I think the difference is the definition of that "Private things". Of course, even Americans won't share their address or phone numbers on social media, but sharing a family photo (together), or friends' photos (together) are OK, in Japan, you have to ask their permission first if you want to share a photo where there are others faces. so even when they share group photos, they mask or blur other's faces.
#2 is really funny since when I've run into Japanese tourists who can speak English here in the USA, they absolutely won't strike up a random conversation, but will absolutely love it when Americans strike up one with them.
According to some interviews from "Takashii from Japan" (I think it was "Do Japanese Want Foreign Friends"), the Japanese actually like the interactions even though they are too shy to initiate a conversation. However, mind you there is still the honne vs tatemae thing so dunno, maybe they were just being polite.
Yeah. I mean in the USA, we might say "Hi!" and gauge how willing the other person is too speak. If they say "Hi!" back but keep walking and make minimal eye contact, that normally means "I have my own thing going on, but I'll help you if you need directions or a little favor." If the other person says something much more than "Hi!" Like "Hi! It's great to get out for a stroll!" it let's the other person know "Hey! I'm happy chatting for a minute or two." So if you're foreign and visiting the USA, you know that there's a very loose etiquette involved here. There are slight different cultures between states, but this is consistent in almost all of America(aside from some areas of very large cities).
@@SaintSaintI never noticed it till you pointed it out but you’re right, there is a subtle “openness to talk” when approaching someone that you read before continuing. It’s easy to recognize body language and close off a conversation when the other person becomes disinterested but that isn’t taught, it’s almost ingrained.
I broke rule #2 for an entire year in 1996 when I backpacked across mainland Japan. Backpacking and not talking to strangers every day sounds like a bitter experience.
Lets wait until Sora realizes that we can speak to strangers for HOURS at a party without even knowing their names. Btw the whole thing about not calling your boss Mr. or Ms./Mrs. only applies if you and your boss are lower down the chain of command, like if your working at a local McDonalds or something.
US businesses often try to make the day to day interactions less formal in an attempt to make work your life. It is a dumb idea some MBA had that we all put up with because we like paychecks.
The concept of missed connections must also be strange to them as well. Met a stranger that you had a romantic attachment to but never going through with telling them.
Ye, I haven't really been in office jobs, mainly service. Retail, everyone has a name tag and everyone is on first name bases, even with customers. When the upper chain bosses come by, the introduce themselves and say to call them by their first name. Some corporate mumbo-jumbo about the work place being a family. Hotel work, everyone had a name tag, easy for guests and me to remember names. Teacher's Assistant, first names were easier for kids to remember, but we would have Ms/Mr in front of it.
Honestly, that really depends on your work environment. In all of my employment, even from my teen years, I have always referred to my bosses by their first names, and they were always okay with it. Anyone who asks you to address them as Mr. or Mrs. is either arrogant or old-fashioned.
about christmas decorations: inside the home is normally considered more important to decorate than outside so in the US or other european countries those who have more 'modest' decorations will usually have a tree and a few other things in their house. It's considered pretty weird not to do *anything* for christmas inside the home. Lights on the outside are seen as more 'lavish' or 'committed' to it
@richardx1 Nah, Chistians stole christmas from pagans & stripping the religion out of it & commercializing it was one of the best things America ever did in an effort to reclaim something. Lots of agnostics, atheists, in-name-only non-practicing people from other religions celebrate christmas, which probably pisses christians off. I even have Jewish neighbors who mix christmas & hanukkah decorations.
@@LikaLaruku Celebrating Jesus's birth at the winter solstice is done for the symbolism of him being the "light of the world". The days get progressively longer starting with it (under the old Julian calendar, the solstice is a little earlier in the Gregorian calendar we use now). There's a lot of traditions from midwinter in pagan European religions that shifted to Christmas, but the choice of the date wasn't to steal the holiday.
It's because there're very few Catholic Christians in Japan (0.34% according to Wiki) so your Christmas for them is like Halloween or Valentine's day - just a shallow celebration for the fun of it (nothing wrong with that, the more excuses to have fun - the better). They don't get into it with decorations or in general because Christianity isn't a part of their culture at all unlike in America, where 63% are Christians.
As an American, I think reciting the pledge of allegiance every day in elementary school was an incredibly weird thing to do. I never had to do it anywhere else I can think of.
yea it was like a Elementary School only thing and occasionally Middle School but Highschool didnt even care. My Highschool most teachers didnt care if you sleep in class or ditched and security guards were pretty much all cool we'd hang out with them every now an than
Then there's the very awkward realization that saying something like that for long enough will influence people. It's pretty basic level indoctrination but seriously what the fuck?!
It must have being very difficult for an american like Sora to experience all these cultural shocks, Im really grateful he lived all that and now he is here giving us advices! SORA MVP!
As a Brazilian it is interesting to see the differences, like, we actually consider Americans to be a colder, less friendly and less sociable people in general but the Japanese consider them the exact opposite. I didn’t know that Japan is also(or was also) like Brazil in regards to what not to discuss, we had even songs that said: we don’t discuss religion, politics and football
While I can't really gauge how friendly people are in the US and how it places in the friendly countries of the world rankings, I can tell you that being in America means you will have random encounters with people who want to hear your entire life story.
It’s incredibly strange not to talk about football. I’m not much of a fan myself, but I do talk about it with people in conversations if it comes up. Strange Brazilians do not talk about football, you have some of the best players, alongside Argentina.
@@NorseGraphicWe don't really talk about footbal( or soccer, i think) because people here are mostly VERY PASSIONATE with their favorite teams and players. So there are a lot of chances of getting very intense verbal and physical fights, bringing problems in general discussing about it with strangers and even co-workers. The only times i consider safe is in school, family and groups who are all fans of the same team, friends and controled areas 😅. Hope most of my english is understandable
To be fair I think most places have some amount of don't talk about religion or politics. I can confirm there's just as many people really dedicated to that as there are people flippant about it. I definitely lean toward the latter lmao
There are people who are very devout in the US, and therefore seemingly feel the need to bring up religion regardless of the time or place, but most find it distasteful to do that. The problem is that Christianity is, by its nature, a religion of converts. So devout followers sometimes feel a duty to convert others.
I think the common phrase is to avoid politics, religion, and baseball. Go to any Japanese baseball game (preferably where one of the teams playing is the Hanshin Tigers), and you’ll see why.
As a down-to-earth American... I can confirm that I can build you a desk from scratch and want nothing in return but for you to be happy and use it. Facts.🎉
Yes, I've been rather surprised myself. Thankfully It seems like "DIY" has become a bit of a trend here in Japan though, as you'll find sections for it at the 100 yen shops nowadays. People even say ディー・アイ・ワ イ (Dii Ai Wai)!!
its because Japanese are rich and can splurge on having meanial labor be done by someone else. in the US, everything is incredibly expensive so some people would rather do it themselves than hire someone. some people in japan may also find the prices these days as expensive, so they try to bandwagon to that too, but later they'll find they have to no time for it as usual...
Here's some American context for some of these habits. 1) Referring to everybody, including bosses, by their first name has been a generational change in US business. Typically Gen-Z (anybody born in 1990's) started the trend of in-formalizing business, mostly as those at the top (like bosses) wanted to stay relatable to their workers. This is way more common in "Blue Collar" environments, like retail & service industries, as work policies only require everybody to provide their first name to customers. In "White Collar" environments, the usage of formal names varies on business tradition & the age of upper management. Those who are Gen-X (1970's) are more likely to stick with the formalities over younger generation. Gen-Y (1980's) are more likely to go with the flow. There's also the cases of being AGGRESSIVELY FORMAL (refusing to use a person's first name) when a person is upset or has a disdain for another, which can be used to disrespect others. 2) During like the 80's & 90's had "Don't Talk to Strangers" PSA's, Americans tend to have some level of "social needs" & even introverts will need to occasionally socialize with others to avoid feeling lonely. Most Americans try to find some type of common thread with others to initiate "small talk"or an "ice breaker" in order to gauge how social the other person might be. It can be potentially be awkward (or cringe) for both sides, especially when things don't go well, but we're more willing to be awkward for a moment than fall into depression from loneliness. However, many take the risk for a chance to actually make a new friend or acquaintance. 3) This doesn't apply to JUST for Christmas, but for Halloween & other major holidays as well. The spectrum of decoration will vary by person & season, in addition to their budget & space allowances. While some may go with more subdue decorations (trimming the roof with lights & some small window decorations), others will go all out & decorate every square foot of their property (with a hefty electric bill to go with it). The more rural areas (like the suburbs & small towns, with houses & yards) may have that "crazy holiday person" than those in urban areas (where space is at a premium, so people are more restricted with decorations). 4) This is an old tradition that has lingered on with elders. Sending a card for a particular holiday or event is the modern equivalent of "phoning it in" & considered the minimal effort of acknowledging somebody in your social circles. Social Media sites, like Facebook, has in-formalized this with posts to a person's wall / page for most occasions. Christmas is the only time most people do this as it seems the traditional thing to do & holiday traditions are typically the hardest to break. Oddly, the greeting card industry (like Hallmark) still exits to perpetuate this. 5) The traditional oversharing on social media... It's not the wisest thing people do, as it can annoy others (even friends & family members) & make them potential targets for criminals, but it happens & most people just roll with it. 6) The "Pledge of Allegiance" in school (at least through elementary school) was old traditional act of patriotism. It's been annoying kids for decades as schools (at least the elementary schools) refuse to kill the tradition. Junior High & High Schools tend to skip this tradition to conserve classroom time as students switch classrooms each period (vs staying in the same classroom most of the time in elementary school). 7) This is an very old-school tradition (from like the 1800's) that's considered good manners & part of modern chivalry. This comes from the idea of maintain the flow of traffic by helping those who may have difficulty pass through on their own (like ladies, the handicapped & those with their hands full) by holding the door for a few seconds for them. When those who follow this social norm, some odd actions like "door leapfrogging" (holding the door for the person behind you, just for them to hold the next door for you) & "baton passing" (holding the door long enough so the next person is able to hold it) can occur. Automatic Doors (& to a lesser extent, revolving doors) has reduced such actions to a degree, but it's still a common occurrence in the US. 8) This is more of a "time vs money" argument. -- Why pay somebody $100 (or whatever they charge) when I can do it for $10 (or whatever the materials cost)? If the person has the time & the knowledge, they're more willing to fix it themselves to save money. HOWEVER, if something is very difficult OR has legal regulations behind it (like automotive, electrical or plumbing repairs), people are more willing to seek professionals to do the job. There's the drive to expand one's skillset by taking on a task you're unfamiliar with a "Let's Try" mindset & learning along the way. This idea has been pushed to comedic effect as shows like Home Improvement (trying to improve things with more power) & The Red Green Show (making things out of objects on hand) have done. 9) In the US, the same topics are typically taboo as well... except for sports in most cases. Politics & Religion are just too highly-sensitive subjects that can easily turn hostile as many people can have heavily conflicting views. Sports is generally safe for most people, but the issue of fandom can creep in & cause conflict with opposing fan bases. For myself & co-workers, we'll stick to "surface level" details like current standings & game results to maintain a social level, but won't go into details like specific plays or how a particular athlete. Money in the US, or more specifically how MUCH somebody makes, tends to carry a social taboo with it due to the potential of "class warfare"... where some people can become jealous of others due to the differences in income. While discussions are perfectly legal under federal labor laws (businesses legally prevent their workers from disclosing their incomes to each other), it's generally not comfortable to deal with in a social setting.
