blog seis

     hi class! For this blog we will be discussing education in japan. we watched a video in class about the typical day for a college student in Tokyo. it seemed like a pretty standard day for a student, with the exception of the maid cafe part. That part wont translate over to most college students lives, it seems like a pretty Japanese thing. 

      We did another Survery which was focused on the amount of talking we did in class, the answers were pretty diverse mostly depending on personality for the amount you contribute verbally in class.  Personally I am a bit of a yapper in class because i dislike the silence that comes after a teacher asks a question that i know the answer to. if i have a response, insightful or not i will say it to break the weird silence in question. 

    Education while of course, different in japan seems to cross cultures pretty seamlessly. The method of education and learning may change country by country but as far as i can tell students are still going to do typical student things throughout the course of their school life. Kids cheat on tests, study hard or not study at all, like and dislike certain teachers and make friends all through schooling.

    i think a final important note, is what Prof. Lafleur told us in class. College is a relaxing in between time from terrible entrance exams and a rough working life. interesting how that work because i think the rest of the world has college as a ramp up from high schools easygoing classes. to me that is an interesting distinction. college is the time to have fun while also getting your higher education and degree. toeing that line is very important around the whole word and japan is no exception.  

Thats all folks see ya in class!

Comments

  1. BorisMay 26, 2025 at 11:15 PM

    I liked how you described college as a “relaxing in-between time” in Japan, that really stood out to me too. In the Netherlands, like in many places, university feels more like a step up in difficulty, so it’s interesting to see that reversed. Also, I agree with you on the maid café part, definitely not something you’d see in a typical student day elsewhere! And yes, the silence after a question can be awkward/cringe, good on you for breaking it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ElsaMay 26, 2025 at 11:18 PM

    Thank you for your blog numero seis. I agree mostly with what you are saying that education is pretty much the same everywhere and students do similar things. Still I had some culture shock after experiencing university life first hand here. (just think about SLA)

    ReplyDelete
  3. EmilianoMay 26, 2025 at 11:21 PM

    I dislike the weird silence when nobody is answering the teacher's question too. I agree it is more personal than cultural, at least from what I heard during the class. Also, I was surprised that university is treated here as relaxing as back home I am quite literally barely surviving at university -Jules

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

blog dos

     Introducing yourself in Japan i feel, has less pressure associated with it and feels more polite than in the US. the way i see it in America it is more of a vetting process than anything else. When i introduce myself in the US i am trying to see if the other person is cool, and i feel they are doing the same to me. i dont know if this a cultural thing but when i meet a new person here, i am pretty authentically myself and if that person doesn't like it they can kick rocks. it might just be because i am super far away from home so i see the stakes to be lower.       I think my home culture compared to here is very open. American culture is very honest and you say everything that you think about. there is less importance placed in nonverbal cues, if somebody doesn't say something you aren't expected to have to understand the nuances that come with body language and somebodies face expression. Because of this the slightly more sensitive things that i...
Read more

blog trece

 konnichiwatsup clase! week 13's discussion was about communication other typical human interactions such as, asking for a favor, saying thank you and what it takes to build a relationship. Japanese communication seems to be much more about reading body language and faces then the direct deadpan honesty that is the western style of communicating. i would assume it has to do with the politeness that is so associated with Japanese society. this ties in with most Japanese communication. Favors are expected to be paid back, which probably relates to Japan's huge omiage culture. like i stated before western culture, is far more direct. if you want, something you ask. if you need to be paid back you talk to the person that owes you. you Dont have to be as good at reading faces and vibes to be polite. and honestly politeness is nowhere near as important in western culture. Personally i like combining to 2 ways of communication. being direct while speaking Japanese.  then for the hofs...
Read more

blog tres

this class we talked about cultural other awareness. What is the norm in different countries for introductions and who you would interact with. some similarities that most countries had are that everybody interacts friendly with their neighbors. people also agreed that they wouldnt really talk or interact with people on the elevator or random people on the street. the answers varied when it came to acquaintances and coworkers. we also watched a Conan O Brian video. he interacts with Japanese people and does a lot of things that are mostly normal for Americans but were rude and awkward for Japanese people. For example hugging, and chewing gum. i think though as a gaijin you will get a pass, as long as you come at the culture with respect and a open mind. not like logan paul. 
Read more