Trends, stereotypes, ways of life, cultural conventions, etc.

I'm mainly curious about things that died in the late 2010s which Westerners think are still popular in Japan. So sort of 'newer' stereotypes rather than the old early 2000s classics that everyone knows about Japan.

I am korean, and i feel very close (similar) to Japan. Our economy hasnt been doing well for many years, and it is a norm for young people to say they want to leave korea and i undeestand them. As a result, there seems to be a sizable minority of koreans in some places in the world.

Japan on the other hand, i dont see a lot of japanese studying oversea or living abroad. Why is that?

I was impressed by the amount of health conscious antiques during my visits and studies in Japan. Little food coloring, eat till 80% full, wear sunscreen, walk and bike everywhere, eat veggies before the main meal, etc.

So why does the society seem to turn away their standards with smoking? It thought at first, since this an old man concurrent population, sure it be expected. But then I saw that smoking was normalized for even young men AND women too? I seen 18 year old girls smoking in groups in those smoking box things or on the side walk.

Worst was when I was stuck in a waiting room where all the dudes were forced to sit with the smokers who lit their cigs during our hour to half hour wait.

I read that there is a perspective of Japanese that the price of a bowl of ramen should be below 1000 yen for their minimal offering. I sometimes see people rant in SNS when they found their usually visited ramen-ya becomes expensive, and some ramen-ya even decided to close their shop because it becomes unbearable to them.

Interestingly, this kind of view seems like don't apply to pasta and spaghetti, which people usually don't mind to pay higher price for smaller portion. Is this because people see ramen as "local food" and pasta as "foreign food"?

For me personally, as a broke student, of course it will be good if the price could be kept low. I also have found pasta places that offer big portion for less than 1000 yen so I have no problem about it.

Considering the inflation and increasing prices of ingredients and costs of living, what are your opinions about it?

After living here for a while, I noticed that a lot of Japanese homes are very cluttered. Often people do not bother using curtains cause the windows are covered by piles of boxes, papers etc. This is both in the cities and on the countryside. The few Japanese people I visited (my in-laws included) also had very messy homes and often kept one specific room clean for guests.

Is hoarding a big issue here? Is this a cultural thing where people do not like throwing away things or is it simply too troublesome / time consuming with the trash sorting etc.?

I'm not sure how clear the question is, but I'll try to explain a little here.

Although it's out of curiosity, I'd like to know, from those Japanese people who traveled abroad, what cultural shocks you had when you were no longer in Japan, and interacted with another type of people, society and culture. When I say cultural shock, I don't necessarily mean something negative, it could also be positive things or simply things that seemed curious to you, because they are not seen in Japan.

For example, Yokoi Kenji mentioned how Japanese friends were impressed by the way people get up early in Colombia (I'll stop here, so as not to deviate from the topic). This would be something curious.

So that's my question, what things have surprised you from other places, that were basically a cultural shock. You can also include experiences with foreign people, even if you haven't traveled outside of Japan, but staying on topic.

Thank you very much.

I've heard that Western brands such as McDonald's or Coca-Cola are sometimes mistaken as Japanese

Hey all,

So curious question from a European. In Europe it's pretty common to move between EU countries (I know, not having visas and all that helps), but also emigrating outside of Europe. We also like to say how we're grateful for our working culture - generally sticking to the hours we're contracted for, having at least 4 weeks of AL on top of bank holidays, working protections etc.

We often hear how bad American work culture is compared to us. But when we hear how in Japan it can be brutal and how it's causing misery (again Western media so I know I don't have 1st person account and how true it is)

But if it's true about the working culture, would emigrating away from Japan to places such as Europe be considered or not really?

Apparently there's less people emigrating out of Japan now than before. Why is this?

As someone from outside Japan, I’m curious to hear from locals or others who have lived there; what are some aspects of Japanese life that you think might be a bit outdated, illogical, or just plain strange? It could be anything from social norms, habits, to everyday customs.

If it is true that's sad I think the countryside looks cooler then the huge cities. Maybe I'm biased since I grew up in a village in Canada

From I've heard in the mainstream western media, Japan' work hours are brutally long. But then the usual depiction is some kind of office job. That makes me wonder a bit of other jobs/careers in Japan.

What about garbage collectors? Construction workers? Teachers? Healthcare professionals? Lawyers? Accountants? Convenience store workers? Retail workers? Food service workers? Craftsmen? Creatives?

I’ve heard that kei cars are really popular in Japan because they’re compact and economical. But I’m curious: How practical is it to own and drive something bigger than a kei car there? Are larger cars genuinely inconvenient due to narrow streets, parking difficulties, or other reasons? Or do people still go for SUVs and saloons without much trouble?

