I found myself chuckling at several points while reading this article. It highlights several useful examples of the excessive amount of rules - some explicit and some implicit - by which Japanese society operates. For long-term expats like us, following these rules can be both a blessing and a curse. I often find myself muttering under my breath, "Chill the _uck out!" but long ago I learned to "gaman suru," or just put up with it.
While many of these rules can be frustrating to deal with, you would go crazy if you allowed the many rules and regulations between the lines to constantly upset you. So it's often better to just go with the flow. (Of course, following extraneous rules without questioning the purpose of such rules is not a healthy situation.)
When politicians or other people with some form of power (e.g. corporate executives, etc.) blatantly flaunt the rules, my Western heritage often gets the best of me. The recent accounting scandal plaguing members of the Japanese Diet, the ongoing Tokyo Olympics scandals involving Dentsu, etc. seem to be good examples of plain and simple fraud where the players clearly acted in their own self-interest in clear violation of established principles, the law, and ethical standards. This does not sit well with me, and it seems strange that these issues never seem to go away.
True, can’t let all the little rules/norms matter or else it will get to you too much. I try to reserve emotion and action for bigger things (like harassment). Even then though, most people feel uncomfortable if you say anything.
The promotion of older people just for their age and the arbitrary turning on or off for heating and cooling make Japan closer to Italy in this silliness.
I remember my Japanese friend telling me that he wasn’t allowed to have brown hair in school and I was so so puzzled (I have light auburn hair, I thought I’d be expelled in Japan).
The age thing gets to me. You basically just have to survive in a post long enough and bam you get to make decisions. Could explain why so many things in Japan are slow to change.
Some do. Some of my students end up moving overseas. But that's skewed since they are all enrolled in an international course. For average Japanese I don't think its so popular but some do even if they have no English skills.
Great! The list can be continued. I’m thinking of compiling and making Nocommonsenselog of Japan, also in Japanese. The country and young generation deserve better.
I found myself chuckling at several points while reading this article. It highlights several useful examples of the excessive amount of rules - some explicit and some implicit - by which Japanese society operates. For long-term expats like us, following these rules can be both a blessing and a curse. I often find myself muttering under my breath, "Chill the _uck out!" but long ago I learned to "gaman suru," or just put up with it.
While many of these rules can be frustrating to deal with, you would go crazy if you allowed the many rules and regulations between the lines to constantly upset you. So it's often better to just go with the flow. (Of course, following extraneous rules without questioning the purpose of such rules is not a healthy situation.)
When politicians or other people with some form of power (e.g. corporate executives, etc.) blatantly flaunt the rules, my Western heritage often gets the best of me. The recent accounting scandal plaguing members of the Japanese Diet, the ongoing Tokyo Olympics scandals involving Dentsu, etc. seem to be good examples of plain and simple fraud where the players clearly acted in their own self-interest in clear violation of established principles, the law, and ethical standards. This does not sit well with me, and it seems strange that these issues never seem to go away.
True, can’t let all the little rules/norms matter or else it will get to you too much. I try to reserve emotion and action for bigger things (like harassment). Even then though, most people feel uncomfortable if you say anything.
The promotion of older people just for their age and the arbitrary turning on or off for heating and cooling make Japan closer to Italy in this silliness.
I remember my Japanese friend telling me that he wasn’t allowed to have brown hair in school and I was so so puzzled (I have light auburn hair, I thought I’d be expelled in Japan).
The age thing gets to me. You basically just have to survive in a post long enough and bam you get to make decisions. Could explain why so many things in Japan are slow to change.
Same same, it’s a never ending wheel of despair (eventually driving young Italians abroad forever). Do young Japanese migrate abroad?
Some do. Some of my students end up moving overseas. But that's skewed since they are all enrolled in an international course. For average Japanese I don't think its so popular but some do even if they have no English skills.
Great! The list can be continued. I’m thinking of compiling and making Nocommonsenselog of Japan, also in Japanese. The country and young generation deserve better.