I second this But I’ll add something The diy trend has another side in certain places Manhood And masculinity Something that is very much strange but still present so you’ll find people who have massive shop collections that they don’t often use all of But generally Almost every suburban house has a workbench and more than enough tools to make anything of substance
@@shinyhero306 not to mention for safety reasons it is best for anyone of any gender to know how to fix / replace a tire. Anything that seems simple on hand like replacing batteries and lightbulbs to hanging up furniture is the base level of dyi we learned, even more so because we have stores catered to them: Home Depot, Michael’s Arts and Crafts or IKEA. Sometimes with limited space we maximize our comfort with designs. Sometimes as your growing up at a public school you may have an elective based in art or diy activities like woodworking.
Americans tend to have "social needs". You mean like literally 99% of humans have? Kinda fucked putting that on people from the United States. I've been to, Vietnam and Jamaica. In both countries i had total strangers strike up conversations with me. I'm generally far too introverted to start a conversation so to have a native of the country happily start chatting about random BS made me extremely happy. I made friends in Jamaica i still message today regularly, and send gifts via the mail on special occasions. Those "social needs" that apparently "Americans tend to have" connected me to people i would have never known and gave me amazing memories. Why you posed, as you coldly put it, "tend to have social needs" as some kind of weird anomaly that's off putting and rude i have no idea.
@@thephantompooter5266I don’t think they were trying to offend or insult. I read it as “Americans, even extremely introverted ones, will occasionally desire a social interaction in an uncomfortable or unfamiliar setting.” Which is true, a big part of American culture praises extroverted behaviors and “going against the grain” personalities.
The whole "not talking to strangers" thing is essentially the one thing keeping me from moving to Japan. I lived there all summer for a study abroad program, and it was fun because I had other classmates from America who I could socialize with, but if they weren't there I would've felt so isolated. Though Harajuku was like the only place people tended to break that social norm because I got a lot of compliments from people saying that my outfits were very kawaii (I'm reeeeally into jfashion LOL)
I think knowing the language to an extent and not caring how dumb you sound is a great way to make friends in Japan. In my experience, I've actually found that Japanese people are often very open and happy to speak to foreigners, especially the older people love to chat. You need to think about it from their perspective. Many Japanese have never even left Japan. Their mother tongue is useless outside their country, and the English education system in Japan is poor. They're so curious to meet and connect with other people from around the world, BUT they assume you don't understand them, and they don't feel confident enough in their English. I think regardless of culture, most people wouldn't bother a person they thought couldn't understand them. Furthermore, considering Japanese society tells you to literally not be a bother to others, most Japanese who want to connect with foreigners will just decide to leave you alone despite their feelings. It makes them seem cold, but I think it just shows how considerate they are. We take for granted in the West that we're living in (mostly) diverse areas. I was lucky to be able to see diverse faces every day and learn about the world directly from my peers, as well as share my own culture with my peers too. But for many Japanese, seeing a non-East Asian face is rare. Even now, in 2023, in Tokyo, I still meet adults, young and old alike that straight up tell me "Wow, I've never spoken to a foreigner before! This is my first time!". Trust me. They do not care how jacked your Japanese is. When I moved to Tokyo last year, I was worried I'd scare my neighbors with my tattoos and piercings, but my husband and I introduced ourselves to everyone in Japanese, gave them cookies, and we have a very pleasant relationship. Everyone knows us on our street, says hello, chitchats, etc. We live in a house, a tight little neighborhood, but so it's a lot of old people and families, not so much singles and young folks who'd be easier to win over. If you put the effort in being friendly, statistically, people on your street, building, whatever are going to warm up to you. If you ever consider moving back, I highly suggest making the first move. I think you'll have an easier time.
The #1 thing to break this, I found, was going to bars. After few a beers most Japanese people will break this 'barrier' and start talking to you. You can chat, socialise and maybe even make friends a lot easier. Though I must say knowing the language to a certain extent helps even more with that. Bars are also great to practice your Japanese, because you won't mind screwing up that much a few beers deep, and even if your Japanese is broken, people will show appreciation to your efforts more in those kinds of 'loose' settings. Very motivating.
It's interesting that in Japan, one does not speak about "politics, sports, or religion." In my family, we were taught to not mention politics, money, or religion. 🤔
I mean, in France it's quite normal to talk about these topics (it's even quite often one of the main forms of discussion) so this is also a matter of perspective.
Hey here in America too! I remember while I was walking through the downtown city to morning University class with a foreign friend I striked up a conversation with a guy who walk also walking to work. We talked about school work and just things about the city and whatnot and my foreign friend was just awkwardly walking along as well not saying a word unlike what they usually do. So afterwards when we get to class, she tells me that I shouldn't talk to strangers because he could of robbed me or killed me or something, and I was like "I am a 24 year old man, at this point in my life, he would of robbed me if he wanted to rob me whether or not I asked him about the weather"😂
@@peacefulminimalist2028 not seen as bothering here its more like being neighborly , people often feel it is weird to be stand offish rather than social
A few of these things apply to Scotland as well. It's rare to see anyone just be friendly out of nowhere to strangers unless they need help with directions or something like that. We don't sing Flower Of Scotland every morning at school either. However, we do decorate for Christmas, hold doors open for people because we see it as polite, and send people cards
Hey Sora, recently some RUclipsrs are uploading videos about cheating in Japan. In those videos, they interview japanese people that says that cheating is completely normal and generalized in Japan and that everybody cheats in Japan. Would you do a video clarifying this topic or could you comment it on a live?
Have you seen Fanza games, DMM Games, illusion games, some ps? games that aren't available in the US, European Versions and some region limited Nintendo Switch games? Anyway since kindergarten they're aware that an intercourse can generate a baby, I'm still surprised how a neighboring country like the Philippines still has a higher birth rate than Japan.
I'm a middle-aged Japanese woman. I can't believe that kind of interview. I don't know anyone around me who thinks like them. After getting married, many people hesitate to even have dinner alone with friends of the opposite sex.
@@MusicAndFlowersJP Do you refer to the last video of "Takashi from Japan" or "Trash Tate"? They have been talking about this topic in their last videos.
I knew a Japanese foreign student who played guitar, she would take it to the music store to get restrung. That melted my brain. Not sure if it's similar to taking a bike to the shop to fix a flat tire, but these things are not difficult to do. While I can understand most cultural differences, this one has me for a loop.
when i did a home stay in a rural town i found that everyone came to talk to me instead of me striking up the conversation.. i find rural japan is VERY similar to southern america in morals & culture than cities in japan. probably why i felt so at home there ahahah.
As a non american I can confirm that I do 80℅ of the stuffs mentionned, for Christmas we also have what we call Secret Santa where you have to give a gift to a colleague even if you don't know them
Aww. Not decorating for Christmas? But it is so much fun. As is politely striking up conversations with new people. Heh. There are worse things in the world than being festive and making friends. (Your videos are always so enjoyable. They always make me smile.)
Americans also think reciting the pledge of allegiance is pretty weird! There have been many controversies about students refusing to recite it for moral or religious reasons.
I refused to say it from Kindergarten on, and told my kids that they don't have to say it either, and if their teachers had a problem with it they could call me. Also refuse to sing the Anthem cuz of the racist verses they don't teach us in school.
It's honestly really creepy to me, which is why I stopped doing it in high school. Some teachers would throw hissy fits before then if you didn't do it.
