Posted on 02/22/2014 10:44:53 PM PST by Slings and Arrows
With the help of Google Translate (and an ability to interpret completely random sentence structure), an American can find out what kind of advice the Japanese give to their own countrymen on how to handle the peculiarities of American culture. Here are some things to look out for if you are visiting America from Japan.
In Japan, each person eating gets as many individual dishes as needed for the meal. Sometimes more than 10 dishes per person are used. In America, there is a method where a large bowl or dish is placed in the middle of the table, and you take as much as you like from there, and put it on a big dish said to be a "dinner plate."
In Japan, meals at home are for eating, because your stomach is vacant. At an American’s dinner, there is food, decorations on the table and tableware, and music to produce a fun atmosphere. It is a time for maintaining rich human relationships. Therefore, the meal is as long as 40 minutes. In addition, often the decorative tableware has been handed down mother to daughter, two generations, three generations. In addition, there are even more valuable dishes used for Christmas and Thanksgiving.
American food is flat to the taste, indifferent in the subtle difference of taste. There is no such thing there as a little “secret ingredient.” Sugar, salt, pepper, oils, and routine spices are used for family meals. There is no such thing as purely U.S. cuisine, except the hamburger, which isn’t made at home so much. There is almost nothing special to eat based on the different seasons of the year. Basically, they like sweet, high fat, high calories things.
In Japan, hip hop clothes are considered stylish. But in the United States, it is wise to avoid them, as you might be mistaken for a member of a street gang.
The entire United States does not have good security, unfortunately. However, the difference between a place with good regional security and a “rough area” is clear. People walk less, there is a lot of graffiti, windows and doors are strictly fitted with bars. And young people are dressed in hip hop clothes that say "I want you to pay attention to me!"
Manners with cars in America are really damn good. Japanese people should be embarrassed when they look at how good car manners are in America. You must wait whenever you cross an intersection for the traffic light. People don’t get pushy to go first. Except for some people, everyone keeps exactly to the speed limit. America is a car society, but their damn good manners are not limited to cars.
In the U.S., they do not have a sense of superiority if they are able to drink a large amount. Rather, if you drink a lot, there is a sense that you cannot manage yourself. There is something close to contempt toward someone who must drink a lot to be drunk. To drink alcohol habitually is to have alcoholism. Alcoholics are weak people mentally, to be one means you have spanned the label of social outcasts that can’t self-manage.
Non-smokers are more important than smokers in the US. Smokers capture the concept that they are not able to control themselves, and are the owners of weak character.
In America, whether you are a student, working person, or housewife, you carefully make room for leisure time, weekdays and weekends. Most people are ensured free time, always. During the week they use it for walking, jogging, bicycling, tennis, racquetball, bowling, watching movies, reading, and volunteering. On the weekend, they enjoy even more freedom, and take liberal arts courses and have sporting leisures.
In Japan we believe that there is no free time during the weekday. Only the weekend. We spend the weekend watching TV, hanging around home, working, studying, and shopping, or listening to music.
See Also: 4 Russian Travel Tips for Visiting America
If you put your bent middle and index fingers of both hands in the air, you are making finger quotation marks. It means you do not believe what you are saying. You can also say, "or so called."
In Japan, when a woman laughs, she places her hand so it does not show her mouth. It is disgraceful to laugh by loudly opening the mouth. Adult males do not laugh much. There is the saying, "Man, do not laugh so much that you show your teeth."
In America, when men or women laugh, they do not turn away. They face front, open the mouth, and laugh in a loud voice. This is because in America if you muffle your laugh or turn away while laughing, you give the impression that you are talking about a secret or name-calling. It is nasty.
Cashiers are slow. Abysmally slow compared to Japan. I get frustrated when I’m in a hurry. Americans wait leisurely even if you’re in the special checkout for buying just a little something. I thought Americans were going to be quite impatient, but in reality they are extremely laid back. I thought about what I should do with my time while waiting in the grocery matrix, and began to speak at length with other guests.
See Also: 38 Wonderful Words With No English Equivalent
Vending machines in the United States just give carbonated beverages. Coke particularly. If you try to buy the juice from a vending machine when you’re thirsty, it’s just all carbonate. I pressed the button and thought it would be a nice orange juice, but carbonate came out. I love carbonated, but there are times when it will make you sick indeed.
In Japan, there is great fear of failure and mistakes in front of other people. It is better to do nothing and avoid being criticized than to taste the humiliation of failure. As a result, there are things we wanted to do, but did not, and often regret.
In America, you can make mistakes, fail, and it doesn’t matter. It is a fundamental feeling that to sometimes be incorrect is natural. In addition, rather than thinking about mistakes and failures, American’s have curiosity and say, "Let’s try anyway!"
>>. America is a car society, but their damn good manners are not limited to cars.<<
F yeah!
Just remember the age of consent is 12, kiddie porn is legal and you can pay a little girl to take baths with you.
Japan is Pervert Land.
Japanese....so strange but I still love them. However, Americans are so way way better. I had a Japanese lady over for dinner the other night, had married an American soldier back in the day, boy did she gush about the superiority of American to Japanese culture. She’s widowed but never went back to Japan!
If American in Japan, avoid the vending machine.
If the product does not say Saporro, it may not be beer.
A-me-ri-ka sugoi!! Ikimashou!!
11. Hey, they drive on the other side of the road!
12. Yes, many Americans are fans of Gojira (Godzilla) movies. And I might add, most of the really cheesy 50s and 60s Japanese movies. Classics!
“She’s widowed but never went back to Japan!”
She stayed here for our general enthusiasm for life, shown by our willingness to take chances, love of a laugh out loud moment and, most of all I’m sure, our damn good manners.
Great post, I think it’s mostly fair (if someone inaccurate because I don’t think our gentle Japanese author ever drove in Jersey) and very amusing.
Japan has a lot of weird and perverted things, its not just their anime that is perverted.
This was hysterical. I needed the laughs.
I love their old Sci-Fi. Especially the cheesy stuff.
Glad you liked.
I'm moving there tomorrow.
I can take them to some Tex-Mex joints that’ll make them rethink the idea of American food being bland. ;-)
11. Important safety tip, that.
12. Gamera is really neat! He is full of turtle meat!
Heh.
When I need a morale break, or start drifting too hard into my natural dislike of all things and persons foreign, I like to spend some time on youtube watching video blogs made by foreign exchange students sent to the US.
It can be a lot of fun to watch, first, their pre concepts of what it’s going to be like when they get to the US, then watch as they become accustomed to life here.
I get a free morale boost. Loose a good bit of my built up anti-furrin develism and end up appreciating what we have here a bit more.
That sounds interesting. Got any suggestions?
Certainly never drove in Massachusetts. When I was still living in NJ, I thought the way they drove to be psychotic (never mind downright rude) when I visited Boston.
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