What's Considered Rude in Japan? (The Japanese Elderly Perspective) | Street Interview

As a Japanese woman who looks SouthAsian and is disabled, I really don’t like that both Japanese and foreigners think 〝Racism in the West comes from who you are but xenophobia in Japan comes from what you do〟.
I don't understand why both Japanese and foreigners say〝Foreigners don't follow Japan's rules, so it's no wonder Japanese people don't like them〟. That logic only works when 〝That foreigner who doesn't follow Japanese rules〟is treated badly.〝I heard about foreigners causing us trouble online, so I can't help it if you get revenge〟is undeniably discrimination.
I lived in America, Japanese and Americans are very very different on 〝If they think their own people are good〟. I’ve never seen any Americans who don’t admit that there is racism in their country.
Japanese people claim that the reason they discriminated against, even if their 〝friend〟who was discriminated against was a native Japanese speaker who was born and raised in Japan, was because that 〝friend〟did not follow Japanese rules.
So, will foreigners from other countries admit Japan's discrimination against them？ No, unlike in Europe and America, discrimination against foreigners in Japan is so insidious that foreigners do not realize that they are being discriminated against. Instead of yelling, they curse you in their whisper.

Japan is a patriarchal society with hierarchy. "Superiors" means men mostly.

Order and harmony is paramount, sincerity, not so much. Remember, these old folks are aware they are being video recorded for the world. Appearing self-deprecating is the norm, otherwise it sounds like boasting.

Japan is my kind of society in which I want to live.

I know this will be controversial but it is the younger generation's perspective that matters in any society.

There are ways that Japanese people are polite. However it you will often feel left out as a foreigner unless you make the effort to start a conversation with them. Also, there seems to be no etiquette to riding a bike at all. People walk on the left and right. They ride their bikes on both sides. People walk in front of cars and everyone is sharing these narrow streets. You have to stay vigilant always to not get into an accident. Also my Japanese teacher made fun of me on my birthday by calling me fat 3 times. And she's older. Also an older woman at a hotel told me: "It looks like you can eat a lot" after pointing me in the direction of the complimentary donuts. Also while meeting a Japanese guy for dinner he told me his wife couldn't come because she has diarrhea. There isn't always a universal etiquette. It is just best to educate yourself on the country you will visit or live in. "When in Rome" as they say.

Japan : they leave things around ..

Me: They haven't seen NYC yet

Ironically, I think it's kind of wasteful with time to be an hour early for everything

I’m foreigner living in Japan for about 19yrs indeed Japanese people are so polite other country who is first time come to Japan think Japanese is so kind! Because there are so polite because of their politeness!! Don’t fool of their politeness majority of japanese is hiding their thinking about you they are so fake first giving you a good impression etc etc but when you turn back they will tell you so many bad impression if they see you a simple wrong doing compare to other country it’s not a big deal japanese is so polite that’s all!! But majority of them don’t have a true kindness of heart!! Only2 or 3 when you scale it to 10.

“When you enter someone else’s home, you will respect their customs.” I was taught this when I was just a child and was reminded about this still in adulthood.

I admire the way the Japanese treat each other. Their self respect and dignity shine through their polite manners.

I used to have my Business professor in college sitting on his desk and asking us to call him by his first name. I could never do that so I always call him Mr Norman. He always laughed at me for that.

With correct understanding and consideration for other cultures, I never consider myself as just a tourist but a visitor who appreciates any welcome from the host. I always leave the place i visited with gratitude for the new enriching experience.

I'll say it only once. The whole world (especially the US) needs to understand that interfering in the social structure of other societies is not right (with the possible exception of radical Islamic societies). No one has the right to judge others if they're not unaliving people. No one. Yes, there are many Japanese rules that wouldn’t suit me, but if I made the decision to live there, I’d have to accept them. They are the way they are because their collective mindset allows them to survive on such a small land with frequent seismic activity. I hope that neither China nor the USA will ever succeed in changing the Japanese people. There’s no need to turn them into either a dictatorship or an overly liberal country with pronounced individualism. Every single screw and bolt in that country has been tightened by people who think about their nation. They do what is best for them, and no one has the right to express dissatisfaction with their internal affairs.

This highlights the difference between a society that values social cohesion vs one that values individual freedom.

Can u make video on how to move to singapore 🇸🇬 for studying md plese........

I really liked what the last gentleman said about adapting to a new culture and how it takes a lot of time (and is learned in childhood).
I particularly agreed with the ‘when in Rome’ statement - it’s not that simple, especially if you’re really trying to integrate (language and behaviour) but constantly fail due to your appearance (Caucasian westerner here). It’s pretty much impossible, and you get scapegoated a lot :(

It would be fascinating to read a study of Japan's gross national time spent being early for appointments every year, together with the punishing social exclusion of people who find clock-based time management extremely difficult, e.g. those with ADHD. Or indeed a study of all those sidelined and disadvantaged by an inflexible dominant culture of indirect speech and reading between the lines, e.g. people with autism.

