Topic: Japan is great

Couldn't live there, I don't think - the air quality and crowds would bug me long term, and the cost of living is so very expensive, but it's a lot of fun to go for a holiday.

What is the air quality like?

Must have a lot of smog.

Go on the wii weather channel. Most of the time, it does say either haze or smog.

Surprisingly good, for a city of some 20 million people - a relatively small number of people drive around the city in Tokyo, so air polition is less than some other cities of similar size.

However, compared to Sydney, it's terrible.

Coolest thing in Tokyo? Ghibli Museum, and best shopping? Discovering the Piano scores for the entire Final Fantasy series of games.

On the other hand, there really are some very sick and disturbing things in Japan that just wouldn't be acceptable elsewhere.

What exactly do you mean by "sick"?

Welcome back dude!

In otherwise normal and pleasant anime/ game shops, for instance, there will be child-looking character figures wearing bikinis in seductive poses.

It's a relatively small complaint, but Japan definitely has a lolita thing going on.

I've got lots of photos I've taken from the trip to wade through, but I'll post up some later on. It really was a lot of fun, and I picked up some great toys (FFXIII collector's edition soundtrack, Hanafuda card deck, some great books, and some very cheap games - Phantasy Star 0 was 560 yen (about $6 Aus), Square-Enix horror game that will never be released in English, Shining Force Feather, Chocobo Mini Game sequel, also not in English yet, and ASH, for 500 yen).

My only account of Tokyo is from my uncle, who used to take business trips there He said the congestion is horrible, even worse than Mexico City.

Still, I'd like to visit it some day.

That is different to my experience - but Tokyo in winter might well be different to Tokyo at other times of year.

I lived their for a few months with my uncle (He is in the army and is stationed there.) and Toyko is kinda smogy, and its kinda crowded, and not to be racist my uncle kinda towered over everyone. (Hes american.) I only really like the suburbs and smaller cities.

I went to Japan in 2003, when I was 16 and I had a great time. i was only there for two weeks, but it made me realise how lazy I am around my own house... I had such a good time there. The only problem was I got fleas from a Youth Hostel while I was there.

It seems to be a great place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there. I've always been fascinated by Japan's history and architecture.

It's my goal to eventually visit there. I might be able to study there for a semester, although it's not really directly related to either of my majors so I'm not sure if it'll work out. :3

So......did you have a good time in japan or a bad time? I kinda don't get where this is going/supposed to go.

Wahahahaha!
You just made me remember my own very similar experience from my trip to Japan a couple of years back. I was gonna buy with me some anime-related souvenirs for my friends, and so I followed the most geeky looking Japanese guy I could find. Eventually I ended up in a manga store of some kind, and it was full of posters of what you just described. They also sold lots of Hentai and stuff, and I remember thinking to myself "Isn't Japan just great? "
After staring in wonder for a couple of minutes I went on to find a normal store. I would have bought something, but I'm pretty sure half of the stuff they sold in there is illegal in my country.

Sigh. But they were good times, good times indeed.

Well, I laughed too, but more out of embarrasment for the Japanese culture. As far as I can tell, it's hardly commonplace, but the fact that it's available at all is a pretty poor reflection on the culture.

Otherwise though, it's a great place to visit. Might end up living there, depending on what my partner wants to do. At least I'll be able to spend more time in the arcades (and die of lung cancer!)