Interesting cultural notes you've noticed in Japan

[Joe]

I, and I'm sure many others, are fascinated by little culturual quirks, and I know of some, like always taking off your shoes at the door (Although I do it at my house). But what other ones have you cool people in the far off land of Japan, noticed?

Let's get a good list goin on. <random> Like the on button of on-star! </random>

[mediocre]

Shoes off in the home never really bothered me, since I did that as a child (nonasian) in my home.

The shoes off in the gym kinda irked me

[Arilou]

Shoes of at the door is just normal politeness...

[nice gaijin]

how about holding the elevator by using the button instead of thrusting your hand into the doors, or excessive お辞儀 even when on the phone... or that everyone seems to be captivated by the delicious food on tv (あ～～！おいしそう！) that's all for now, don't want to take over the thread.

[Henjin]

People watching TV or people in the commercials?

[bloop]

Backing in to park
People running for the light/train even if they are not in a hurry - especially weird during the times when there's a train every 2 minutes
People waiting 15 minutes for the more-crowded express train even though the local train is there right now and the difference is that the trip takes 30 minutes on the express and 40 on the local
People being a bit obsessed with what places are famous for (ie, "I'm from Shizuoka prefecture. We're known for tea.")

[Henjin]

I'm from Chicago. We're known for murders.

[hapacheese]

The train thing is oftentimes because people need to transfer to other lines. If you miss the specific train, sometimes you're stuck waiting another 10-15 minutes for the proper connecting train.

As for the "taking 10 more minutes on the local train," well... people in the US speed on the freeways to go short distances, right? Saving, what... 5 minutes?


One cultural quirk: why is it that Japanese game shows always have celebrities on, and give them prizes? Do these celebs need freebies? Sure, they're more entertaining to watch/listen to than the average shy Japanese person, but why prizes? I'm pretty sure they're already being paid to be there.

[Henjin]

You will find that our gameshows are a little different from yours. While yours reward knowledge, ours PUNISH IGNORANCE.

[krotch]

The yelling when entering/exiting a convience store or restuarant. The turning off of your car lights while waiting at a red light.

[Henjin]

The yelling when entering/exiting a convience store or restuarant.

You mean the 「いらっしゃいませ」or the 「外人禁止!」 :D

[akitaka]

^I'll be doing this as the new host for the sushi restaurant. Who knows, maybe I'll scare some locals.

On notes: Homeless housing. The structures they build to live in? Nothing like the garbage-bag apartments here in AZ. I almost feel compelled to build one myself.

[hapacheese]

Dude... I saw a homeless dude with a friggin' laptop in Shinjuku once.

A LAPTOP.

[Dana]

I find it strange that they will sit in traffic for HOURS on the expressways while the traffic on the smaller highways is not bad at all. Where I live there is the Chuo Expressway that goes into Tokyo (it'll cost you about 2000 yen) and highway 20 which goes into Tokyo (but goes through numerous towns as well).

But sometimes, like on Golden Week or in August, the traffic is so god-awful people will have to sit on the Chuo for literally 6 or 8 hours. Meanwhile, the traffic on highway 20 is moving along steadily. Sure its a bit slower than the expressway WHEN ITS MOVING, but hey when choosing between a stand-still and moving, I choose moving everytime. Plus these people are PAYING to be on the Chuo for half the day at a stand still. Its insane to me.

[bloop]

I'm from Chicago. We're known for murders.

I'm from Oakland. That's what we're known for too.
that and MC Hammer.....
bah, forget I said that last bit.


to Hapacheese
re train thing - I thought so too, but those people get off at places where there are no transfers. I've also seen people do it for absolutely no reason - I was with them, we weren't transferring, we were even early, but they ran for it anyway. :confused:
the ten minutes thing - yeah, but in the end, it ends up costing you 5 minutes. (the train only takes 10 minutes less, but you wait 15 minutes for it to come) I mentioned it because one woman said to me, "NO! You MUST wait for the express!" Most people I know don't speed to save time. They just don't like going slow. :p

At least from what I know about Hong Kong, TV actors don't make nearly as much as American celebrities. Have no idea about Japan.

[hapacheese]

The same applies in Japan, but they still make good livings. =\

As for trains, true... that's not always the case. I dunno, I just chalk that sort of stuff off to the same kind of mentality like people who drive a little on the shoulder when merging onto a crowded freeway to get one or two more cars ahead, or the person who is driving behind you, speeds up to pass you, then comes back into your lane in front of you, only to then exit the freeway...

[Henjin]

^I'll be doing this as the new host for the sushi restaurant. Who knows, maybe I'll scare some locals.


Hah. I would take that job in a second... if only to freak people out when the Mexican kid starts yelling at them in Japanese.

いらっしゃい！お前たちのテーベルだ。座れ！シェフの専門は食べ物だ。注文しろ！

[erbiumfiber]

Uniforms for EVERYTHING. Even construction workers wear uniforms (the kind with the freakishly wide-legged pants). Women in offices (OLs) wearing uniforms. The cable guy wears a uniform. It was a little unnerving at first.

