This has all been a very fascinating read for the past hour. I really don't have interest in going to Japan anymore though I have good long term friends there and certain obligations that never seem to get cleared up (but one day perhaps...). Hell, my best friend there had an accident some years back and knowing him he might well have done himself in which is why I haven't heard from him in so long. Bummer that but you get to understand stuff about the place from people willing to talk about it, especially if they aren't home (I had met my best Japanese friend while he was in the U.S. several times) or are considered "oddballs" back in Japan. The best kind of people really. I got into the whole Japanese thing from watching anime in the mid to late 70s, corresponding with Japanese, having friends go over and live there (all but one got tired of the duplicity and outright racism and have since left), studying Japanese (I'm no linguist...I've tried Japanese, French and German [my father's native language] and have failed miserably at them all. That said, I can probably follow a conversation if it's not full of slang or too complicated but having words come out of my mouth is damn near impossible. You watch Japanese TV [and not just cartoons either] forces you to learn some words, phrases, etc.), trying to read books, the whole 9 yards. This went on for about 15 years until I got sick of it and moved on. I never had the wherewithall to get away for awhile so you guys at this site provide me with a lot of interesting reading and insight. For that I must thank you.