Won't Miss #268 - region code issues

From left top: Cinderella, Pinocchio, Gulliver's Travels

From left bottom: The Three Caballeros, Dumbo, Fantasia

One of the cool things about Japan is that their copyright laws aren't determined by the ability of big corporations to bribe lawmakers into infinitely extending them through backdoor means. That means that you can get professionally released DVDs of movies that might normally cost quite a bit more for a low price (like the 500 yen/$5.18 Disney movies sold above). Unfortunately, there is a snag. If you aren't planning on remaining in Japan forever, any discs you buy here aren't going to work back home unless you also happen to live in a Region 2 country. All of North America is Region 1, and Australia is Region 4. Pretty much only Europeans and the British are in luck when it comes to picking up DVDs in Japan that can be played in their drives back home without issue.

I won't miss not being able to buy DVDs because the region codes are different.

Won't Miss #106 - late release of media

American entertainment media almost always lags behind in Japan. Sometimes, a movie, DVD, or T.V. show will be simultaneously released, but this is rare. While this isn't a big deal, it does mean that we're one step behind, pop culturally speaking, when talking about such frivolities with people back home and can make you feel disconnected and out of touch. It can also be a bigger problem when everyone knows the outcome of some mystery about a year before you do and the beans can be spilled and spoil your fun.

I won't miss feeling out of sync with my friends and family back home when it comes to pop culture.