*~Cookies&Cream~*

Hello everyone and welcome to my thread.My name is Hiroshi Takamatsu and I will be teaching you about my Japanese Culture.First let me start off by saying I was born in Yokota,Japan and from Okinawa,Japan currently living in the USA at the moment but only for a year soooo..2nd off school is pretty good there in Japan i mean if your of japanese blood and go to japanese schools not saying anyone cannot get into a japanese school but they would have to know good japanese know what im saying?Anyways,while i was living there in Japan in my place Okinawa its a very wonderous place indeed the cherry blossom trees the Neo Park Zoo and everything the people,friends and many things BUT!!!Were getting off subject so let me start off by telling you about the culture i was raised up in.

Let's Begin Shall We:
Ok so first off when I was about 5yrs old I was you know the average kid going to Kindergarden and doing lots of fun sorts of stuff with the the teachers and whatever!Later on come in Middle School its not the same stuff I always did Track and Tennis it was very fun especially meeting new friends and going on Field trips and learning the languge and writing styles of Japan.
During those times I always went to festivals like the Boys and Girls Festival which is Traditional and Moon Festival I would go out with my friends and eat lots and lots of Yakisoba and Yakitori and Soba and whatever i got my hands on like Sushi and Wasabi(ooo its spicy!)I would always sleep on tatami mats which are very flat so its not really comfortable like matresses,beds,etc.Um..
My father was a very strict man but my mother was soft and kind as a dove.
He would always ask where I went at all times and who I was hanging out with(still does today..sorta)Here I am at 16 in High School and Tennis and Archery its the basic things I do now in that school.Work is harder and you know.

I'm also taking Kendo training and Karate classes i just started Karate 2 weeks ago and Kendo 4 weeks ago.Kendo is where you practice with wooden sticks and im pretty sure everyone knows what Karate is right?Anyways,I basically fluent in Japanese and i know lots of English I love Kimonos especially for wearing for the festivals and at times like some Holidays mines is black and white its really cool!Honestly,I dont think im talking about some of the culture just the culture i raised up in and still do today to this day.

So I apologize just telling you some stuff but if you have any questions about the Japanese Culture please ask sorry if i wasted your time.Gomenasai!*bows*

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mforcer

I have a question ^^/ *raises hand*
What are the major differences you noticed when you first came to america?
I mean, it must have been strange living in another country. Some customs must have been totally awkward to you, and visa versa ^^"

I've heard that in japan an employ cannot look his boss in the eyes, while in america it's considered unpolite

How did you experienced it ?
(myself i'm dutch ^^">)

Avenara

Oh yes! I am EXTREMELY curious about things like that. I've heard there is this weird tradition where you stick your two pointer fingers together and try to shove them up into someone's ass when their back is turned in school, through the clothes mind you. I was so shocked when I heard that. Is it true?

I've also heard that students will even try that with teachers, and that teachers won't try and help another teacher out if they are being picked on. I've also heard bullying is REALLY bad over in Japan and again, no one tries to stop the bully from bullying.

mforcer

Wait.. what? O_o
^^"> i've started a question about the differences between cultures and you talk
about putting fingers in someones a-hole?
Hehehe ^^" curious question though

Avenara

Well it's supposed to be a game or something. x.x; Don't look at me. I just wanted it either confirmed or dispelled. XD

mforcer

hahaha ^_^
well it made me curious too

sounds like a game here like, when you let a ball pass trough between the legs,
you may get kicked in the ass or something, O_o*get's flashback* ... strange game...
Ow well let's get back to the topic ^^">

blue_rebel

I don't know about the origins of it, but yeah, it is a *sort of* game. People do it loads to annoy other people. You'll even find it happening in anime like Naruto and GTO.

Bullying is bad in Japan too, and I can't understand why. When I was there I was told by my host mom that the government's been trying to get the schools to retain as many students as possible - that is, not expel or suspend any of them. Apparently it's due to the falling standard of education in Japanese schools (I'm serious, when I went to Meito High, the math the freshman class was learning was MUCH easier than what I was learning back home).

All this seems very contradictory to Japan's advancement and leading position in technology and other global stuff... but *shrugs*. Every country's got its nerds.

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kedar

Ah, what in the world? I have never seen nor heard of such a thing in my life, though I do know that some girls have the habit of biting. From whom did you hear that from? A tradition? Might be a weird case.
~!!!!!! Oh, bullying - ijime, as we call it - yeah, it is one of those things which got a little out of hand in the past, though it seems to be dying out.. it still remains as a major illness in school. Long time ago, I read a report, where it was mentioned about this junior high student, who committed suicide because he could not handle the group bullying. In my school, though bullying was present, it was not that radical.. I was bullied, too.. (^_^) Haha, it was a regrettable thing on their part, however. They didn't know what was coming. Funny story, that was... I loved the experience, it was in my 10th grade. But this kind of stuff is also common in many other countries - older kids try to tease younger kids.

The thing is, one must stand up for one's self, no matter where one stands in a society. If you act all weak and innocent, people will definitely take that to their own advantage and pick on you.. Of course, for little kids, it is different. I remember when I was back in Kyoto.. I used to pick my little sister after her school, it used to end at 5 p.m. for her ~! I trust her friends and all, but I am kind of bit overprotective. But hey we have fun on our way home. Also, she was sent to private school, which are a bit more safer, while I was sent to a regular school. She is a brilliant student, too, and most beautiful just like my mom!

Oh oh oh, girls bully, too. I invite those.

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blue_rebel

I'm surprised you haven't heard of that. o.O;; The butt-poking thing, that is. It doesn't happen commonly, but I'd expect everyone (especially people from Japan) to know about it. I've seen it happen in Meitou High twice when some senior students were pulling a prank on a first-year student. Horrid. >_<

Suicide rates in Japan are frighteningly high. +__+

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kedar

^_^ The way that she [Avenara] described seemed rather extreme to me.. I have heard of several forms of poking and their respective poking spots, but poking in that area, that super specific spot, as was mentioned, I never heard of. Do you actually believe that all Japanese students in Japan would know about that thing? No. So, I am just one of those exceptions, but now I know all because of you rats. Haha. Sorry. Kidding. I never knew that it was considered a tradition.
Educational standards depend on the type of school you go to, not all schools are alike. Anyway, the culture, the traits of society, and the school system serve more as to show why bullying is common in Japan than any another.

To learn more about bullying in Japan and its respective causes, I would advice you all to watch an Anime movie called: Hurdle. ^_^ You might enjoy it.

P.S. Woo hoo, post # 3200.

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blue_rebel

LOL, all poking is the same IMO. I doubt it's a tradition, but it's an act... well, that's attributed to Japan. Not to say that everyone in Japan goes around poking people in the butt, but people think it started in Japan since, well, no one had ever heard of such a thing happening in other countries.

That's obvious. I meant the standard in general. And it was my host mom who told me that. I have to admit I was pretty surprised when I heard that. She was complaining about how Math and Science keep getting easier and easier with time. I'm sure that's been happening in many other countries, but honestly, Meitou High's supposed to be one of Nagoya's top schools - I never expected the Math they learn there to be so simple.

Maybe it's just because I'm a Math geek. I don't know.

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