"Eric Takabayashi" <etakajp@yahoo.co.jp> wrote in message
news:40056F34.DDBB7D8F@yahoo.co.jp...
> In 15 years? No. When I first came to Japan, I thought social developments
such
> as equality for women were 30-50 years behind the West. Maybe half of
Japanese
> will also be overweight in such a span of time. There already are schools
for
> ordinary Japanese to learn proper standard Japanese to get rid of regional
> accents, and young people have shown a dislike for fish and rice for
years, but
> it will take much longer before Japanese give up going barefoot in their
homes
> or give up speaking what they call Japanese despite much formality already
> having left it.

As the years go by, fewer Japanese sit on zabuton, sleep on futon, or eat
dinner on low tables.  The design of Western furniture encourages people to
place themselves away from the floor.  Increasing obesity will also make it
less comfortable to sit or sleep on the floor.

> If Japan changes like that, will you stop hating the place because it
feels
> more like home?

No, still too crowded.  They'll have to build holocaust camps to get rid of
all the rude old people first.