Japanese Manners; Stuff that SHOULD be rude but isn't!

[BjornTobyWilde]

People coming to Japan often get the impression that they'll need to be ultra-careful about minding their manners. When, they get here, however, they're often surprised by all the things they see in Japan that would be considered rude in their home countries. I think the Japanese as a whole (sorry to generalise!) are pretty good at promoting themselves as an ultra polite nation so when old ladies, for example, barge past you on the subway it comes as a real shock.

I thought this was a funny article on the subject but there are loads more examples. I wonder if anyone has any others?

Cheers!

[JackIsLost]

urinating in public won't get as much rude stares as calling someone on the train with your cell phone. from what i heard from locals is that japanese people believe cell phone can stop a pace maker. since a lot of old people use the trains, cell phones should not be used in such a confined space (but texting is okay).

[BjornTobyWilde]

Yeah, the urinating in public issue is interesting. For women, having visibly erect nipples is considered quite rude in Japan - but for men, you can just flop out your wedding tackle for the world!

[ozkai]

最初の投稿者：BjornTobyWilde

Yeah, the urinating in public issue is interesting. For women, having visibly erect nipples is considered quite rude in Japan - but for men, you can just flop out your wedding tackle for the world!

That is funny..

[bELyVIS]

I learned very quickly that it is a fake politeness to cover up their real behavior. But that's just the culture. I found it funny.

[mercedesjin]

lol, that list is funny. Thanks for sharing it.

I think "Grab Other's Private Parts" should be added to that list. At the all girl's school I attended, there was one too many hands trying to grab my breasts.

[BjornTobyWilde]

Yeah, there seems to be a lot of touching between students too. My wife taught in a boys' junior high school for a while where they were always... actually I'll just stop there. They were doing all the things you're probably thinking of!

[burkhartdesu]

I attended a school in rural Japan, and the kids were unusually touchy (with the same sex).

But the boys and girls wouldn't touch eachother with a tenfoot pole.

[mercedesjin]

It was a little scary at first, because it was actually an ambush game... so you could be minding your own business, eating or taking a walk down the hallway - and bam, someone's hands are on you. What's scariest about it, though, is that after a while I actually got into it and thought that it was pretty fun. >_>

There was definitely this weird aura between boys and girls that I couldn't figure out. It was like I wasn't really allowed to talk to guys, or people would automatically assume that I was interested in them sexually. I still can't figure out what the "rules" are for speaking with the opposite sex.

[BjornTobyWilde]

I taught in a university where the "boys" and "girls" wouldn't go near each other. I never tried a ten foot pole, but I don't reckon it would have helped...

They all seemed to prefer touching me. I'm not sure what most Japanese guys think about western women here, in terms of their sexuality. One of my female friends was shouted at by some old guy who said "Go back to America! You American women only come here for sex!" - Japan being such a sexual utopia for gaijin girls!

One other thing, mercedesjin, have you tried speaking in a low voice? High-pitched voices make it sound like you're trying to be cute, apparently.