Those aspiring to make interesting conversation with the Japanese (or at the very least hoping to avoid boring them to tears in a conversation they are too polite to end) might do well to consult the following ranking of the top 10 most boring topics of conversation to Japanese ears.
The ranking (with votes cast for each in brackets):
1. Bragging about themselves (5,237)
2. Waffling about somebody you don’t even know (2,553)
3. Babbling about some geeky hobby (1,633)
4. Moaning about something or other (1,553)
5. Blathering about politics or business (1,080)
6. Going on about a show you haven’t even seen (837)
7. Preaching on about some spiritual claptrap (564)
8. Gossiping about showbiz stuff (405)
9. Prattling about their work (316)
10. Going on about their family (278)
In light of these results it might be wise to brush up on the latest Aya Hirano gossip – ideal for NEETs and hikikomori with no job or family to speak of.
| 
Temptress Wives – “Older Women Are Better!”
“Is It Really Emi!?” – Amateur Selection Guide 07
Zero Time Dilemma Merrily Murderous
Maki Nishikino’s Birthday Widely Welcomed
Caligula Schools Viewers
Sailor Moon Exhibit Brimming With Nostalgia
Svelte Saber Alter Figure
Onizushi Web Anime & Smartphone Game Surfaces
Marshmallow Imouto Succubus Hits The Beach
Bishoujo Mangekyou Fan Translation Emerges
Samurai Rising – Square Enix: You Guessed it!
Mangaka Pay Tribute to Kyushu
Street Fighter V Enlists Guile
Chinese Death Simulator “Hopefully Won’t Explode”
Re:Zero “In The Nick Of Time!”
Muma Astacia Sultry Succubus Ero-Figure
Hundred Sloppy Kissing Anime
Greek Woman “Born Without A Vagina!”
Let It Die Trailer Unforgettably Fierce
Shinjuku Station Reveals “All Yu-Gi-Oh Cards Ever!”
Kashiwazaki Sena Ero-Cosplay An Immense Tease
Goddess of 2ch: “What A Cute Hole!”
Alice Margatroid Ero-Cosplay by Hiyo Nishizuku Full of Cheer
Sheryl Nome Bunny Girl Cosplay by Mike Super Scandalous
Marvelous Madoka Mizugi Cosplay by Mashiro Yuki
Marie Rose Cosplay by Mike Undeniably Sexy
Tasha Tracer Cosplay Truly Tantalizing
Witch Craft Works Cosplay by Kagune Intensely Seductive
Kaine Cosplay by Yuricha Flawless
Kasumigaoka Utaha Cosplay Pretty Pure
And I thought I'd see something more interesting...like "talking about how china/America/Korea/Yemen(WTF?) is better than japan..."
More interesting, not insulting
*looks at Top 10*
So they'd rather talk to mutes?
Cause as far as normal conversation goes, that's pretty normal.
And to cure #1: Stop using "I" in every sentence :D
Not quite mutes - they appear to give the go-ahead for discussing the *weather*...
Yeah, I was thinking the same... it's just a litany of them not giving a tumbling fuck about anything modern or contemporary or about the person whom they are talking to.
Following this logic, the only thing they want is the person who they are talking to to talk to them ABOUT them. How ironic, considering #1.
in all seriousness, the fuck do you talk to them about?
geeky hobby? thats every fucking hobby there is. and if its not geeky? than its bragging about yourself.
see my anime hobby... dont like that? how about computers? no, well fuck... how about we talk about how much we excersize, and what you can do with it? what thats bragging too?
ok how about the pop culture than... the fuck you mean you dont want to hear about it? ok how about world news? i see its all pop culture or politics...
than the fuck you want to talk about? you want me to talk about you, because that way its not bragging? well... GO FUCK YOURSELF
if anyone never understood why there are 3 million (some figures) neets and hikkis, than they need to look no further than this, because by the logic in this poll, there are 3 million of them, but the rest are sympathizer, who understand them.
I guess we now know exactly why rape is like saying "Hello" in Japan. Anything else would be too boring for them.
I guess there's still talking about the one you're talking to, and of the events that have happened when you were together. So you can't really talk to someone new to you about anything but the weather.
lol Alidan. That is kinda true actually. People sometimes are too scared of 'standing out' or causing inconvenience so sometimes, you can get a bit of a communications block with many Japanese people.
That said, I'm actually one of those people... In Japan, being silent in a crowd is normal. Over here in America, I'm apparently a super-introvert... It's not like that in every prefecture or cliques of people, but I find it that Americans tends to be way more open about conversation than just walking up to a Japanese due to talk random crap and have fun. It can get intimidating if everybody in a room (or even a theater, sports event) are largely tight lipped.
they left talking about the weather....which is #1 for me...