When I was growing up (in America), people avoided religion and politics conversations too. I wish that part of the culture hadn't changed. Now it's all many many people can talk about.
I think it depends on where you grew up. I don't really get offended by people talking about their personal religion or politics as long as they don't mind if I am allowed to talk about what I believe, too. The US as become very politically divided, and religion was a large part of the political division.
Kinda hard nowadays to ignore politics. Especially when you learn some relative is glad they voted for someone who's pro-genocide because it also means they end up making more money with their business :[
@@MsVilecat The point is back in the day you would have never known that your relative is glad they voted for someone who's pro-genocide because it also means they end up making more money with their business. They would have just kept their mouth shut about it all.
#3. Sending a card might be considered a "gift" and there's a whole gift-giving thing where, like, rule of thumb is giving back roughly a third of what the gift was, so getting a card means sending back a post-it note, then the original giver has to send back a thumbnail-sized thank you card and...
Considering number 6, there's been debate in America over if schools should still do it since the reason it was implemented was to try and build patriotism in children due to the cold war. I'm on the side that it's weird to make children pledge alliegence to anything.
Not true. "The first recorded organized recital of the original Pledge of Allegiance took place on Oct. 12, 1892, when some 12 million American schoolchildren recited it to commemorate the 400-year anniversary of the voyage of Christopher Columbus."
I work at a hardware store part time and got exposed to the dyi culture over the years. However my uncles always did that too back in the Philippines. We only do that to save money. I still do alot of stuff myself if I can because hiring an professional here can get pretty expensive. Plus I am pretty good with my hands and can look at something and put it together with no instructions. I find that very interesting about Japan they leave all that to the professionals. Very different from Filipinos. 😅
I'm a disabled person, and so sometimes people hold the door open for me. But this is also kind of a liability sometimes. There are buttons that automatically open the door for disabled people... so when they hold the door open, they often just end up blocking the way instead of helping. Situational awareness, people! ...still, they're trying to help, so I'd feel bad getting too upset about it. I normally just thank them as if they're not being a nuisance. After all, they are TRYING to be thoughtful, and I do appreciate the sentiment.
The thing about decorating for holidays isn't that we decorate for holidays. We would decorate like that *all the time* if we thought we could get away with it.
I felt that number one so hard. And it was merely with my Sports Club senpais in University. My friends were laughing at me like "It's like you're talking to a friend lol" "Wait, are they not my friends?" 😪
2:16 In the Philippines, we have a convenience store called Uncle John's. It used to be called Ministop until the start of this year when it (Ministop) had to be pulled out.
Really? I mean if you’re in a store I understand but with street stores that seems to be almost expected here. Farmers markets too. I might be going to Japan for work in a year so I’m really interested
As a lifelong USian bartering (trading goods for other goods instead of buying them with money) with people at shops seems really odd to me too. (Did you mean haggling (arguing about the price to get a better deal)? ... no, that's weird too; about the only thing it's considered "normal" to haggle for is cars and MAYBE furniture/appliances. )
@@ptorq no, bartering in this case means negotiating prices. That’s normal if you travel abroad a lot which I’m guessing you don’t. When you go to souvenir areas in other places you always negotiate prices. In Japan this isn’t a thing which surprises Americans who travel a lot.
@@elitealiceI think that answers my question. That makes it doubly weird, because I doubt the same people trying to do it in Japan would try it at the Kroger down the street.
LOL to the house decorations. My mother not only has Christmas decorates, but a whole set of decorations for Valentines Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Halloween and Thanksgiving. There will be paper cut outs in the windows, lights for some of the holidays, and she'll swap out the interior decorations as well as she has little ceramics for each holiday.,
Every time I watch a video of yours about things that should be (probably) strange to me or weird, it turns out that it makes complete sense and logic. It's simply "respect", something that almost doesn't exist where I live, it makes me wish my country behaved the same way.
The “not talking to strangers” thing is so hard for me.I just moved to Tokyo and I have no idea how to socialize or make friends(when I’m in my country or other the rest of Europe I find making friends really easy) If you have any suggestions about making friends in Japan,please help me with this
Just talk to people anyway. What are they going to do? Be politely quiet? Just talk to people and some of them are going to (eventually) talk back. Friendship achieved!
Just to comment on the last one I can say this is so true. Its something I noticed to the point of I started trying to count how many times I would notice someone holding a door open for someone. As you will even see young people basically close the door on a old lady no problem. Not that everyone holds doors open for everyone in America, but its not weird to see. But in Japan oh man, I would say I think at one point I counted maybe only seeing someone hold the door open for someone twice in 3 months. Crazy.
Oh God as a Canadian that would drive me nuts. Its actually considered rude here if you don't hold the door for someone. And by "hold the door" the typical you walk in and just wait a few seconds for them to catch up and not let the door slam in their face.
Hehe, some of these apply to me too (especially 1 to 3), and I'm not from the States. By the way, I know a few Japanese people who are into DIY, and they're doing a very good job, I might add! 😁
number 2 - we also do that in Philippines too sometimes, especially when you ask strangers for like direction number 3 feels like Japan doesnt have Christmas spirit like Americans, Philippines or everyone else who celebrares Christmas!
Sending Christmas (and other) cards are sort of in decline nowadays, was more frequent back then, especially after the internet and email became accessible to everyone. Also talking about Politics, Religion, and sometimes Sports is taboo unless you are with people you trust, or are looking to pick a fight with strangers.
im from czech republic and to some door is considered decency, most people would probably hit their head on door if person in front of them didnt hold door
Actually, singing an anime theme song on the way to school is less weird than reciting the pledge of allegiance every day. As a kid, I thought of it as a formal greeting for the flag than an actual pledge, similar to how you’d greet the teacher. Looking back, I think almost every kid would’ve loved reciting the pokemon theme song every morning instead😂
As an American, I DO want to talk to everyone in the world! I DO want to be friends with everyone in the world! I DO want to have a picnic with everyone in the world. Japan can stuff it!! (or be my friend)
Growing up we had a “Pledge of Allegiance” but people just kind of didn’t care most of the time. It was more just a thing that was customary to do out of respect but it wasn’t super serious. In High School we got reduced to doing it twice a week when we had a club do morning announcements for the whole school twice a week. It has historical roots, it started out in the early 1900’s as a way to instill a common identity for all the new immigrants and natives at school to integrate them. It was revived with a fervor and the phrase “Under God” was added in the 1950’s in response to the rising threat of Communism. In America, when the country turned very anti Communist, it also turned very religious as the Communists were state Atheists. Nowadays it’s just sort of there, just a tradition no one really likes nor cares about but feel like they have to do.
Yeah most of us really just did it out of tradition, but the fact that we have to do it at all bizarre. It's the kind of thing that we would otherwise label outlandish levels of propaganda and control in any other country
I refused to do it, because it didn't seem like "a sign of respect", it seemed like some kind of cult thing we were told to do without any explanation.
@@awkwardpawsome I eat red meat and brush my teeth, too, and people will call me a fascist regardless of what I do anyway, they can all go sleep with cattle.
Not necessarily. Alot of people go to japan and then get massive culture shock from western perspective. Alot of introverts for example stress over managing social interactions and in japan even if there is less boisterous interactions there is massively more complex and important minor customs. Such that an introvert will be even more stuck in their head afraid of the million possible social faux pas that no one will ever outright tell you about
Also if you live in a big city and hear gunshots from outside, most people I know just ignore it and just go on with what they’re doing in the house or their apartment
As an introvert I don’t have a problem with not talking to strangers on the street. The most I did when I was in Japan was if I passed by a police officer I might smile and maybe say hello. It just felt awkward to go by and not acknowledge them.
I think it's more so with hardcore fans that take sports way too seriously. Like football fans in Europe or any Philadelphia sports fans. It can get toxic quick.
For number 3, I think that might be related to the American tradition of "Keeping Up with the Joneses"; when your neighbor puts some tasteful lights up, you have to outdo them until your yard is an impenetrable maze of gaudy decorations.
Wow! This makes me so proud to be an American! Thanks! Tho its also wise to remember every country has its positives and negatives. If i ever visit Japan, i’ll try to fit in with the culture there as to not give everyone a heart attack ;) Helpful and awesome viddies(videos) as always! Love your channel!
it's weird to me that Japanese don't DIY fix their things, I fix my car by myself all the time (although I am an auto technician so), but it's strange to me not to want to at least try to fix something yourself, at the same time though I kinda get it, it's intimidating and you'd rather hire someone to deal with it than break it or spend time figuring it out
Older cars in Japan costs more due to the national vehicle inspection, and Japanese drivers prefer newer cars, then used Japanese cars like kei trucks are exported to the U.S etc. I even don't own my car though, I commute by the bus and the train.
It’s okay, as long as you don’t have a weapon or aren’t on drugs you’ll benefit from the Gaijin Pass (Edit: unless you’re visibly Asian, in which case, sucks to be you!)
Japan isn't the only country where the locals aren't likely to strike up a conversation with strangers. I love telling this story. A Swedish friend of mine came to America for a work convention in LA. I took some time off work and came to LA so we could hang out while she was in the country. One day we were walking around trying to find a restaurant but were having a bit of trouble. Since I had the map, I flagged down a stranger on the sidewalk and asked for help. It was a very normal (to me) interaction. I told the gentleman we were having trouble, asked for directions and he kindly pointed out where we needed to go. I thanked him for his help and we both continued with our day. My Swedish friend was astounded. She couldn't believe we both navigated that encounter without the slightest hesitation or embarrassment. She told me that if that had happened in Sweden, the stranger would have been happy to help but the whole exchanged would have been highly uncomfortable and awkward for both parties.
