在日本生活有哪些优缺点？

Varun Senthil, Studied abroad in Japan. Made friends, lived life, etc.
It really depends on the type of person you are. It would be good if you gave more details about yourself. But here’s a list:
Advantages:
People
Some hold the image that Japanese people are cold, especially towards foreigners, but this isn’t the case. I’ve personally made more friends in a shorter amount of time in Japan than anywhere else.
 
这完全取决于你是哪种类型的人。如果你能更详细地介绍一下自己就好了。以下是我列的几个点
优点：
日本人
有些人认为日本人很冷漠，尤其是对外国人，但事实并非如此。在更短的时间内，我在日本交到的朋友比在其他地方的都要多。
 
If there’s someone that doesn’t like you, it’s likely you won’t know. In Japan, people tend not to be that vocal.
Most people are healthy. Most people are generally attractive. You might not care for superficial details of people, but if people around you are healthy and attractive, you’ll likely find yourself improving yourself too.
 
就算有人不喜欢你，你可能也不会知道。在日本，人们往往不会那么直言不讳。
日本大部分人都很健康，很有吸引力。或许你不会在意人们的一些外在的一些细节，但如果你身边的人都很健康很有吸引力的话，你可能会发现自己也正在提高。
 
Food
As long as you don’t have any dietary restrictions, Japan is paradise when it comes to food. Delicious, healthy, and inexpensive. There’s also a wide variety of local delicacies, so if you like to travel, even more food to discover.
Even convenient store food tastes good, and is relatively healthy.
 
食物
只要你没有任何饮食禁忌，在吃的方面，日本绝对就是天堂。这里的食物美味、健康、便宜。这里还有各种各样的地方美食，如果你喜欢旅行，还可以去发现更多美味的食物。
即使是便利店的食物也很好吃，而且也相对健康。
 
Infrastrucutre
Everything is laid out very conveniently. In the big cities, the public transport is always on time. All the important parts of the city are near the station, so it’s easy getting from place to place.
 
基础设施
日本的一切都很便利。在大城市，公共交通总是很准时。城市的重要部分都在车站附近，所以很容易从一个地方到另一个地方。
 
Lost and Found
One time I lost my luggage on a train. Led to a rather uncomfortable camping trip, but on the way back, I got my luggage back. If you lose your luggage, just check the Lost and Found places in the largest stations nearby.
I left my Samsung Tablet at a restaurant on night. When I went there the next day, I got it back. Just went up to the cashier, told them I lost a tablet, and they went and got it for me.
People generally don’t steal stuff. The one rare exception that I heard off was from my friend. He went to a festival and got pick-pocketed. Here’s the thing though: Only the money from his wallet was gone, his wallet itself was still in his pocket.
 
失物招领
有一次我在火车上丢了行李，结果让那次露营之旅变得很不愉快，但在回去的路上，我找回了自己的行李。如果你的行李丢了，就去附近最大的车站的失物招领处找找。
晚上，我把三星平板电脑落在一家餐厅那了。第二天，我再去那家店的时候，就把它拿了回来。我就走到收银台，告诉他们我丢了一块平板，然后他们就去把它找来还给我了。
日本人一般不会偷东西。我听到的唯一一次例外是我朋友。他去参加一个音乐节，结果被偷了。钱包里面的钱都被拿走了，但钱包还在他口袋里面。
 
Culture
For the most part, a foreigner can never fully be apart of the Japanese culture. You will always be a gaijin. However, even if you aren’t a part of the culture, the Japanese culture creates a good environment to live in. If you don’t mind being a gaijin, then perfect.
 
文化
在大多数情况下，外国人永远不能完全融入日本文化。外国人就是外国人。然而，即便你不是日本文化的一部分，但你依然生活在日本文化创造的良好生活环境之中。如果你不介意做外国人的话，那就太好了
 
Disadvantages:
Hard to get your hands on certain products. For example, I’m into weight lifting. When searching for Whey Protein Powder, I couldn’t find any decent brands at the local stores. If there’s a certain product that’s not common in Japan, you would likely have to order it overseas, which can be pricey.
 
缺点
有些产品很难买到。例如，我喜欢举重。在搜索乳清蛋白粉的时候，我在当地的商店里找不到任何像样的品牌。如果某种产品在日本不太常见，你或许就必须海外订购了，就是价格有点贵。
 
Japanese
There’s not a lot of people that can speak that good English. Even shop owners are likely to speak in Japanese to you. You can get by without knowing any Japanese, but communication with other people won’t go that smooth. Hell, it’s already not so smooth even if you do know Japanese, but not knowing any at all makes it hard to communicate that effectively.
If you’re a language learner, like me, then this is an advantage too. It’s not like Europe, where people likely speak English better than you speak their language. In Japan, you can get a lot of practice speaking Japanese.
 
