As the world has become globalized over the past few decades, people, goods, money and information are all spreading across borders and cultures are said to be becoming more standardized. Still, you find a lot of cultural differences between some countries or regions, especially when it comes to a Western country like the US and an Asian country like Japan. Let’s look at 10 key differences between the two countries to understand how traditions and history are deeply rooted in their respective cultures, and how these cultures are gradually or rapidly changing as well.
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Shoes On vs Off
In Japan, people must take off their shoes at the area called the genkan, inside the entrance, before stepping into the house. This is because Japanese culture has a clear distinction of “Uchi (inside)” and “Soto (outside)”, which also reflects their way of speech. American people traditionally did not take off their shoes in their house. These traditions, however, have been changing to some degree, and there are American homes now where they ask you to take off your shoes at the front door and vice versa.
BD/BA vs LDK
Without mentioning the fact that an American house is about twice the size of a Japanese one, how to you define each floor plan is quite different in the two places. American people count the number of bedrooms (Bd) and bathrooms (Ba), and Japanese count the number of rooms and clarify if the house has a living room, a dining room, and a kitchen (in short, “LDK”). If the house has 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom, for example, it is shown as “2Bds, 1Ba” in the US and “2LDK” in Japan. A single person who looks for a tiny apartment at a low price in major cities like Tokyo & Osaka finds what’s called “One Room”, literally contains just one room including a small kitchen, living area and an American style bathroom (a toilet, a sink and a bathtub in one area). It is worth noting that in most Japanese homes the ‘bath’ room and the ‘toilet’ room are two separate rooms. And they don’t like putting them together unless they have to.
Bathrooms
In the US, almost every house has more than one bathroom, which consists of a toilet, a sink and a bathtub / shower. On the contrary, a typical Japanese house has one bathroom for the whole family but the definition is quite different. Their ‘bathroom’ contains a bathtub (usually separated from the main area), a sink and a washing machine. A ‘toilet’ room is normally separated from the bathroom, just like the one found at a restaurant. For your information, there is a chance you might encounter one of the renowned high-tech Japanese toilets equipped with warm water jets, heated seats and automatic flushing if you rent a rather new apartment. Fun!
Communication
Speak Up vs Read the Air
One clear and well-known difference between the US and Japan is a the communication style. American people, who tend to prefer direct communication and state their opinions immediately at and on the spot, may sometimes feel irritated when they talk to Japanese people, who prefer indirect communication and often use nonverbal cues to get their message across. There are expressions like “Read the air (Read between the lines or read the room)” and “Ishin Denshin (Understand without words)” to explain this unique Japanese culture point.
Keigo 敬語 (Polite Speech)
A language represents its culture much more than one expects. As social status and hierarchy have been important in Japanese culture for a long time, people established a polite way of speech called “Keigo” (literally meaning respectful language), which is used when they talk to or talk about someone with higher status or older than themselves. Among the three different forms of Keigo, you may first learn “Teinei-go (丁寧語)”, which is used in general conversations with people of all ages and status in a polite manner, often ending the sentence with “desu (です)” or “masu (ます)”. This distinction of speech styles is affected by the “Uchi” and “Soto” concept (inside and outside) and people tend to use “Teinei-go” until they become comfortable enough to feel “Uchi” with their counterpart. In the US, on the other hand, people mostly talk in the same way to anyone in daily conversations.
Yoroshiku, Osewa ni narimasu, and Otsukare sama
If American people plan to work in Japan, there are several phrases they should learn. “Yoroshiku (よろしく)” or “Yoroshiku onegai shimasu (よろしくお願いします)” is one of the most common phrases you hear and are expected to use in the workplace. The concept of the phrase indeed doesn’t exist in English and there is no clear translation for it, but it implies something like “Please treat it (or me) properly/favorably”. The phrase is often used at the end of a conversation or an email in which the person asks (for) something. It is also used when you first meet someone to express a message similar to “Nice to meet you” or “Please take care of me”.
Another phrase business people in Japan often use is “Osewa ni narimasu (お世話になります)” or “Osewa ni natte orimasu (お世話になっております)”. The phrase is heard/seen at the beginning of a conversation or an email, indicating “Thank you always for your support”. While it is only used for a counterpart outside the company (a customer, a vendor, etc.), you can use “Otsukare sama (お疲れ様)” or “Otsukare sama desu (お疲れ様です)” to your colleagues and boss. Again, the difference of these expressions shows “Uchi” and “Soto” culture at work.
Etiquette and Manners
Shake Hands/Hug vs Bow
American people, who normally shake hands and/or hug when they greet to each other, might be surprised how the Japanese way of greeting is quite formal and physically distanced. Japanese people usually just bow during greetings, especially in business or formal occasions. However, this Japanese tradition has gradually changed as people have become more globalized and many younger people don’t hesitate to shake hands or hug anymore. Even so, bowing culture still exists and a lot of Japanese companies offer training programs for new graduates teaching Japanese business manners including which angles they should bow at in specific situations.
To tip or Not
Tipping at a restaurant or a taxi driver is meant to show appreciation for good service in the US, given that a lot of service job salaries are critically low, and tipping is almost a necessity for those workers. However, tipping culture doesn’t really exist in Japan and if you leave a few bills on the table at a restaurant in Japan, the waiter will likely run after you to return them back to you. Most people involved in service jobs in Japan think that their service fees are included in their salaries, and it is not appropriate to receive tips from a customer. (The only two exceptions might be when staying at a traditional Japanese inn (ryokan) and when getting expensive seats at the sumo. But these are rare cases).
To Slurp or Not
Making noise while eating is basically considered bad manners both in the US and Japan (but not in China). However, when it comes to Japanese noodles such as soba, ramen (which was originally Chinese), and udon, the rule changes in Japan. By slurping Japanese soup noodles, people enjoy the smell and taste more delicately (despite the sound) and it also helps cooling down the heat of the soup and noodles. Be careful, though, after slurping the noodles, you must close your mouth to chew them!
Rituals and Ceremonies
While America is a diverse country made up of people from multiple races, religious backgrounds, and cultures, nearly 98% of the Japanese population is Japanese and the religious beliefs in Japan are mainly divided into Shinto and Buddhism. Having said that, there are many people who don’t really care about religion in their daily lives; but interestingly, Japanese people enjoy rituals and ceremonies rooted in various religions. For example, a lot of Japanese people celebrate Christmas (at least sort of) every December and have their wedding ceremony at a church, but they go to a shrine or a temple in January for their first New Year’s prayer.
Summary
We have picked 10 major differences between American culture and Japanese culture. When you have lived both in the US and Japan, you’ll find more differences but also similarities at the same time. By understanding, practicing, and enjoying them, we’ll surely broaden our horizons together!
This media series provides a wide range of information about the Japanese language and Japanese culture for those who are interested in traveling to or living in Japan. Add us to your reading list and stay tuned!