Shenmue inspired trips to japan topic

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Shenmue inspired trips to japan topic

Postby Bluecast » Sat Jul 30, 2011 10:15 pm

Now I may not talk as much shenmue as I used to and some see I not a fan of some of the VA however I still love the series and while since I was a kid I had a somewhat interest in Japan was not til Shenmue I became enthralled with the culture history and present and everything else. Otaku/Japanophile call it what you want but for years It's been my dream to move there. No not visit but fucking move. (yes well aware it's not cheap there) I am just now making steps toward that goal. Now I know youtube has videos like TokyoSwan and other fans visiting dobuita and such but I want to hear from members hear who live their or went to visit just because this game inspired you so much.

Share pictures videos stories.

Offcial Shenmue Japan visit thread maybe?
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Re: Shenmue fans fulfilling a dream

Postby ThyDarkAngel » Sun Jul 31, 2011 7:36 am

One day I hope to be able to contribute to this topic.
One day...
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Re: Shenmue fans fulfilling a dream

Postby Master Kyodai » Sun Jul 31, 2011 5:47 pm

I actually have an offer for a job interview in Tokyo and originally planned working there for a while (2 years or so?). been to Tokyo 6 times already and love the city. But recent radiation levels in Tokyo seriously make me question how wise it is. Sure Tokyo is not one of the hot spots and radiation there reached "just" 5 times the natural level and stuff, but a few angry japanese scientists recently made me think "How safe is it to live there 2 years". I'm probably an old paranoid fool, and I'm probably even stubborn enough to still go there. Maybe i just reached that age were i think too much. But i miss Japan soooooooo much, the bamboo forrests, the temples, the mega metropolis Tokyo, Asakusa and the pagoda, akihabara and the manga and tech stuff, Odaiba beach and the fake island feeling, Kamakura and the dream beaches, oh and even the bats in Takadanobaba.


I think i will still go to Tokyo if i get the chance. I just hope it's really "safe" enough so i still got a chance to actually witness my own retirement.
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Re: Shenmue fans fulfilling a dream

Postby mue 26 » Sun Jul 31, 2011 9:51 pm

Great thread Ryudo! This is certainly a nice change from the usual Shenmue thread. I also think it's great that your taking steps to achieving your dream, you certainly deserve it!

Also MK wow you've had an offer to go work in Tokyo, thats great. Although I can completely understand your concern over the radiation as well. You can always wait a year or two and then go over instead if you feel more comfortable with that. It is probably relatively safe over there so I wouldn't worry too much though, and there are plenty of alternative healing/medicine treatments you can get that can protect you from radiation poisioning, if your interested in such things and still a little bit worried. Also do you mind me asking what sort of work it is?

As for myself, while I absolutely would never describe myself as (and hate the phrase) "Japanophile" I too am actually currently learning the language, and am seriously considering going on to study Japanese at university. Still I have to admit I've never actually been to the country yet, still maybe a few years down the road we'll all meet up in Japan! That would be great.
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Re: Shenmue fans fulfilling a dream

Postby Master Kyodai » Mon Aug 01, 2011 1:32 pm

Despite the bad taste of the word i probably somehow developed into a Japanophile. I think i have always wanted to simply "see" Japan with my own eyes since a kid. Being a kid growing up with SEGA Master System and Nintendo NES most of us probably only knew that Japan was the land were video games are made.

But when SHenmue came up i think what really caught my fascination was the mix of architecture, culture and mentality. Yokosuka as in Shenmue 1 displayed such a realistic 3D image of a city that i felt was so much better than the place i lived at that i became really curious.

But it wasn't before the summer of 2005 when - 3 days before my 1 month vacation started - i decided to not spend it at home and booked a flight ticket to Tokyo. It was one of these spontaneous drunk decisions - but among these probably the only one i will really never regret.


I was fascinated from the very first moment. It wasn't just the city itself, it was everything - the people, the architecture, the food, the tech, the landscape and so much more. I will never forget how i got out of the subway station, ready to step onto a Tokyo street for the first time in my life - and it was raining so badly. To my surprise a woman ran up to me, hold her umbrella over my head (getting wet herself) and asking me if i need directions. She was not a tourist guide, official or anything, just a common housewife caring about some random stranger in a city of 30 million people. From that moment on i knew i finally came "home".


The job i applied to was actually a rather boring frontdesk job for an agency renting appartments to foreigners in Tokyo. However, when i sent them my CV they were immediately like "You have so much experience with computers, we have an opening for a systems administrator job". So i got offered a much higher paid job without even asking. I'd not have had a problem getting the lowest paid job and cleaningg the hotel or whatever. I think being a stooge in Tokyo beats being a king in germany, but you need to have been there to understand that.
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Re: Shenmue fans fulfilling a dream

Postby mue 26 » Mon Aug 01, 2011 5:28 pm

Cool stuff MK, thats sounds great. I'm really happy that they offered you an even better paying job doing something which you'll may well enjoy more as well! Be sure to keep us posted on how it all goes.

I just realized I forgot to mention my post how Shenmue may have influenced me.

I'm certainly not just interested in Japan simply due to playing Shenmue and I was already interested in the country before I played the game, however I think it's safe to say that Shenmue was no doubt fuel to that fire. Although it was not just Japan, it got me interested in the whole far east in general especially thanks to Shenmue 2. In fact Shenmue just got me interested in traveling in general.

