What is one thing that foreigners do in Japan that annoys Japanese people?
You'd hardly be aware they are annoyed, and they would very rarely say so but here is a list of things that which I am confident:Wearing strong fragranceTalk on the phone or talk loudly on the trainDon’t take off shoes when entering your house (almost criminal offense and you probably will be told to remove)Staring. Eye contact isn't the done thing in JapanTalking about how things are done in other cultures and implying it could be done better another non-japanese waySpitting on the streetDragging your luggage through crowded areas and on crowded trains (Much of the Japanese use the delivery service at airport which I also do now)Music too loud in headphones when in public placeDropping litter on the street (No litter bins? Place it in the parked bike basket as everyone else does :)Smoking outside of designated areasBlowing your nose in public (go ahead and sniff and snort all day long)Not wearing a face mask when you are sickDressing poorly and appearing ungroomedBeing late for an event or appointment. Punctuality is a big deal in Japan.Asking direct or personal questionsRequesting something that's not on menu, or to customize your order in any wayAny impolite behaviour generally like cutting lines, being boisterous or laughing loudlyTalking about the war. There was a war, Japan lost. That’s all that needs to be said and not even that should be discussed.Comparing / assuming Japan to any other Asian country. Especially China*Oh crap, you said ONE thing. Apologies but I finished the list now, go ahead and pick your favorite.
Are the Japanese people good to foreigners?
As a recent visitor to Japan from India, I think I am qualified to answer this question. I mention some of the incidents that happened during my trip there.The Japanese people are quite kind and friendly when asking directions to a particular place. Most of the times I received not just the directions but they also accompanied me to that location as well. Sometimes it so happened that they didn’t respond. Naturally because may be they could not understand what I was trying to communicate.Since I travelled alone to many places, I had to ask someone to take my picture. None of them declined me.When I tripped and fell down on road, an elementary school student asked if I was fine in Japanese (大丈夫です). It was really pleasant to hear that.The first time when I arrived and was travelling by train, I had heavy suitcases. While getting down from the train at the railway station, a passenger helped me. Similarly while going back to airport for the flight; I was helped by the conductor on the station. He made sure the train waited till I got down with my entire luggage safely.Yamanote line train in TokyoWhenever I had a difficulty to buy train tickets to travel, since in some stations in Japan, the route map is written in Japanese along with fares to the destination, I could either ask someone or the person from the railway for help. The first time when I saw those ticket vending machines, I freaked out but a fellow passenger helped me get the correct ticket.Ticket vending machine in Tokyo (Japan) with route map and fare on the topWhen I was unable to find Mandarake store at Akihabara, Tokyo and got lost, a Japanese student approached me and asked me what I was looking for in English. When I said I was looking for the store, he gladly took me there and gave me a bow when I said thank you and left.Mandarake store in AkihabaraAKB48 Cafe at AkihabaraThe person taking orders at the restaurants, made some decent attempts to talk in English with me although I used to rudely point my fingers at the item I wanted. In some of the restaurants, there are meal ticket vending machine. I was helped by a high school boy who was ahead of me on how on where to insert the money and get the change.A meal ticket vending machine.(Images are from Google. I will put the ones with me after some time when I am free)Images:Tokyoing | Things to do in Tokyo, JapanJ-Journeys.comhttp://www.wiki-mapia.org
Are japanese people liberal in sexual topics or prudish?
that's like asking what religion Americans are some are still very shy while others aren't
How do you ask for chopsticks in Japanese?
When I go to a restaurant and need chopsticks, I always use ''ohashi itadake masuka?'' or ''ohashi morae masuka?' Both are very polite expressions. You may say ''ohashi cyoudai'' or ''ohashi mottekite'' if you do not care about the Japanese ''politeness'', but I do not recommend using those.
Do Japanese people hate Americans for the bomb?
Top of Japanese military people made a slogan which was 一億玉砕 at the end of the war. It meant one hundred million (all of Japanese) will die an honorable death when we lose the war. They brain washed Japanese people that Americans would terminate Japanese race. So we had to win the war or die.Military leaders didn't value lives of Japanese people. That's the reason they invented suicide attack corps and human torpedoes. That's why young girls in Okinawa killed themselves when Americans landed on their island. When Japan surrendered almost all Japanese people prepared to be killed.I've heard a real story from a famous novelist, Hisashi Yamanaka. When the emperor broadcasted about Japan's defeat against America on August 15 in 1945, one of his school teachers ran around the town frantically yelling "Don't act rashly! Don't act rashly!" Obviously he was afraid of mass suicide of his students.Japanese people waited for the day of execution by "hairy devils" (=Americans). Americans are coming! Americans are coming! But they came with candies, chocolates and chewing gums. Children liked Yankees. And.... no executions.I can't forget about the death toll by indiscriminate bombing over Tokyo (100 thousand were killed), Hiroshima (140 thousand) and Nagasaki (70 thousand). I believe the survivors of the deceased still have grudge against America.But America stopped military dominance of Japan and freed all of Japanese from agony. They allowed us to build a democratic and peaceful nation.Why could we hate Americans?
Why do the Japanese use "desu ne" and "desshou" so often on television?
That's just how people in public life in Japan typically speak during interviews. I was watching old footage of Toshiro Mifune on "Tetsuko no Heya" the other day and he did the exact same thing. Obviously Mifune did not lack self-confidence at all but he avoided using expository constructions with Tesuko. Tetsuko herself would be have to be considered the Japanese Barbara Walters/Larry King/David Frost all rolled into one, so I don't think there was anything wrong with her questions! If you watch the all night debate shows you will hear academics, writers, etc., use expository language, but that is a totally different context. It's all very well to be succinct when giving ones professional opinion (and Japanese physicians can be very blunt!), but generally speaking an Japanese interviewer asks for feelings, not facts. Therefore desshou or desu ne is about the only place the conversation can go within the realm of civility.
Are Japanese people known to argue?
If you mean argue by raised voices yelling back and forth over one or a multitude of subjects, then the answer is generally no. As Riley Dee Jones answered, one of the core ideals behind Japanese culture is the concept of “Wa” or harmony, and the vast majority of Japanese people will do whatever they can to maintain this sense of harmony. This will include suffering through certain situations that an American (for example), might raise their voice over.However, while uncommon it is not unheard of. It’s considered quite low and usually restricted to drunks or young children, street toughs, gang members, etc. It also sometimes happens when Japanese people interact with foreigners. I suspect it’s because they feel that, since foreigners do it it’s OK when interacting with a foreigner. In any case, it’s still generally inaccurate to call this an arguing because it’s usually one person (or one side) raising their voice while the other side often won’t, making it more a case of someone being yelled at than an actual argument.If, by argue, you mean two people expressing disagreement in a reasonable tone, it is still uncommon (at least, in public), but does, of course, happen. Much of discussions had in Japan is working to build a certain level of consensus, so discussions (in my experience) tend to take the pattern of all sides stating their opinions, and then using that to come to a conclusion that is agreeable to everybody. When the opinions of one group would be diametrically opposed, they often will just not have a discussion, in favor of maintaining harmony - after all, if you’re not going to convince them and just go round and round in a circle without accomplishing anything, why attempt it?