number and phone number are 2 different things.

That's because Japan doesn't have a GSM-network like Europe and America.
They have a kind of phone subscription AND one for Internet so they can email each other like we text.
I did some searching on Google after Bakuman for this, it was pretty interesting.
Apparently phones outside of Japan have a chance of not working and vice versa because of this.

So essentially the only people in the world who still use email to contact friends are the Japanese?

[brunoais]

(click to show/hide)

I've remembered another different thing. They seem to "email" each other instead of texting (sms). Watching Bakuman atm and apparently email number and phone number are 2 different things.

That's because Japan doesn't have a GSM-network like Europe and America.
They have a kind of phone subscription AND one for Internet so they can email each other like we text.
I did some searching on Google after Bakuman for this, it was pretty interesting.
Apparently phones outside of Japan have a chance of not working and vice versa because of this.

So essentially the only people in the world who still use email to contact friends are the Japanese?

No! Essentially, they are the only people in the world who uses cell phones that simply said good bye to the SMS and most citizens, even though they use cell phones, don't know what SMS is.

[Soryon]

I kneel before Japan and Japanese.

This is seriously dumb. To elevate any country over another simply because of what country it is is just stupid. I could and kinda want to rant on this, but I think Ixa said it decently already.

[kamuixtv99]

Japan is a nice place but it's hard to live there, you need to strive from academics to standard of living. Just being a tourist would be fine. Shop on Japanese sites (with english support) so you can feel how to be a Japanese consumer.

So essentially the only people in the world who still use email to contact friends are the Japanese?

You should watch Lain, when S.E. Lain was released in '98-99 it was then the popularity of SMS, in Asia at least. You can't attach images, icons and any multimedia files or files itself with SMS although you can send images via MMS. Plus email is more personalize and accessible to any computer. I was envy with their phones at that time on how incompetent sms was and still is.

[Mistgun_Zero]

I love the fact that japan only has 3G net and above and no 2g. Cause here even if you have a 3G connection it never works. You still get only 2g. Damn I can't even listen to Internet radio on my phone thanks to this stupid connection.

[moonlight]

I've remembered another different thing. They seem to "email" each other instead of texting (sms). Watching Bakuman atm and apparently email number and phone number are 2 different things.

Assuming email is always free, this beats paying excessive cash for texting.

Nope, e-mail through phone is not free. On the other hand, phone-mail accounts are able to send and recieve mails from normal web-mail accounts

[Dhruv]

I kneel before Japan and Japanese.

This is seriously dumb. To elevate any country over another simply because of what country it is is just stupid. I could and kinda want to rant on this, but I think Ixa said it decently already.

+1
Not to be rude but elevating a country culture above all other cultures without having any knowledge whatsoever about them is stupidity.
There can be many countries which are better than Japan, we just don't know about them yet.

[Nodame-chan]

Opinions differ you know. I studied history for ages and I study culture now (it's the 4th year by the way).

I know names of such countries and cultures that you certainly have never heard of (meant for Dhruv). There are so many unique cultures you can't even imagine.

But for me Japan stays on the top. And that is only my opinion you don't need to agree with me. Plus it is not only Japan. I admire the 3 countries of the Far East (Japan, China, Korea). And that is not for some casual reasons like anime, movie or K-drama.

I've studied and studied and studied their history, culture, literature, lifestyle. They can be proud of what they have. I studied their national character. They are not like anybody else. And anyway. It is only my opinion. Nobody forces it onto you and nobody forces you to agree with me.

And Dhruv, I never elevate one thing above the other without having knowledge on those matters. This is quite a serious topic, and saying thing which have no basis and are not fundamental is like throwing yourself into fire. So think a bit before calling something a stupidity, or you may be regarded as the stupid one.

[brunoais]

Living in Japan seems to be, for me something that I wouldn't be able to do for, at least, the first 5 years. School seems to work in an interesting way but, at the same time, seems even more awful to take it in Japan. They have loads and loads of technology but it's reserved for a minority of a minority. Cities are a no no! Too many people per m². In cities suberbs sounds better at that part, but then... Sounds like there there are no super market or, markets with quality products. I don't know if that's bad or not, but not knowing is a problem in that realm...
They are buddists... I don't follow any religion. I don't know if they'd force Buddhism in me or not.... One thing is completely awsome for sure! Their public transports, specially the trains (Jap main public transportation) is always on time. Failing the schedule is something that only happens in really exceptional situations. On the other hand.... In this country I live, trains failing their schedule (by more than 5 minutes before or after it's departure time) is what happens more than trains on time...

Soo... Is Japan better? No. Is Japan interesting as the way they behave and work and live and... Definitely! Would I want to go and live there? No chance!

[MatrixStorm]

Living in Japan seems to be, for me something that I wouldn't be able to do for, at least, the first 5 years. School seems to work in an interesting way but, at the same time, seems even more awful to take it in Japan. They have loads and loads of technology but it's reserved for a minority of a minority. Cities are a no no! Too many people per m². In cities suberbs sounds better at that part, but then... Sounds like there there are no super market or, markets with quality products. I don't know if that's bad or not, but not knowing is a problem in that realm...
They are buddists... I don't follow any religion. I don't know if they'd force Buddhism in me or not.... One thing is completely awsome for sure! Their public transports, specially the trains (Jap main public transportation) is always on time. Failing the schedule is something that only happens in really exceptional situations. On the other hand.... In this country I live, trains failing their schedule (by more than 5 minutes before or after it's departure time) is what happens more than trains on time...

Soo... Is Japan better? No. Is Japan interesting as the way they behave and work and live and... Definitely! Would I want to go and live there? No chance!

The dominant religion in Japan is Shinto-Buddheism, but their society and regular life are based on Confucian principles.

[brunoais]

the dominat religion in Japan is Shinto-Buddheism, but their society and regular life are based on Confucian principles.

thx for the headsup.

[Ixarku]

Even if I knew the language a lot better, I don't think I would want to live & work in Japan.  The thought of working in their office environments / corporate world, with all of the strict protocol and high expectations, makes me ill.  I think the stress would probably kill me.

[anoligarh]

   It seems like "love letters" are popular in Japan, judging by anime .

Another weird thing, they seem to have crushes, then when they are in a relationship they are still shy and they don't even think of kissing or hugging ... then they jump in marriage. But i guess that's anime only.

[MatrixStorm]

   It seems like "love letters" are popular in Japan, judging by anime .

Another weird thing, they seem to have crushes, then when they are in a relationship they are still shy and they don't even think of kissing or hugging ... then they jump in marriage. But i guess that's anime only.

Well they tend to be a bit more shy than us, even with our Western prudishness.
Yet I'm starting to believe all those manga/anime clichés in terms of high school love (except for the bleeding noses, who the hell came up with that one anyway?).