As an American, one thing that I always found cringe is that people will legitimately get mad if you drop a US flag that you bought at the dollar store on the ground. People have literally tried to fight me for doing that before. They treat any American flag like its a sacred object 😅
For most people it IS. They are proud and identify with it. Dropping it equals "not caring about soiling it" which is considered a huge disrespect for many countries.
It is actually against the law: 18 U.S. Code § 700 - Desecration of the flag of the United States; penalties. Whoever knowingly mutilates, defaces, physically defiles, burns, maintains on the floor or ground, or tramples upon any flag of the United States shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.
At the same time tho, the younger generations are so dumb here they can't tell the difference between a man a woman, so your mileage may vary. And yes, that's mileage, not kilometerage.
Australian here, we find most of this stuff weird too, except maybe the Christmas part, I think I'm one of the few grinches in this country, one that obsesses over a snow-based holiday where we barely have any snow, even in winter, depending on where in the country...
As a minority (for many reasons) in America, I'm so sick of politics-talk too. That's one thing I really respect about Japan; the people don't make politics their personal identities unless they are literally politicians. The regular people are overall quite goodhearted, even if the politicians aren't--but that can be said about any country (well... except for America lol). I feel like a lot more problems could be solved here if people just listened to each other and had real conversations instead of shutting down others with mildly different views on legislature. It's quite honestly one of the biggest reasons I want to live in Japan for a while.
Would also help if people would actually allow the evidence to lead them to conclusions rather than in-built mental conditioning, but... I guess Americans are essentially just sheep. 🤷♂
As someone in Ontario, the last one has me want to see a Japanese tourist reaction to when it's rush at the popular coffee chain (Tim Hortons/'Timmys'), when there's always a dozen people half-asleep without their coffee yet trying to hold the doors open for each other.
3:07 I'm a south korean and I also did it every morning at the elementary school. But around the 2007, korean people started to consider it as a heritage of military dictatorship. So it was no more a mandatory thing when I was in middle school.
None of these “habits” seem to be as bad as the habit Japanese Ojisans have of running into you with their bikes, cars or bodies. At least in my neighbourhood that seems to be the case. Through no fault of our own, we were hit by a cyclist while driving and I spent two 5 hour sessions at the police station getting integrated about my entire life, why I was in Japan, my finances, work history etc. I should do a vid on the crazy cyclists in my area who ride like it’s their last day on earth 😂
I really fear getting questioned by japanese police. I'm an attorney, argumentative in my sleep and stubborn af, it wouldn't end well. Was already wondering why they questioned about your finances, considering indemnities are a civil thing and financial capacity should not interfere with whether a crime happened or not, they have no legal reason to ask that.. things would so get uggly.
A lot of japanese pedestrians have zero spacial awareness and move like they have a deathwish. But what I think it actually is, is they are usually TECHNICALLY following the rules, so "what's the problem?" It's just that having the moral high ground is kind of moot when you get flattened by a car since you didn't look before stepping into the road
The reason we have xmas decorations inside our homes is because Yule was, in part, about honoring your ancestors. In Japan it would be the equivalent of putting the family shrine outside during Oban. Most of the modern xmas traditions come gift giving. Ornaments for were originally toys and other gifts that were hung on the tree. Gifts in stockings is a symbolic recreation of an act of charity by St. Nicolas
As a european, number 6 is also shocking to us. When I first heard about it I thought someone tried to make a joke because it sounds like something that North Korea would do, when I found out its true I was shocked
for #8, if you "leave it to professionals" in the US, they're gonna either charge you a ton of money, do a crappy job, or scam you. Better off watching a couple youtube videos and doing it yourself.
I like the part where they don't randomly talk to strangers. It might be a bit lonely, but better than some random stranger randomly approaching you, shoving their camera up to your face, while asking you random questions to post on their tictactoe
not every random conversation is recorded. you can talk to people you don’t know in a friendly way without it being purely out of self-interest. do you not go outside often?
Hahahaha, what a great episode! Yes, talking with strangers is a very normal thing in the US haha. I didn't know it was not normal until I visited Japan.
The DIY culture in the US is due to the high cost to repair or replace an item, for a mechanic to replace a failed sensor is upwards of $200 or $50 to do it yourself
As an American, the Pledge of Allegiance isn't any weirder than having the students clean the entire room after school lets out. The Pledge of Allegiance is a show of patriotism for our country. Technically, you don't have to do it. But, you would probably be ostracized in the same way Japanese look funny at people who don't conform to social norms. I mean, if you don't, you look like you hate your country. Sadly, it looks like from other comments that this isn't explained to kids anymore.
It's REALLY sad. It's like how they claim they didn't get sex ed. They did. It's no one's fault they decided to ignore everything about the courses, since you get it multiple times in K-12.
![Megan Thee Stallion - Bigger In Texas [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QxTkZTLWdo4/mqdefault.jpg)
To be fair, sharing private info on social media is not a very smart thing.
Well as with all things, it was fine until sh!tty evil people started taking advantage of it.
I think the difference is the definition of that "Private things".
Of course, even Americans won't share their address or phone numbers on social media, but sharing a family photo (together), or friends' photos (together) are OK, in Japan, you have to ask their permission first if you want to share a photo where there are others faces. so even when they share group photos, they mask or blur other's faces.
It was not that bad like sharing family holiday photos or videos, but now with development of AI even a selfie could be used for crimes
I tell my friends to never say my name online and yet they still do. I don't get why people like to put their personal information online
It’s social media, the point is to be social.
#2 is really funny since when I've run into Japanese tourists who can speak English here in the USA, they absolutely won't strike up a random conversation, but will absolutely love it when Americans strike up one with them.
That's because they are on vacation and can take off the mask
Maybe they're just being polite - we will never know.
According to some interviews from "Takashii from Japan" (I think it was "Do Japanese Want Foreign Friends"), the Japanese actually like the interactions even though they are too shy to initiate a conversation. However, mind you there is still the honne vs tatemae thing so dunno, maybe they were just being polite.
Yeah. I mean in the USA, we might say "Hi!" and gauge how willing the other person is too speak. If they say "Hi!" back but keep walking and make minimal eye contact, that normally means "I have my own thing going on, but I'll help you if you need directions or a little favor." If the other person says something much more than "Hi!" Like "Hi! It's great to get out for a stroll!" it let's the other person know "Hey! I'm happy chatting for a minute or two." So if you're foreign and visiting the USA, you know that there's a very loose etiquette involved here. There are slight different cultures between states, but this is consistent in almost all of America(aside from some areas of very large cities).
@@SaintSaintI never noticed it till you pointed it out but you’re right, there is a subtle “openness to talk” when approaching someone that you read before continuing.
It’s easy to recognize body language and close off a conversation when the other person becomes disinterested but that isn’t taught, it’s almost ingrained.
I broke rule #2 for an entire year in 1996 when I backpacked across mainland Japan. Backpacking and not talking to strangers every day sounds like a bitter experience.
it's ok. you got the kaijin card
@@moumantai6337 you mean 'gaijin' card?
@@litlsteps8486no no they're a mysterious being ;)
and a big pp pass@@moumantai6337
talking to a stranger everyday sounds like a nightmare
“Do you think every stranger is your friend or something?”
Meanwhile in Japan:
“I don’t know you. Let’s be friends”
“OK”
*friendship achieved*
Lets wait until Sora realizes that we can speak to strangers for HOURS at a party without even knowing their names.
Btw the whole thing about not calling your boss Mr. or Ms./Mrs. only applies if you and your boss are lower down the chain of command, like if your working at a local McDonalds or something.
US businesses often try to make the day to day interactions less formal in an attempt to make work your life. It is a dumb idea some MBA had that we all put up with because we like paychecks.
The concept of missed connections must also be strange to them as well. Met a stranger that you had a romantic attachment to but never going through with telling them.
Ye, I haven't really been in office jobs, mainly service.
Retail, everyone has a name tag and everyone is on first name bases, even with customers. When the upper chain bosses come by, the introduce themselves and say to call them by their first name. Some corporate mumbo-jumbo about the work place being a family.
Hotel work, everyone had a name tag, easy for guests and me to remember names.
Teacher's Assistant, first names were easier for kids to remember, but we would have Ms/Mr in front of it.
Honestly, that really depends on your work environment. In all of my employment, even from my teen years, I have always referred to my bosses by their first names, and they were always okay with it. Anyone who asks you to address them as Mr. or Mrs. is either arrogant or old-fashioned.
I do IT for a bank and we call everyone by their first name. Even the CEO is just "John" (or sometimes "John R." because there is more than one John).
about christmas decorations: inside the home is normally considered more important to decorate than outside so in the US or other european countries those who have more 'modest' decorations will usually have a tree and a few other things in their house. It's considered pretty weird not to do *anything* for christmas inside the home. Lights on the outside are seen as more 'lavish' or 'committed' to it
Unless you belong to a religion that doesn't celebrate Christmas, then it's just... "we don't celebrate Christmas."
@richardx1 Nah, Chistians stole christmas from pagans & stripping the religion out of it & commercializing it was one of the best things America ever did in an effort to reclaim something. Lots of agnostics, atheists, in-name-only non-practicing people from other religions celebrate christmas, which probably pisses christians off. I even have Jewish neighbors who mix christmas & hanukkah decorations.
