I hear the stupidest questions, like are there boats everywhere, is everyone a fisherman, do you eat sushi everyday, do they drive a lot, do you have american television, what is your house like, do Japanese speak english??  I can go on and on..

What type of questions have you been asked, that are just out of this world strange?

Oh, I'm sorry, did I wake you?
I have returned the favor a couple times with my dad, he stopped calling in the middle of the night.

Oh, I'm sorry, did I wake you?

Thats the worst part about VONAGE! People call you all the time!! It always ends up being 2am for some reason..

Posted By Adam Jones on 20 Jan 2010 10:33 PM

Oh, I'm sorry, did I wake you?

Thats the worst part about VONAGE! People call you all the time!! It always ends up being 2am for some reason..

...especially when it is the wrong number!

Are the Japanese really that short? Do restaurants serve just sushi? Does everyone live in houses with paper doors? (LOL)
We had family visit and they could absolutely not get their head around the fact that most people dim their headlights when behind another car in the dark.
Needless to say, culture shock will be worse going back to the US than it was arriving here!

Posted By Adks0804 on 20 Jan 2010 11:23 PM
Are the Japanese really that short? Do restaurants serve just sushi? Does everyone live in houses with paper doors? (LOL)
We had family visit and they could absolutely not get their head around the fact that most people dim their headlights when behind another car in the dark.
Needless to say, culture shock will be worse going back to the US than it was arriving here!

Sorry, my husband just threw another good one in...
"Does everyone drive like they do in 'Tokyo Drift'?"

"Do they eat fish everyday? You must miss hamburgers and fried food."

"Do you have bamboo floors?"

"Are the woman that submissive there? They're like slaves, right?"

And then people are really unaware of what bases normally have, so: "How do you shop? You must miss American fast food. Do you have to order all your DVDs and everything because you can only get Japanese stuff, right? What if you get sick, how does the Doc understand?" Etc, etc.

Man, I'll post more as I remember them because they get pretty good sometimes. it surprises me how people are so ignorant of other countries... 'specially something so well known as Japan. D:

Or a telemarketer!  You really have to be careful about filling out forms online that require a phone number.

"Is it scary when Godzilla comes by your house?"-  "That Jackie Chan really seems nice, he is Japanese, right?"

"What's it like living in Japan?"

Um. It's like living in another country.

The questions I get asked are: Do they sell live chicken on the streets? Are there obese Japanese people? and last but not least.... What do you mean you have to buy Yen?

OK, I'll play along, I will ask the stupid question i've been wondering.
While taking my "daily-one" yesterday at 0900 on the dot, I was wondering about the japanese sanitation system. I dont want no fountian in my toilet. Their sanitation system is set up for toilet paper, right? RIGHT?
Hey, I got to know!

Ok, what you do is pull a cord and a geisha
comes and wipes you with a cloth made
of silk. Then she will take care of any other
needs youight have. That's why we luv
Japan much. Personally, I eat more so I can
go more often

Hell yeah!
Awwwesome I cant wait !
Silk? really? Sweet! cant wait for that!

All we got here is the "Texas Toilet Paper" and I can't take much more of that.

Silk - Damn thats nice!

Signed
Mr. Eating More Often

"Do have Japanese people come up to you for a autograph?"

"Are there Walmart's in Japan?" "Have you eaten dog yet?" "What is the weather like over there? Do they have seasons like we do?"

Oh my boy aske what the stars look like out here lol.

Oh yeah I forgot one question I get asked... Why do the Japanese drive on the wrong side of the street? Its not the wrong side, its the left side, duh!!!!

lol... I have the best one!!! when we heard we were coming here I told my sister in law and she said "wow really, that's crazy, well you better not have a baby over there because if you have a girl they will make you kill her."... I mean seriously what do you say to that.

"Do you get your tv from the streets/trash? I heard Japanese throws a lot of electronics stuff in the trash."

Does everyone carry a sword?

Oh! and, "Do you use chopsticks everytime you eat?"

Do they use Dollars there?

For some reason, my mom does not grasp the concept that different countries use different money. She never understood that Britain didn't use dollars either. /boggle

Does it smell like soy sauce?

My brother trying to be funny.

When he's picking me up from the airport, "Why do you smell like soy sauce?"

Posted By Ryash on 03 Feb 2010 03:49 PM
"Do you get your tv from the streets/trash? I heard Japanese throws a lot of electronics stuff in the trash."

This one isn't so crazy.  When I was in Yokosuka in the 80's you DID get TVs in the street. We called it "gomi hunting" where Japanese would dispose of their things around New Years so they could by new stuff.  Gaijin would drive around and pick up free furniture, electronics, whatever. I got an full size electronic organ once; kids would get pinball machines.  When I returned to Japan last year, I was saddened to see the fine art of gomi hunting was a thing of the past.

Are Japanese people really serious all the time?

Are there Yakuza everywhere? Do you see guys with missing fingers.

Are there Yakuza everywhere? Do you see guys with missing fingers.

Thats funny..

I have told people I am moving to Japan and they ask me if we can buy american food in Japan. Hmmmmmm...gee I wonder... ya think there's a comissary...... WOW... it's amazing what people think.

