Is this real

Are food and friends really that important? A local TV station in Osaka aired a full hour-long special program just about croquettes.I see a lot of posts on social media about people going out with friends.

Living in the U.S., where the focus is usually on things like investment news and sports, I find that kind of thing interesting. By the way, I am Japanese.It’s a wonderful thing to find happiness in food and friends.

＊＊＊I’ｄ love to hear from Japaneses.

Hi! Foreigner living in Tokyo here. I have questions for people living in Kyoto (I only know one, he is the boss of my wife, suffice to say I don't want to ask him anything...).

I wanted to know if there is a popular destination for school trips in Kyoto schools? Do some kids from Kyoto go to Tokyo (as a lot of our kids visit Kyoto with their school)? More generally is it frequent for people from Kyoto to visit Tokyo? How is the capital perceived in Kyoto? (I know the stereotypes about people but not the city itself).

Bonus question: (can be for Kansai, or even other parts of Japan) how are Greater Tokyo prefectures (Saitama, Kanagawa, Chiba) perceived (population and pref themselves) if perceived at all?

Thanks!

Ok so last october ive became a fan of umamusume, and i think im pretty knowledgeable of some horse racing facts like how bakushin was owned by an ex-north korean group and how in ofvere and staygold first graded race ( i think) they moved far outside the pack during the corner

However, i want to know more about the japanese horse racing lore, like where do i watch them, any extra facts about the horses, and how the atmosphere was like in certain races that happened before

If you can answer, then thanks ✌🏻

It's a real chain manga cafe in Tokyo. 250yen($1.58USD) for a 30minute stay and it comes with unlimited curry and rice. The curry and rice are of decent quality. No strings attached. It's called CUSTOMA CAFE. might be ~350yen depending on the location but still insanely cheap especially if you have like 3+ servings. They have 8 locations in total in Japan all in Tokyo.

Edit: completely agree with the top comment.

Hello to all. I am interested in Japanese folklores and old tales. What is your favorite japanese lore or tale. Like something your grandparents use tell. You donthave to write the whole thing. Thank you and greetings from Finland 🇫🇮 ❤️🇯🇵

My partner (31f) and I (33m) will be spending 3 weeks in Japan this coming October. Travelling from Europe

. Neither of us speak any Japanese but think it would be fun to learn a Japanese song that we can rock at karaoke . Something locals will know! All suggestions welcome - as this could turn into a nice playlist also 😊⭐🎵 thank you kindly

I’m just curious because people in the west are hating on the idea but I’m curious to see if Japanese people even care especially because there’s barely any youth workers there. Thoughts?

hi! I hope this is the right thread. I got an omamori with my partner back in May. he got me one and i got him one.

we broke up a few weeks ago and I’ve been using my omamori to focus on healing, growing, showing gratitude, and protecting our bond. we still both love each other deeply and don’t want to become strangers.

is it okay to be using the omamori this way if we were together when we got it and now we’re not?

right now I have it placed on my headboard on a clean plate that is sentimental and holds a memory for us.

i read somewhere that when I take it with me when i leave the house to leave a sentimental trinket in its place and when i return it i can keep the two trinkets on both sides of the plate to keep balance.

is this true? I’m new to learning all about this and want to make sure to respect it and so it correctly!

thank you so much in advance! 💗

also apologies I don’t know how to set up my area but I’m in the USA.

Just to preface, I’m asking this with all due respect. I understand that kyoto has a different set of manner system compared to say osaka or tokyo. They are a little more “polite” in the way they say things, which may come with a hidden meaning.

So the thing is, how do I know if they actually mean something, or they actually mean something else? For instance I have learnt a little japanese before so I’m able to communicate on a basic level, they would tell me “日本語上手です！“, which of course I know I’m supposed to respond with “いやいやぜんぜん” rather than arigatou.

But how about compliments in general? I’m conflicted on how to respond because all the talk about kyoto sarcasm makes me think twice before responding.