@@LikaLaruku Celebrating Jesus's birth at the winter solstice is done for the symbolism of him being the "light of the world". The days get progressively longer starting with it (under the old Julian calendar, the solstice is a little earlier in the Gregorian calendar we use now). There's a lot of traditions from midwinter in pagan European religions that shifted to Christmas, but the choice of the date wasn't to steal the holiday.
It's because there're very few Catholic Christians in Japan (0.34% according to Wiki) so your Christmas for them is like Halloween or Valentine's day - just a shallow celebration for the fun of it (nothing wrong with that, the more excuses to have fun - the better). They don't get into it with decorations or in general because Christianity isn't a part of their culture at all unlike in America, where 63% are Christians.
Many go all out in the South though
As an American, I think reciting the pledge of allegiance every day in elementary school was an incredibly weird thing to do. I never had to do it anywhere else I can think of.
Before sports games and large public assemblies.
yea it was like a Elementary School only thing and occasionally Middle School but Highschool didnt even care. My Highschool most teachers didnt care if you sleep in class or ditched and security guards were pretty much all cool we'd hang out with them every now an than
Then there's the very awkward realization that saying something like that for long enough will influence people. It's pretty basic level indoctrination but seriously what the fuck?!
@@VunderGuy I'm not a big sports guy but I do remember that being a thing.
Indoctrination was the exact purpose but draped in "Patriotism". Turn individuals into servile subjects. @@Servellion
It must have being very difficult for an american like Sora to experience all these cultural shocks, Im really grateful he lived all that and now he is here giving us advices! SORA MVP!
As a Brazilian it is interesting to see the differences, like, we actually consider Americans to be a colder, less friendly and less sociable people in general but the Japanese consider them the exact opposite.
I didn’t know that Japan is also(or was also) like Brazil in regards to what not to discuss, we had even songs that said: we don’t discuss religion, politics and football
While I can't really gauge how friendly people are in the US and how it places in the friendly countries of the world rankings, I can tell you that being in America means you will have random encounters with people who want to hear your entire life story.
It’s incredibly strange not to talk about football. I’m not much of a fan myself, but I do talk about it with people in conversations if it comes up. Strange Brazilians do not talk about football, you have some of the best players, alongside Argentina.
@@NorseGraphicWe don't really talk about footbal( or soccer, i think) because people here are mostly VERY PASSIONATE with their favorite teams and players.
So there are a lot of chances of getting very intense verbal and physical fights, bringing problems in general discussing about it with strangers and even co-workers.
The only times i consider safe is in school, family and groups who are all fans of the same team, friends and controled areas 😅.
Hope most of my english is understandable
To be fair I think most places have some amount of don't talk about religion or politics. I can confirm there's just as many people really dedicated to that as there are people flippant about it. I definitely lean toward the latter lmao
There are people who are very devout in the US, and therefore seemingly feel the need to bring up religion regardless of the time or place, but most find it distasteful to do that. The problem is that Christianity is, by its nature, a religion of converts. So devout followers sometimes feel a duty to convert others.
The DIY thing is probably related to Americans valuing self-reliance.
And other countries too.
Im pretty sure pledging allegiance to the flag is weird to anyone outside of America
It’s weird to me as an American too, it seems surreal we did this everyday. We also sang My Country, Tis of Thee regularly.
It was to inspire patriotic behavior. Which as we all know now, hasn't worked out.
@@lolasaysyes me too, I never understood it as a kid
Americans are obsessed with patriotism, what about being an individual instead of being brainwashed?
to be fair, I am born and raised in the USA who finds it odd to do that as well. I don't blame anyone finding it weird.
Interesting that sports is considered taboo. Sports in America is very much small talk.
I think the common phrase is to avoid politics, religion, and baseball. Go to any Japanese baseball game (preferably where one of the teams playing is the Hanshin Tigers), and you’ll see why.
@@moderateatberkeleyneed to look this up now
small talk? dude it becomes a big deal to people and people literally wanna throw hands when talking teams lol
@@grayson8633 The Japanese can be ravenous for baseball... the way some countries can be for football/soccer.
@moderateatberkeley is it like soccer in Europe?
As a down-to-earth American... I can confirm that I can build you a desk from scratch and want nothing in return but for you to be happy and use it. Facts.🎉
Midwest? XDD
@@DillardAlpaughwe gotta find something to do out here x)
If not that then it's, "Hey man, I know a guy that'll slap one together for ya for 50 bucks."
@@DillardAlpaugh yeah 😅
I happen to need a new desk…
I can't believe number 8 was shocking for Japanese! I mean relax sir, your American friend is only going to build you a better appliances!
True that. My wood is ready for tomorrow's work. 😂
and rockets.
@4zir856: OK.
Yes, I've been rather surprised myself. Thankfully It seems like "DIY" has become a bit of a trend here in Japan though, as you'll find sections for it at the 100 yen shops nowadays. People even say ディー・アイ・ワ イ (Dii Ai Wai)!!
its because Japanese are rich and can splurge on having meanial labor be done by someone else. in the US, everything is incredibly expensive so some people would rather do it themselves than hire someone. some people in japan may also find the prices these days as expensive, so they try to bandwagon to that too, but later they'll find they have to no time for it as usual...
Japanese people did constantly think my homemade voltage converter was dangerous, now I finally know why! Thank you Sora ❤
Here's some American context for some of these habits.
1) Referring to everybody, including bosses, by their first name has been a generational change in US business. Typically Gen-Z (anybody born in 1990's) started the trend of in-formalizing business, mostly as those at the top (like bosses) wanted to stay relatable to their workers. This is way more common in "Blue Collar" environments, like retail & service industries, as work policies only require everybody to provide their first name to customers. In "White Collar" environments, the usage of formal names varies on business tradition & the age of upper management. Those who are Gen-X (1970's) are more likely to stick with the formalities over younger generation. Gen-Y (1980's) are more likely to go with the flow.
There's also the cases of being AGGRESSIVELY FORMAL (refusing to use a person's first name) when a person is upset or has a disdain for another, which can be used to disrespect others.
2) During like the 80's & 90's had "Don't Talk to Strangers" PSA's, Americans tend to have some level of "social needs" & even introverts will need to occasionally socialize with others to avoid feeling lonely. Most Americans try to find some type of common thread with others to initiate "small talk"or an "ice breaker" in order to gauge how social the other person might be.
It can be potentially be awkward (or cringe) for both sides, especially when things don't go well, but we're more willing to be awkward for a moment than fall into depression from loneliness. However, many take the risk for a chance to actually make a new friend or acquaintance.
3) This doesn't apply to JUST for Christmas, but for Halloween & other major holidays as well. The spectrum of decoration will vary by person & season, in addition to their budget & space allowances. While some may go with more subdue decorations (trimming the roof with lights & some small window decorations), others will go all out & decorate every square foot of their property (with a hefty electric bill to go with it). The more rural areas (like the suburbs & small towns, with houses & yards) may have that "crazy holiday person" than those in urban areas (where space is at a premium, so people are more restricted with decorations).
4) This is an old tradition that has lingered on with elders. Sending a card for a particular holiday or event is the modern equivalent of "phoning it in" & considered the minimal effort of acknowledging somebody in your social circles.
Social Media sites, like Facebook, has in-formalized this with posts to a person's wall / page for most occasions. Christmas is the only time most people do this as it seems the traditional thing to do & holiday traditions are typically the hardest to break.
Oddly, the greeting card industry (like Hallmark) still exits to perpetuate this.
5) The traditional oversharing on social media... It's not the wisest thing people do, as it can annoy others (even friends & family members) & make them potential targets for criminals, but it happens & most people just roll with it.
6) The "Pledge of Allegiance" in school (at least through elementary school) was old traditional act of patriotism. It's been annoying kids for decades as schools (at least the elementary schools) refuse to kill the tradition. Junior High & High Schools tend to skip this tradition to conserve classroom time as students switch classrooms each period (vs staying in the same classroom most of the time in elementary school).
7) This is an very old-school tradition (from like the 1800's) that's considered good manners & part of modern chivalry. This comes from the idea of maintain the flow of traffic by helping those who may have difficulty pass through on their own (like ladies, the handicapped & those with their hands full) by holding the door for a few seconds for them.
When those who follow this social norm, some odd actions like "door leapfrogging" (holding the door for the person behind you, just for them to hold the next door for you) & "baton passing" (holding the door long enough so the next person is able to hold it) can occur.
Automatic Doors (& to a lesser extent, revolving doors) has reduced such actions to a degree, but it's still a common occurrence in the US.
8) This is more of a "time vs money" argument. -- Why pay somebody $100 (or whatever they charge) when I can do it for $10 (or whatever the materials cost)?
If the person has the time & the knowledge, they're more willing to fix it themselves to save money. HOWEVER, if something is very difficult OR has legal regulations behind it (like automotive, electrical or plumbing repairs), people are more willing to seek professionals to do the job. There's the drive to expand one's skillset by taking on a task you're unfamiliar with a "Let's Try" mindset & learning along the way.
This idea has been pushed to comedic effect as shows like Home Improvement (trying to improve things with more power) & The Red Green Show (making things out of objects on hand) have done.
9) In the US, the same topics are typically taboo as well... except for sports in most cases. Politics & Religion are just too highly-sensitive subjects that can easily turn hostile as many people can have heavily conflicting views. Sports is generally safe for most people, but the issue of fandom can creep in & cause conflict with opposing fan bases. For myself & co-workers, we'll stick to "surface level" details like current standings & game results to maintain a social level, but won't go into details like specific plays or how a particular athlete.