Posted By Ryash on 03 Feb 2010 03:49 PM
"Do you get your tv from the streets/trash? I heard Japanese throws a lot of electronics stuff in the trash."
This one isn't so crazy.  When I was in Yokosuka in the 80's you DID get TVs in the street. We called it "gomi hunting" where Japanese would dispose of their things around New Years so they could by new stuff.  Gaijin would drive around and pick up free furniture, electronics, whatever. I got an full size electronic organ once; kids would get pinball machines.  When I returned to Japan last year, I was saddened to see the fine art of gomi hunting was a thing of the past.

 

This is one change I really wish they would have not implimented. Sometimes you would even find money hidden in items that people had forgotten they had put there. My buddy had 6 electric guitars all in great shape that people just threw out.

The stupidest question I ever got asked was, " How are you going to live with just paper doors? You will have no privicy!'
Or the suggestion I should train to be a nija assasion while I live in Japan.

I've been around the US. when I went to maryland,

Girl asked me  at highschool  "do you have Black belt? "  

she loves martial arts then she thinks every Japanese does Karate
then I said " no I don't have black belt , I have white belt" ( it is joke actually I don't karate)

after that she thought he is  weakness, she didn't talk to me anymore 

Oohh that is sad...

Posted By takabell on 06 May 2010 08:50 AM
I've been around the US. when I went to maryland,

Girl asked me  at highschool  "do you have Black belt? "  

she loves martial arts then she thinks every Japanese does Karate
then I said " no I don't have black belt , I have white belt" ( it is joke actually I don't karate)

after that she thought he is  weakness, she didn't talk to me anymore 

You should answer "Yes! It's leather and hold up my pants."

yeah, sorry I don't have sense of American joke !

Posted By Adam Jones on 24 Feb 2010 10:14 PM

Are there Yakuza everywhere? Do you see guys with missing fingers.

Thats funny..

Actually, this one is also true of the 80's.  I saw lots of Yakuza and many guys that were missing pinkies.  They would start with the pinkies and work their way foward.  Kind of creepy to see.

Posted By takabell on 06 May 2010 09:18 AM
yeah, sorry I don't have sense of American joke !

Don't worry, it's not that funny. (Sooorrryyy @gaijin!!)

Posted By ThaiGuy on 06 May 2010 09:22 AM

Posted By takabell on 06 May 2010 09:18 AM
yeah, sorry I don't have sense of American joke !

Don't worry, it's not that funny. (Sooorrryyy @gaijin!!)

I think it's actually from a movie.

when I went to Aquerium with American , asked me
does Japanese people thinks "looks yummy"  fish in Aquerium?

NO NO .. we've never thought such a thing   >_____<

My grandmother asks me just about everyday what the weather's like....She lives at the same latitude as Sasebo...

And my 10 year old sister once asked me if Cayla (my infant) would come home dress like Mulan. I had to explain to her the difference between China and Japan. Also, my daddy keeps asking me for a Asian Sumbrero....aka the "Rice Paddy Hats". My mother-in-law on the other hand got into an argument with me over the way people lived over here. She was certain that the people all lived in bamboo huts and that we must have had a very nice place that all the "natives" would want to visit....

People are just curious about what is like in Japan..........................................................

It is not just crazy questions about Japan.. When I left Texas to move to Alaska my friends there all asked me if I'd live in an igloo!!!
After I got there I found some funny post cards with an igloo and a sign that said "we've moved" I ordered enough from the shop to send to everyone in Texas with my new address in Alaska!! LOL

Posted By takabell on 08-14-2011 12:31 AM

when I went to Aquerium with American , asked me
does Japanese people thinks "looks yummy"  fish in Aquerium?

NO NO .. we've never thought such a thing   >_____<

Awww, I would have messed with them and asked when lunch was, ha ha.

VLPC, That's FTW.

Lately it's just been questions about the aftershocks... or, they think there was only one earthquake on 3/11 and no aftershocks after that. Can't win. Sigh.

Lately it's just been questions about the aftershocks... or, they think there was only one earthquake on 3/11 and no aftershocks after that.

I keep getting "you glowing in the dark yet?" ugh.

A girl I went to high school with (and was never the sharpest tool in the shed) said "Wow, don't they have a Japanese mafia there?" And I said, "yes, but just like in the US, I'm not planning on joining."

Oh and she was also condeming me for visiting the shrines and temples, as she said it was sacreligious to do, so I asked her why she had "liked" on FB my photos of a particular temple andwhy she had posted that it was beautiful....she responded "I thought it was a Japanese restaurant."......side note: we are no longer FB friends.

My grandmother just sent me a box from the states with cocoa, cornstarch and cake flour in it. She said she was pretty sure I wasn't able to purchase those things while over here. I was so shocked I didn't even know how to respond! It is amazing how people in the states perceive life over here!

My all time favorite has been: Did you pack lots of boxes tampons before leaving ? When I responded no and asked why, my friend replied "Oh They dont use them over there, if Japanese women use them...they aren't virgins anymore!" >>>I mean wow really, lets try not to be just plane stupid!!!!

sorry typo...*plain, not plane : )

I think the weirdest ones so far has been "Will your child be a US citizen?" and "Do you speak Japanese yet?" We've only been here 12 weeks now.

The ones we got living in Hawaii were better. Also, got asked "Will your child be a US citizen?" But things like "what color is the water/sky there?" "How long does it take to get a passport so we can visit?" I think they got most of the stupid questions out at the duty station.