Latest 15 of 23 Total Comments Show All

• 

  rjd_jr at 02:26 PM JST - 12th June

  Kronjp, you should know by now that when it comes to all matters Japanese, no real statistics or hard evidence is needed. All that is needed as "proof" that any system Japanese does not work in its entirety is a stale list of stereotypes that is as old as Commodore Perry's first visit to Japan. Never mind the high technological educational accomplishments of Japanese students or professionals. The Japanese educational system is a wondrous thing for the many aspects you list, compared to the "standards" in other industrialized western nations.

• 

  NeoJamal at 02:54 PM JST - 12th June

  My Japanese wife would love to live in Europe but not necessarily the UK. The one thing that might persuade her to go to the UK is the education - there seems to be a perceived opinion here that British Education is better than Japanese.

  Independent schools: YES

  State schools: BUGGER

• 

  Youdontknow at 03:37 PM JST - 12th June

  If they go to Britain and see a new way of life, one of more freedom and equality, and they then come back to Japan and forget everything they've learned, what a waste of time and life!

• 

  kenchan at 08:57 PM JST - 12th June

  good story and I can see the rationale behind it and agree with it to a point. I have lost count of the Japanese salaryman who I've met in London who just moan non-stop about life here(in the same vain as many on this board moan about Japan) and it is probably the negativeness of such salarymen that makes their wives seem open and be seen as "envoys".

• 

  Ah_so at 09:10 PM JST - 12th June

  Interesting article.

  One of the reasons that the expat wives like being in Britain which generally means London) is that they are free of the pressures of Japan, live in expat quality housing (probably twice the size at least of anything they have in Japan), can expect private education to be paid for and live in a city that is very friendly for Japanese i.e. English is spoken and there are lots of Japanese restaurants, shops, schools and other facilities.

  There are always lots of other J-wives for them to lunch with and if they get bored, they can always join the PTA or something.

  It is unsurprising they go back to Japan with a rose-tinted picture of Britain.

• 

  usaexpat at 11:21 PM JST - 12th June

  I would say this is correct. The Japanese friends we had when we were living in the states sent their kids to public schools and developed friendships in the community. Mostly the husbands were too busy working to be the ones who planned play dates for the kids and such. Cultural exchange on a one to one basis is always the best.

• 

  Triple888 at 01:29 AM JST - 13th June

  British education is always perceived to be the best because of the posh stereotype of the British. In reality, overall education is average when it comes to secondary education. Only at university level does the quality get slightly better. Obviously if one can get into a world-class prestigious school or institution that's a totally different matter.

• 

  ca1ic0cat at 02:34 AM JST - 13th June

  I remember having to have my Japanese office mate go down to the local police station and pick up his wife after she wrecked the car getting lost downtown. That was a trip. But overall the J-wives were good for about two years and then they were pretty homesick. On the other hand they all pressured their husbands for new houses with lots of Euro furniture when they got back to Japan. They weren't going to give that up!

• 

  bushlover at 07:29 AM JST - 13th June

  I hope they contributed to the food culture of immigrants in Britain because the natives need a lot of help in that department. It must be a breath of fresh air for many of the young british kids that stay with japanese families to have good healthy food to eat for a change over boilded veggies.

• 

  PrinceskaNo1 at 09:14 AM JST - 13th June

  So funny, Japanese housewifes spreading their unique culture (of doing nothing, gossiping, ijime, etc) in Britain as if British people care about other even "unique" cultures.

• 

  Coligny at 09:51 AM JST - 13th June

  rjd_jr:

  Hillarious, you criticise cliche and counter... with worse cliche/blatant lies...

  What next, gambare nippon ?

• 

  nandakandamanda at 05:09 PM JST - 13th June

  Mine destroyed years of goodwill between the two countries. She has made it plain on many an occasion that she doesn't like Britain. Sure she goes to these lunches where they run down Britain and their British husbands. Oh, my bad, the article is about Japanese housewives with Japanese husbands! No wonder they see Britain in a better light.

• 

  sf2k at 06:06 PM JST - 15th June

  there is less suspicion about returning Japanese and an increasing realization that living overseas can enhance an individual’s skills

  so this is just recent confirmation that Japan has updated? I can't say how far behind this is to Western countries, as it would vary. I suppose it's welcome. Seems some stigmas are not being passed on. Maybe the end of the 15-hour workday is not far behind.

• 

  texashog65 at 06:16 PM JST - 16th June

  So is the UK the only country where J-wives can have un-boring lives while thier husbands work all day? What about the USA, Austrlia, Germany........?

  Seems to me that it's a "pat my my own back" book about the UK, Ms Ruth Martin should've interviewed more J-wives, including those that have lived anywhere other than the UK.

• 

  Starviking at 09:20 PM JST - 18th June

  texasshog65,

  I'm sure if you offered to pay Ruth Martin's travel and expenses she'd love to jet around the world interviewing non-UK resident J-wives.

Register or login to add a comment!