Concern: Living in Japan

[Namisuke]

To be honest, good public transportation is a major reason why I love Japan. There are no trains where I am from and busses are expensive, frightening, and never on time. I enjoy not having to drive so that I can take photos out the window, study, or sleep. However, I have a license, wanted the job, and made myself as employable as possible on my application. It just made sense.

Most jobs are in the countryside where you will likely want/need a car as public transportation in the city is not like what it is in the countryside. This is great though as it is good experience to drive in the inaka - there are fewer people and less chance of getting in an accident if you make a gaijin mistake. Actually, you have probably as much of a chance getting hit as a pedestrian as you do in a car as there are rarely any sidewalks, roads are small, and giving the rights to pedestrians doesn't seem to exist. There are many stories of ALTs getting hit by cars when not in a car, including myself. So yeah, you're not as safe as a pedestrian as one would think if comfort is your reason for not wanting to drive...

[AVN]

To be honest, good public transportation is a major reason why I love Japan. There are no trains where I am from and busses are expensive, frightening, and never on time. I enjoy not having to drive so that I can take photos out the window, study, or sleep. However, I have a license, wanted the job, and made myself as employable as possible on my application. It just made sense.

Most jobs are in the countryside where you will likely want/need a car as public transportation in the city is not like what it is in the countryside. This is great though as it is good experience to drive in the inaka - there are fewer people and less chance of getting in an accident if you make a gaijin mistake. Actually, you have probably as much of a chance getting hit as a pedestrian as you do in a car as there are rarely any sidewalks, roads are small, and giving the rights to pedestrians doesn't seem to exist. There are many stories of ALTs getting hit by cars when not in a car, including myself. So yeah, you're not as safe as a pedestrian as one would think if comfort is your reason for not wanting to drive...

haha love that part it's so true! I know so many people who have been hit, especially bikes!

[Jax]

There are many stories of ALTs getting hit by cars when not in a car, including myself. So yeah, you're not as safe as a pedestrian as one would think if comfort is your reason for not wanting to drive...

haha love that part it's so true! I know so many people who have been hit, especially bikes!

I was hit by a car too when crossing the street (on a green light!). It's a dangerous world out there for pedestrians too.

[AVN]

There are many stories of ALTs getting hit by cars when not in a car, including myself. So yeah, you're not as safe as a pedestrian as one would think if comfort is your reason for not wanting to drive...

haha love that part it's so true! I know so many people who have been hit, especially bikes!

I was hit by a car too when crossing the street (on a green light!). It's a dangerous world out there for pedestrians too.

I know I was agreeing with that...? I was just saying bikes have it bad too. I know tons of people who get hit and many drivers don't watch bikers here.

[BDRaney]

I'm still thinking of what to do and have lots of time to think about it. I am flexible enough to drive, but not comfortable at all which is the question "Do you have a Drivers License and are you comfortable with driving in Japan?". I would be lying if I marked 'yes'.

Thanks for all the replies everyone! I appreciate all the feedback, even though if it is the 'cold truth' as stated by word, cause he/she is totally correct about what he/she stated, along with G-Ratasaurus Rex who gave me a good laugh.

[Jax]

I was hit by a car too when crossing the street (on a green light!). It's a dangerous world out there for pedestrians too.

I know I was agreeing with that...? I was just saying bikes have it bad too. I know tons of people who get hit and many drivers don't watch bikers here.

Ummm.... I was just agreeing with your post and the one quoted too. Jeez. Am I not allowed to do that?

[Gizmotech]

Actually, you have probably as much of a chance getting hit as a pedestrian as you do in a car as there are rarely any sidewalks, roads are small, and giving the rights to pedestrians doesn't seem to exist. There are many stories of ALTs getting hit by cars when not in a car, including myself. So yeah, you're not as safe as a pedestrian as one would think if comfort is your reason for not wanting to drive...

I like to call my morning 20 minute walk to work EXTREME WALKING! I dodge gaijin traps, random animals, bicycles that may or may not be on the sidewalk doing 40kph, little old baasans of varying types (Car, bus, bike, insane), students demonstrating that speed is inverse to group size, and once you hit 6 people in a group you'd might as well assume there's no chance to pass, ohh... and I play frogger at every intersection I have to cross, lights or not

I stopped coming to the forums for a while after that, but then I decided I shouldn't be upset over some people being nasty. I just wanted to let you know that there may be some people out there that don't agree with you, but it's fine, put 'no'

I'm sorry you felt I was shredding you apart, never ever go to ITIL it would crush you.
I want to say though that if you read that thread more carefully it wasn't just that you put no on your application because I was also supporting some people and my best friend came over without a license due to anxiety.

Word!

C'mon, guys. I see a lot of folks here asking questions and then getting offended/upset when they don't hear the answer they want. Nobody's intentionally being a jerk here; someone might be more direct, more honest, less compassionate, more jocular, less polite, or more obnoxious than you'd like, but everyone's on the same team, and everyone would like nothing more than to see everyone be able to participate in the program. It would be foolish of any poster, however, to spare your feelings by not telling you something that you need to hear. If you're asking for advice, why would you get angry when you get some that doesn't jive with your preconceived views?

Awww.. That's such a nice way to describe me word It's all true though, if we didn't have peoples best interests at heart we likely wouldn't be posting on here. I tend to believe that knowing reality, regardless how much people try to avoid it, is desperately important, especially when going to another country. I tend to err on the side that "Feelings heal faster than broken dreams", and nothing worse than being THAT JET who gets to Japan and spends the next year bummed out they weren't told the truth in the beginning, or worse... bails out and fly's home in shame.

And nod to AV... if you thought she was being rough NEVER go to ITIL. You'll be crushed... destroyed... maimed... and possibly violated... and that's all just getting through the registration process.

[AVN]

I was hit by a car too when crossing the street (on a green light!). It's a dangerous world out there for pedestrians too.

I know I was agreeing with that...? I was just saying bikes have it bad too. I know tons of people who get hit and many drivers don't watch bikers here.

Ummm.... I was just agreeing with your post and the one quoted too. Jeez. Am I not allowed to do that?

Oh the internet and not allowing for tones to be understood... I took your post as telling me that my post about bikes was inaccurateand that I had somehow done walkers a disservice. I think it was your 'too' plus the face that I took the wrong way whoops.