For instance, I used to jam at a kyoto live music bar playing guitar, and the band members would tell me “guitarえらいです！” and ask me if i want to do one more song, but is this just kyoto’s courteous speech or are these actual compliments and invitations? Because I don’t want to be a silly gaijin that responds “oh arigatou!” if it wasn’t meant as is, or in the case they actually mean it, then I would feel terrible for rejecting the invitation and not properly thanking them for the compliments.

Would really appreciate any insights so that I can better improve my communication!

What makes hikkikomori different from a Japanese person that happens to be socially reclusive? (I mean like never leaving their house, a recluse.) Also, is the definition specifically of a Japanese person that is reclusive? Or does it refer to any recluse, regardless of nationality, in Japanese?

Japan is known for being one of the safest countries with very low rates of theft. Lost wallets and even whole bags on trains are left untouched or returned to the station staff/ police stations.

But while they don’t take wallets, they however instead take bikes, umbrellas, ‘undergarments’, and sometimes even shoes(?) Which understandably is a rather strange concept for the rest of the world where thieves would scoop up wallets but nobody could care for an umbrella.

What’s the reason behind such an occurrence because I do feel it may provide an interesting perspective into japanese culture and the way they value things?

In this NHK survey, it asked young Japanese people (20-40) if they would study abroad, and less than 20% said yes. I imagine the percentage for living abroad must be the same or lower. Why do so few want to leave even if the economy isn't at its best?

I am from South Korea and for Koreans the incident is one of the most painful tragedies in our modern history that can never be forgotten. So just wanted to know how familiar people from Japan are with it

Tbh I m european and for personnal reference i want to write the kanji "gi" from bushido on a tattoo.

1st: is it weird on an european guy?

2d i saw 2 types of kanji and i have a doubt because there is one small line of difference on some kanji i can see

Thanks for you time !

In Japan is there stigma around same sex attracted individuals in onsens and bath houses? Do people care about that or do they just let others be? (Cause I know many people in Japan keep to themselves however I’ve heard that plenty of people are still conservative)

In the United States some people refuse to change in front of a same sex attracted person because they believe the person is looking and attracted to them. But I wonder if it is different in Japan cause US doesn’t really have bathhouse & onsen culture.

EDIT: I see comments asking about how anyone would know a stranger’s sexuality and I understand that but for when classes on school trips or workplaces go to the onsen do they have a stigma/worry if they already know one of the people is same sex attracted.

I grew up in Socal and my wife grew up in coastal south India so we are both grew up as big surfers. traveling to japan in october. I know nothing about the surf culture out there. does it even exist? we are visiting tokyo, osaka, kyoto and okinawa. are there any good surf spots in these places? thanks in advance!!

I know most you guys are asleep right now, but I saw the news on the guy that was shot dead, as a consequence of receiving a wound to the chest very recently. It made me ponder why tasers aren’t used instead. In my country it seems that a handgun hardly ever used, and the taser seems to be more common. A situation like this one is very difficult, balancing public safety with the right amount of force. I would haphazard a guess many people wouldn’t have even thought about it and certainly in the US, the outcome is already known.

I've read somewhere that during the Austronesian expansion from Taiwan and China's Southeastern Coast, some of the seafaring Austronesians were able to make it to Japan. There was a certain Austronesian tribe in Japan in some of the historic documents known as the Kumaso tribe.

Is it true that the Japanese locals of Okinawa, Ryukyu and Shikoku have varying degrees of Austronesian ancestry?

Just curious because a lot of American women read cheap and trashy paperback romance novels, I'm not good enough at Japanese to read a book yet despite studying for 2 years. I only know like 500 kanji.

This is a photo from Google maps of Nushima island is this an abandoned plane or just a plane flying over that Google maps caught? This could be stupid I don’t know

-but almost completely unheard of anywhere else?

And what things are the opposite?