1media/Lake Washington.jpg2015-12-14T10:56:19-08:00Story 3 - Tokyo vs Seattle9story 3plain2015-12-14T15:54:21-08:00
- Haruka, a Japanese woman -
Even though Tokyo is my hometown, I feel uneasy in Tokyo.
Because...
Because the city is too busy. Too many people everywhere. Trains are packed. Stations, streets, stores, all are crowded. I get sick of being surrounded by people.
Because...
Because I don't like Japanese culture which respects a group rather than individuals. They are always supposed to be on behalf of a certain group such as a country, company, school, and friends group. Japanese people (unfortunately including me) tend to care about other people's opinion too much.
Because...
Because I'm "weird" in Japan.
I didn't go to college or any other school immediately after high school even though around 70% of Japanese students go to college including specialized training college (Mext.go.jp). I worked as part-time for 10 years. I have never been a "regular" worker. I entered university when I was 29. In Japan, approximately only 2% of new entrants in college are over 25 years old (Note On Japanese Universities Found In Statistics). And Japan is a difficult country to live for people who are considered as weird like me. Companies want to hire "normal" people as "regular" workers.