日语
在日本能说一口流利英语的人并不多。即便是商店店主可能也只会用日语和你交流。不懂日语也没有关系，但就是在和别人交流的时候会有困难。即便你懂日语，要和日本人交流也不容易，但如果你一点都不懂，就很难有效地沟通了。
如果你和我一样是一个语言学习者，那么这反而是一个优势。不像欧洲，那里的人英语说的比你都要好。在日本，你有很多的机会可以练习日语。
 
Rent can be expensive in the cities. Also, certain landlords don’t trust foreigners, so it can be hard to find a place.
 
城市里的房租很贵。而且，有些房东不相信外国人，所以很难找到房子。
 
You’re a Gaijin
You will never fully belong. Many people will feel distant from you straight off the bat. In a large group, you might feel left out (even if none of them are actively trying to make you feel left out). You will get weird reactions from people at times. Some people might avoid you, because they think they have to use English if they want to communicate with you, and that makes them nervous.
But perhaps you’ve never really felt you belonged anywhere. Perhaps you’ve always, for the most part, felt like an outsider. If so, being a gaijin is perfect for you.
 
你是一个外国人
你永远不属于日本。很多人一开始就会觉得和你很疏远。在一个大群体中，你可能会感到被冷落（即便他们中没有人试图冷落你）。有时人们对你的反应会很奇怪。有些人或许会回避你，因为他们认为如果想要和你交流的话，就必须要说英语，这让他们感到很紧张。
但也许你从未真正觉得自己属于任何地方。也许在大多数情况下，你总是觉得自己像个局外人。如果是这样的话，在日本做一个外国人也是不错的
 
Many Japanese feel restricted, like caged birds. As a gaijin, you might fly alone, but you feel free. You can enjoy Japan, without being held to the standards that many Japanese people (especially the younger generation) feel restricted by.
 
许多日本人感觉自己受到了很多的限制，就像是笼中鸟一样。作为外国人，你或许只能独自飞翔，但你可以感受到自由。你可以享受日本的一切，不用像许多日本人（尤其是年轻一代）那样被很多的标准所束缚。
 
LaShaun Hardy
But perhaps you’ve never really felt you belonged anywhere. Perhaps you’ve always, for the most part, felt like an outsider. If so, being a gaijin is perfect for you.
This is exactly what I figured. Thank you. I've heard so many complaints about always being an outsider in Japan, but I feel like Japan would work for me because I'm already an outsider in my country of origin. I dunno if I can explain this right, but I feel like going in knowing you're an outsider is much better than the illusion of not being one.
 
“但也许你从未真正觉得自己属于任何地方。也许在大多数情况下，你总是觉得自己像个局外人。如果是这样的话，在日本做一个外国人也是不错的”
这正是我所想的。谢谢你！我听到很多人抱怨说在日本就像是一个局外人一样。但我觉得日本会很适合我，因为在我自己国家我就是一个局外人了，我不知道能否解释明白，但我认为在进入一个国家的时候就知道自己是一个局外人要比假装自己不是局外人要好。
 
Varun Senthil
I’d say you explained it spot on.
 
我觉得你解释得很好。
 
Pierre Dupuis
I was also an outsider in my home country, mainly because of my mindset which is much much closer to the Japanese people. I have felt like home in Japan since I settled here, much more than in my own country, and it's been 15 years.
 
在我的祖国，我也是一个局外人，或许是因为我的心态和日本人比较接近。自从我在日本定居以来，我就感觉这里是我的家，这里比我原来的国家更有家的感觉，我在日本已经生活15年了。
 
Steffie Pardo Harner
I feel exactly the same. I’m a dual citizen of the Philippines and USA. I am always the “other” in my two home countries. In Japan, my expectation of myself and what people think of me aligns… makes me feel right at home.
 
我也有这样感觉。我拥有菲律宾和美国的双重国籍。在这两个国家，我觉得自己就像外人一样。在日本，我对自我的预期和别人对我的看法是一致的，这让我觉得很自在
 
Reno Hyde
people always point out the negatives of japan and makes me wonder if its worth living. SO many people point out the blantant racism and xenophobia in japan as well as the fact that as a foreigner you will be treated differently and sometimes receiving end of descrminiation.
 
人们总是指出日本的缺点，这让我怀疑是否还值得在日本生活下去。很多人都说日本有公然的种族主义和仇外心理，以及作为外国人，你会受到不同的对待，有时还会受到歧视。
 
Varun Senthil
I’m not denying that other people have faced racism and xenophobia in Japan, nor am I saying that it’s not a problem. But while I was there, I was looking for friends, and I found them. I was looking for ways to make the most during my time there, and I did. Some people will like you, some people won’t, don’t worry too much about that.
 
我不会否认其他人在日本遇到的种族主义和仇外心理，我承认这的确是一个问题。但我在日本的时候，我一直试图结交朋友，然后我就找到了。我一直在想办法充分利用我在那里的时间，我做到了。有人喜欢你，也有人讨厌你，不需要太担心
 
Gianni Simone
The only thing I disagree with is convenience store food: it tastes ok but it's definitely not healthy; full of chemicals and preservatives.
 