I have lived and worked in the most weird country called Japan for 35 years before I retired last year and moved to Denmark. I consider myself an authority on Japan and have the following observations to prove Japan IS NOT a polite country at all:

1) Japanese people follow the Honne/Tatemae rule. This rule is ubiquitous all across Japan. If you invite them to a party or a picnic, they will gleefully say "Yes" as if their life depended on it, even though they have no intentions of coming. This, according to me, is lying and cheating. If you don't want to do something, just come out clean and say it, instead of keeping the other person hanging. Due to this Honne and Tatemae culture among Japanese people, foreigners think Japanese people are not trustworthy. Being untrustworthy is not a sign of being polite.

2) Japanese people are not really very helpful to others, whether it be on roads or trains or even in shopping malls. A person might collapse on the road due to hunger or dehydration, Japanese people will just coldly walk by even without a glance. I have noticed that in a crowded train, Japanese people are so inconsiderate that do not offer their seats even to pregnant women or elderly people. I don't know how many times I have offered my seat to a pregnant woman on the Yamanote train, or offered my winter jacket or gloves to a kid who's shivering in biting cold. Japanese people will never do it. Being aloof, distant, inconsiderate, and unhelpful is not a sign of being polite.

3) Japanese people are like robots, especially in Tokyo, Osaka and Sapporo. There's no eye contact with strangers. They walk the streets just like robots - cold and without feelings. They have a cold, hard stone in their chest instead of a beating heart like us. Lack of compassion is not a sign of being polite.

4) This one is very controversial - racism. Yes, Caucasians (white people) are racist. But Japanese people take racism to a new level. White people have racist tendencies towards people of colour but Japanese people are racist not only to black, brown, Chinese and Korean people, they are racist and discriminatory toward their own people too. Burakumin culture is quite alive and kicking in Japan. I pity the Burakumin people. There are many videos about this dastardly and cruel practice which forces one to think if Japan is really a developed country. Being racist is not a sign of being polite.

5) Gender Imbalance is everywhere in Japan. Women are considered below men, almost worthless. You will hardly ever find a female CEO, CFO, or a VP in any Japanese company. Inequality in society is not a sign of being polite.

And then of course, there's Yakuza, Karoshi, Chikaan, smoking in restaurants, overwhelmingly promiscuous men (as to why the population is continuously decreasing despite all the sex-starved, hungry men is beyond my comprehension), sex DVD outlets at every nook and corner, and if that's not enough, ridiculous justice system in which police have 99% conviction rate. Japan is the inventor of Bukkake (ぶっかけ) and Gokkun (ごっくん) - check Wiki - both these genres are the ultimate ways to degrade and humiliate women. Japan is the highest producer of * orn in the world. Infedilty is now at its peak in Japan. Almost everyone cheats on their partner. These are definitely not the signs of being polite.

Japanese people do not talk on the phone on busses, trains etc. But when they enter an Izakaya or a small roadside diner, they forget all their etiquette. Trust me, Japanese people are the loudest in the world. Being obnoxious, and being a nuisance to everyone around you (especially foreigners) is not a sign of being polite.

If you are a typical "sarariman" who works in an office, you cannot leave the office until the boss calls it a day, even if you have a death in the family or a sick family member to tend to. Japanese bosses are the MOST INCONSIDERATE in the world. They work late and make everyone work late, as if they are taking a revenge. If you miss your target, your boss will come to your desk and yell at you and throw insults at you at the top of his voice in full view of all team members. That's not a sign of being polite.

Japan, like Dubai is excellent for tourists. Go there, have fun, spend money in a Pachinko, buy some awesome stuff in Akihabara, visit different places like Hiroshima, Snow Monkey Park in Nagano, Tokyo Tower, Koen Yoyogi, Love Hotels in Ikebukuro or Uguisudani, visit a Maid Cafe and flirt with your maid, visit the Royal Palace, beautiful Niigata and Kanazawa etc, experience the Kabukicho, travel in the beautiful Shinkansen, experience the best and most perfect customer service, have a massage or two, have an afternoon tea with a Geisha that resembles a white-faced ghost in Kyoto, eat delicious foods at Coco Ichibanya or Hinoya Curry, or sandoichi @ 7-Eleven, have some sake in an Izakaya (pub), experience the Shibuya Scramble, take a million pictures, eat weird Kitto Katto (Kit Kat), and get the eff out. Japan can be compared with an iceberg. Only the beautiful, exciting, and polite 10% is visible, the abhorrent, inconsiderate, nasty, and violent 90% is submerged and invisible.

when your country gets occupied by american troops , your women and children gets sexual abused
there is nothing you should be afraid ...

I lived in Japan (Tokyo area) and also visited several times in Osaka and Kyoto and have always found the Japanese very polite not only to me but it seems to everyone around them. Very respectful and kind.
I have always thought that if I needed to move somewhere it would be Japan.🙂

phew, "15 minutes is very late". While I'm typically early, SO many Americans are late by a lot more than 15 minutes to things repeatedly.

