Job Discussion Forums

[robertokun]

I'm trying to make an activity for high school students which deals with culture shock/ cultural faux pas for Japanese traveling abroad. I was searching the net, but couldn't find any good scenarios, so I thought I'd ask you guys.

What are some scenarios in which Japanese traveling abroad to the States, Western Europe, Australia, etc. might experience culture shock? Moreover, what cultural faux pas do you think they are likely to make, or are they likely to perceive that their hosts are making?

My idea is to give these scenarios to students and have them try pin point the source of the culture shock or identify the faux pas committed and then try to come up with the "culturally correct" way to handle the situation.

[Yawarakaijin]

I have a bit of time on my hands so I will throw a few ideas out there. Years ago I used to be the activity co-ordinator at my language school and would often take large groups of Japanese out to "interact with regular Canadians." Here are a few of the things I would fill them in on.

#1 If you are in a social situation and someone asks your opinion on something it is OK to actually give it. Westerners won't generally bite your head off or automatically hate you if your views differ from theirs. Routinely answering "hmmm I don't know" might actually turn quite a few people off from wanting to develop a friendship with you.

#2 Tipping. Do it! Doesn't have to be a lot but you have to give something. 10 cents doesn't count. It might actually piss the waiter/waitress off more than if you hadn't tipped at all.

#3 Pointing out how the buses in most western countries work is usually a good idea as the systems are quite different.

#4 You might not want to pop your can of beer open on the beach or nonchalantly drink it on the way home, at a bus stop, in a park or so on.

The list could go on but I have got to catch the train. Hopefully others can chime in.

[seklarwia]

I took a couple of my homestay students to a quite upper class Japanese restaurant in London once just to see how they thought it compared to real Japanese food. And there were quite a few things that made the other customers glare or tut. There were 3 things that really got a reaction:

1. Eating noisely and slurping food.
2. Shouting "excuse me" across the restaurant to get the waiters attention.
3. When the waiter came, he looked Japanese so the boys started rattling of in Japanese. The waiter politely said that he was English and didn't speak Japanese. The boys exclamations of surprise and "really?!" most certainly didn't impress the other patrons.

[Apsara]

A hotel I worked at in New Zealand had signs in Japanese in the bathroom asking people not to leave the room with the bath taps running as there was no overflow drain- it seemed that a number of times Japanese guests had flooded their bathrooms which caused water to leak into the rooms below.

I have also heard of this happening in people's homes with homestay students- apparently Japanese people tend to assume that all baths have an overflow like they do in Japan, whereas most in NZ don't.

[gwynnie86]

I'd imagine that it's not just things the Japanese do that shock others that would be important... although another one that our recruiter at Interac brought up was, in Japan, it's acceptable to tell someone that they've put on weight or to comment on their boobs etc, which would be quite offensive/crude in the UK at least...
You could talk about the shock of "driving on the wrong side of the road" if they went to Europe or the USA... perhaps at using a knife and fork... The way young girls walk around here drunk and wearing next to nothing might give them a surprise too! And depending on where you go the general rudeness of people... introduce them to some ill-informed but very opinionated, loud people (plenty in the UK, I can tell you) and I imagine they'd be quite shocked!
Hmmm... they might see someone pouring their own drink, helping themself to more food etc as being a faux pas... and I'm sure they would be shocked at how unreliable our public transport system can be!

[seklarwia]

Knives and forks are quite common. The Japanese don't use them so often so look a little awkward when they do, but they are quite readily avaliable. I have a growing collection of plastic forks from the 7/11. And just last week, I went to a French restaurant that didn't offer chopsticks at all. Knives and forks can be picked up from your local 100 yen shop.

Don't know if girls wearing little clothes or being drunk will shock too much either. Girls here love wearing hot pants and thigh high socks. And the Japanese mini skirt doesn't leave much (if anything) to the imagination. Go to places like Harajuku or Akihabara and the oufits being worn make Camden look tame. The Japanese love their alcohol. The Japanese work very hard, but go out with them on a Friday night and you'll see they play hard too. When they smoke and binge drink in this way, I don't understand how they are the longest lived people in the world.

But definately the British chav, yob or youth in general will shock them. My JTEs complain constantly about how bad kids are getting here. They treat our first years like a menace to society. A couple of first years got caught smoking yesterday... you should have seen the aftermath. Apparently the last smoking in school case was FOUR YEARS AGO! I'd like to see what the JTEs would think if they worked in the average Brit comprehensive school for a week, or better yet lived on an average council estate for a day.

