What is the reaction overseas to Japanese culture? "10 wonderful places of Japanese culture" that impress foreigners

Even if you immediately notice the wonderfulness of overseas, you may not easily notice the goodness of your own country.

Even if it is a natural sight for Japanese people, there are many things that are praised by foreigners as "wonderful!"

10 wonderful places of Japanese culture that impressed foreigners one after another

Here are 10 selections that foreigners found wonderful about Japanese culture, which is mainly rooted in the inside, such as behavior and customs.

Polite

The word "すみません（sumimasen）", which is often used by Japanese people, is used in various ways, such as apologizing, a light voice, and thank you. I think it is often used as a light communication rather than a clever image.

On the other hand, overseas, the feeling is different from "ごめんなさい（gomennasai）" or "すみません（sumimasen）" in Japan, and "apology = admitting my fault, responsibility", so I don't use the word of apology easily. Therefore, it is felt that Japanese people often apologize.

Telephone calls on public transport are not uncommon overseas, but are considered a violation of etiquette in Japan. Don't make a loud noise on the train or bus, and reduce the volume of your voice when talking to friends. Seen from overseas, it seems that such things are evaluated as being attentive to those around them.

Also, in Japan, we often see people wearing masks due to hay fever, etc., but this is not only for self-defense, but also for taking care not to pass on to the surroundings when you catch a cold.

In Europe and the United States, masks are used for medical treatment and cleaning, and few people wear masks in the city. Therefore, it seems that many people are surprised at the high rate of Japanese wearing masks.

This natural behavior for spending time with each other is evaluated as politeness to others by Japanese people.

Line up neatly

When lining up in a line, Japanese people look for the tail and line up there. I rarely see anyone interrupting me openly.

At the train platform, we line up according to the marks drawn at our feet, wait for people to get off the train that arrives, and then board in order.

However, overseas, it seems that they are not very conscious of the order, such as going to the beginning if people are gathering and watching the situation, and joining the line as it is without any offense. In addition, people who are lined up properly may be warned and you may end up in a dispute.

For this reason, many people appreciate the Japanese people who line up properly according to equal rules while being considerate of their surroundings.

[If you read the article, may you know the meaning of this KARUTA? ]

Trains and subways come on time

In Japan, trains operate on time, and if the train is delayed, a delay certificate will be issued. On the other hand, it is rare for trains to arrive on time overseas, so it seems that people are often impressed by the punctual Japanese railways.

In the past, Japanese news that a railroad company apologized for the early departure of a train for only a few tens of seconds became a hot topic overseas. I was surprised at this in Japan, but it means that the time of Japanese railways is well managed.

The hospitality culture is perfect in every corner

The hospitality of Japanese hotels and restaurants is highly evaluated from overseas. At restaurants, they crouch down to listen to their orders, and when they are confused at the bank, the usher calls out to them, and they seem to be pleased with their polite response.

In addition, we are impressed with the detailed services such as free water and hand towels provided at the restaurant and the fact that when shopping on a rainy day, a plastic bag is hung over the paper bag to prevent it from getting wet.

No tipping habit

It seems surprising that there is no tipping habit in Japan, despite the fact that they serve customers very politely. When a foreigner put a tip on the table after a meal in Japan, a clerk who thought he had forgotten it came back to me.

Whether you have a tip or not, you will be reminded of the wonderful Japanese service that provides polite hospitality.

Excellent security

Japan is one of the top 10 safest countries in the ranking. If you sleep on the train overseas, you may be pickpocketed, so it seems that you cannot hide your surprise when Japanese people sleep unprotected on the train.

In addition, the sight of being able to leave goods and money behind, such as an unmanned vegetable store, shows the sincerity of the buyer, the belief in the seller, and the security of Japan.

Vending machines are everywhere

Japan is said to be the world's largest vending machine country in terms of land area and population ratio, and there are vending machines everywhere. There are many kinds, and it seems that you are often surprised at the number and variety of food, cigarettes, umbrellas, etc. as well as drinks.

In foreign countries, vending machine products and money are stolen, but in Japan, where security is good, there are few such cases, which is one of the reasons why it has become so popular.

It is unusual for foreigners to have hot and cold drinks in one unit.

[Do you care about Japan? Would you like to learn Japanese together? ]

Clean toilet with washlet

Many people are impressed by Japanese toilets because of their cleanliness and functionality. In particular, washlets are rarely seen overseas. Even in hotels, restaurants, and recently in shopping malls, you will be surprised at the convenient functions such as washlets, warm toilet seats, and Otohime, and the clean spaces such as the powder room.

For Japanese people, the cleanliness of the toilet on the go is a matter of course, but I hope that these points will be appreciated from overseas as well.

School cleans by students themselves

Did you know that many schools in the world are cleaned by cleaners? In Japan, students clean school classrooms and toilets, but it seems to be a very unusual sight for foreigners who do not have such a habit.

As part of education, there is plenty of time for cleaning, and the spirit of cleaning the places you use yourself has long been cultivated in Japan.

Even if you lose or forget something, you may find it at a later date.

I often hear episodes of foreigners who were impressed when they returned safely when they lost something in Japan.

If you lose or forget something overseas, the possibility of returning it is almost zero, so this point is also drawing a lot of attention.

I think that there are many Japanese people who have dropped valuables but have returned, but the feeling of joy at that time may have led to the action of delivering the lost items to the police properly when they picked them up. It may be.

Summary

If you think deeply about the "10 wonderful places in Japan" introduced this time, it seems that the feeling of compassion for others is the action. I think I could have realized again through the reaction from overseas that the Japanese are a country that values cooperation not only with themselves but also with the other person.

I would like to continue to carefully protect good culture so that I can reconsider the splendor of Japan and be proud of being Japanese.

This article is a partial re-edit of the article published in Nihongo Biyori by KARUTA.
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