Over the past few years I have posted these experiences on another WordPress blog called Sushicam that a friend had, but it was hacked and all posts were obliterated permanently. I have also posted them on other Japan related web sites called JREF and Your-Japan and some of you visiting here may have read them before. However, based on the numerous recommendations of people who have read them I decided to start my own blog to share my experiences of living in Japan full-time so that others may experience what I experienced and learn a little of the real Japan and the trials, tribulations, and joys of a gaijin (foreigner) living in a foreign country.
Through this blog I hope convey what it was actually like living in Japan as any Japanese would; in a Japanese apartment, sleeping on a futon, eating on the floor, no central heating or cooling; shopping, banking, etc., and with virtually no contact with western civilization after I got out of the military save for my time at school, visits to a few bars where other foreigners frequented, and a couple of foreign friends’ places.
When I first went to Japan it was courtesy of the US military and I am forever grateful for that experience. From February 8, 1973 to December 23, 1976 I was with the US Army stationed at Camp Zama, Japan. I quickly came to love Japan, learned the basics of the language and moved off base as fast as I could. I was 18 years old, from Brooklyn, New York, unsophisticated, and shy as all get out. Unlike most people on US bases in Japan, most of my time was spent off base and enjoying Japan.
From January 1977 through June 1981 I was a student at the International Division of Sophia University, also known as Jochi Daigaku in Tokyo where I majored in International Business and Economics. The courses were taught in English and, since it was accredited, the GI Bill paid for 75% of my education. (Thank you Uncle Sam). After I returned to the US in December, 1981, I returned to Japan in April 1983 due to the bad economy in the US and opened up my own English school a short time later.
The majority of these experiences occurred from 20-36 years ago (ancient history by some standards) as they were the most vivid and had the most impact on my life as a young man living in Japan but, if you have ever lived there for any length of time or are presently there yourself, you will discover that, in most cases, my experiences are not that different than what people experience today.
Some may ask, how do you remember such detail? Well, I learned early on while living in Japan to keep a small pocket diary where I recorded most of my daily experiences, my expenses, what I ate, etc. It’s amazing how a word or phrase can bring back the experience in such detail. Also, as I was so amazed at living in a foreign land, I also wrote in detail my most memorable experiences soon after they happened so that I may not forget them.
I hope you enjoy these musings and will come away knowing a little more than you did before you came here about Japan, its language, its people and its customs.
I am married to my Japanese wife of 24 years, visit Japan at least once a year and will return to live permanently in a short while.
Posted by pachipro 
