Anyone else living in Japan?

Japan's a love-it-or-hate-it kind of place. I love it, of course, as you can guess by the fact I've been here over 40 years. What brought you to Japan, Dom_m? Here on hoiliday? Given good weather you can have a really good time here... Did you catch the cherry blossoms? You were here at about the right time.

I have always wanted to visit Japan especially the onsen and cherry blossom viewing. And of course all the otaku stuff.
Did you find it hard to adjust to their culture? I have heard that the Japanese will never fully accept you as one of them and will always see you as a gaijin.

Hi, Steffi.
We are just coming up to the cherry blossom and the weather forecasters are saying the Cherry Blossom Front will hit Tokyo on about March 22. Can hardly wait. Last year we moved into our new condominium, and the gardens have several impressive cherry trees. If they survived the transplanting, we should have a pretty show. As far as Japanese not fully accepting you as one of them, that's not so unusual as no foreign-born person can actually be one of them in the full sense--too wide a gap in terms of looks, habits and culture. My kids, though, born and brought here, have no problems, despite none of them looking quite Japanese (my wife is Japanese). I guess things are more favourable in the United States, as historically you have welcomed many different peoples and accepted them as "your own." But that's the exception, rather than the rule. We Brits have our problems with accepting furriners. <embarrassed grin>

I've ALWAYS wanted to visit England. Do you ever go back?

Hi, Snookeroo,

I used to visit my mother every year, but she passed away 15 years ago. My most recent visit was on our honeymoon two years ago. We had great weather most of the time, which is rare for England. Beautiful country, dreadful climate.