Hi, it’s Derek from Smith’s School of English Tsukaguchi. There are many things that I like about Japan apart from holiday trips in Japan. In this blog post, I will talk about what I like the most about Japan which is the Japanese people. From my experience living and teaching English in Japan for over 20 years, I have found Japanese people to be kind, polite, considerate to others and respectful. They are also orderly and punctual. Here are some examples showing this:
Kind Words
When they speak to me, Japanese people speak politely and show me respect. For example, when I speak to people for the first time in Japanese, I am sometimes complimented on my Japanese. This has happened many times over the years regardless of my Japanese level. It’s a very kind thing to do on their part.
Bowing
Bowing is used by Japanese people in many situations such as when meeting someone for the first time, meeting people one already knows, saying goodbye, apologizing, thanking someone and just about any situation in which one wishes to show respect. I like it! If you live in Japan long enough, you may find that bowing becomes second-nature to you!
Elevator Etiquette
In elevators, Japanese people remain silent so as not to disturb the others. The person standing near the doors often pushes the “Close” button between floors after people get out which gives everybody less waiting time. And when passengers get out, some give a small bow to the others still in the elevator and say something. This appears to be an apology for having had the other passengers have to stop on a floor where they are not getting off and them getting off first. Very considerate.
Escalator Etiquette
On escalators, Japanese people usually stand to one side of the escalator, allowing those in a hurry to walk up the other side. Again, very considerate.
Public Transportation Etiquette
On public transporation, Japanese people don’t speak loudly or speak on the phone as not to disturb other passengers. Before COVID-19, it was common practice to wear a surgical-style mask not to spread viruses like the common cold virus. And now with COVID-19, everybody wears a mask on the train. Considerate.
Apologizing for the Smallest Things
If Japanese people think they have disturbed you or inconvenienced you in any way however small, they apologize with a bow. Considerate again.
No Anger Shown In Public
Anger is not shown in public by Japanese people. Showing anger in public is considered very bad manners. I like that!
Orderly
Japanese people are very orderly. Standing to one side of an escalator is an example of that. Another example is always standing in line to wait for the train, bus, etc. And in some crowded places like train stations, people walking in the same direction walk on the same side, allowing a smooth flow. I find that so amazing!
Punctual
Japanese people are very punctual. Almost all of my Smith’s School of English Tsukaguchi students are never late for their English lessons. I’m happy about that! 🙂
Those were some of the things that I love about Japanese people. Stay tuned for more things that I love about Japan in my next blog post! Thank you for reading!
Derek
Smith’s School of English Tsukaguchi
https://smithweb.co.jp/tsukaguchi/
Those were some things
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