Area Difference

[Kanzetsu]

Ok, i've seen a question from someone else in a thread, thought i'de make a topic for those who are familiar with it to answer.

In terms of area's, such as inner city, outter city, outter suburban, whatever, what are major or even minor differences in peoples attitudes/daily activities etc..
Towards gaijin or towards people in general, general personality in the area's even, split area's up like Tokyo and Kyoto if you can, whatever =)

I think these "know japan" threads need to be split up into a bunch of different more acurate threads now lol

[nice gaijin]

better yet, let's just make an individual thread for each native Japanese to describe how they behave and treat other people and foreigners.............

[Kanzetsu]

Ummm. not quite =P, that'd be silly.

[Exclamatio]

better yet, let's just make an individual thread for each native Japanese to describe how they behave and treat other people and foreigners.............

better yet you go get laid

[yakamashii]

I live in the Tohoku Region in a fairly large city (Koriyama, about 300,000 people), and I've noticed that the farther I get away from the main train station, the more stares I get and the more "Japanese" things become, ie no English on the signs, more rice and nature.

There are exceptions, of course, like a newer, upper-middle class community on the other side of a big hill from the station. Comparing the way they act and live to those downtown is a lot like comparing the same in California. Low reliance on public transportation and other signs of affluence are what sets them apart.

For the most part, though, the more "inaka" you become, the narrower the world perspective. Most people eventually ask about my Japanese ability, but out in the country, the question is usually much more pointed than in the city. Out on the boonies, I detect a little more reservation and a kind of "so you've been listening the whole time?" suspicion in the question, which is usually "Why did you come here?"

In places like Tokyo and Osaka, where I don't live but have spent a fair amount of time, the question is generally first "How long have you been in Japan?" followed by "Why do you know Japanese?" with a different tone. The city question, when I take body language and everything else into account, seems more like "Of all the things a person could do, why did you pick Japanese?" and most importantly, it is more often than not said with a smile!

My countryside students wake up and go to sleep earlier and have larger families than do the city kids (based on the answers that they give in class). I ask the same questions several times over a period of weeks, and even twice in the same class sometimes, and I have noticed this consistency.

The waking and sleeping times could have to do with the fact that many of them have farmers in the family, although it's difficult to tell who's doing the farming, the grandparents or the parents. The kids certainly aren't doing it all day, they're in school. But they do bring me tasty veggies!

And the countryside kids use dirty Tohoku-ben way more than the kids from that suburb.

All of these are just observations, and I agree with the earlier post that we might as well ask each Japanese to post if we want the real answers.

[stsparky]

Fukuoka Japan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukuoka%2C_Fukuoka) is where I enjoyed life in Japan the most. It's landmark tower was featured in Godzilla versus Mecha-Godzilla.
Fukuoka (福岡市; -shi) is the capital city (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cities_of_Japan) of Fukuoka Prefecture (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukuoka_Prefecture) and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyushu) in Japan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan), across the Korea Strait (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korea_Strait) from South Korea's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Korea) Busan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busan). Its geographical coordinates is 33°35′ N 130°24′ E (http://kvaleberg.com/extensions/mapsources/index.php?params=33_35_N_130_24_E_). It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by Kitakyushu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitakyushu). The city was designated on April 1 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_1), 1972 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1972) by government ordinance (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_designated_by_government_ordinance_%28Japan%2 9).

Fukuoka is served by Fukuoka Airport (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukuoka_Airport), the Sanyo Shinkansen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanyo_Shinkansen) high speed rail line at Hakata Station (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakata_Station) and by ferry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferry). JR Kyushu operates a hydrofoil (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrofoil) between Hakata and Busan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busan), South Korea (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Korea). The subway (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukuoka_City_Subway) opened a new line, the Nanakuma line, on February 2 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_2), 2005 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005). Bayside Place was declared bankrupt on September 13, 2005.

Fukuoka has produced a higher number of successful music artists than any other city in Japan. Big names in J-Pop (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J-Pop) include Ayumi Hamasaki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayumi_Hamasaki) (allegedly Japan's richest woman), Shina Ringo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shina_Ringo) and Spitz (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spitz). During the 1970s, local musicians prided themselves on their origins and dubbed their sound, Mentai Rock. In recent years, the music scene has been rejuvenated by the willingness of local players to perform with foreign musicians located in the area. These hybrid bands include the likes of Fever, Cut Flowers, Dr. Funkinstein, F8 & The Routes.

Fukuoka is also the setting for popular anime and manga series, Excel Saga (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excel_Saga). ... complete in link above ...


Travel guide to Fukuoka (http://wikitravel.org/en/Fukuoka) from Wikitravel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikitravel)


Official page of Fukuoka Tourism Association website (http://www.fukuoka-tourism.net/e/fukuoka.html)
Fukuoka Live - Fun, Free, English Chat, Travel, Parties and Exchange (http://www.fukuokalive.com/fukuoka/index.asp)
Fukuoka Forums - Fukuoka's international forums (http://www.fukuokaforums.com/)
Beetle (http://www.jrkyushu.co.jp/beetle/english/index.html) - Fukuoka-Pusan service owned by JR Kyushu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JR_Kyushu)
British Trade Promotion Office (http://www.uknow.or.jp/be_e/about_us/trade/) - closed in June 2005
Fukuoka-city Online (http://www.city.fukuoka.jp/index-e.html)
Fukuoka International Association (http://www.rainbowfia.or.jp/english/association/index.htm)
Gateway Fukuoka (http://www.city.fukuoka.jp/investment/english/index.html)
Fukuoka City Guide: An Expat's Guide (http://kyushu.com/fukuoka/)
Fukuoka Now, a Fukuoka city guide and local English-language magazine, online forums (http://www.fukuoka-now.com/)
Go-Fubar.mag, a Fukuoka English language magazine and guide (http://go-fubar.com/)
Hakozaki Live Cam (http://www.hakozaki.net/REAL/)
Fukuoka Guide, get more out of Fukuoka, Japan's mini-metro (http://www.fukuokaguide.com/)
Fukuoka subway (http://www.urbanrail.net/as/fuku/fukuoka.htm)
Fukuoka Classifieds (http://www.kyushu-classifieds.com/latest/)
Articles on local life and music in North Kyushu (http://www.jonwilks.com/articles.html)
-----


- Does that help? - Sparky

[SoulPlay]

better yet you go get laid

Getting laid solves *Everything*..

[SoulPlay]

In places like Tokyo and Osaka, where I don't live but have spent a fair amount of time, the question is generally first "How long have you been in Japan?" followed by "Why do you know Japanese?" with a different tone. The city question, when I take body language and everything else into account, seems more like "Of all the things a person could do, why did you pick Japanese?" and most importantly, it is more often than not said with a smile!


A japanese girl from my college threw me that same type of question, she asked "Why are you learning Japanese?", I just blatantly said "hmm...why not?" then she said "If i were american, I would not be learning Japenese" and I just told her "Then again, you are not american...";).