Life in Japan - Pictures galore !! Arcades, Temples, Rainy days, etc

Teachers can talk a lot of shit.

 

I hear(d) that the extended winters were a factor.

Anyways, always wanted to go to Iceland - especially after my unhealthy obsession with Gus Gus , especially during Polydistortion era.

 

I still have quite a few pictures to add, so don't write me off yet. It was very weird leaving this time as i knew deep down I was never coming back as a resident... at least not any time in the near future. All of me was sad, but a lot of me was sad b/c I felt (and still do feel) that it's Japan's fault that I can't live there. Not sure if that makes sense...

And for the record, I'm already gone.

 

It makes perfect sense for me.

 

Yep - and hurts a little.

 

I bet it does, especially after the amount of time you'd been here.

 

I don't get it, you mind filling a new gaijin in?

 

As per my last few posts, the main reasons I have left Japan are:

1) It is completely and totally unequipped to give my son the proper education he needs. And that's with English set aside. My son has Aspbergers and ADHD. In the US, he is in a public school, and the teacher gives him a little extra attention he needs. In Japan, he would be in a special school, with children with a number of other ailments stretched over grades of a few years. In the trial class, there was a child with Downs Syndrome that was 2 years older than him. How are either of those children having their learning disabilities catered to?

2) Corporate Japan sucks huge balls. Corporate anywhere is lame, but Japan consistently pays shit (and getting worse thanks to it's ailing economy) and is losing tons of industries. For the last 14 years I've worked on the technical side of finance, which focused on Japanese financial instruments. Guess what: all the competition is outside of Japan. :-/ I'm sure I could have gotten a job somewhere, but everything told me that leaving was going to be better for me in the short and long runs.

Things are cyclical and Japan may bounce back. But it's somewhat painful to have devoted a large piece of my life to speaking Japanese and have it be basically useless the moment I leave. I have no regrets at all, as it opened tons of doors for me and got me where I am. It's disappointing though... when I first went to Japan I dreamed of how awesome it would be for me to get a job in the US based on my Japanese speaking ability. How the mighty have fallen...

 

Silhouette by gaijin_punch, on Flickr


Morning Read by gaijin_punch, on Flickr


Aoyama by gaijin_punch, on Flickr


Peek-a-boo by gaijin_punch, on Flickr


Hug Me by gaijin_punch, on Flickr

 

Holly shit, someone on that train DIDN'T have a smart phone!

 

Two newspaper shots in that post, actually. Retro.

 

That's a bummer, I'm sad that it's turned out like this for you!

 

Shit happens. Plenty of people have it worse than me in the world!

 

It's going to be incredibly sad to see the loss of both your contributions to this thread guys ... I've followed this thread avidly since I joined the site 7 years ago and all the pictures have really given a flavour of life in Japan!

I wish all the best in your future endeavours!

 

Cheers. Not sure where I'm going to wind up (still interviewing) but things are definitely picking up. I underestimated the recruiter scene in the US and have paid for it. Was hoping to be working about now, but I'd guess I'm still 4-6 weeks away. We'll see though. Anywho, I do have a few more tricks up my sleeve, and you can always check my Flickr for non-Japanese photos.

It does suck balls that I can't just pop out and photograph the weirdness of Tokyo. I'm hoping I land a gig where I can take a week off and go enjoy the city once or twice a year. I'm sure my son will go there for the summers for a long time, so that's definitely incentive.

 

View from the upper floor of one of my elementary schools.


View from the rail overpass with some of the little gardens the retirees tend also visible.

 

Thank you. All the best in yours, too.

I'll still be putting photos on Flickr and my website (which really started in Japan), and there's lots I forgot to copy into this thread anyway. I miss Japan a lot—I'll be dropping by here every now and then.

 

It's been too long with no pictures in this thread so.... a load of pictures taken with my Xperia ZL2's camera.

Beautiful view


Not so beautiful view


If this was anywhere else in the world my car would be an empty shell!


Little friend


EDF! EDF!

 

I got my developing equipment back. I have 20 rolls of shit from Tokyo... A lot of them are from about a year ago, and the hit ratio back then was much lower. So, 36 x 20 = 720. If I can get a 1/10 keeper ratio that means I got 72 pictures cumming this way.

Thinkiner by gaijin_punch, on Flickr

Train Nap by gaijin_punch, on Flickr

Post Shadows by gaijin_punch, on Flickr

Lots of Police by gaijin_punch, on Flickr

Crepe by gaijin_punch, on Flickr

Lotion by gaijin_punch, on Flickr

 

Thanks, that means a lot