Japan is an island nation and is thus naturally closed off from the rest of the world, both geographically as well as culturally. To travel abroad for the first time is a coming-of-age event for any Japanese, and they are naturally very doki doki (er, flush with excitement) about what they’ll encounter in the outside world. Although Japanese usually study 6-10 years of English, it’s usually textbook English intended for passing tests, and most Japanese need many months of extra study before they can use the language with confidence. Because Japan is a peaceful country where you’re unlikely to ever experience danger, Japanese often suffer from 平和ボケ heiwa boke, literally “being stupid in the head from too much peace,” which can make them do dumb things, like the 18-year-old female student of mine who thought it’d be appropriate to walk around the streets of Los Angeles alone while wearing bunny pajamas. Mai, the J-List employee who keeps our site stocked with bento boxes, ridiculously cute panda- and frog-themed coffee cups and traditional Lucky Cat Chopstick Rests, has taken a week off to go to New Zealand, so if you see a random Japanese woman walking around there, be sure and wave hello.
Japanese people love to visit other countries.
