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I've noted this in a different comment, but Japan is very easy to live in. Japan's greatest strength and it's greatest weakness is that just about everyone in t

I've noted this in a different comment, but Japan is very easy to live in. Japan's greatest strength and it's greatest weakness is that just about everyone in the society is in the same "lane". This means you get a bunch of good and bad characteristics in the vast majority of the population -- politeness-by-default, general honesty, intense almost blinding nationalism -- it's a mixed bag. Also, if you're interested from a culture perspective, it's quite possibly the most unique culture I've ever experienced. I'm not even normally interested in culture (just about every group has culture, things that make them different, and it's usually all interesting), but just the amount of seclusion that makes it almost impossible for a foreigner to be accepted in japan makes for some really interesting heightened culture differences/quirks.

mistermann 9y ago
> Japan's greatest strength and it's greatest weakness is that just about everyone in the society is in the same "lane". This means you get a bunch of good and bad characteristics in the vast majority of the population. I've never heard it described this way before, it makes a lot of sense.
- sdrothrock 9y ago
  My Japanese girlfriend is always curious (from a distance) about America and what it's like there -- she sometimes assumes that it must be a terrible place because I chose Japan. I usually explain that Japan and America have the same average quality, but Japan's peaks and troughs are fairly close to the average, while America's are much more extreme. I don't know if that makes sense (and I'm not guaranteeing it's 100% accurate), but it helped her "get" how Japan is a bit different. :)
  - aikinai 9y ago
    That's also how I explain it to people on both sides; Japanese society basically has the extremes pulled in on both sides, which results in a lot of benefits, but also some downsides. And it applies to a lot of aspects of society, like prosperity, politics, altruism, etc.
  - mistermann 9y ago
    > I usually explain that Japan and America have the same average quality Depends on the attribute, they certainly don't have the same average politeness, honesty, and public cleanliness. But then Japan has some unique downsides as well.

mistermann 9y ago

> Japan's greatest strength and it's greatest weakness is that just about everyone in the society is in the same "lane". This means you get a bunch of good and bad characteristics in the vast majority of the population. I've never heard it described this way before, it makes a lot of sense.

sdrothrock 9y ago
My Japanese girlfriend is always curious (from a distance) about America and what it's like there -- she sometimes assumes that it must be a terrible place because I chose Japan. I usually explain that Japan and America have the same average quality, but Japan's peaks and troughs are fairly close to the average, while America's are much more extreme. I don't know if that makes sense (and I'm not guaranteeing it's 100% accurate), but it helped her "get" how Japan is a bit different. :)
- aikinai 9y ago
  That's also how I explain it to people on both sides; Japanese society basically has the extremes pulled in on both sides, which results in a lot of benefits, but also some downsides. And it applies to a lot of aspects of society, like prosperity, politics, altruism, etc.
- mistermann 9y ago
  > I usually explain that Japan and America have the same average quality Depends on the attribute, they certainly don't have the same average politeness, honesty, and public cleanliness. But then Japan has some unique downsides as well.