[ SECRET POST #3503 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #3503 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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[Avatar: The Last Airbender]


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[Overwatch]


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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 03 pages, 56 secrets from Secret Submission Post #500.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[fscom]

03. http://i.imgur.com/HtKlORb.jpg

[(Anonymous)]

They're guaranteed to embarrass themselves - every Westerner is, no amount of preparation is enough for Japan's etiquette standards - but they'll probably have a good time. The standards are bitten back behind tight smiles for people they know will be leaving soon.

[(Anonymous)]

Could you post some more information on the polite but scheming nature of Japanese society?

[(Anonymous)]

I'd say "any foreigner" rather than limiting it to a single hemisphere.

[(Anonymous)]

Just let em fucking live, man

[(Anonymous)]

Man, what a self-righteous secret. Japan is a FANTASTIC tourist country. It's relatively easy to get around and have a good time if you speak English and little-to-no Japanese, it's got a ridiculous lot to see and do, it's a first world country. I seriously doubt a significant number of people go to Japan on vacation and have an utterly terrible time.

And as someone who does travel internationally for work and so has visited many countries, and also incidentally lived in Japan for three years, I can say otaku-types make a perfectly great choice in booking their first foreign trip to Japan. And if you're the otaku-type, you will absolutely enjoy Japanese anime/manga/geek culture, you only need to hit up Akihabara, Ikebukuro, or one of the many anime-themed cafes/conventions/whatever.

Yeah, granted, you're not going to be able to walk around in cat ears or cosplay without getting looks, and if you expect life to operate like your typical anime, you're going to be disappointed, but there is plenty geek culture to go around.

[kaijinscendre]

Hell, the Otaku type will probably know more Japanese than your average tourist!

[ill_omened]

I'd agree with all of this except to say that the almost entire lack of people speaking English, and the actual racism you might face can throw people.

It's certainly up there for best possible locations to travel to, and certainly one of the safest.

[caerbannog]

THE TRAINS ARE AWESOME AND SO EASY TO UNDERSTAND AND NAVIGATE.

The streets...not so much, much much harder XD Take a map and search locations beforehand. But the trains? BLESS THE TRAINS. THEY'RE COLOUR CODED. The police and the train people are so helpful when you are lost.

[ariakas]

Dude the whole Yokoso Japan campaign was built around the overt realization that Japanese "culture" had become popular globally through shit like ninjas and anime. Everybody knows why those foreigners are heading to Akiba.

[(Anonymous)]

You know the weird thing is, the first time I visited Japan, I was actually surprised by how many things there actually matched stuff I'd read about in manga when I had actively tried to make myself not expect it.

[(Anonymous)]

Ooooh, could you eloborate?

[(Anonymous)]

See, I'm not exactly sure what expectations of Japan manga and the like encourage. I mean, you're not going to find mecha or people with blue hair. You are going to find lots of people in school uniforms, riding trains, eating onigiri, visiting shrines, whatever.

The best I can come up with is anime voice acting tends to be "character voice" and girls don't actually talk that high pitched. Or that yaoi happens irl at every street corner. Or, that it's culturally acceptable to go around in cosplay (which I don't think any manga actually says).

Every-day life manga hardly make shit up, though.

[(Anonymous)]

Same here!

[lb_lee]

I had a grand time when I went with my Japanese class as a kid! (Even though I was sick, but thankfully, not contagious so I was still able to go!) That country cured me of my pickiness; I'm really glad I got to experience it, since I doubt I'll ever be able to go again.

Plus I got some really cool photos! :D

[(Anonymous)]

I'm getting tired of the fact that it's always the oktakus who get shit for their wish to visit Japan. People (unrealistically) obsessed with other countires don't seem to get this. At all.

They exist though. Back in Highschool I had this friend who was obsessed with idea of visiting Paris because she was a huge fan of the movie Amélie. Once she went there she got a really huge shock. Because she had expected to see a city exactly like in the movie. Like exactly alike.