Money in the US, or more specifically how MUCH somebody makes, tends to carry a social taboo with it due to the potential of "class warfare"... where some people can become jealous of others due to the differences in income. While discussions are perfectly legal under federal labor laws (businesses legally prevent their workers from disclosing their incomes to each other), it's generally not comfortable to deal with in a social setting.
I second this
But I’ll add something
The diy trend has another side in certain places
Manhood
And masculinity
Something that is very much strange but still present so you’ll find people who have massive shop collections that they don’t often use all of
But generally
Almost every suburban house has a workbench and more than enough tools to make anything of substance
@@shinyhero306 not to mention for safety reasons it is best for anyone of any gender to know how to fix / replace a tire. Anything that seems simple on hand like replacing batteries and lightbulbs to hanging up furniture is the base level of dyi we learned, even more so because we have stores catered to them: Home Depot, Michael’s Arts and Crafts or IKEA. Sometimes with limited space we maximize our comfort with designs. Sometimes as your growing up at a public school you may have an elective based in art or diy activities like woodworking.
Americans tend to have "social needs". You mean like literally 99% of humans have? Kinda fucked putting that on people from the United States. I've been to, Vietnam and Jamaica. In both countries i had total strangers strike up conversations with me. I'm generally far too introverted to start a conversation so to have a native of the country happily start chatting about random BS made me extremely happy. I made friends in Jamaica i still message today regularly, and send gifts via the mail on special occasions. Those "social needs" that apparently "Americans tend to have" connected me to people i would have never known and gave me amazing memories. Why you posed, as you coldly put it, "tend to have social needs" as some kind of weird anomaly that's off putting and rude i have no idea.
@@shinyhero306 it's so weird to me that it's a "man" thing when it should be an everyone thing
@@thephantompooter5266I don’t think they were trying to offend or insult. I read it as “Americans, even extremely introverted ones, will occasionally desire a social interaction in an uncomfortable or unfamiliar setting.” Which is true, a big part of American culture praises extroverted behaviors and “going against the grain” personalities.
The whole "not talking to strangers" thing is essentially the one thing keeping me from moving to Japan. I lived there all summer for a study abroad program, and it was fun because I had other classmates from America who I could socialize with, but if they weren't there I would've felt so isolated. Though Harajuku was like the only place people tended to break that social norm because I got a lot of compliments from people saying that my outfits were very kawaii (I'm reeeeally into jfashion LOL)
Meet up with some foreigners. We are not afraid of people
I think knowing the language to an extent and not caring how dumb you sound is a great way to make friends in Japan. In my experience, I've actually found that Japanese people are often very open and happy to speak to foreigners, especially the older people love to chat.
You need to think about it from their perspective. Many Japanese have never even left Japan. Their mother tongue is useless outside their country, and the English education system in Japan is poor. They're so curious to meet and connect with other people from around the world, BUT they assume you don't understand them, and they don't feel confident enough in their English. I think regardless of culture, most people wouldn't bother a person they thought couldn't understand them. Furthermore, considering Japanese society tells you to literally not be a bother to others, most Japanese who want to connect with foreigners will just decide to leave you alone despite their feelings. It makes them seem cold, but I think it just shows how considerate they are.
We take for granted in the West that we're living in (mostly) diverse areas. I was lucky to be able to see diverse faces every day and learn about the world directly from my peers, as well as share my own culture with my peers too. But for many Japanese, seeing a non-East Asian face is rare. Even now, in 2023, in Tokyo, I still meet adults, young and old alike that straight up tell me "Wow, I've never spoken to a foreigner before! This is my first time!". Trust me. They do not care how jacked your Japanese is.
When I moved to Tokyo last year, I was worried I'd scare my neighbors with my tattoos and piercings, but my husband and I introduced ourselves to everyone in Japanese, gave them cookies, and we have a very pleasant relationship. Everyone knows us on our street, says hello, chitchats, etc. We live in a house, a tight little neighborhood, but so it's a lot of old people and families, not so much singles and young folks who'd be easier to win over. If you put the effort in being friendly, statistically, people on your street, building, whatever are going to warm up to you. If you ever consider moving back, I highly suggest making the first move. I think you'll have an easier time.
Just ask retailors about their products. That works.
The #1 thing to break this, I found, was going to bars. After few a beers most Japanese people will break this 'barrier' and start talking to you. You can chat, socialise and maybe even make friends a lot easier. Though I must say knowing the language to a certain extent helps even more with that. Bars are also great to practice your Japanese, because you won't mind screwing up that much a few beers deep, and even if your Japanese is broken, people will show appreciation to your efforts more in those kinds of 'loose' settings. Very motivating.
Every day I have strangers talk to me in Japan when walking the dog
It's interesting that in Japan, one does not speak about "politics, sports, or religion." In my family, we were taught to not mention politics, money, or religion. 🤔
I think that's common everywhere. The only reason why it's talked about now is because of zoomers and back in the day, boomers
There's a similarly old saying of, "Friends who stay friends don't discuss religion or politics."
I mean, in France it's quite normal to talk about these topics (it's even quite often one of the main forms of discussion) so this is also a matter of perspective.
I just don't talk about politics because I'm a Liberal that lives in the south
Don't talk politics and don't throw stones.
Number 2 is kind-of sad, actually. Striking up a conversation with strangers is such an integral part of our culture here in Europe.
What part of Europe?? Because good portion of Europe countries are also reserved like Japanese people lol.
@@BenjaminHariSouthern. Mediterran.
Hey here in America too! I remember while I was walking through the downtown city to morning University class with a foreign friend I striked up a conversation with a guy who walk also walking to work. We talked about school work and just things about the city and whatnot and my foreign friend was just awkwardly walking along as well not saying a word unlike what they usually do. So afterwards when we get to class, she tells me that I shouldn't talk to strangers because he could of robbed me or killed me or something, and I was like "I am a 24 year old man, at this point in my life, he would of robbed me if he wanted to rob me whether or not I asked him about the weather"😂
Not in my part of Europe, we don't bother others.
@@peacefulminimalist2028 not seen as bothering here its more like being neighborly , people often feel it is weird to be stand offish rather than social
A few of these things apply to Scotland as well. It's rare to see anyone just be friendly out of nowhere to strangers unless they need help with directions or something like that. We don't sing Flower Of Scotland every morning at school either. However, we do decorate for Christmas, hold doors open for people because we see it as polite, and send people cards
What I've learned is that I'm introverted by American standards, but extroverted by Japanese standards, lol.
Hey Sora, recently some RUclipsrs are uploading videos about cheating in Japan. In those videos, they interview japanese people that says that cheating is completely normal and generalized in Japan and that everybody cheats in Japan.
Would you do a video clarifying this topic or could you comment it on a live?
Have you seen Fanza games, DMM Games, illusion games, some ps? games that aren't available in the US, European Versions and some region limited Nintendo Switch games?
Anyway since kindergarten they're aware that an intercourse can generate a baby, I'm still surprised how a neighboring country like the Philippines still has a higher birth rate than Japan.
I'm a middle-aged Japanese woman. I can't believe that kind of interview. I don't know anyone around me who thinks like them. After getting married, many people hesitate to even have dinner alone with friends of the opposite sex.
I thought u meant cheating at a School test at first 😂
@Carboy45 honestly, that probably would be more shameful for them. 😂
@@MusicAndFlowersJP Do you refer to the last video of "Takashi from Japan" or "Trash Tate"? They have been talking about this topic in their last videos.
I knew a Japanese foreign student who played guitar, she would take it to the music store to get restrung. That melted my brain. Not sure if it's similar to taking a bike to the shop to fix a flat tire, but these things are not difficult to do. While I can understand most cultural differences, this one has me for a loop.
when i did a home stay in a rural town i found that everyone came to talk to me instead of me striking up the conversation.. i find rural japan is VERY similar to southern america in morals & culture than cities in japan. probably why i felt so at home there ahahah.
As a non american I can confirm that I do 80℅ of the stuffs mentionned, for Christmas we also have what we call Secret Santa where you have to give a gift to a colleague even if you don't know them
Secret Santa’s are so much fun, really tests how well you know someone though lol
I love learning about these facts that I wouldn't have known, without sensei Sora teaching the ways. Thanks for this video, loved it.
Aww. Not decorating for Christmas? But it is so much fun. As is politely striking up conversations with new people. Heh. There are worse things in the world than being festive and making friends. (Your videos are always so enjoyable. They always make me smile.)
I have the impression that Japanese culture is introverted by nature.
Every November I buy more indoor decorations. Someday my house will look like the set of a Hallmark movie on a low budget.
I love your content very much, thank you for posting!
Americans also think reciting the pledge of allegiance is pretty weird! There have been many controversies about students refusing to recite it for moral or religious reasons.
You can blame it on McCarthyism!
I refused to say it from Kindergarten on, and told my kids that they don't have to say it either, and if their teachers had a problem with it they could call me. Also refuse to sing the Anthem cuz of the racist verses they don't teach us in school.
Not many, just the minority.
It's honestly really creepy to me, which is why I stopped doing it in high school. Some teachers would throw hissy fits before then if you didn't do it.
Depends on the american frankly.
When I was growing up (in America), people avoided religion and politics conversations too. I wish that part of the culture hadn't changed. Now it's all many many people can talk about.
I think it depends on where you grew up. I don't really get offended by people talking about their personal religion or politics as long as they don't mind if I am allowed to talk about what I believe, too. The US as become very politically divided, and religion was a large part of the political division.