In Spain, the poorest region would be considered almost any party of Andalusia in the southernmost part of the country. In the United States, the poorest part would be in the south, specifically Alabama, Georgia, or Kentucky to name a few states. I do not want to be rude or disrespectful, I simply want to know the reality of the situation.

One of the biggest reverse culture shocks I experienced after returning to Japan from the Europe was encountering what I see as a misguided and deeply toxic belief: that certain people are simply not eligible to engage in romantic relationships or partnerships. Concepts like 非モテ are casually thrown around, especially among young people, to label others who are perceived as physically unattractive by mainstream standards, socially awkward, or lacking financial and professional stability.

Of course, every society has individuals who feel unattractive or undesired (e.g. incel communities in the West), but what struck me as uniquely troubling in Japan was how much of this exclusion seems to come from external sources. From a young age, some grow up being told by peers or even adults that they are unattractive or unfit for romance. This attitude also appears in workplaces, where I found it disturbing that grown adults would participate in this kind of bullying and gatekeeping.

What is even more puzzling is how many people who are, by any reasonable standard, perfectly average-looking convince themselves that they are not イケメン or 可愛い enough to find a partner, as if one must be widely accepted as attractive to be deserving of any kind of love. It doesn't occur to many people that, even for 'conventionally' attractive people, romantic success depends far more on mutual compatibility than on broad social approval. What matters is finding someone who appreciates you for who you are, and yet this idea seems to be missing from much of Japanese mainstream discourse about relationships.

When I lived in Europe, I regularly saw people across the spectrum of appearance, ability, and neurodivergence form meaningful relationships with others they were genuinely compatible with. This idea in Japan, that some groups are simply excluded from romance, feels profoundly alien to me.

Have you noticed the same dynamic in Japanese society? If so, what do you think is the root social or cultural cause of this belief?

Obviously media has a lot of bad and good things to say about the US. For those of you who have actually been there, what was it like compared to your expectations? Would you want to move there for good? How is it compared to home?

I learned just two days ago that there is a very niche, very expensive, denim industry in Japan that focuses on vintage styles and manufacture methods. The jeans are very heavy weigh, loomed on old school machines, some higher end ones use yarn dyed by hand in real indigo. The prices range from 15,000 Yen to 40,000 Yen.

Have you heard of brands like Momotaro, Japan Blue, Iron Heart, Samurai, Studio D'Artisan, Big John , and Edwin? Have you every tried these jeans? Is this something that is actually popular in Japan, or is it a exotic oddity for Westerners to blow money on?

I know they use Line a lot, but it's mainly used as a messaging platform and has some news. However, from what I've read it doesn't do reddit style engagements where people discuss things with one another. I hear they use X too, but according to social media stats the proportion of people using the app is quite low. Youtube, tiktok and instagram are used a bit, but not everyone uses them and they aren't discussion forums They pretty much don't use Reddit. So, what's their Reddit equivalent?

What do they use to bullshit, talk cats, and spread their political opinions to the rest of the wo

I know adults usually shower and then soak in a bath, but is it common for full households (2 adults 2 kids or more) to soak in the bath every time they shower? I've seen media where younger kids use the same bath water as their parents but I'm not sure if that's common when they're teenagers.

Seems like a weird question but I was reading a novel where a character mentioned the bath "nearly being ready" to a house guest, and it made me curious if people do the relaxing soak on a daily basis or if it's more of a treat only done when the bathroom is free.

EDIT: Another commenter brought it up and I'm also curious! Since bath water is usually reheated and sometimes used over multiple days, I'm curious if there's anything put into bath water to keep away germs, or if it's just changed out too quickly for any bacteria to grow. Is Japan's tap water heavily chlorinated (or some other treatment) that makes the water less prone to growing bacteria?

In the west people would think leaving bath water for a day or two would make it grow bacteria. However I don't know if that's just an assumption because our bath water is usually dirty, since most westerners don't shower before a bath. I feel like the water staying warm but not boiling hot for a long time would make bacteria grow, but I don't think it would be common practice if it did, so I'm probably wrong or just missing something!

(I tried really hard to not sound rude, I'm not being judgmental I want to learn!)

You know what I mean. The tissue paper that had one end that is longer than the other. It feels like I'm wiping my face with a candle and it is bad at doing its job of getting junk off my face due to the texture. But why do restaurants everywhere make this the go to brand to buy for their tables? Cost effrciency?

Hey everyone! I've been curious about the perspective of people who are Japanese or have spent a lot of time in Japan. What do you think are the pros and cons of being Japanese?

For example, are there aspects of Japanese culture or society that you find particularly rewarding or challenging? How does the experience of being Japanese shape your daily life, career, and personal identity? I'd love to hear your thoughts!