Shippoyasha
17:52
please elaborate on this section
"...Japanese due to talk random crap and have fun. It can get intimidating if everybody in a room (or even a theater, sports event) are largely tight lipped."
specifically
"...theater..."
i get what you mean in your post but i had to pick out talking in a theater? i mean loling i get, crying i get too, but talking? if we are thinking of the same thing i really don't get it.
Sorry. I should have elaborated. But yeah, even laughing or emoting while watching something is sometimes not done if a crowd is too sullen for some reason. Strange as it is, even in mixed martial arts events or boxing or pro wrestling events, the crowds can get uncomfortably quiet so sometimes you have entire events where all you hear are a few rabid fans making noise. What you get in Japanese crowds in public usually is a murmur. That will probably sound strange to westerners.
I get that people should try to be respectful in public venues and all, but the Japanese seems to take it to an extreme sometimes. While in most western nations, things can get pretty rowdy and it seems people have no qualms about talking or chatting away or emote quite a bit. This is actually why I watch movies at home instead, but I digress.
It is just that it gets silly if you have something like a stadium full of people, and with some events, it is DEAD silent. The funniest ones I've seen to date is a stadium of 40,000 being near dead silent. I guess that's why they have cheering teams willfully make noise on baseball stadiums. Or it'd be dead silent in some matches..
Most of you seem to have overlooked the fact that most of the respondents implicitly approved of the subjects at the bottom of the list...
alidan 17:19
While Artefact pointed out the fault in premises, even if all of the topics on this list couldn't be used, you could still
1. Joke
2. Flirt
3. Talk about whatever both parties have in common
4. Talk about philosophical stuff
5. Have a completely random conversation
etc.
Most of you seem to forget that a vote only applies to one option. And that the numbers indicate what is hated by the most of the people, not a list of topics ONE person hates...
ok 1 by 1
VVayfarer
21:05
1. Joke - you are thinking of an american joke, and also, you dont open with a joke unless you are already talking to them or know them... at least i never see that used.
2. Flirt - taking a guess i'm a man for this example and there is a woman. now on the 1-10 scale of looks and money, unless you are a 10 in money and at least within +-1 of the woman in looks, they find that peobably more annoying than if you went up to them with the opener of "so how about this pm, what you think about this [random policy]" and it also end up in bragging to try to get laid.
3. Talk about whatever both parties have in common - this would involve at least 3 of the above, and possibly bragging
4. Talk about philosophical stuff - if a tree falls in the forest does it make a sound? thats all that really comes to mind that is also easy to type.
5. Have a completely random conversation - HI my dick is itching, so how is that hamburger, and what would the world look like with a purple sky... would our skin be blue...
Artefact
20:31
ok im going to go through that list with my opinions on each topic with 10 being what they want to hear most and 1 least.
1. Bragging about themselves (5,237) people who do this to often need a special place in hell.
2. Waffling about somebody you don’t even know (2,553) ok this is really annoying
3. Babbling about some geeky hobby (1,633) ok HOW THE FUCK IS THIS WORSE THAN 10,9,7,5 and 4?
4. Moaning about something or other (1,553) i dont know about any of you, but i know im most uninteresting and entertaining when im bitching about something that i know allot about, almost like a comedian that knows what they are doing.
5. Blathering about politics or business (1,080) jesus middle of the road huh? not bad not good.
6. Going on about a show you haven’t even seen (837) ok...ok...ok... people would rather listen about god, than listen about some stupid shit on tv?
7. Preaching on about some spiritual claptrap (564) holy shit... how the hell is this not number 1, only more annoying than a guy screaming he has a huge dick
8. Gossiping about showbiz stuff (405) ok, this is probably the first thing that i would find interesting, grated i hate pop culture.
9. Prattling about their work (316) seriously, people want to listen about you pushing papers, how stupid your fucking boss is, and how you whould run it?
10. Going on about their family (278) who the fuck wants to listen about your family unless you have a more fucked up family than any cilbrity (wow thats spelt wrong)
Still, I'd put this list completely upside down for me.
Japanese sure are a boring bunch.
Or talk about a show that you HAVE seen, which wouldn't be hard if you watch a little bit of tv.
if you are a man trying to chat up another guy, he would probably like being complimented on his clothes then asking his advice on interesting stuff in the city like what they do for fun and stuff.
if you are a man trying to chat up a girl, all you have to do is flirt. girls like you to talk about them and listen to what they say.
either one should do for a visit to the country. after all if you are visiting from another country you probably aren't looking to be life-long buddies with the guys and probably not looking for a wife among the girls.
Let's see, that leaves:
1) Weather
2) Food
3) Sex
4) Quantum Physics...
Oddly enough, the first three are even more cliche than the top 10 list. So I guess if I want to enthrall my Japanese partner I should talk about quantum physics?
still leaves sports
Alidan - Indeed, most of them would require specific circumstances to work. However, the third one - talking about whatever both parties have in common - is almost a sure-fire method regardless of the circumstances.
