Welcome to the forum Aletheia!

I'm surprised that your community in Japan lacks substantial philosophical groundings. But that's probably the exoticist in me that thinks half the male population in Japan are samurais and all the women in Japan wear Kimonos on a daily basis. Big Anime and import car lover, so I can freely say "you lucky bastard."

But you'll definitely find the forum very interesting and a whole bunch of people ready to discuss philosophical issues with you. But I completely agree about just reading philosophy doesn't cut it, you definitely have to discuss it to get the full effect. By the way, is there any particular aspect of philosophy you are particularly interested in?

P.S. While in Japan, watch out for sales and ninjas... because they wont just cut prices... they'll cut you.

The sun is still hidden behind the anger that the afternoon thunderhead pushed ahead of its sudden outburst, the day being much drabber than it had been in the morning, but it will not stop me from shouting out a big YOUKOSOU !! Welcome to the forum.

This'll make 3 of us here on this island (Honshu) who are members here (as far as I know at the moment). I'm up here in Nagano, and our friend is down over on the Eastern seaboard. We'll have to get together some day (my place would definitely be best...BBQ, good brew, darts, badminton, and an escape from the otherwise real world. (and yes, we can discuss all kinds of philosophy...)

See you 'round ! KJ