I think its just manners are on decline. Though I find people on average mostly dont get deep into politics except online.
Kinda hard nowadays to ignore politics. Especially when you learn some relative is glad they voted for someone who's pro-genocide because it also means they end up making more money with their business :[
I think the sports thing was weird
@@MsVilecat The point is back in the day you would have never known that your relative is glad they voted for someone who's pro-genocide because it also means they end up making more money with their business. They would have just kept their mouth shut about it all.
#3. Sending a card might be considered a "gift" and there's a whole gift-giving thing where, like, rule of thumb is giving back roughly a third of what the gift was, so getting a card means sending back a post-it note, then the original giver has to send back a thumbnail-sized thank you card and...
As for number 6, in Texas, we also had to say a Texas Pledge every day in school too
I currently live in Texas and my mind was blown by this, and the fact that Texas history is also taught separately at school 😅
Sora made a difference to both the societies in comparing Japanese and American cultures.
Everytime sora makes a video i stop everything im doing and instantly watch it
Considering number 6, there's been debate in America over if schools should still do it since the reason it was implemented was to try and build patriotism in children due to the cold war. I'm on the side that it's weird to make children pledge alliegence to anything.
Not true. "The first recorded organized recital of the original Pledge of Allegiance took place on Oct. 12, 1892, when some 12 million American schoolchildren recited it to commemorate the 400-year anniversary of the voyage of Christopher Columbus."
@negativeionz You're right, I was mixing up it's origins and it's current rendition which contains "under God".
Shut up commie
I read the original reason was to sell flags, the patriotic angle was to get schools to buy.
Ever since I was a kid, it was optional. In large part because there was really no way to enforce someone just standing up and waiting
I already have Christmas decorations in my bedroom. They bring me joy!😂❤️
I work at a hardware store part time and got exposed to the dyi culture over the years. However my uncles always did that too back in the Philippines. We only do that to save money. I still do alot of stuff myself if I can because hiring an professional here can get pretty expensive. Plus I am pretty good with my hands and can look at something and put it together with no instructions. I find that very interesting about Japan they leave all that to the professionals. Very different from Filipinos. 😅
I'm a disabled person, and so sometimes people hold the door open for me. But this is also kind of a liability sometimes. There are buttons that automatically open the door for disabled people... so when they hold the door open, they often just end up blocking the way instead of helping. Situational awareness, people!
...still, they're trying to help, so I'd feel bad getting too upset about it. I normally just thank them as if they're not being a nuisance. After all, they are TRYING to be thoughtful, and I do appreciate the sentiment.
Thanks, I’ll watch out for that.
Sora, you are spot on. 🇺🇸🤝🇯🇵
The thing about decorating for holidays isn't that we decorate for holidays. We would decorate like that *all the time* if we thought we could get away with it.
So is that why Animal Crossing is so popular in America?
Jokes. I had to say that.
I felt that number one so hard. And it was merely with my Sports Club senpais in University.
My friends were laughing at me like "It's like you're talking to a friend lol"
"Wait, are they not my friends?"
😪
2:16 In the Philippines, we have a convenience store called Uncle John's. It used to be called Ministop until the start of this year when it (Ministop) had to be pulled out.
As someone in Japan can confirm. Also the concept of bartering with people at shops is really odd to Japanese people
Really? I mean if you’re in a store I understand but with street stores that seems to be almost expected here. Farmers markets too. I might be going to Japan for work in a year so I’m really interested
@@joeschmoe709 not a thing except in electronic shops in Kansai or flea markets. So don’t do it
As a lifelong USian bartering (trading goods for other goods instead of buying them with money) with people at shops seems really odd to me too. (Did you mean haggling (arguing about the price to get a better deal)? ... no, that's weird too; about the only thing it's considered "normal" to haggle for is cars and MAYBE furniture/appliances. )
@@ptorq no, bartering in this case means negotiating prices. That’s normal if you travel abroad a lot which I’m guessing you don’t. When you go to souvenir areas in other places you always negotiate prices. In Japan this isn’t a thing which surprises Americans who travel a lot.
@@elitealiceI think that answers my question. That makes it doubly weird, because I doubt the same people trying to do it in Japan would try it at the Kroger down the street.
LOL to the house decorations.
My mother not only has Christmas decorates, but a whole set of decorations for Valentines Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Halloween and Thanksgiving. There will be paper cut outs in the windows, lights for some of the holidays, and she'll swap out the interior decorations as well as she has little ceramics for each holiday.,
Every time I watch a video of yours about things that should be (probably) strange to me or weird, it turns out that it makes complete sense and logic.
It's simply "respect", something that almost doesn't exist where I live, it makes me wish my country behaved the same way.
Always great informative and humorous content. Thanks Sora 😊
The “not talking to strangers” thing is so hard for me.I just moved to Tokyo and I have no idea how to socialize or make friends(when I’m in my country or other the rest of Europe I find making friends really easy)
If you have any suggestions about making friends in Japan,please help me with this
Just talk to people anyway. What are they going to do? Be politely quiet? Just talk to people and some of them are going to (eventually) talk back. Friendship achieved!
DIY cost way less than having professionals do it, that's why alot of american's do it them selves. Though some are more able than others at it
Just to comment on the last one I can say this is so true. Its something I noticed to the point of I started trying to count how many times I would notice someone holding a door open for someone. As you will even see young people basically close the door on a old lady no problem. Not that everyone holds doors open for everyone in America, but its not weird to see. But in Japan oh man, I would say I think at one point I counted maybe only seeing someone hold the door open for someone twice in 3 months. Crazy.
Oh God as a Canadian that would drive me nuts. Its actually considered rude here if you don't hold the door for someone. And by "hold the door" the typical you walk in and just wait a few seconds for them to catch up and not let the door slam in their face.
Hehe, some of these apply to me too (especially 1 to 3), and I'm not from the States. By the way, I know a few Japanese people who are into DIY, and they're doing a very good job, I might add! 😁
number 2 - we also do that in Philippines too sometimes, especially when you ask strangers for like direction
number 3 feels like Japan doesnt have Christmas spirit like Americans, Philippines or everyone else who celebrares Christmas!
Christmas being, as the name suggests, a Christian celebration, it's actually intriguing to think why Japan celebrates it in the first place
In Japan, Christmas is a day for lovers. I spend New Year's Day celebrating with my family.
Sending Christmas (and other) cards are sort of in decline nowadays, was more frequent back then, especially after the internet and email became accessible to everyone. Also talking about Politics, Religion, and sometimes Sports is taboo unless you are with people you trust, or are looking to pick a fight with strangers.
im from czech republic and to some door is considered decency, most people would probably hit their head on door if person in front of them didnt hold door
Japanese Christmas - "Just a handful of lights will do for our house."
American Christmas - "ACTIVATE THE TACTICAL CHRISTMAS LASER LIGHT CANNON!"
Actually, singing an anime theme song on the way to school is less weird than reciting the pledge of allegiance every day. As a kid, I thought of it as a formal greeting for the flag than an actual pledge, similar to how you’d greet the teacher. Looking back, I think almost every kid would’ve loved reciting the pokemon theme song every morning instead😂
In USA and CANADA, some towns have a contest for house decoration.
Thats why some people would go crazy.
As an American, I DO want to talk to everyone in the world! I DO want to be friends with everyone in the world! I DO want to have a picnic with everyone in the world. Japan can stuff it!! (or be my friend)
The Christmas one supprised me Tokyo seems so exited for Christmas it even shocked me
Growing up we had a “Pledge of Allegiance” but people just kind of didn’t care most of the time. It was more just a thing that was customary to do out of respect but it wasn’t super serious. In High School we got reduced to doing it twice a week when we had a club do morning announcements for the whole school twice a week.
It has historical roots, it started out in the early 1900’s as a way to instill a common identity for all the new immigrants and natives at school to integrate them. It was revived with a fervor and the phrase “Under God” was added in the 1950’s in response to the rising threat of Communism. In America, when the country turned very anti Communist, it also turned very religious as the Communists were state Atheists. Nowadays it’s just sort of there, just a tradition no one really likes nor cares about but feel like they have to do.
Yeah most of us really just did it out of tradition, but the fact that we have to do it at all bizarre. It's the kind of thing that we would otherwise label outlandish levels of propaganda and control in any other country
It's literally a sign of fascism from what I hear akdkkd
I refused to do it, because it didn't seem like "a sign of respect", it seemed like some kind of cult thing we were told to do without any explanation.
@@awkwardpawsome Drinking the wrong color of milk is a sign of fascism these days
@@awkwardpawsome I eat red meat and brush my teeth, too, and people will call me a fascist regardless of what I do anyway, they can all go sleep with cattle.
- Do you think of your boss as a friend or something?
- Hell no, he's a jerk.
I want more!!!
Yea I remember doing the pledge in middle school, good times! I love these videos!😂
as an introvert, i feel like Japan would be the perfect place for me then lol
Too perfect for introverts that it's no surprise that some become HikkiNEET.
You might be an extrovert in Japan. When my friend who's also extroverted here went to the U.S., he was seen as more introverted.