我唯一不同意的就是便利店的食物：美味但绝对不健康，充满了化学物质和防腐剂。
 
Luana Matei, Living in Tokyo for 10 years
We foreigners have a love-hate relationship with Japan, but the good things are awesome. That is why we are still here afterall:
My reasons would be:
Safety
Yes, walk alone at night, as a girl, anytime, anywhere. As coming from Romania, this struck me the most. Not being afraid when a group of men walk by.
 
我们外国人对日本又爱又恨，但好的一面的确很好，这就是我们依然还在这里的原因
我的理由是
安全
作为一个女孩，晚上的时候，可以独自外出行走，无论何时何地。作为罗马尼亚人，日本的安全给我的印象最为深刻。当有一群男人在你旁边经过的时候也不用害怕。
 
Customer Service
Taxis: they open the door for you. The drivers wear suits. All the time. They do not smoke in the car, nor listen to very loud music.
Supermarkets: They sometimes place the groceries in the bag for you while you look for your money. They smile and gladly help you with whatever problem you might have.
All shops: Even high brands. They won’t look at you weirdly if you seem to not be able to afford something, they treat you and everyone the same.
 
客户服务
出租车:司机会为你开门，他们永远穿着西服，在车里不会吸烟，也不会把音乐开的很大声。
超市:他们有时会在你找钱的时候帮你把食品杂货放在袋子里。他们会微笑着帮你解决可能遇到的任何问题。
所有商店:即使是高级名牌店。如果你买不起的话，他们也不会用奇怪的眼神看着你，不会对你区别对待。
 
People
Help you out.
You need directions, you ask anybody. They might not know, most of the times, but be sure they will do the best they can to make sure you will get to your destination safe and sound. It might take some time, but no one would tell you ‘I am sorry, no idea where that is.’ Never ever has that happened to me.
Don’t gossip that much at work. Nor try to undermine each others jobs.
Don’t judge you on the street based on what you wear. You can dress however you want, they might not care, be too busy with their lives, not intereted or whatever, but you are free to dress however you want.
 
日本人
他们会帮你解决困难
当你找不到路的时候，你可以随便找一个人问。大多数情况下他们或许也不知道，但他们一定会尽力确保让你安全的抵达目的地。这可能需要花一些时间，但他们不会告诉你说“对不起，我不知道这是什么地方”，我从来没有遇见过这样的情况。
工作时不要说太多闲话。也不要试图破坏对方的工作。他们不会在街上对你的衣着评头论足。你无论穿什么都可以，他们不会在意，因为生后已经太忙了，他们对任何事情都提不起兴趣，但你拥有随意着装的自由。
 
Transportation
Everything comes on time. In Tokyo! You can basically search on google maps for how long it will take you by train to a certain place, and be sure you will be there at that exact time.
Wanted to do this in New York, but it seems that according to other people as well, Japan is maybe the only place they took transportation to a new level.
Japan has its good parts which are simply wonderful, and as with all great things, it has its bad parts as well.
 
交通
日本的交通很准时。在东京，你基本上可以在谷歌上搜索去某个地方要多少时间，当你达到那里的时候一定是准时准点的。
想要在纽约也尝试一下，但听别人说，日本或许是唯一一个将交通带入一个新水平的国家。
日本有它美好的一面，但正如所有伟大的事物一样，它也有不好的一面。
 
Seiichi Nohara
”All shops: Even high brands. They won’t look at you weirdly if you seem to not be able to afford something “ is true. Let’s say 20 or 30 years ago we had to dress up to not be looked down on by sales clerks at department stores in Japan too. Nowadays you can practically wear anything you like.
 
“所有的商店：即便是高档名牌店。即便你买不起东西，他们也不会用奇怪的眼神看着你。”
这是真的，二三十年前的时候，为了不被日本百货商店的售货员瞧不起，我们还要穿着打扮一番才行，但现在你喜欢穿什么都可以。
 
Kazuhiro Steve Takayanagi
As being a a Japanese living in midland Japan, I feel the same. I lived in USA, Middle East and South East Asia, Japan’s safety and efficiency probably are the second to none. However I still am considering leaving the country and living somewhere in South East Asia. Many of you came from overseas and living in Japan may not notice it but, they expect you(a Japanese) to be the same …. I may be the only one who feels getting suffocated living here though.
 
作为一个在日本中部地区生活的日本人，我也有同感。我曾在美国，中东，东南亚都生活过，日本的安全和效率的确是首屈一指。但我还是想离开日本，到东南亚的某个国家生活。很多在日本生活的海外人士或许没有注意到，但日本人希望你能和所有人都一样。我可能是唯一一个住在这里感到窒息的人。