October 22, 2014
Of course, I can't go and talk about the hard parts of my life in Japan without talking about its wonders. So here is the first wonder I have encountered for the past two months here in Japan.
1. The culture (The people)
- When I first came to Japan, one of my goals was to embrace the Japanese culture. But that's a very vague statement, especially when you don't understand what it implies. What is the Japanese culture, and why is it good or bad? As a foreigner, one never stops learning about Japan's culture, but I have noticed a few things.
First of all, there is almost always a central mentality. What I mean by that is that no matter where you are, there are a number of unsaid "rules" embedded within the moment, the situation, the place, and the people. For example, it is expected to remain silent in order not to disturb others. There's always a need to belong to a group, and I feel like Japan allows anyone to be part of it, which makes their lifestyle less lonely perhaps?
My father had always told me that in Japan, the nail that sticks out gets hit. Now this can be interpreted in many ways, and can be thought of as good or bad. But I came to realize that it's not that Japanese people are against differences. They just have so many people that if they allowed everyone to do as they wished, things would be impossible. Therefore, most people are taught to respect these un-said behaviours, which allows for a smoother ride.
Now that being said, when differences are allowed, the Japanese seem to have no hesitation. One can best see this when observing the clothing worn by the average person. Women here always seem to dress really well and men's hair is a work of art haha.
The routines here are incredibly well respected. Every time you enter a store, you hear someone say: "irasshaimase!" Which basically means "welcome to our store". They mechanically ask the same questions, perform the same task over and over again without ever complaining or letting their inner feeling show. Also, workers use a more polite language when speaking to customers.
Lastly, since the Japanese language often leads to uncertainties or to inconclusive conversations, Japanese often confirm the same information more than twice. You see, the Japanese do not like to be decisive and to make decisions. Why? I don't think anyone could ever really tell, but I do know that, ever since I've been here in Japan, I've had to make more decisions than ever. But this also means that I have to face the consequences as well. Maybe they are as afraid of making mistakes as I am when choosing what to do or say. But anyways, it all works well within their lives. Since everyone is busy, reminders are often needed.
Now this is a very small portion of what this culture entails, but I didn't feel like writing a novel so... :P
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