In contrast even the worst otakus I encountered in real live weren't even half as delusional with their expectations how the Japan in real life would look compared the one in manga and anime.

[(Anonymous)]

You know I think anything that gets someone willing to visit other places is amazing and maybe a chance to learn something. You think it's bad because of their expectations, but maybe it's a good lesson.

I wish I could travel all sorts of places but I don't have enough money, so anybody that has the money to travel should be able to go wherever they want. As long as they are respectful and open minded then I see no problem.

[(Anonymous)]

I don't think it matters in the long run if they go there and embarrass themselves. I studied abroad in Japan in college with a group from all over the world, and one of the friends I made - because we both loved anime and manga - turned out to be one of those embarrassing otaku in class and out of it. I thought she was kidding herself by being in our field of study.

But she showed me. We stayed friends and now she's been living and working as a translator in Japan for over ten years. I've visited her several times and she fits in with the culture perfectly. If I could be in her place, even if it meant I spent a half year of college embarrassing myself some 10+ years ago, I'd take it.

[(Anonymous)]

I'm definitely not crazy about the whole "anime tourist" thing. It feels wrong to go just for that, as opposed to actually wanting to see Japan as a country with a variety of people and places to meet and see.

[(Anonymous)]

OP how do you feel about people who want to go to Japan based of any other single cultural element like technology or food or tea? Someone can have a skewed view of Japan and never have watched an anime a day in their life

Likewise with pretty much everywhere with exported cultural elements. Someone brought up Paris Syndrome, which is when people become depressed over how Paris doesn't live up to the expectation of being this exotic paradise, which is very much a cultural mainstay around the world.

[(Anonymous)]

What about people who want to go to Japan because that's where their heritage is from? Or maybe they're genuinely interested in the culture/language? Not everything revolves around fandom.

I mean...judge all you want. But you're gonna look and feel like an asshole when you're eventually proven wrong.

[caerbannog]

Japan was my first overseas destination!

Sure, I embarrassed myself on many occasions/was embarrassed by my mum and sure spent a lot of time apologising...but...most people were really nice and encouraging. And I'm someone who considers embarrassment/shame to be one of the worst feelings.

Well worth the trip, very enjoyable and I'd like to go back again sometime.

[mimi-sardinia.livejournal.com]

Anyone going to Japan as a tourist should go looking on YouTube for "What Not To Do In Japan" videos. I have watched a couple along the way and they inform about the easiest mistakes westerners can make.

Hell, it probably wouldn't hurt to watch videos about any country along that theme.

lol longtimer here

[(Anonymous)]

I feel this secret. I've seen this VERY THING happen to many people. It kind of happened to me as well! But I'm not just an otaku, I also have other interests here.

But to all of you who are saying this is a country friendly to non-Japanese speakers--yeah, I guess that's true if you're in a city. If you are only visiting Honshu, and not going elsewhere, you probably won't nee English. Tokyo and Osaka and other main cities have a decent amount of help in English.

But I have seen the anger and frustration in people when Japan is not the shiny otaku dream that they envisioned, that they couldn't find something specific they were looking for, or that the warning, "You will walk EVERYWHERE, be prepared to walk constantly," was taken lightly. I've been told that Japan is boring and they'd never done anything fun after showing people around the big famous tourist sights and planning a mini-vacation tailored to them. I've seen the completely crestfallen otaku. Sure, you can accuse me of being a poor tour guide, but if you think that Kyoto is boring then that is on you.

I have a lo of feelings on this, obviously. I love Japan and I love living here. But I DO get worried about the otaku tourists. Because this country is amazing but at the same time you have to realize Japan is just like anywhere else in the world, special and unique and flawed.

[(Anonymous)]

As someone with both a work history in anime Localization and more classical "cultural" fields, as well as in tourism to and from Japan - this attitude is soooo second semester japanese major. Respect my beloved japan! You poor little noobs don't understand my japan! You wouldn't if you tried because you only know anime. I'm so over anime, I'm next level almost-native japanese!!!1!1
Bleh