Portrait of a Japanese Person

わたしの日本語の戦士がいます。おなまえのせんしわたかやしきです。

Just trying out my Japanese here. This is my Japanese language professor, Takayashiki sensei.
My Japanese is still at a beginner level so I was not confident in taking a picture of the Japanese people that I see everyday near the seminar house. So it was nice to have him for my blog portrait. Unlike most of the Japanese here in the area, Takayashiki is from Sapporo, Hokkaido. So usually, he always brings up festivals, food, and references of his hometown during class and he really wants us to visit Hokkaido if we can. I have been very intrigued in visiting since then but I honestly don't think I'll have the chance, with the lack of  money and time for it.

While he is our teacher, his personality in the classroom emanates that he's like many Japanese people that I've met. With the culture of Japan, Japanese people have a different lifestyle compared to the rest of the world and have their own unique characteristics that only those who have experienced the Japanese culture can relate to. Most Japanese commute to work or school in a number of ways. For Takayashiki sensei, and what I would assume most working Japanese people would do, is take a bus or bike to the train station, reach their station, and take a bus to their final stop. Public transportation, especially trains, play a big role in Japanese life because without the trains, people would either take great lengths to reach their destination or not bother leaving. For lunch, many places such as Lawsons or  7/11 have bento, or premade meals ready to eat after heating up. Sometimes, they may have had time to make food from home and bring it in their own bento.

After work or class, it's normal for friends to go out and relax after a long day of work or school. Karaoke or drinking at an izakaya, a Japanese style bar, would be normal on a weeknight and much more populated on the weekends.
While there is the lifestyle that the Japanese share, the Japanese people themselves are very different comparing to Americans. The most endearing thing is their response to foreigners. I've experienced some Japanese people who are frustrated when foreigners cannot understand them, even to the point where they don't want to deal with "gaijin". But for the most part, if foreigners can make an effort to communicate in Japanese, they seem to respond positively and kindly towards them. It may be broken Japanese and it probably could be incorrect but their response is more positive than when foreigners try to speak english in America. I'm not saying that all Americans respond negatively, but it is a stereotype that Americans don't like people who cannot speak english as fluently as them.
The Japanese person is the same as any other person in the world. They are influenced by other cultures but still identify with being Japanese.