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!"
Mr Kitty's sister visited here several years ago with her 4 kids. She went to Japan to do her Junior year in college abroad. Met a japanese student, got married, stayed in Japan & had 4 kids.
I had to serve them an unplanned meal - so I used what I had at home and made them cheese & cilantro quesadilla's with salsa. The kids loved it!! Best meal they had while they were here.
Don't deny it, I've seen it in person in Japan.
Buying used, soiled schoolgirl panties from vending machines isn't sick?
How about this one...
Japanese government blocks a ban on child pornography
Possession of child porn is legal in Japan (though sale and distribution is not).
Live sex shows with audience participation (full penetration) isn't sick?Are you really sure that you couldn’t find such a show in, say, New York City or San Francisco if you tried there, too? (Ok, in SF, the participants would probably be all male…)
MEEEOOOWWWWW! What a stupid article.
This article avoided the elephant in the room; the US as a police state. By far, the US has the highest incarceration rate per capita in the world. We have very onerous customs and TSA procedures. Cases of police brutality are commonplace.
Just think of the billions lost in tourist dollars because of the actions of the Federal government and thug police.
“The Japanese plan, and plan, and plan, and meticulously plan, and when finally they execute it is with astonishing efficiency and speed. Americans tend to wing it, far more wasteful of resources and replacing efficiency with brute power. In combined operations that has passed the point of frustration and achieved a sense of high humor on both sides. I recall a naval exercise when the concept of “patrol a sector” came up. I explained it as “the ship will go out there and mess around a little bit at random”. My counterpart sucked his breath and said with mock seriousness, “Ah, we Japanese do not mess around,” perfectly aware of the double meaning. “
I spent lot’s of time in Japan in the 80”s. I disagree with your premise. Japanese think they plan but culture gets in the way. They plan to do what they think the boss want’s done. Prime example Fukushima. It is now clear the junior TEPCo engineers knew what a mess they had but they wouldn’t diss the bosses who are idiots.
When I was in Guam Last Summer, I noticed that too.
Gun Ranges EVERYWHERE.
Ditto for Honolulu.
In both places they had Street Peddlers with Fliers and shove it everyones face.
Except for me, while I could have been an Austrlian, (another major tourist group) they knew if I were an American I would most likley tell them I could just go home and shoot my own.
The Gun Ranges Gouge the Hell out of the those people and make an absloute MINT!
On F.R.- Sun Surf and Semi-Automatics
With Cute Japanese Girls Shooting Guns- http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/02/us/to-some-tourists-hawaii-means-sun-surf-and-semiautomatics.html?_r=0
Took my fifteen year old to Boston 18 months ago. He made four observations that really struck me. Number one: People driving in Boston tend to take their half of the road out of the middle.
Turbo add-on? No need to change compression ratio of pistons, I presume?
The turbo was one of the first Banks’ kits for a 6.9L in an Ford E series. No internal engine mods needed. Just watch the EGT.
IOW,Japan ain't no picnic for Westerners either.
And don't you forget it! Next time you're in the Gay State let me know...I'll have a front bumper reserved just for *you*! ;-)
Ergo The Charlie Card.
.
LOL. When we went my kid bought a tee-shirt, it had some kind of list on it, 10 things you must always do in Boston, something like that.
The only one I can remember was about driving and it said: If you’re not a hemorrhoid get off my *ss.
Normally I wouldn’t have let her buy such a thing, but after the time we spent I thought it was perfect. This was when it was all ripped up with the big dig too, what a disaster area.
We have our own perversions as well which are just as much a subset of our culture as their are...um san francisco anyone? las vegas? the whole weed culture?
Ikiru is an excellent movie - i think every government employee should be required to view it and it should be shown in schools during govt/citizenship courses.
I’ll eat his brain later.
Hmmm...I wonder if it’s a “guilt culture” vs “honor culture” thing?
Never really drove on I-81, so I can’t say. I have never, though, seen nastier drivers than in Boston.
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