[Apsara]

I very much disagree that the Japanese don't use a knife and fork often and therefore look awkward. Spaghetti, steak, salad, sausages etc. are all very common menu items in Japan and I have never seen a Japanese person handle a knife and fork awkwardly- in fact many Japanese do it better than I do, particularly with spaghetti.

Perhaps an 80 year old obaasan from Tohoku might have issues with a knife and fork when travelling, but otherwise most Japanese people would be insulted if you suggested that using cutlery posed any difficulty for them.

[Yawarakaijin]

[Apsara]

Some people here are really good at that, aren't they? I was in a pasta restaurant in Shinjuku yesterday feeling downright ashamed of my sloppy spaghetti-eating techniques compared to the women around me

[azarashi sushi]

The knife and fork comments remind me of all those Japanese who say to foreigners, "o hashi was jouzu desu ne". I've never found using chopsticks to be particularly difficult, and I would have though that using a knife and fork would present less of a challenge.

One thing that no-one has mentioned yet is that in comparison to the Japanese, weterners are relatively rude and ill mannered. It might come as a shock. Also, they should probably not expect service with a smile!

I came back to Sydney about 6 months ago after spending nearly 8 years in Tokyo. Even after 6 months, it still gets to me how rude and lazy people can be.

[Lyrajean]

This is from observation of exchange/EFL students at a private college in Vermont.

1.I second the tipping thing... That really gets them everytime.

2.The lack of reliable or any public transportation in America outside of major cities.

3. How cold it is. A lot of students coming from Tokyo or Kanazawa had to run out and buy hats, gloves, even a parka when arriving to Vermont in February (the worst time to come I can think of). Minus 20celcius doens't really occur in Japan, even Hokkaido all that often.

4. Assuming that kana words and pronounciation allow you to communicate with an english speaker.

[wintersweet]

Putting money into a clerk's hand if their hand is held out. A client who had recently arrived from Japan put his money on the counter at Burger King and slid it towards the check-out person out of habit. He ignored the fact that she was holding her hand out for it. He was berated by her (I suspect she felt he was being racist or something) and he called me in confusion when he got out. (The clerk was rude, for sure; I wouldn't defend her, but students should be warned that if someone is holding their hand out for money it looks a bit weird to not put your money in their hands.)

[BobbyBan]

This is a good topic to give to students but be careful that it doesn't spill over into caricature or parody.

Fortunately the knife and fork thing has been cleared up already which would be pretty patronising, but also don't fall into the trap of making your own country seem like some alien and inhospitable planet where everyone walks around in next to no clothes permanently drunk and behaving obnoxiously as you'll probably have your students petrified of leaving the "Safety Country" that is Japan.

I'd also suggest that you talk about what is "common behaviour" in the different countries you are going to. Perhaps give the students some kind of matching activities so that they can match up something they would do in a certain situation and then ask the students if things are different in Japan.

But some things that could alarm students are to do with food. A lot of students from Japan find American and to some extent British food too sweet or in portions which are too large, too greasy and too unhealthy.

[wayne432]

As other people said, when away from Japan, don't assume that a Japanese looking person is Japanese or can speak the language.

While some people can be more rude in western countries, if you're nice, then you'll usually get treated nice. Don't say anything rude/silly that you can get away with in Japan, because people will let you have it.

Don't be a sucka. I know of someone who went to England and someone put a flower in his hand and asked for money for it... so this person paid, even though he didn't want a flower.

If you don't know how to use something and can't figure it out, ask for help from someone legit. Another person I know went to Italy and was having trouble with a train ticket machine. Some random stranger went up and helped her and then asked for money (while having her train ticket in his hand). She paid him like 2 euro...

Aye on tipping.

[gwynnie86]

Ahh, those people who try scamming you out of money. It does happen in London a lot, but usually it's in other countries (*cough*Egypt*cough*) that people put things in your hand and ask for money. I suppose that would exploit the Japanese natural politeness and willingness to please. Heh, even my boyfriend was too nice to tell them where to go.

Another thing that may surprise them is people wearing their shoes in the house... on the sofa... even on the bed. It doesn't happen in every house (my mum would always say "Get your filthy shoes off the carpet!!!") but still...