What comes to mind when you think of Japan? (amusement park, university)

[NihonKitty]

Urban paradise
Safe
My home country lol
Most fasionable people
7-11
Best train system
Clean
Homogenous
High tech


I can keep going on a positive list for an entire page so i'll stop there and put some negatives since im japanese

Chikan (public transit groping)
Aging population
Big cities (osaka metro, tokyo metro etc) dont have enough green
Politics
Expensive (depending where you live but in general for property you pay more and get small space than in say US)

[JMadison]

Samurai
Martial Arts
Tradition
Attractive Ladies
High Population Densities
Godzilla (Humor intended)

Overall, always thought I might like to live there someday, but don't have a concrete reason for it. Just a general impression. A bit like saying, "I think I'd like to live in Maui", but I've never been there.

So I may be grossly misinformed.

[b-raaad]

it's where my reliable gas saving honda civic was made

where my reliable sony ps3, sony vaio, and sony flat screen came from

to sum it up: honda and sony

[mofford]

I think of practical well built automobiles, builders of the best in consumer electronics, I think of quality. I think of the whole country as a steroid injected sports team playing 100% to win the game every time they play. I think of efficientcy and reliability, with proper application of capitalism and socialism to bring maximum benefits to it's citizens. IE, healthcare is very socialist, efficient and low cost. But the rest of the economy is capitalist and geared for maximum production.

On the other hand, I also think about Pearl Harbor and what they did to our GI's in the slave camps and how they sweep it under the carpet when they educate their young. PC guilt trips have no place there, because it interferes with national pride and honor, which is more important in Japan (and probably better for the country in the long run). When I think of what they eat and pay for their food, it makes me laugh at how flawed that particular aspect of their culture is.

[resettheclock]

Kaloyan Mahlyanov
No, but really, mostly good things - disciplined, hard-working ppe; honour.
Also the plummetting property prices in the past 10 years - but that's more like a professional interest of mine.

[Kracer]

Amazing how two countries like the US and Japan can be friends after WWII. Mitsubishi and Toyota, the war machine producers now sell popular branded cars in the US. A lesson here for other nations and groups that can't quite seem to put the past behind them.

Astounding if you really think about.

[mofford]

It's amazing what Japan has been able to accomplish given their high population and small land mass, without oil and mineral resourses. They don't trash and pollute their island either, they are very conscious of their environment. Imagine what Japan would have done if they had 300 million citizens living in a country like the US ? They would probably double or triple our GDP and be producing half the worlds goods. They would have the place locked down tight and have the whole world running scared for sure.

[Dopo]

Chinese people
(sorry, I had to say that, because I bet at least 1 person thought that for a second)

[Steve Bagu]

All the posts are of recent times which is okay for many to relate too or understand.

I go back to 1951...just under a year on Honshu.

Reflections;
Geishas in Yoshida
Mt Fuji (stationed on the slope in a Army tent city)
Lake Yaminaka... next to the town of Yaminaka east of Fuji
Asahi Beer
Nippon Beer
Cherry Brandy (1/2 pt)
Soba (noodles) (In Korea called Go Hung)
Tachikawa Air Base
Misa Air Base
Camp Whittington (former Kamakazi Air Base) (was stationed here)
Kumagiya (cherry lane for the Kamakazi pilots)
Tokyo (drove by the Imperial Palace)
Yokohama (drove thru on way to Tokyo)
Hachenoe
Sasabo
Sumo wrestler I met that was a champion in his weight division (about 160 lbs)
They do not have a belt as in US boxing. They have a FLAG (not a Japenese flag) for their title. He one time tried to show me a Sumo hold and threw me on my tailbone as I did not expect to be thrown... only shown. So I'm a little irked and decided payback. We tried again and this time I dropped him on his butt which embarrassed him a little and he preceeded to bow and show some respect too me...since I only weighed just over 125 lbs.

Could go into more detail on what I saw in the country since it was still wartime occupation mode and some things are better not said.

Steve

[yukimi]

yay japan ^^,
first thing?? im a japanatic ! thatz the first thing,, although i dnt know much about japan YET XD haha hmm what else .. anime, manga, cherry blossom, japanese language (i really want to learn it) hmm running sushi, tokyo :]