Behaviour in Public
 

I wonder if it is seen as wrong or bad manners to demonstrate feelings in JAPAN. Such as a young couple, is it okay for them to hold hands in public?

My japanese friend says it is not japanese way to HUG in Public or to show affection to another person.

She is very anti any demonstration of affection-- yet often tells me that other foreign students at her school from places like SPAIN or France are very touch feely.

DID anyone see that youtube video of hugs around the world?

Our son showed it to me and it was rather pleasant.

I am fussy who I hug but wonder if it is frowned on in JAPAN or elsewhere come to that?


YouTube - FREE HUGS in JAPAN(Tokyo) part1　フリーハグ

I guess I can generalize that we (Southern Europeans) are very touch feely. Atleast the majority.

Edit: I would hug her. And probably my hand would slip somewhere else.

Edit2: She got a total of 25 hugs - 12 were asians and 13 non-asians.

First Saturday of July is Free Hugs Day :) I'm gonna hug a lot of strangers lol

I find my students to be significantly more touchy-feely than I remember being in school. My mother, a professional librarian, said the same thing when she visited me.

Both male and female students are often touchy-feely with teachers in a way which would be considered inappropriate and get teachers in trouble in the US. Here, there is no ulterior motive ascribed, and no one worries about it.

Grain of salt, your mileage may very, etc.

Hahaha!

Her sign says, "Free Hugs". Not, "Free Chikan victim"

MY japanese friend was born just after the war maybe times have changed since those days and her upbringing.

Although she is studying here she is still very much a Japanese woman with worries about her duty etc. She spent all her working life working for the same company. what I do like is her promptness when she visits. PUnctuality is very important to her.

that sounds good. there are many lonelypeople in the world and a HUG can be so comforting although I like to choose who I hug or who hugs me.

Yes on that youtube item were there any japanese returning a hug?
I cannot remember.

My friend was very surprised when she watched that video says it is not the Japanese way.

I guess a smile goes a long way also. It can lighten the day maybe for those you meet.

Gosh yes teachers would soon be in trouble here too. (UK) Students can accuse them of all sorts-- one teacher I knew was imprisoned because a female student accused him of touching her. Its all too easy to make malicious accusations against a teacher. Interesting to know about Japan.