None of the options on the list actually deny this. The "geeky hobby" thing wouldn't matter if both parties shared it, and making sure not to talk more than the other party would take care of the rest. Bragging and moaning can be avoided without much trouble, I'd assume.
haha, that ranking pretty much destroys conversation itself :))
I think the key to most of it is that one has to pause and let the other person talk. Instead of drowning on about a show the other does not watch ask if the other has seen it and if not leave it at "oh well it is really good you should watch it" or something like that if one goes on too much one is just pleasing oneself.
As one tests out topics one has to see if the other shares one's interest if the other does WIN if not move on. One only has a problem when one doesn't notice or care about the other not having knowledge or interest in the area of chosen conversation and one continues to talk at the other.
This mostly happens when one is egotistical or just has a social impairment such as autism.
Rei hit the nail on the head.
"Hi, I'm (Blank), what are you interested in?"
"Hentai."
"..."
how is korea better than Japan?
Korea is a nation of fools
Whether it is true or not, I'm pretty sure it would bore and insult the Japanese.
Oh, by the way thank you for insulting my mother country. I couldn't insult my own country without your help.
Don't mind him/her, not only he opens his mouth without thinking first he's also too much a scaredy cat since he uses the anon account.
Nice to see another comrade, though.
I wish people would stop generalizing a large mass of people. It disappoints me that one cannot correctly comprehend a sentence, but to insult an ethnic group through generalization is an abhorrence towards humanity.
Earth is a planet of fools
Hey. Penguins are good people. Let's not generalize.
Dolphins too. Don't make it seem like avians are the only worthy Earthlings!
the only country that i really generalize about the people is china. the ones in america are good folk, from what i have encountered, but as far as china is concerned, this sight has ruined them for me... china is even below afghanistan in my book.
@Darkrockslizer:
I'm not so sure about dolphins though:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/3323070/Killer-dolphins-baffle-marine-experts.html
4. Moaning....
i take it the sex is silent over there~ /end lulz
Pfft.
You can try out their porn over the net sometimes.
It really is dull - even if the cover seems to be representing a theme so bizarre and perverted that you'd expect the contents to be beyond your wildest dreams and expectations.
They themselves don't like their porn? Neither do I. And we think only SE doesn't listen to consumers.
I don't mind so much the 2D doing it, but their real 3D porn could use a help with the actresses not trying to speak like a retard, with low-pitched voice when their voices are big. Also stop moaning just for the heck of it while making anencephalic faces while being fucked. Some of the women are great, sure, but still look like retards when they do this.
Believe it or not, Taiga, most Japanese people seems to hold a steady respect for foreign culture. It's always the hardliners, true racists and the political right that go on about some Japanese superiority and racist attitudes towards foreign nations, foreigners and immigrants.
Funny thing about the way Japan kind of has an air of xenophobia and slight racism all around is because the government dating back to the feudal eras and during the days of WW1 and WW2 were pushing an agenda so they can find excuses to invade and take over foreign lands. As always, politics seems to overshadow how the actual civilians feel about it. And sadly, many civilians buy into that propaganda.
Sadly, something similar is happening in the US with the Tea Party trying to represent the vast majority of Americans who do not share such extremely nationalistic, racist views.
Note that weather isn't listed!
@Dia
in every samurai anime i've ever seen, they always obsess about the wind picking up/changing. that is probably why they don't mind talking about the weather.... emo buddies? naw, i jest.
What, they dont mind hearing about NUKES?
then what a fuck do hey talk???
Common interests ever heard of it?
These all sound like topics anyone would be annoyed with.
Sankaku: pointing out the obvious since god knows when.
that sentence didn't helpéd at all douchebag
I would put #10 first on my list.. others I don't really care
But... but... number 3 is what I can only talk about! D:
Now honestly I don't actually mind any of these topics as long as they're used in moderation. More than once I thought meeting another girl gamer/otaku would be great since we share the same interests only to be turned off when all they can talk about is naruto or kingdom hearts.
"O.M G remember that time when Naroootu and Sasuke had like their lips right met to each other and all? Yaaa I thought I waz going to faint! And- and- Reeekoooo is soooooooooooo HAWT.
Touhou? Wut is that? is that like a name on Naroootu or something? Oh! Oh! Oh! And hinata x naruto is soooooooooooo KAWAEEEEEEE. KYAAAA owo"
I know what you mean.
FFFFFF-AAAAGHHGHAGGAGAHSGHAGAGSGAHGGAHGAAAAA!!!
Yeah just like that =_=
Perhaps try someone of legal age...
In my experience age doesn't matter if a person is an annoying fangirl they stay that way. Just look at all those Twilight moms.
You just haven't found the right girl. >:D
If only I could find the right guy so we could go on a date and actually NOT talk about any of these topics lol.
Haha, can't blame you there!
I fear that I'm pretty guilty of number three, but I usually try to keep it around people that I have that commonality with.
oh no that means you are a..ehm, nerd, sorry