I’ve noticed an interesting trend in the last few years. It appears more and more people are coming to Japan and using an email address that has, “I think I’m lost” or “lost in Japan” embedded inside. for example: ithinkimlost2530, or lostinjapan23. I am puzzled why they are using this expression and how it came about in the first place.
My first suspicion was that it might be related to a popular Internet forum for English teachers in Japan called(amazingly enough), “I think I am lost.” I was thinking people would visit the site, then take on the title in their email as an homage to their favorite forum. However, I’m pretty sure I had seen it used even before the forum had been created. So I’m left to wonder if this might have originated in a book or something. Either way, I find the entire thing rather cliche.
I’m really not a huge fan of the expression, but I can’t say why it irritates me so when I hear it. The people that use this phrase might actually be scared and alone when they first get here, which would be the most rational explanation, but that doesn’t cover the people create the email months before they even leave their country. I like to imagine that the kind of people that are satirized on “Stuff White People like” are exactly those who would enjoy using this expression. It’s trendy and pertains to a way of thinking that I cannot grasp. As if being in Japan is a Zen experience and they are soul searching while they are here, so they declare themselves fragile or ‘lost’ to show the world how truly spiritual they are.
Japan has never really been like that for me. I enjoy the culture, the people and the everyday conveniences, but I’ve never really thought about being here in a ‘spiritual’ sense; as if it were something trendy I’m supposed to do before I return to the “real world.” For me Japan is the real world, and I treat it as such everyday I’m here in the way I interact with the people around me. Sure I’ve been scared, alone and actually lost in Japan, but I’ve never felt the need to declare myself lost.
Perhaps that is why I can say with certainty that I am “not lost” in Japan. It could also be that it’s Monday and Monday’s tend to sour my disposition.
[Update] If you use the “lost in Japan” expression in your email, perhaps you can explain why in the comments. I am truly curious.
I remember my first visit to Japan, I was woefully unprepared. I’d been studying the language for 6 months, thought I knew plenty. Didn’t really plan my trip very well and when I left Narita and hit Tokyo. I felt lost, sure. I think a lot of people have this idea of what Japan will be when they visit and it’s totally not when they finally get to experience it. I remember phoning my mother and she was worried about me as I sounded ‘off’. I remeber feeling a little bewildered and confused as it was so overwhelming at first, to the point I almost, almost went back to the airport to get the next flight home.
Yet, I perservered and for three weeks, I totally fell in love with the country. In fact, leaving Japan for the first time was one of the hardest things I have ever done. That was in 1995, and I have been back 6 times since then.
While I am not a fan of this new fad, I can certainly understand a little where they are coming from.
I can totally agree with your story and I’m sure many people are very scared and lost while they are in Japan. When I was on the JET programme, I helped many new people get used to their surroundings. The strange thing is that many people will take on the email before they even leave. Almost in preparation for being lost. It’s very odd.
I guess a lot of people feel lost when they get here because they finally realize that Japan is NOT a manga.
But yeah, there are a lot… wonder why…