The Appeal of Living in the Land of the Rising Sun
Reflections on Life in Japan and the US
Japan is a place of ceaseless wonders that intrigues and entices many of us to live here. In my case, I lived in Japan for fifteen years and repatriated to the US seven years ago. After living in the US for some time, I am in a position to reflect upon the aspects of Japan that I miss.
Anyone who has spent time in Japan is impressed by the high level of politeness and considerateness. Politeness is not only embedded in the Japanese language but also woven into the fabric of many aspects of Japanese life.
In my early days in Japan, I was not proficient in Japanese, yet I met many people who bent over backwards to help me. In the days before smartphones, I remember searching for the address of a ryokan in Asakusa. I was an exchange student at the time, and my family was visiting me from the US. After a long day as tourists, we were exhausted and desperate to find our lodgings.
In desperation, I asked a random person on the street to point us in the right direction. He not only explained how to get to the hotel, but he insisted on bringing my family and I to the front door. Three lost tourists dragged their suitcases through Asakusa and made it to their destination. Memories such as this one left a very positive impression of Japan on me.
It comes as no surprise that omotenahsi gained worldwide popularity when Japan made a presentation to the International Olympic Committee. Enter a business and you are immediately greeted by employees who say, “irrashiamase.”
Amazingly, this high level of customer service is the norm in the convenience store as well as the high-end restaurant. This is not to say that the level of service is the same at a traditional Japanese restaurant and chain restaurant.
It is not surprising that many of us are quite shocked and disappointed when we experience significantly lower level of service in the US and elsewhere. You rarely see employees checking their phones at a supermarket in Japan, but this practice is common here in the US. In Japan, providing customers with exceptional service experience is not merely for the purpose of collecting a paycheck. Offering guests “wholehearted hospitality” is the primary purpose of omotenashi.
This ethos of ki ga kiku and omotenashi extends to other aspects of Japanese life. Anyone who has visited someone’s house is familiar with how the host or hostess goes to great lengths the to make the guest feel comfortable. You’re served tea and a snack and invited to engage in conversation. As a non-Japanese, the hostess will ask you questions about your life in Japan.
While some may dislike the experience of always being treated as a foreigner, this treatment also involves a level of respect and consideration that is not found in the US. Western conversations are more like a ballgame and active participation by both parties is expected.
When I taught in Japan, my students often mentioned how they frequently felt lonely and isolated while studying abroad in the US. Their homestay host parents went to great lengths to make them feel at home, but they were ultimately expected to fend for themselves.
“Making yourself at home” involves a great degree of independence. They were unaccustomed to doing their own laundry, planning leisure time activities, and participating in parties where they knew no one.
When I did a short homestay in Japan, by contrast, the host mother viewed me as her responsibility, and I was never left to fend for myself. So while Japanese omotenashi and spirit of collectivism may seem stifling to some, the sense of connectedness that accompanies living in a collectivist culture can also provide a strong feeling of belonging and community.
Many of us who live abroad lament about how much we miss Japanese food. Like Japan’s exceptional customer service, high-quality food is also abundant and pervasive. You can get a delicious and reasonably priced Western or Japanese meal at a family restaurant as well as sumptuous “lunch special” in various restaurants throughout Japan.
In my view, Japanese-style Western food is much more appetizing than the Western original! Some of my favorite meals in Japan were eaten at a shokudo-style restaurant. The most memorable food experiences to me are relishing a bento or course-style Japanese meal. The meal begins by receiving a cup of tea and o-shiburi, which again reflects that hospitality culture. Whether you eat a bento or grab a quick bite at a shokudo, the food reflects the importance of seasons and eating a variety of foods.
Even supermarket food is fresh and visually appearance. Enter a supermarket and witness an array of products that are high-quality and visually appealing. it is also truly amazing that Japanese supermarkets can sell seasonal fruits and vegetables that are not damaged in any way. There is no need to pick through the apples to check for blemishes. The meat, seafood, and poultry are freshly packaged and sold at a discounted price when the expiration date is near.
Mottainai is a cultural value that immediately impressed me. In a land where abundance was not always the norm, an ethos of thriftiness and conservation is pervasive. “Wastefulness” extends beyond tangible items and includes one’s talents or gifts. I suspect that this aversion to a “throw away” mentality stems from a deeper reason. A respect for tradition and preserving aspects of the past is highly valued. Think about how people of all ages participate in festivals.
Life in Japan is comfortable and predictable. Japanese culture values uncertainty avoidance, and we see this in many parts of Japanese life. When you board a bus or subway car, there are frequent announcements. The exits of subway stations also have maps posted with major landmarks. For the most part, people are respectful and refrain from engaging in loud conversations.
Amazingly, public transportation, including airplanes, is punctual and predictable. You can most acutely feel the difference between cultures when you exit the aircraft in the airport. Airports in the US are loud, sometimes uncleanly, and unpredictable. When you get off the plan in Japan, you are immediately impressed by subdued lighting, gentle announcements, cleanliness, and and an overall sense of order.
Japan is like a well-oiled machine that runs smoothly and rarely breaks down. After living in Japan and the US, I see how cultural values like collectivism, politeness, and hierarchical relationships are an integral component of life.