誰よりも日本人の年寄りの意見を尊敬しないわ。いつもタメ口で話したり店で文句を言ったり、身の回りの人を気にせずに歩きたりします。後はもちろん社会問題は60歳以上のもののせい

I've been coming to Japan since the 90s and this interview must apply to mostly the elderly generation as my most recent visit to Japan had countless younger Japanese (mostly families) who either cut in line or save spots for their entire group. Maybe amusement parks or attractions are a free for all and don't count. 🙄

Those were great interviews. Honto ni kandou shimashita.

Is there a full interview?

I'm curious what ethnicity is he

Your channel is dead and your viewer rate is plummeting lmaooooooooo. That's what you get for pushing your radlib narrative into all these videos.

I'm really sick of the manners of some foreign tourists…

Those comments about the cellphones are 1000% true. That was the strangest thing about Japan I’ve seen so far,99% of people on the train ,walking or riding will be on their phones. It’s like zombies everywhere honestly. Coming from a country where people are more social with each other,that was truly strange

If Japanese people are polite, then why they never apologized their WII war crimes... that'll shut 99% of those people up.

What is rude in east Asia? Everything! Because they are so easily offended. This is because they have not matured emotional, they are children.

"Being late undermines your own credibility". Well said.❤ Also, they can still impact their children and grandchildren. 😊

Its interesting how the Interviewer is sitting 'below', or at a lower level than the Elders in this interview video. Its almost like a conversation between a Parent, and their Child. Subtle, yet makes the interviews all that more engaging. I enjoyed this Street Interview very much, and learned a lot.

How to be rude in Japan? Just watch Logan Paul’s Japan visit video

With a channel name like "Asian Boss," they should focus more on places like Southeast Asia, South Asia, or even North Asia (though I only really know about Mongolia). Southeast Asia is super hot right now. Thailand is popular, and Indonesia's economic growth is impressive.They don't need to cover Japanese topics anymore, and honestly, I'd be happier if they stopped. There are too many trolls, and even people pretending to be Japanese just to write negative things about Japan. Native speakers can spot the fakes right away.

I really don’t understand why they are ok with talking to YOUNG strangers without the „polite language “

But if everyone, or even a high majority is polite... don't you think that when someone lowers their level of politeness just a bit it could be considered impolite. We're all human... they're thinking the same things as everyone else in the world, so when I hear polite in Japan, I do not draw any major conclusions from it.

I dont understand why they don't think groping women on public transportation is rude?!?!

Thank you asian boss cute program

I lived in Tokyo for 5 years. I really learned a lot about respect for elders. Elderly people were always super polite to me then, and I didn't always deserve it. I feel by being polite to the elderly back here in Canada, I am giving back what I learned in Japan. Thinking about the feelings of others is an important thing for our young to learn.

Yes Japanese people are so polite, they would never challenge domestic violence which is so rampant over there...

As for everyday politeness, I find it funny that westerners love going to a polite country but they themselves would never tolerate it if they were expected to act in the same manner

i hate everyone in my country are always late for everything, like my time is less important than theirs, I've lost friends because i couldn't deal with their tardiness anymore.

Everybody is taught different things depending on where they were born. Manners and gratitude are very important, but doing everything by the book in order to be considered a good person can wear a person out, because who is the absolute ruler to decide what is the standard. Every culture in the world has a different standard. I respect the cultures I visit and try to understand them so I don’t accidentally disrespect them. I loved my time in Japan and feel I would like to live there in a rural area.

I plan on going to college in Japan soon, and after graduation, will make sure to get a job so I can have a work visa and work on naturalization. I am a U.S. Citizen and never have been to Japan but I fell in love with the culture and want to be apart of that and inorder to give back from learning and earning my education, I truly wish to eventually become a public health nurse in Japan. I am currently enrolled in an online associates of nursing (ADN) so I will qualify to take the NCLEX to become an RN and pass it, (hopefully) before I go to Japan. I know I will have to be (N1/C2) level of Japanese and additionally learn the medical kanji as well. I know I have my work cut out for me because I might have to go to nursing school in Japan addtionally, I know I will also have to pass the licensing exam in Japan as well.

I know 1000 kanji and I can read hiragana/katakana as well. I am (N4/N3 level give or take, I haven't taken the JLPT yet though)

みんなさん、気をつけて ね。読んでくれてありがとうございます。


Take care, everyone. Thank you for reading!

I belong the to the Post WW2 generation and have no grudges against the Japanese. But I am constantly perplexed how such a highly regarded people could be so horrific during their occupation of China and Malaya. The stories from my parents' generation were shocking. I really wish ASIAN BOSS could make a documentary on this. What will truly find closure in countries previously occupied by Japan would be a contrite and repentant Japan. Much like how Germans are quick to recognise the evil of the Nazi and the role the people of German played in supporting the Nazi movement actively and passively.

I learned "Keigo" from my Japanese teacher. The elderly are acceptable to the polite manners as compared to the younger generations. I balanced myself mixing with the elderly and younger ones. We get along well as i stayed with my Japanese friends and their families and friends. I have pleasant memories with them. Thanks for the video as i plan to visit my friends again.

I am coming to Japan this coming fall of 2025.