Welcome to the forum KJ! I look forward to your potential future contributions. We are glad to have you aboard!

Thank you, Theaetetus, for the kind welcome. I hope to be able to use these pennies I have saved up, with my 2 cents' worth, from time to time.

Howdy yourself KJ,

What kinda greeting is that comin from Japan? I take it you are not one of the locals!

LOL !! Now in one sense of looking at it, you have posed somewhat of a difficult question. Yes, I am both one of the locals, and at the same time, not--depending.

However, your question is readable enough, I feel, and to that I'd have to be honest (as I do believe my profile will show [I haven't double checked it yet]) and say that I roamed from the shores of the Tennessee River, in Alabama, to those of the Pacific, in California. I then crossed over that great body of water, and wandered into these here hills--only to find neither gold nor fire. [but I love the nature here]

However, most of my adult life has been here. When going back State side for a short stay with the family, I had a little trouble feeling easy with my mannerisms...and we packed up and came back to the roof of Japan.

ps. Thanks for the 'howdy.'

The hills eh?

Well that explains the howdy and the eh? explains my origin ,lol

Sounds like you are a bit of a hermit my friend. You should fit right in here with all of the other Dali Lamas than.

Welcome home! Oh by the way, this just so happens to be the highest peak of all of the other forums in the internet.

Alrighty ! Sounds good to me, and looks good so far. I do hope to fit right in here. So, as we local, and simi-locals often say. . . doumo arigatou gozaimasu [ thank you very much ].

Hai Hai

douitashimashite

Hi there KaseiJin.
May I ask a question?
Why does Japan have the 5. largest military expenses in the world, while only being number 21 in number of troops?

Good morning from the heart of the main island...Shinano (old name), Honshu !! ( I must admit I was a bit surprized to see this intro thread popping up again, but am pleased--I have noticed that newbies tend not to come back to their intro threads. . . )

For one, I am not really aware of the reasons . . . being a man of peace, and a simple lecturer at a local uni . . . but will speculate that the Japanese military's 'love affair' (if you will) with the USA's military, requires some big bucks. I mean those several, what? Ageise (I don't know how to spell the darn thing) ships do cost a pretty penny. Plus, I guess the Japanese have this thing about 'toys' . . . new and shiny 'toys.'

One more factor may be the tendency here in Japan, for people to go all out for a thing. Example, Taro will be taking up skiing lessons in the 5th grade of elementary school, so, his mom, eager to make a few social statements, will take him down to the local sports shop (the bigger and newer one) and buy him the best of the latest of every possible ski paraphernalia one could think of. Of course, after those several skiing lessons, and a few years of maybe going twice or three times to the slopes, Taro's top of the line suit, skis, and gear, will be hidden away in the metal shed in the back yard--covered with dust and spider webs.

Otherwise, I have no earthly (nor Marsly) idea....sorry.

Yes, thank you. That sounds right.
Also, I think, that due to geography Japan has fewer infantry and more navy and air force.
That are usually more expensive than land forces.

Do Japanese people bow and apologize as much in real life as they do in mafia movies?

LOL ! . . . so you've seen some of those too, then . . . hee, hee, hee..

Well, there is some drama, as you'd know, but pretty much that's it. When I had gone back State Side (for the first time) after my first 8 years of having been here, some friends asked me if I had had neck problem--due to my bobbing (kind like one of those cute little dogs, or whatever, that you sometimes see behing the back seat in the rear automobile windows bobbing up and down with the bumps).

But no, no neck problems; that's just the normal, most informal bowing technique--you kind of bob your head a couple of times when passing someone (even [depending on circumstances] if you don't know them).

Boy, you should see one of the uni's graduation ceremonies. The dean who announces the opening, the school president, board of trustees head, every of the usually 3 guest speakers, and the dean who then closes the ceremony will bow to the faculty (all present), the guests (on the opposite side of the gym), then go up on stage, bow towards the school flag and the national flag, take a position behind the podium, then bow to the audience at large, then move up to the podium. Each person will do the exact reverse after their task on stage is done.

It was hard, but I managed to do it, when I first my wife's parents--that is the down on the floor, on bended knees, hands to each side, palms on the floor, elbows up, with head bent low, forehead practically on the floor, giving some fixed greeting of humiliation and thanks for letting me have their daughter and making a connection with the house. (almost just like in the Samurai movies)

So yeah, it happens quite a bit. At the local major grocery store, the floor workers who happen to back through the full-sized swinging doors to get some more stuff, or whatever, always stop (whether anyone really notices or not), faces the store interior, bows with bow hands kind of clasped (the top hand covering the bottom hand at about the major finger joint, held against the stomach at about at belly button height, then turns and goes through the door into the back room area.

Nobody here does it, and it would seem odd. But I think we should, it would be a really polite society.
I do it a little bit.

I agree with that, except to an extent. At times, it is over kill here, and thus it looses its real 'heartfeltness.' Take some of the act from here, to lessen it a bit, and mix it in over there, and it might be a good trade.

Yeah. Is it just a expected gesture, like saying "Good day" here is just words?