Quote Originally Posted by GoktimusPrime View Post
<snip>+ So many "portable hikikomori" - especially on trains where lots of people are just insulated in their own tiny worlds of their mobile phones. No eye contact or anything! The Japanese have always been recluse, but I think mobile phones kinda make it worse because it means they have an "excuse" not to interact with people sitting next to them (too busy interacting with people online!).<snip>
Yeah, there really are a lot of them aren't there? It makes me kinda sad, for all the good technology has done for Japan it's done quite a bit of harm too.

On a less of a downer note, I had a nomikai with the first-year teachers for my area on Friday, and managed to sort of hold a (really basic) conversation for ages, including teaching one of the other ALTs how to do a basic jikou shoukai (however it's Romanised) and doing the same for the new Japanese teachers in English. Benkyou Suru pays off!