22 Strange Japanese Habits That Confuse Foreigners

[Music] have you ever thought it's a good idea to take a nap in the middle of the street or maybe you cleaned your entire school when you were a teenager if not then you're probably not Japanese here's a little something for you from the Land of the Rising Sun I think we could all learn a thing or two from them on average the Japanese live four years longer than Americans their life expectancy is the second longest in the world at 85 years beat only by Monaco with 89 years but they have more yachts per capita by other accounts though San Marino also has a higher life expectancy on the topic of age by the way Japan has many more elderly people than children in fact 21% of Japanese people are over the age of 65 this is the largest proportion in the world this might be since the quality of life especially when it concerns the crime rate is way better in Japan than in most countries for example as per 2018 statistics there are just 3 robberies per 100,000 people in Tokyo a paradise for law-abiding citizens the situation with work especially office jobs is a whole nother issue Japan has a 40-hour work week but most employees voluntarily work overtime generally extending it to 60 hours this is a habit taken from the mid 20th century when the government encouraged people to work long hours to restore the country's economy after the war that's why it's become normal to take naps right in the workplace or even in the streets strolling around Tokyo in the evening you'll notice people dressed in neat suits just sleeping on the ground like it's their own cozy bed there's even a word for it in Japanese in amory falling asleep on the job shows that you're working hard so some people even fake it to get appreciation Wow getting a pay raise for napping in your office chair sounds like fun to me still companies and the government alike are doing their best to make people go home earlier one IT company for example makes its employees wear purple capes of shame on the last Wednesday of a month if they work too many hours I wonder how hard-working these people are that well they're like that for a reason after all all students are required to tidy up in their school during the day the tradition is called sog and it includes mopping floors and cleaning bathrooms it teaches the students to help and respect other people and they sure take it seriously high social standards have a downside though there are currently over a half million people in Japan called hikikomori these are young adults who seclude themselves at home and won't go out no matter what the government links this phenomenon to the psychological and social pressure and frankly I couldn't agree more anyway rigorous practice and education makes the Japanese successful in life most of the time the literacy is close to 100% which is the highest in the world and the unemployment rate is only about 4 percent which is as you may guess pretty low compared to most countries but don't think the Japanese don't know how to have fun there are numerous festivals taking place all over Japan and oh how strange they are to us Westerners for example a Dhaka Matsui or naked festival is where thousands of men and boys take off their clothes and fight for a sacred object to gain luck for the year well okay whatever makes you happy guys Hakuna Matata oops sorry that's not Japanese that's Disney about happiness there are cuddle cafes in the Land of the Rising Sun which are made specifically for lonely and miserable people there you can pay to lay next to a person and share a moment of peace and understanding for an additional fee you can also stare at each other for a minute or stroke their hair I don't know if that's sweet or creepy one of the reasons for the loneliness might be that the Japanese are socially required to hang out with their colleagues after work so you don't just meet up with friends and forget about work after leaving the office you go to a bar and drink with your co-workers and sometimes even your boss now that's a frightening perspective for some Japan is a traditionalist Society so men are commonly breadwinners and seen as heirs to their families that's why an unusual thing has happened there are more adults adopted there than children most often the adopted are men aged 20 to 30 years this is done to have an heir or for instance to pass down a business remember I told you about their diligence well it concerns every sphere of life including public transport Japanese trains are almost never late and if they are they must issue official delay certificates for passengers this way they have proof they weren't late because of their own tardiness politeness is one of Japan's trademarks known all over the world there are numerous formalities to be observed in communication with different people and they're all rather strict they also have about 20 ways to say sorry now let that sink in what is considered polite in Japan may sometimes surprise foreigners though for example slurping your noodles with gusto is a way to show your appreciation to the cook so don't restrain yourself avoid walking down the street with your food however it's not exactly rude today but it's still not very classy don't be surprised when you see the Japanese standing right at the spot where they bought some treat and eating it they just don't want to walk with it it's also considered impolite to talk on your phone and a confined public space such as public transport great idea shall I repeat that one there you're expected to put your phone in your bag or pocket turn off the sound and only answer it if it's urgent and even then you should keep your voice down you don't want dirty looks from the locals do you well you'll probably find it next to impossible to talk on the phone on a subway train in Japan anyways this is especially true for Tokyo where there are special people called pushers on many stations they do exactly what their name implies pushing people into the train cars try pulling out your phone when you're pinned to the wall back to work issues if you ever find yourself in a Japanese restaurant don't even think about tipping your waiter it's considered rude and the reason is simple they do their job and they do it well because it's an honor if you give them a tip you will send them by assuming they do it for extra cash use sporting tattoos then Japanese public baths are off-limits for you sorry tattoos are considered ugly and associated with Yakuza or organized Japanese criminal gangs so no one will allow you entry to a public bath without them at least covered recently though this has changed in many baths because Japan is trying to be more open to tourists slippers are a real thing in all Japanese homes and in many establishments when entering someone's home you'll be offered a pair so make sure you always take your shoes off if no slippers are offered you should still leave your shoes outside cleanliness is a virtue you know make sure you wear socks without any halls so what other curious things do you know about Japan sound off in the comments below if you learned something new today then give this video a like share it with a friend and here are some more cool videos to check out from the bright side of life

Channel: BRIGHT SIDE

Views: 126,445

Rating: 4.8634424 out of 5

Keywords: Japan, Japanese traditions, Japanese culture, other countries, different countries, traveling, travelling, traveling tips, weird habits, life expectancy in Japane, crime rates in Japan, Japanese work culture, Japanese work environment, inemuri, hikikomori, Hadaka Matsuri, Japan’s naked festival, cuddle cafes, politeness in Japan, subway pushers, Japanese homes

Id: thK02kTGblc

Length: 7min 52sec (472 seconds)

Published: Tue May 28 2019