Guest JTS98 Posted June 23, 2018 Share Posted June 23, 2018 On 6/21/2018 at 02:00, Pampered Adolescent said: I did a trip to both Seoul and Jeju. I found the peninsular Koreans by far the most xenophobic people in east Asia, Korea is, without question, the most racist/xenophobic country I have ever experienced. I've lived in a few countries, and quite varied ones at that. Koreans are the worst people I've encountered and the worst culture. A bad country. They do love a bevvy though. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongTimeLurker Posted June 23, 2018 Share Posted June 23, 2018 On 6/20/2018 at 19:00, Pampered Adolescent said: The people in Jeju, though, were very welcoming, and I enjoyed a chilled few days in the south, within walking distance of the stadium built for the 2002 World Cup... Only ever been to Jeju for any length of time and would agree with that. Friendlier version of Japan to the extent that I completely forgot where I was a couple of times and said things in Japanese to the staff in convenience stores at which point it wasn't quite so friendly any more. On 5/18/2018 at 16:22, JTS98 said: The food is better in Japan too. ...if you enjoy steamed rice and lots of bland and flavourless seafood related dishes in a fish and chips one the day then mince and tatties the next sort of way, but I spent several years visiting a Japanese work cafeteria daily, so maybe it's different if you compare eating out in the two countries. Guess it depends on whether you like kimchi. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JTS98 Posted June 25, 2018 Share Posted June 25, 2018 On 6/23/2018 at 19:19, LongTimeLurker said: Guess it depends on whether you like kimchi. There is no worse smell in the world than the smell in a lift full of Koreans going back to their office after having lunch. Truly vile stuff. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongTimeLurker Posted June 25, 2018 Share Posted June 25, 2018 Suspected kimchi would be the issue. The slurping sounds as a table full of Japanese people eat noodles is what used to do my head in the most when I first got there. Then you realise that you are probably doing stuff that has a similar effect on them and the best policy is to just to go with the flow to the point they forget there is a gaijin around. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Girth Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 On 23/06/2018 at 08:20, JTS98 said: Korea is, without question, the most racist/xenophobic country I have ever experienced. I've lived in a few countries, and quite varied ones at that. Koreans are the worst people I've encountered and the worst culture. A bad country. They do love a bevvy though. I'd heard about this from a mate who lived there. Does Japan have similar problems or not so much? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 1 hour ago, Girth said: I'd heard about this from a mate who lived there. Does Japan have similar problems or not so much? Heard that we smell like wet dogs from the rain to them. I'm taking dog shampoo I think. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pampered Adolescent Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 1 hour ago, Girth said: I'd heard about this from a mate who lived there. Does Japan have similar problems or not so much? In my opinion, not at all. Almost all Japanese will show visitors respect, even though the average person, especially elderly, will have very little English. In 2005/6, socialising after the factory was, in Korea, a sit-down meal then straight to the hotel. 21:00 finish at the latest. In Japan, it was meal, then bevvies big style. 03:00 finish wasn't uncommon and the view from my hosts were- "that's what the pods(*) are for, anyway, company is paying". I doubt the cultures have changed much in 10-15 years since. (*) Google Japan hotel pods. Cheers PA 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongTimeLurker Posted June 28, 2018 Share Posted June 28, 2018 The racism/xenophobia angle varies a lot depending what part of Japan you are in. I have always found people in Kyoto unusually friendly to Westerners probably because their city wasn't bombed in WWII. Overall, if you stick to the tourist trail, it's not something you are likely to encounter and isn't something that should put you off from going. If you live and work there, it's important to realise that most Japanese people would prefer very much to be in a Japanese language and cultural environment when they are in their own country, so if you make a reasonable effort to fit in so you are not getting in the way of them doing that most will have no problem tolerating your presence and it is only a few idiots (every country has them) that will ever really have a problem with you being there. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted June 28, 2018 Share Posted June 28, 2018 15 minutes ago, LongTimeLurker said: The racism/xenophobia angle varies a lot depending what part of Japan you are in. I have always found people in Kyoto unusually friendly to Westerners probably because their city wasn't bombed in WWII. Overall, if you stick to the tourist trail, it's not something you are likely to encounter and isn't something that should put you off from going. If you live and work there, it's important to realise that most Japanese people would prefer very much to be in a Japanese language and cultural environment when they are in their own country, so if you make a reasonable effort to fit in so you are not getting in the way of them doing that most will have no problem tolerating your presence and it is only a few idiots (every country has them) that will ever really have a problem with you being there. Have you been to Fukuoka? Thinking of basing myself there mainly because there's a bar with a beer garden on the roof where I can chill out if I get freaked out by all the strangeness and etiquette rules. Handy for Nagasaki and maybe an overnight ferry trip to Busan in Korea. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongTimeLurker Posted June 28, 2018 Share Posted June 28, 2018 Don't know too much about Kyushu as I was based in the northern end of Honshu, so I seldom got down that far. Never heard anything untoward about Fukuoka. I'm sure you would be fine there. I would check out the local alcohol, shochu. It's much better than sake. Used to be viewed as being a drink for total wasters as it was associated with the black market after WWII, but has undergone a boom in popularity in recent times. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hampden Diehard Posted June 28, 2018 Share Posted June 28, 2018 (edited) On 27/06/2018 at 16:19, welshbairn said: Heard that we smell like wet dogs from the rain to them. I'm taking dog shampoo I think. Apparently we smell differently as we eat dairy products whereas they don't. You might find that you're in a wee bit of space to yourself in the subways even when it's quite crowded. Supposedly those from the Far East don't sweat as much as we do. It's a double whammy. As regards the bevvy culture, Korea certainly hasn't got a pub culture, so maybe I phrased that wrongly. In Japan, a fair bit of the bevvy culture is associated with work. If the boss goes on the ran dan, his workers go too, whether they want to or not. Not quite as bad as that in Korea. There isn't anything racist or xenophobic in Koreans not accepting single diners; that seems to be the rule in the majority of restaurants. They do, however, have a bit of a racist streak in them and TV can be like UK in the 1970s when it comes to jokes about black people. Edited June 28, 2018 by Hampden Diehard 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted June 28, 2018 Share Posted June 28, 2018 1 minute ago, Hampden Diehard said: There isn't anything racist or xenophobic in Koreans not accepting single diners; that seems to be the rule in the majority of restaurants. That's a bit worrying as I'm going on my own. f**k Korea in that case, I'll find somewhere else to try dog. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongTimeLurker Posted June 30, 2018 Share Posted June 30, 2018 On 28/06/2018 at 18:20, Hampden Diehard said: ...There isn't anything racist or xenophobic in Koreans not accepting single diners; that seems to be the rule in the majority of restaurants. They do, however, have a bit of a racist streak in them and TV can be like UK in the 1970s when it comes to jokes about black people. Ditto with Japan on that last bit, but they tend to look down a bit on eveybody that isn't Japanese and the Chinese are also a major target, so xenophobia is probably the better description with them. Beyond that the whole modern PC cultural agenda hasn't really reached that part of the world on issues like sexism and homophobia to anything like the same extent. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JTS98 Posted July 13, 2018 Share Posted July 13, 2018 On 6/29/2018 at 01:20, Hampden Diehard said: Apparently we smell differently as we eat dairy products whereas they don't. You might find that you're in a wee bit of space to yourself in the subways even when it's quite crowded. Supposedly those from the Far East don't sweat as much as we do. It's a double whammy. As regards the bevvy culture, Korea certainly hasn't got a pub culture, so maybe I phrased that wrongly. In Japan, a fair bit of the bevvy culture is associated with work. If the boss goes on the ran dan, his workers go too, whether they want to or not. Not quite as bad as that in Korea. There isn't anything racist or xenophobic in Koreans not accepting single diners; that seems to be the rule in the majority of restaurants. They do, however, have a bit of a racist streak in them and TV can be like UK in the 1970s when it comes to jokes about black people. That's definitely the case in Korea, too. It's the biggest thing my Korean mates moan about. It'll probably stop as the older generation retire as young Koreans hate it, but social norms here mean they have to do it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayzuss Posted November 30, 2018 Share Posted November 30, 2018 Looking to go to Japan next year, what are the cheapest options flight wise? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted November 30, 2018 Share Posted November 30, 2018 42 minutes ago, jayzuss said: Looking to go to Japan next year, what are the cheapest options flight wise? I looked into this a few months ago. Balancing price and good connections the best was BA from Inverness via Heathrow to Tokyo for about £600, with discounted flights within Japan thrown in. There were cheaper routes via Istanbul but with long stopovers and 2 changes. Worth checking out Edinburgh-Helsinki-Tokyo with Finnair or maybe other airlines. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodhull Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 I'm also heading to Japan (and Korea) in the summer and was wondering if any of you guys had used any of the pre-paid data Sims while over there? Been looking at one by a company called klook but looks like there are a few options out there. Like the idea of a sim more than the portable WiFi. Seems like less hassle. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 1 hour ago, Rodhull said: I'm also heading to Japan (and Korea) in the summer and was wondering if any of you guys had used any of the pre-paid data Sims while over there? Been looking at one by a company called klook but looks like there are a few options out there. Like the idea of a sim more than the portable WiFi. Seems like less hassle. The portable wifi seemed the cheapest and easiest when I looked into it. Order it and pick it up at the airport when you arrive and hand it back when you leave. Sounds like there's a lot less free hotspots over there. Haven't been though. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S7C Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 6 hours ago, Rodhull said: I'm also heading to Japan (and Korea) in the summer and was wondering if any of you guys had used any of the pre-paid data Sims while over there? Been looking at one by a company called klook but looks like there are a few options out there. Like the idea of a sim more than the portable WiFi. Seems like less hassle. I bought one in a vending machine Perhaps the most Japanese thing ever. Bit of a hassle to get set up but worth it in the end. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boulderdomb Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 How much Japanese should you be able to speak and/or read before taking the plunge and going to Tokyo? I've been considering taking the mrs for a while but I always feel awkward not being able to speak the native language (enough to get by). I can speak German now due to the number of times I've went 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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