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Yeah, they are, a lot tougher than anything I experienced when I was at school in England. There are a LOT of tests and most kids go to cram-schools (Juku) after the school-day ends, so most get home at like 9pm or later. University is very hard to get into, but not all that hard to pass your degree, or so people say.
I've heard some people from overseas say stuff like "I want to go to school/uni in Japan" and I always think, "do you really know what it's all about? Have you thought it through? Do you want to have to spend double or more time studying than what you have been in your own country? And spend a hell of a lot more money than you would back home?". I don't think so.
The high level of student suicides is a point that shouldn't be looked over, or the problem of stressed-out kids stabbing their parents to death either.
 
Chris said:
Yeah, they are, a lot tougher than anything I experienced when I was at school in England. There are a LOT of tests and most kids go to cram-schools (Juku) after the school-day ends, so most get home at like 9pm or later. University is very hard to get into, but not all that hard to pass your degree, or so people say.
I've heard some people from overseas say stuff like "I want to go to school/uni in Japan" and I always think, "do you really know what it's all about? Have you thought it through? Do you want to have to spend double or more time studying than what you have been in your own country? And spend a hell of a lot more money than you would back home?". I don't think so.
The high level of student suicides is a point that shouldn't be looked over, or the problem of stressed-out kids stabbing their parents to death either.
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I don't know for UK ones, but I think that organization of japan schools is a lot better than italian ones... <.<''
 
I don't know, maybe it's just my home town that's got bad schools. I am originally from Hull, once again the OFFICIAL "Worst place to live in the UK" or something like that, God, it's a crap place. Anyway, where I live now (Ichikawa, Chiba) is great :)
 
The Judge said:
Do teenagers really act like they do in anime and manga?? I'm talking with regards to romance and whatnot. Are they really that shy? Is intimacy frowned upon or something?
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I've never really got that impression before, but then i heard a while back that it was becoming quite an issue (especially in cities) that young Japanese girls were going into prostitution like it was no big deal just to get extra money, is this actually something that goes on alot?

Have to say those websites were quite freaky, very interesting though, would love to go to some of those places on that map, though maybe not Aokigahara :lol:
 
You probably saw something about Subsidised dating, "enjo Kousai" or "enkou". It still goes on but not as much as it did about 10 or so years ago. It is what you said really, a nicer way of saying prostitution.

Aokigahara is very spooky. I've been there twice with work and once with friends. One of my friends took a lot of photos but almost all of them didn't develop and those that did had weird lights on them.
Since it's summer, there are a lot of things on TV about ghost stories/hauted places. In Japan, summer=Horror. Most horror movies start in the cinemas in summer. This year we have "Noroi" (a "Blair Witch"-esque film) and "Shin Kaidan Mimibukuro: Shinrei Manshon" which is the newest installment of the Kaidan Mimibuburo series. The TV show usually has 3 or 4 short stories that give you goosebumps, the films are a bit more gruesome. The main star this time is Kurokawa Mei, I can't get the image of her as "Keitai Deka: Zenigata Rui" (Mobile Phone Detective: Zenigata Rui) out of my head though when I see her. I keep expecting her to get out her phone, give her speach, then snare the ghost with her net (yes, I know it does sound bizzare :) ).
Come to think of it, I feel the same whenever I see Miyazaki Aoi (Keitai Deka: Zenigata Ai), Horikita Maki (Keitai Deka: Zenigata Mai) and Kaho (Keitai Deka: Zenigata Rei). The Zenigata series is really good, and more than a little bit "manga-esque" to say the least.

Ai http://www.bs-i.co.jp:8080/zenigataai/home.html
Mai http://www.bs-i.co.jp:8080/zenigatamai/home.html
Rui http://www.bs-i.co.jp:8080/zenigatarui/home.html
Rei http://www.bs-i.co.jp:8080/zenigatarei/
 
Hi! Chris :D
Just some simple word information for me please.

First off what is the Japanese word for dog?

Also, what are numbers one through ten in Japanese? and are they different numbers for different ways of counting? I know it sounds like a weird question, but I have heard characters from various things count from one to five in 2 different ways and was curious. I think one way was one, two, three etc and the other was backward from 5!