I think some of the most powerful scences in the series for me are the moments in S2 where Ryo looks up into the sky to watch a airplain flying past. I know to many these moments are just another pointless,indulgent Shenmue cut scene, but to me there were incredibly powerful and emotive. As someone who at the time had never been on a airplane or travelled abroad at the time, during these moments I would wonder what would be like to get on a plane and travel to the far east... probably like Ryo would be wondering what its like to get on a plane too. Well thats how I felt anyway, wheather Yu intended this, or if it really was simply just an indulgent cut scene for no other puropse but to show off the tech who knows... but still...
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Re: Shenmue fans fulfilling a dream

Postby Bluecast » Tue Aug 02, 2011 4:50 am

God I just dream of going.

My bank lets you customize your credit card so on my last one I had Dobuita street and now my current one is the shrine of Masamune Date.
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Re: Shenmue fans fulfilling a dream

Postby R3N » Mon Aug 08, 2011 8:32 am

I have my Yokoska vacation pictures in Real Locations thread.
Yokoska is an ok place. I don't know if I would visit it again.. The place is nice if you are a shenmue fan. But if you are not it is a boring place.
It was nice when you found places similar to the game in this pic you can see a chinese restaurant near a pizza place.
It is not in the right position but like in game the pizza place is near the chinese restaurant.
Image
Of course Yokoska will not be 100% accurate to the game remember this game is based in the 80's a lot of changes had happened.
There are more interested places to visit in Japan.
I would like to live there but it is hard.
I have read they don't give permanent resident to just anyone is it very hard to get it.
My plan is get student visa to study japanese there :P
That way I could stay for longer than the 3 month limit.
Japan is not the only interested place in Asia.
Places like China,Taiwan,Korea and even Maylasia & singapore seems interesting.
I am currently interested in Korean culture which is so similar to Japanese.
Also Korean woman are more beautiful on average than Japanese woman :P. I remember now that the mother of a Japanese girlfriend I had hated Korean woman because a korean woman stole her dad from her mother.

If you plan to visit Japan go beyond Tokyo. Actually I liked Osaka a lot more than Tokyo. Osaka is better for shopping you can find same things there that you can find in Tokyo but at a cheaper cost.
Kobe was nice place too.Kobe is the place for dates for Japanese you can find many nice restaurants there they are very expensive...( Kobe steak is delicous and famous there.)
Kyoto is just beautiful :) Because of the temples. The temples are inside a normal town.
For natural beauty I found Nikko beautiful.It is most to visit and is near tokyo.
I took the bullet train ride from Osaka to Tokyo and you can see mount Fuji which looks awesome.
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Re: Shenmue inspired trips to japan topic

Postby Bluecast » Sun Aug 28, 2011 4:38 am

I want to start learbing Japanese so any free but decent guides you can think of? I say I free since when I say I have no money I mean I have nothing. But It's long overdue I try and learn.
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Re: Shenmue inspired trips to japan topic

Postby Sailors? » Sun Aug 28, 2011 9:02 am

Just Torrent Rosetta Stone or something similar.
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Re: Shenmue inspired trips to japan topic

Postby Rakim » Sun Aug 28, 2011 9:50 am

Ryudo wrote:I want to start learbing Japanese so any free but decent guides you can think of? I say I free since when I say I have no money I mean I have nothing. But It's long overdue I try and learn.


Dude I can help. Language Learning is my main hobby. I suggest you learn katakana and hiragana 1st. Its mad easy and will give you a big confidence boost.

Here's a couple sites that helped me a lot when I started out:
For Learning Kana
All Japanese All The Time
How To Learn Any Language

I apologize for the unnecessary post, but as an enthusiast I get excited when the subject comes up.

Also Rosetta Stone is a pretty garbage piece of software.
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Re: Shenmue inspired trips to japan topic

Postby Bluecast » Sun Aug 28, 2011 4:28 pm

I don;t have a cell phone or torrent.(I'd be kicked off my ISP)
So the third one looks promising
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Re: Shenmue inspired trips to japan topic

Postby ShOzO MiZuKi » Sun Aug 28, 2011 6:49 pm

Tofugu.com. Helps a decent amount. The guy gives good recommendations and it is a fun sight for learning overall Japanese culture. I spent the last year learning Japanese while in school, just got my passport and I am on my way for two weeks this may as soon as I graduate. Good luck!
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Re: Shenmue inspired trips to japan topic

Postby Rakim » Sun Aug 28, 2011 9:09 pm

Ryudo wrote:I don;t have a cell phone or torrent.(I'd be kicked off my ISP)
So the third one looks promising


That's not a cell phone only site. I used to go on there and practice on the computers in high school. If you need any help on where to start or want me send you some materials ;-) message me or something. 頑張れ Blue!
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Re: Shenmue inspired trips to japan topic

Postby R3N » Tue Sep 20, 2011 4:47 pm

Ryudo wrote:I don;t have a cell phone or torrent.(I'd be kicked off my ISP)
So the third one looks promising


Try
http://tinyurl.com/3ky49ly
or
http://tinyurl.com/3faf3kp

The best possible way to learn a language is by having someone that actually speaks fluently the language.
You can study all you want using books or sites. But if you don't practice with someone that speaks fluently what you learn it will be a waste of time because you will forget almost all of it.
Its easier to remember a conversation you had with someone than remembering what you studied for an exam.

So my best advice is study from books and sites then write in a notebook what you learned then take those notes and practice it with someone who speak the language.
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