Understanding Japan by Buying Camping Supplies

Back in the early days of the Internet in Japan, there was a fun list shared around USENET called “You’ve been in Japan too long when…” It was a way for longtime residents of the country to laugh at how much they’d changed after living here. Here are a few excerpts.

You’ve been in Japan too long when…

…you bow to people when talking to them on the phone (yes, this is a thing)
…you no longer know any English names for fish.
…you’ve mastered the art of sleeping while standing inside a train.
…you no longer get lost in Shinjuku Station.
…you think stoplights are red, yellow and blue.
…natsukashii comes out of your mouth instead of “what you’re saying makes me so nostalgic that I must look like one of those wide-eyed manga characters with a tear rolling out of my eye.”

Another classic one was, “You’ve been in Japan too long when you appear for your first skiing lesson with brand new Rossignol high performance racing skis and an aerodynamic racing suit with color matched goggles…and then snowplow down.” This is a classic Japanese behavior the Japanese call 格好から入る kakko kara hairu, or getting into a hobby by embracing its fashion and style first. My wife did this when she started playing golf, buying fabulously fashionable golfwear and clubs before taking her very first lesson.

This is also a theme in the popular anime Yuru Camp (Laid-Back Camp), about five girls who discover the joys of a relaxing day spent camping, either alone or with friends. The girls yearn to own all the cool camping gear they see others around them with, but they can’t afford it because they’re poor high school girls.

We’ve got great news for fans of English-translated visual novels and “ecchi” games: we’re near to releasing Sweet Home: My Sexy Roommates, the second game by the amazing artist Taichi Kiriyama, after Nympho Sensei Ryoko, filled with great characters, great art and great sexy times. It’s the most awesome harem fantasy any guy ever experienced, and you can preorder it now!