Japanese (Lack Of) Manners – And Defenses

I must predicate this blog posting with the usual disclaimer: the opinions expressed here are not those of current or previous employers, or any entity that has hired me for formal or freelance employment in the past. Any opinions expressed within this blog, and especially, this posting are my personal opinion.
Now, onto the good stuff…. Westerners who have only visited Japan or interfaced with Japanese people overseas have an impression of the society that is very out-dated – hard working, polite, conformist, subservient and the list goes on. I must say that after living in Japan over 15 years, when I hear the untrained or inexperienced go on about life in Japan, that it sends a cold chill up my back. Over the past 20 years, and particularly the past 10 years, any inkling of Buddhist and Shinto moral values have completely vanished in the metropolitan centers of Tokyo, Osaka, and other areas. The only place even a hint of these values is still visible are in deep country villages.
It’s not uncommon to have somebody attempt a hard shoulder check as you are trying to get off a train, or attempt a complete body block by trying to board the train before you get off. Or, while walking to have somebody, who you know that clearly sees you, step right in front of you. This even happens while waiting in lines at restaurants or while waiting in line to get on the train (this just happened to my eight year old daughter this morning in front of my very eyes). With all of this, I have learned a few defensive tactics that keep me within the fringes of the law while letting the other guy/girl know that I don’t approve. First and foremost, you cannot reach out and push the other person out of your way. Your hand must not leave your side, so it pays to do some mountain climbing or bench presses to build up your shoulders – I do both so can manage. When somebody steps in front of you, either step directly in front of them when they attempt forward motion, or as they step passed you, bounce your left or right shoulder into their puny skeletal structure so that they fly into somebody else; thereby, becoming a nuisance to somebody other than yourself. The next tactic for people who cut you off while walking is just an extension of the next step in a slight of foot to abruptly trip them – I’ve gotten really good at this and unless you hurt them bad, totally legal. Anything they cannot outright prove that you did on purpose is basically legal.

The next issue is that of sanitation in this age of virus and sickness. Most Japanese men and a lot of women do not cover their mouths when they caugh, unless they are in a formal situation. I still have not found a tactic here, but if there are any ideas, please comment. I just appreciate that during this time of year over half the population suffers from hay fever, so everybody wears a surgical mask.
Now the juicy stuff…
Nose-picking in the train like this and this is so common that if you ride the train daily (like I do) you will almost certainly see it in milder forms daily. Almost sickening. Even Japanese do not put up with this as much any more. My remedy for the nose-pickers is the mobile phone camera. I pull out the iPhone and start snapping pictures, which brings them back to consciousness so they realize what they are doing. The grossest part are the picker-lickers-eaters…. Uggggh!

But I think what all this comes down to is lack of discipline. The discipline applied while raising a child in old Japan is not applied these days, combined with a passive society that does not take matters into their own hands. Somebody picking and flipping mucus on a New York subway would be beaten to a pulp within just a couple stops. At least somebody would raise their voice and call attention to the situation.
An increasing lack of discipline is seen in the work ethic as well. The Japanese worker that would do anything for his company to make it succeed now prefers to work by a strict job description and do nothing out of those bounds. That same worker will work long hours and bill a lot of overtime, but the deliverables from the work hours as sparse at best, while constantly ranting about how tired he is from working long hours. If you are a manager with Japanese subordinates, the best defense here is to know the Japanese labor law, interview thoroughly, and ask for previous work references, then check those references. Also, don’t hire smokers if you can help it. Japanese smokers tend to operate in clicks and make decisions or develop a group consensus outside of the office. This can be dangerous. Yes, I know all of my smoker friends are offended by this, but the truth hurts – smokers are generally less productive and call in sick more often.

While this posting offers many generalizations, there are many exceptions to the rule. I do have a few Japanese friends that do not do any of the above. However, sadly enough, those same co-workers and friends would shake their head in agreement while reading this.

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