Most people has this kind of stereotype where japan is like the quiet kid or introverted kid in class, while american is seen like extroverted one 😂😹
Not necessarily. Alot of people go to japan and then get massive culture shock from western perspective. Alot of introverts for example stress over managing social interactions and in japan even if there is less boisterous interactions there is massively more complex and important minor customs. Such that an introvert will be even more stuck in their head afraid of the million possible social faux pas that no one will ever outright tell you about
Where’s the guy in the black shirt that calls me an imbecile or something similar each video?? I like that guy 😂
As a Introvert I've felt very Japanese all my life living with other Americans! lol
Also if you live in a big city and hear gunshots from outside, most people I know just ignore it and just go on with what they’re doing in the house or their apartment
If you think Americans are too outgoing, you should visit Brazil. Haha!!
Haha Brazil is not for beginners
As an introvert I don’t have a problem with not talking to strangers on the street. The most I did when I was in Japan was if I passed by a police officer I might smile and maybe say hello. It just felt awkward to go by and not acknowledge them.
Sports is a taboo topic in Japan? As an American, that shocks me. Sports is the #2 thing Americans talk about with strangers!
Sports topics are not taboo. This is a famous joke told to extreme baseball fans 50 years ago.
And in America it probably *should* be taboo...
I think it's more so with hardcore fans that take sports way too seriously. Like football fans in Europe or any Philadelphia sports fans. It can get toxic quick.
For number 3, I think that might be related to the American tradition of "Keeping Up with the Joneses"; when your neighbor puts some tasteful lights up, you have to outdo them until your yard is an impenetrable maze of gaudy decorations.
Wow! This makes me so proud to be an American! Thanks! Tho its also wise to remember every country has its positives and negatives.
If i ever visit Japan, i’ll try to fit in with the culture there as to not give everyone a heart attack ;)
Helpful and awesome viddies(videos) as always!
Love your channel!
Calling your boss by their name is also a thing here. So is holding doors for people.
@@wetsver maybe yes ref the work culture. It all depends on people tho.
it's weird to me that Japanese don't DIY fix their things, I fix my car by myself all the time (although I am an auto technician so), but it's strange to me not to want to at least try to fix something yourself, at the same time though I kinda get it, it's intimidating and you'd rather hire someone to deal with it than break it or spend time figuring it out
I call BS on Japanese not wanting to do DIY. Really because if you're from a more rural or poorer area, you need to do DIY.
Older cars in Japan costs more due to the national vehicle inspection, and Japanese drivers prefer newer cars, then used Japanese cars like kei trucks are exported to the U.S etc.
I even don't own my car though, I commute by the bus and the train.
Such a good video!
Time to have more social anxiety when I head to japan for vacation than the entire population.
It’s okay, as long as you don’t have a weapon or aren’t on drugs you’ll benefit from the Gaijin Pass
(Edit: unless you’re visibly Asian, in which case, sucks to be you!)
Should have mentioned this at the start but im Asian
Japan isn't the only country where the locals aren't likely to strike up a conversation with strangers. I love telling this story. A Swedish friend of mine came to America for a work convention in LA. I took some time off work and came to LA so we could hang out while she was in the country. One day we were walking around trying to find a restaurant but were having a bit of trouble. Since I had the map, I flagged down a stranger on the sidewalk and asked for help. It was a very normal (to me) interaction. I told the gentleman we were having trouble, asked for directions and he kindly pointed out where we needed to go. I thanked him for his help and we both continued with our day. My Swedish friend was astounded. She couldn't believe we both navigated that encounter without the slightest hesitation or embarrassment. She told me that if that had happened in Sweden, the stranger would have been happy to help but the whole exchanged would have been highly uncomfortable and awkward for both parties.
As an American, one thing that I always found cringe is that people will legitimately get mad if you drop a US flag that you bought at the dollar store on the ground. People have literally tried to fight me for doing that before. They treat any American flag like its a sacred object 😅
But that 'sacred object' was made in a Chinese sweatshop.
It's about respect. A lot of martial art schools are the same with belts.
For most people it IS. They are proud and identify with it. Dropping it equals "not caring about soiling it" which is considered a huge disrespect for many countries.
It is actually against the law: 18 U.S. Code § 700 - Desecration of the flag of the United States; penalties. Whoever knowingly mutilates, defaces, physically defiles, burns, maintains on the floor or ground, or tramples upon any flag of the United States shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.
@@SyaoranDC That's absolutely hilarious, so much for a free country if you cant even do what you want to piece of 10 cent fabric 🤣
We do the third one for Halloween too. Lots of houses in my area are all set up like that as we speak.
American here, most of us think the pledge of allegiance thing is weird too. Only ones who still like it are the older generations.
At the same time tho, the younger generations are so dumb here they can't tell the difference between a man a woman, so your mileage may vary. And yes, that's mileage, not kilometerage.
Australian here, we find most of this stuff weird too, except maybe the Christmas part, I think I'm one of the few grinches in this country, one that obsesses over a snow-based holiday where we barely have any snow, even in winter, depending on where in the country...
As a minority (for many reasons) in America, I'm so sick of politics-talk too. That's one thing I really respect about Japan; the people don't make politics their personal identities unless they are literally politicians. The regular people are overall quite goodhearted, even if the politicians aren't--but that can be said about any country (well... except for America lol). I feel like a lot more problems could be solved here if people just listened to each other and had real conversations instead of shutting down others with mildly different views on legislature. It's quite honestly one of the biggest reasons I want to live in Japan for a while.
Would also help if people would actually allow the evidence to lead them to conclusions rather than in-built mental conditioning, but... I guess Americans are essentially just sheep. 🤷♂
As someone in Ontario, the last one has me want to see a Japanese tourist reaction to when it's rush at the popular coffee chain (Tim Hortons/'Timmys'), when there's always a dozen people half-asleep without their coffee yet trying to hold the doors open for each other.
Not the last one, the seventh one...I'm not originally Canadian, but I too am not awake yet XD
Teach us how to use a shuriken if you're really japanese you should know.
3:07 I'm a south korean and I also did it every morning at the elementary school. But around the 2007, korean people started to consider it as a heritage of military dictatorship. So it was no more a mandatory thing when I was in middle school.
None of these “habits” seem to be as bad as the habit Japanese Ojisans have of running into you with their bikes, cars or bodies. At least in my neighbourhood that seems to be the case. Through no fault of our own, we were hit by a cyclist while driving and I spent two 5 hour sessions at the police station getting integrated about my entire life, why I was in Japan, my finances, work history etc. I should do a vid on the crazy cyclists in my area who ride like it’s their last day on earth 😂
Very very real hostility and suspicion of foreigners.
I really fear getting questioned by japanese police. I'm an attorney, argumentative in my sleep and stubborn af, it wouldn't end well. Was already wondering why they questioned about your finances, considering indemnities are a civil thing and financial capacity should not interfere with whether a crime happened or not, they have no legal reason to ask that.. things would so get uggly.
A lot of japanese pedestrians have zero spacial awareness and move like they have a deathwish.
But what I think it actually is, is they are usually TECHNICALLY following the rules, so "what's the problem?"
It's just that having the moral high ground is kind of moot when you get flattened by a car since you didn't look before stepping into the road
The reason we have xmas decorations inside our homes is because Yule was, in part, about honoring your ancestors. In Japan it would be the equivalent of putting the family shrine outside during Oban.
Most of the modern xmas traditions come gift giving. Ornaments for were originally toys and other gifts that were hung on the tree. Gifts in stockings is a symbolic recreation of an act of charity by St. Nicolas
Definitely need Sora to say "allegiance" more lol
Agreed! Also how he said "of" was adorable.
As a european, number 6 is also shocking to us. When I first heard about it I thought someone tried to make a joke because it sounds like something that North Korea would do, when I found out its true I was shocked
for #8, if you "leave it to professionals" in the US, they're gonna either charge you a ton of money, do a crappy job, or scam you. Better off watching a couple youtube videos and doing it yourself.
Most of this things are a common thing in Mexico too, not only in the US, and I think that they apply to a lot of other countries too.
"In Japan discussing politics, sports or religion is taboo"
???? HOLY SHIT I WANT TO MOVE TO JAPAN NOW
In some practices and religions, it is the "Festival of Lights". I will agree that some of the houses decorated are over-the-top. But pretty.
I like the part where they don't randomly talk to strangers. It might be a bit lonely, but better than some random stranger randomly approaching you, shoving their camera up to your face, while asking you random questions to post on their tictactoe
not every random conversation is recorded. you can talk to people you don’t know in a friendly way without it being purely out of self-interest. do you not go outside often?
To be fair, number 6 is shocking from ANYONE's perspective that isn't american.
i liked my own comment
And so did I. Bro
I licked a goat's butthole once.
Hahahaha, what a great episode! Yes, talking with strangers is a very normal thing in the US haha. I didn't know it was not normal until I visited Japan.
There are some things from american perspective that I see as normal. The bad thing is that you have to avoid some of these things in Japan.
The DIY culture in the US is due to the high cost to repair or replace an item, for a mechanic to replace a failed sensor is upwards of $200 or $50 to do it yourself
As an American, the Pledge of Allegiance isn't any weirder than having the students clean the entire room after school lets out.
The Pledge of Allegiance is a show of patriotism for our country. Technically, you don't have to do it. But, you would probably be ostracized in the same way Japanese look funny at people who don't conform to social norms. I mean, if you don't, you look like you hate your country.
Sadly, it looks like from other comments that this isn't explained to kids anymore.
It's REALLY sad. It's like how they claim they didn't get sex ed. They did. It's no one's fault they decided to ignore everything about the courses, since you get it multiple times in K-12.
@@nachgeben It's nothing like as seen in an MXR Reaction vid, though... I hope.
1:55 this was excellent, sometimes I get that vibe