Are your best buds in Japan foreign folk or Japanese?

[koku]

.


As much as I enjoy Japanese culture and like trying to improve in the language, and you would think with that I'd be distant to foreigners, both times there my closest buds were def. Foreign folk. I've just never met a Japanese male that can express the honest rude sense of humor Americans and Europeans and god I hope any sane part of the ruling world share.

Though I've definitely met some very cool Japanese folks.

[mikem]

Yes!

I have both types of close friends. Of course it's easier to be around other foreigners cause you can fully relax. The j-guy friends I have are a little more hyper active. Plus they enjoy drinking their body weight in alcohol despite the consequences.

J-guys come up with some pretty awesome things though. If I wanted to hear the most off-the-wall crazy shit I would definitely hang out with them over foreigners.

[koku]

lol

you can go into more about your experience in japan making friends with foreigners/japanese people. what are you preferences, blah blah blah, do you really need a formal post to see what the direction of this thread is? :P

Didn't think so, so post more than just 3 letters, ya bum.

[KAIZOKUx]

I actually made quite a good few friends through language exchange websites. One of my good friends Haru, who lives in Tokyo, I met on the site. We spoke on Skype a bunch and he was always encouraging me to use my Japanese. When/if I visit I'm able to meet up with him for coffee or what have you.

Shared Talk (http://www.sharedtalk.com/index.aspx) This website is set up by Rosetta Stone. There are some weird people but you can find some interesting people to exchange language with. If you start there you might find someone you can meet up with.

Other than that, if you are already in Japan, I would try joining some activities (martial arts, clubs, volunteer work) to make Japanese friends.

Good luck!

[Vic_Rattlehead]

Most of my friends here are Japanese. If im honest, I think I get on much better with the Japanese here than I do, say with the Americans here. Not to say the Yanks are bad or anything, you`re top lads but theres only so much I can take of your daily bangings about how different our languages are! Zs and Ss, Herb not pronounced with the `h`, spelling and saying Aluminium differently, colour color/honour honor, fire truck fire department/fire engine fire brigade. GAH! Get over it!!

Of course, last year when I came here, I got on much more with the fellow Gaijin. Basically because my Japanese ability was still limited to basic expressions about what I like and so on, therefore I could only express my gibes and worries in my native language to my fellow foreigners. Since last year I`ve worked really hard on my language; reading newspapers almost daily, getting started on some novels etc...and I think its certainly paid off!

I think language proficiency has certainly opened new doors for me here! I used to think the Japanese were just stumpy yellow robots who lived in highrise ant-hills。 Now I can confirm that, as well as going on to say that they`re pretty dapper folk too! :clap:

[Digital Masta]

Most of my friends here are Japanese. If im honest, I think I get on much better with the Japanese here than I do, say with the Americans here. Not to say the Yanks are bad or anything, you`re top lads but theres only so much I can take of your daily bangings about how different our languages are! Zs and Ss, Herb not pronounced with the `h`, spelling and saying Aluminium differently, colour color/honour honor, fire truck fire department/fire engine fire brigade. GAH! Get over it!!


Dialects...how different our dialects are. :P

[Vic_Rattlehead]

Haha well spotted. I have no idea why I put down `languages`!

[TommyA]

I have a shit load of best buds. Male/Female, Foreign/Japanese. I would say foreign tips the scale for sure though.

I have a great life here!

[MNJetter]

When I was in Japan, nearly all of my friends were Japanese. There was a Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) base in my village, and it was really easy to make friends with the Japanese people there. People in my village had roots and childhood friends and well-established daily routines, and most of them were over 65. But the JASDF folk were young for the most part, brought in from all different parts of the country, and only anticipated being there for a few years before moving on to the next base. The whole transient occupation thing helped me form a bond with my JASDF friends that was much the same as the bond I'd begun to form with my JET friends. But the thing is, the JASDF people lived 5 minutes from my house by car, while the closest JET was a good 25 minutes away. And through the JASDF people, I was introduced to a few good friends who actually lived in the village, too.

I had three really good American friends, six really good Japanese friends, and about a dozen more Japanese people who I hung out with on a regular basis. And I had like six honorary adoptive parents, heheh. I had nothing against other JETs and other foreigners in the area. They were just too far away.

[koku]

I think language proficiency has certainly opened new doors for me here! I used to think the Japanese were just stumpy yellow robots who lived in highrise ant-hills。 Now I can confirm that, as well as going on to say that they`re pretty dapper folk too! :clap:

Hahaha. But you confiormed it, no ;)

I actually ALWAYS get surprised when I go to Japan and how by the end of it, the 2 or 3 people I've related to the most and would call "best friends" end up being foreigners. I think there's just that sense of comrodrare and being able to make jokes and shit and f'n relax around a person that only euros and americanos seem to put an emphasis on. Don't know why Japanese society is built around biting your lip all day.

Well...obviously I do know but that type of life style is f'n stressful and not the best party atmosphere man. Give me a Japanese person who can surprise me and I'll be there! Though I did meet some really cool people that were Japanese as well. With guys though...I don't know why yet, but it's just really been hard to find any common ground and get them to start speaking. At least with girls they probably have talked to some foreign guys, or at the very least, even with no common ground at least the oppossite sex thing gets you talking. With guys it's just "......so....you like Japanese girls? Cool....." *crickets chirp*