What are the things you love about Japan?

Sake

" @raphaa00 said:

" @ashriels said:

" I've heard from military friends that smoking is a HUGE problem in large cities.  As a smoker that wouldn't really bother me, but I can see it being a turn off to anyone who likes breathing. "

In mostly large cities people are prohibited to smoke in the streets or public places. "

Interesting.  I wonder what they were referring to then? "

seaweed and rice, their women (asian in general), their architecture, history, success, and geography

" Nothing really anymore except for video games. "

well, plenty of stuff:
video games, movies, music, anime, women. of course only to some degree.
this would apply to the US, too, of course, as well as to many other countries.

" Japanese Women "

"I can already tell you your story will... something.  I like anime and their video games.  Their culture's also interesting, but I can say that about any society. "

manga, games, food the general culture oh and the samurai and ramen 
i think thats actualy chinese but what ever the japanese eat it as well

What.

Everything!

 
Arcades are still alive there

I love some more mature anime such as Monster, Gankutsuou, Ergo Proxy and the like (no Dragon Ball and Naruto and other teen stuff, though!).
Also their language sounds neat, even if I can't speak it. The whole code of honor thing surrounding the ancient samurai is also very interesting. Finally, they have some kick ass punk and hardcore-ish bands amongst all the other garbage music they put out (my opinion, of course). I'm talking about Mad Capsule Markets here, for example.
On the other hand, I hate JPRG's... which kinda sucks to say, seen that I'm on a video game site :P

Anime, video games, and food. They're language is pretty cool and certain aspects of their culture are interesting to say the least.
 
Their porn sucks though. Either it's really weird or it's...uhhh...'normal,' but the female sounds like a banshee being slowly tortured. Sometimes it's both. Either way, not my cup of tea.

Sushi and some video games.

I don't know, I guess I like ninjas and samurais and shit like that.

The fact that I'm not there and have to look at their stupid Japanese faces

Sushi.

 Culture, history, architecture, kung-fu (or is that chinese?) and those god damn awesome peach trees whose leaves never seem to stop falling

• Japanese style toilets: The things you hear about the Japanese having crazy futuristic toilets that heat up your seat and shoot your arse with water are all true, but they're only in fancy places like Hotels or large multi-floor buildings. Despite that, they still have their old Japanese style "toilets" that's quite literally a hole in the ground and it's friggin disgusting because usually the ground that you have to squat over is littered in piss so your ass is 5 cms away from a random's piss. I don't know if these toilets are still there because Japan doesn't want to lose a part of their tradition, or if they haven't or can't be replaced - it's about a 40/60 split between "Western" toilet and Japanese toilet with there being more "Western" ones.

 
There's actually a lot of good reasons to use "squatting toilet" instead of the traditional western one: Wikipedia 
Not that I could ever get used to using one at this point. 
 
Here's what I like most about Japan: 
 
- TV dramas (especially jidaigeki, but not limited to it) 
- Architecture and aesthetics 
- History and myths 
- Language 
 
Of course there's a lot of other stuff that's pretty interesting as well (Jpop, Anime, Manga, Samurai & Ninja films etc.).

 
Language; yes and well-suited to music. Games; yes. Anime; yes, but be selective. Girls; one of the greatest relationships I ever had was with a Japanese girl. Food; my Chinese snobbery condescendingly laughs at (but it's actually not bad). And culture... well, your mileage may vary. 
 
Personally, most of the Japanese people I have ever known are incredible friends and a pleasure to hang out with. But there's some parts of their culture that definitely nurtures quite a few unsavory types as well, which I also have experience with. However, by and large my experiences in Japan and with Japanese culture have been overwhelmingly positive. You just need to keep an open mind, and always remember the First of the Traveler's Ten Commandments:
 
"Thou shalt not expect to find things as they were at home, for thou hast left thy home to find things different."

Ehhh.... "OH MY GOD JAPAN IS IN THE FUTURE IT'S SUPER AWESOME WHY AM I IN MY COUNTRY!!"
 
I fucking hated Japan when I was there (tokyo). It felt really weird there, like living in a high-tech building...but from the 90's. Like yeah my toilet had a warmer on it and a timer to wash out my ass, but everything else felt like it was going down the wrong way. Then most of the people...eh... timid would be an understatement. Walking down the street it felt like everyone was shitting their pants.
 
I loved the food, the girls, and going to arcades with some friends drunk. God damn it I loved the arcades, they'd have open bars sometimes and putting your beer can down on the trays bolted on the arcade machine was pretty fucking satisfying. It was a Dave and Buster's...but with games you wanted to play and other people who knew how to play. 
 
Okinawa I found a bit better though, a lot more easy-going and the people were overall much more easygoing. Eh, 2 months I could have spent in Mexico...now that's a country.

Actual people have electronic toilets in their households, too. But a lot of these also tend to have traditional flush levers next to the panel, so no worries.
Public bathrooms are mostly squat toilet (and this is true of many Asian countries), but they are actually much more sanitary than Western-style toilets, if less convenient. That is, as long as you know how to use it and don't end up pissing all over yourself, as I did the first time -__-
 

@Doctorchimp

" Ehhh.... "OH MY GOD JAPAN IS IN THE FUTURE IT'S SUPER AWESOME WHY AM I IN MY COUNTRY!!"
 
I fucking hated Japan when I was there (tokyo). "

Tatami mats

The Japanese language simply sounds great.

I used to have a real hard-on for Dragonball Z back in the fourth grade, so I guess there's that...

anything Japan! i feel that i've learned a lot about Japan through viewing animu. i love j-pop artists such as ayumi hamasaki, live off pocky, and have dedicated entire afternoons to memorizing phrases in japanese.

The food the drinks (both alcoholic and soft drinks) and the convenient store. I love the fact that you can get canned ice coffee anytime you want (I frigging hate the boiling hot coffee from star bucks) and they taste great too.

Giant enemy crabs.

Their gardens, although mainly all I see is what are depicted in American movies.Also,how they can sit on those little floor cushions while dining -  without getting leg cramps.