Traveling across different cities in Japan let us absorb local culture, customs and meet locals, who are always a significant part of our travel experiences. We’ve already described Chinese people on Etramping, now it’s time for 5 things to know about Japanese.
What are Japanese like based on our observations then?
#1 Clean
No matter how hard we tried, we could never find any trash bags or junk on the streets, although streets were constantly busy. Metro was always kept nice and clean and there was always someone sweeping the steps, and wiping down the halls with washcloths. Japanese are very clean and want everything around them that way.
Our Japanese host also kept his apartment extremely tidy. Everything had its own place there – clothes, food, drinks and cutlery. We were not allowed to touch walls with our backpacks when entering the room and we had to take the shoes off when entering his place.
#2 Shy
Japanese people are extremely shy when it comes to talking with foreigners. Although their English is really good, they rarely try to start the conversation. Instead, they blush and get very embarrassed. Maybe it’s their culture or maybe English is one of their biggest insecurities. They don’t have any problems with posing and taking selfies though :-).
#3 Helpful
What we love the most about Japanese is that they always went an extra mile to help us out. If you get lost they would google the way, walk you there or even call the hostel to find out how to get there. That was extremely surprising, yet very nice and kind of them. They are really well-mannered people.
#4 Hard-working
Japanese people work extremely long hours. They are real workaholics. The metro was usually the busiest around 8-9pm when everyone was coming back home from work. From what we’ve heard nobody gets extra pay for working overtime.
Locals often fall asleep on the way back home and usually work weekends as well. It is believed that in Japanese culture job is supposed to take precedence over even your family at times!
#5 Well-organised
Everything in Japan is well-structured. People stand perfectly in line when waiting for metro, bus or even taxi. They follow certain behaviour patterns that are never being obeyed in China!
What’s your experience with Japanese people?
