Job Discussion Forums

[NorthofAmerica]

Reading through another post someone was calling Japanese people "artificial" and pointed out that Osaka tended to be an exception. Coming from a country as mammoth as Canada one thing I have been surprised at in Japan is the strength of the regionalism. I have only been here for 3 months now but I find it incredible how strongly people identify with there area (have you noticed how rarely Japanese people move?)

The one thing I hear repeatedly is that Osaka and the Kansai area are particularly friendly by Japanese standards. Do you find this to be true? What other regional differences have you noticed?

Also, just like in Canada it seems pretty easy to get on people's good side by playing to their regional sentiments. In my terrible Japanese I often tell people I meet, "I like Kansai!" and it always seems to melt the ice.

[kdynamic]

[Glenski]

[bshabu]

[TK4Lakers]

It might be just me, but I've noticed and heard that Ibaraki-ken, mostly in the southern cities where I work, that the people can be quite rude and impolite.

The dialect too is a bit direct and sharp.

But it's true, Japanese residents seem to never leave their hometowns (or if they do, always seem to return) and take a lot of pride in it. I met a guy one night who absolutely loved it when I called him the city's "toochan (father)."

[6810]

Impoliteness is not confined to Ibaraki...

My experience in Japan is that since you have to be polite all the time, as par for the course, spontaneous courtesy and politeness are quite rare.

I was quite surprised on a trip to Oz last year to find how polite and courteous Aussies are in public. "Exuse me", "sorry" etc, with a smile, in an audible voice and often with (an apologetic looking/seeming) smile.

Here they crash into you at the local supermarket without even acknowledging your existence in order to reach in front of you to get one of the (500 or so remaining) 50 yen cheaper containers of yogurt.

That said, last week, the most genuinely (seeming) person I've met in public in Japan was a Buddhist nun on the train. With a smile (and in Japanese of course) she excused herself, asked if I minded her sitting next to me then said good evening. She noticed me shuffling my things before my stop, asked if I was getting off, let me out with a smile and said farewell.

Now that's just stylin. If I had my time over, I'd learn Japanese at a Monastery or convent. Nuns rule!

Meanwhile, as for regional differences.

Dialects do mark difference and cut through formal levels of politeness in my experience. I love the sound of Nagoya-ben when used by the pre- or immediate post-war generations. It has a real earthy warmth, understated confidence and humility. But maybe this says more about people of that age from this place than it does about the dialect...

However, contemporary speakers (twenties plus) sound uneducated, rough and rather plebian when they speak Nagoya-ben. Kids sound cool. Salarymen sound vile.

Personally, aside from Nagoya, I generally find that anywhere out of Tokyo is less ruthless and less impersonal.

[Apsara]

I don't really get the feeling that Japanese people stay put more than any other nationality. Tokyo, like any big city, is full of people who have moved in from rural areas or smaller cities. At least half of my Japanese friends were actually born in other prefectures- Osaka, Tochigi, Aichi, Kagawa etc and came to Tokyo for university or work.

[gaijin4life]

Ive found Tokyo people to be great, - friendly, interested and interesting.
Don`t know where the idea came from that Tokyo people are not friendly, its certainly not been my experience. Maybe its just a `big city people tend not to be so friendly` generalisation..

Although, even where Im workn now - which is not a big city and is nowhere near Tokyo (!) some of the nicest people Ive met (and who have become friends ..) are from Tokyo, or have lived there at some point.. !
- I dont know what this means, just thought Id add it to the discussion

[kdynamic]