And they still believe in white gloves for train conductors and such...a blast from the past...

[hapacheese]

And friggin' SERVICE.

I went to my grandma's place over the weekend, and didn't feel like lugging all my luggage and my 15 pound laptop the mile and a half from the train station to her house. It's not that far out in the boonies, as there is a relatively large girls' college in town, and it's only about 20 minutes from Shinjuku, so I was surprised when I got in the cab and the driver said, "Midorigaoka, 1-chome, right?" (in Japanese, of course)

I looked at him with a puzzled expression. He said, "I gave you a ride a while back. You're kind of hard to forget." I took a good look, and then recognized him. I let out a good laugh when I realized he had given me a ride about a year and a half ago, and we had a nice conversation in Japanese in the cab. The dude even remembered where my grandma lived and took me there without any directions whatsoever.

[Azrael]

One cultural quirk: why is it that Japanese game shows always have celebrities on, and give them prizes? Do these celebs need freebies? Sure, they're more entertaining to watch/listen to than the average shy Japanese person, but why prizes? I'm pretty sure they're already being paid to be there.
I hate that too.

I don't think the celebs are any more interesting than "normal" folk. And they just re-use the same people over and over again, I get tired of seeing them.

Apparently, the Japanese think that if a celeb isn't involved in some way, no one will care.

[Ziellos.ein]

how shallow are japanese people in general about celebrity worship as oposed to americans. and since it varies, lets say coastal americans, if it matters.

[Joe]

Ziellos, can you elaborate on that?
And can you people give more examples in general? It's kind of hard for us non-enlightened never-been-to-japan to follow you ;)

[Ziellos.ein]

eep, im from bloody middle america! heh

i was asking if anyone knew like how bad they are about wraping their lives and cares around random celebrities and actors and that crap in relation to how bad it is here in america.

[hapacheese]

I hate that too.

I don't think the celebs are any more interesting than "normal" folk. And they just re-use the same people over and over again, I get tired of seeing them.

Apparently, the Japanese think that if a celeb isn't involved in some way, no one will care.

Well, it depends on the celebrity, really. Some are just there to fill space and be a famous face. But, there are some (90% of which are comedians) that are extremely witty and actually make me laugh. Granted, I don't have the hatred of Japanese TV that you have, so I think we're coming from different perspectives on this one ;)


Ziellos.ein: It's even worse in Japan. They not only worry about their own celebrities, but celebrities from all around the world. The only place that I think that's worse is the UK.

[Sbabbari]

And the noises that everything makes. Whenever a train comes, you hear a song. Whenever the walk light says to go it does its little beeping repetoire. Even some truck's blinkers say, for example, ”???????”.

I lived with a guy who was interning at a computer company (Korean guy) and he would tell me all these things about his coworkers, like they would be very nice and polite as expected, but when they were in their cubicles, they would constantly message him horribly bad-mouthing other employees. Oh, so many cultural oddities, so little time. I'll post more later.

P.S. Hi, i'm new nice to meet you all

[BluZytrix]

I find that Japanese uses way more onomatapoeias.
Ex.

もぐもぐ (mogumogu) the sound of eating/chewing - What is funny is that if you say this, your face sort of makes the motions as if you were eating something.

[Fictionluverkdm]

I find that Japanese uses way more onomatapoeias

Or like Hyu-ru-ru-ru, which is the sound of the wind- almost like "Whoosh!"

[Urban~Ninja]

BB Guns, they are like everywhere but no one seems to have them, in Aussy Land, BB guns are illegal so if you have one your like a god.

Also the whole slurping while eating noodles, sure my grandma and mum do it because they are Japanese, but i just cant stand the sound.

[Pierrot le Fou]

The absolute apathy towards smoking, drinking, and sex.

I mean there are whorehouses all over the place, flyers come in your mailbox offering delivery sex, vending machines with beer, liquor, and porn, and high school students getting loaded in bars without anyone caring.

That and the entire apathy towards safe sex. Withdrawl is apparently a dandy method because of the prevalence of abortions, and the faulty belief that the Japanese don't get STDs. Zoikes says I, I says.

[Maian]

You know, most of these cultural things aren't specific to Japan - they're just Asian things in general. Stuff like taking off shoes before entering houses, saying "welcome" at 7-11, etc. is common everywhere in Asia in my experiences.

[Dai]

You know, most of these cultural things aren't specific to Japan - they're just Asian things in general. Stuff like taking off shoes before entering houses, saying "welcome" at 7-11, etc. is common everywhere in Asia in my experiences.


First I thought it was kind of silly to take off you shoes, but actually it is way more hygienic. I wouldn't want traces of dogpoop or anything filthy that comes from the streets in my house. So in that way Asians are cleaner with their places. But I don't think Asian countries have that much similarities, well, the East-Asian ones do kind of. But they different countries, just like in Europe.

[Maian]

Yeah that's what I meant - east asians. I know north asians (aka russians) and south asians (India and company) are very different.