Sorry for the daft questions :oops:
 
The Japanese word for "dog" is "inu" or "ken", you write them both the same way (the first kanji from Inuyasha). "Inu" is used as a general word, "ken" is used usually with another word joined on the front of it:
Shibaken- A Shiba breed of dog
Banken- Guard-dog
Keisatsuken- Police-dog

Numbers
1- ichi
2- ni
3- san
4- shi (or. Yon)
5- go
6- roku
7- shichi (or, Nana)
8- hachi
9- ku (or kyu)
10- ju

When counting numbers can change a lot, for example, if you're counting pencils:
ippon, nihon, sanbon, yonhon, gohon, roppon, nanahon, happon. kyuuhon, juppon.
or when you're counting dogs/cats/small animals/intects:
ippiki. nihiki, sanbiki, yonhiki, gohiki, roppiki, nanahiki, happiki, kyuuhiki, juuhiki.

If you are asking for "2 of ..." etc.
hitotsu, futatsu, mittsu, yottsu, itsutsu, muttsu, nanatsu, yattsu, kokonotsu, too

There are so many different ways of counting- small animals, big animals, people, houses, thin pointed things, cars, machines, squid... I could go on forever (well, not really :wink: )

The two different ways of counting you talked about (1-5, 5-1) were probably:
ichi, ni, san, shi, go and
go, yon, san, ni, ichi
I'm not sure why they change the sound of the 4, but it's probably because it sounds better changed.
 
Thanks Chris!
No wonder numbers have confused me :shock:

I thought inu was dog - as in Inuyasha, but I wasn't 100% sure.

Can you tell me what kotsu means? You said Banken means guard dog, so if ban is put before kotsu, what does it mean? as there's a character in Inuyasha called Bankotsu and I was curious :D

Thanks.
 
I just looked at the Inuyasha Japanese website to get the Japanese kanji spelling. http://www.sunrise-inc.co.jp/yasya/

"Ban" means "unrefined, wild, savage, reckless", Kotsu means "bone".
There are a lot of different meanings for each kanji, and some words are spelt the same when you write them in romaji but have completely different meanings in kanji.
 
do the Japanese people find it hard to speak english as its so different from Japanese? or becuase they are teached english so early in there life that most people speak it well?
 
Wow there was me thinking numbers were fairly easy, and just a case of memorising, i had no idea it was so complicated.

This is going to sound stupid, but i was wondering if you could tell me what Japanese say at dinner when they want a certain item of food or drink passed to them
 
valha said:
do the Japanese people find it hard to speak english as its so different from Japanese? or becuase they are teached english so early in there life that most people speak it well?
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The Japanese have probably the worst level of English in Asia. It's hard to believe with the thousands of English schools around that their level is so bad! Some speak quite well of course, but if you compare it to other countries in Asia, especially Malaysia (well, it was a British colony after all, but Hong Kong is appaling!) or Korea, the Japanese are VERY far behind.

Asking for things
The most common ways of asking for something to be passed to you is:
"xxx choudai"="can I have xxx" or
"xxx (wo) totte (kudasai)"
They both mean just about the same thing. "totte" comes from "toru", which means, take/etc . "Choudai" is like, please.
So you could say: "shio choudai" or "shio totte", use a slight upwards inflection at the end, like when asking a question but a little more softer.
There are a few other ways of saying the same thing, but these should be just fine.
 
Chris said:
I just looked at the Inuyasha Japanese website to get the Japanese kanji spelling. http://www.sunrise-inc.co.jp/yasya/

"Ban" means "unrefined, wild, savage, reckless", Kotsu means "bone".
There are a lot of different meanings for each kanji, and some words are spelt the same when you write them in romaji but have completely different meanings in kanji.
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Bone for kotsu makes sense, at least I know now why all 7 of the Shichinintai had kotsu at the end of their names! I just wondered if Ban meant leader or something, as Bankotsu was the leader of the 7, but I guess all the meanings for Ban are "him" to a T - thanks again Chris :D
 
This is going to sound stupid, but i was wondering if you could tell me what Japanese say at dinner when they want a certain item of food or drink passed to them
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I think its Itadakimas or something along those lines :lol:
 
Thanks again Chris, i was just wondering as i enjoy using little Japanese phrases where ever i can, and i just always felt like i wanted to try and go through a whole dinner only speaking Japanese, though of course this won't allow for actual conversation :lol: :)
 
Ramen89 said:
This is going to sound stupid, but i was wondering if you could tell me what Japanese say at dinner when they want a certain item of food or drink passed to them
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I think its Itadakimas or something along those lines :lol:
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Er... didn't I just answer that one? :)
Itadakimasu, is what they say before they start eating.
 
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