Japan In The Eye of a Chinese (Part 2)
The Story Continues 2017－
I came to Japan again this summer! Not for traveling, but for an internship! It’s so nice to be back to an Asian city. Moving to Japan from a really diverse city San Francisco, I could strongly feel how homogenous Japan is: some people will stare at me if I speak English! During my stay here, I spend my workdays with my Japanese colleagues; on weekends, I went out to different places in Tokyo with my friends. Boredom is not a possibility in this frenetic city.
Even until now, after living and working here for almost two months, I still frequently doubt whether I’m confident enough to say that I actually know Japanese culture or people. Oftentimes it’s really difficult to convince Chinese people who have hatred toward the Japanese due to historical conflicts. However, the politeness of local people, the incredibly punctual schedules of trains, and the craftworkers’ ‘Monozukuri’ ethic — to continuously improve the system of production — have always made me realize there’s always much more that we can learn from.
“Karen, I would never get tired of Japan, in all seriousness!” I told my cousin on the other day.
“You made the same comment about San Francisco just a few months ago! I bet you will make the same comment when you are in Seoul next month! ” she laughed at me.
“Okay, but Japan always has a different place in my heart, that’s for sure!” I said: “San Francisco is just like one little district here in Japan.”
I always told my friends that I stopped having FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) anymore in Japan simply because I am fully aware of that there are always too much going on at the same time here.
I know that I would always be up for just sitting at the Starbucks overlooking the Shibuya scramble and still be shocked at the huge flock of people passing the crossroads.
I know that I would still be insanely amazed at the simplest things here, ranging from the cleanness of literally every corner of the streets to the various options of food you can have in the convenience stores.
I know that I would always be immensely grateful for that Japan is safe enough for me to enjoy the legendary nightlife with countless eateries, boutiques, clubs, and bars, without worrying about getting back home in the dark. (I love San Francisco, but I was also really afraid to be outside alone as soon as it got dark)
……
There are literally countless reasons that keep me excited about the city all the time; however, the more I interact with many Japanese people, I could totally feel that they do not like to cause trouble to other people in any regard.
Upon entering a train, I could see many Japanese typically remain silent and keep their laughter to a minimum. There were some moments when I was talking and laughing with my friends, only suddenly realized we were the only people that made “noise” on the train. We stopped talking as we could literally feel the sense of “pressure” from the other passengers asking us to shut up. In China, people can laugh and raise their voices freely in public places, which is a stark contrast to Japan. I honestly admit that I miss that kind of freedom.
One time my boss asked me this question:“Qiusu-san, what’s one of the most surprising things that you have experienced here in Japan?”
“Actually sometimes I feel that people here in the service industry are so polite and friendly that I even start to doubt if they ever get tired of behaving like this all the time” I knew this direct questioning might sound a little rude, but I really wanted to know how he would respond.
“Oh you actually think so?” my boss was very surprised: “especially in the service industry, I always think this is the standard.”
“Haha, if you come to eat in some casual restaurants in China, you may be shocked by how you are treated there.”
I did not know how to tell this to my boss. I was definitely not implying that I dislike the “politeness” in Japan. The thing constantly makes me struggle here is that I realize that many Japanese barely share their true feelings with other people. I somehow miss that many people in China and US are a lot more straightforward, which makes me feel it’s just easier making friends with them. I can definitely tell that people here are extremely polite and friendly, but I never know if they really mean it or if they are “forced” to do so simply because everyone thinks that you should act like this.
Besides the cultural factors, for many Chinese people who still can’t easily trust Japanese government or have disbelief towards the Japanese people, I can understand that they suspect Japanese may believe in the militarism, but it’s unreasonable to suspect a random Japanese as a militarist, just like it does not make sense to suspect a random German as a Neo-Nazi. One of my colleagues told me that he visited The Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall during his traveling, he told me that he was so shocked to learn the history of the atrocious war crimes and he truly felt sorry for Chinese people. I think if many Chinese people actually pay a visit to Japan, they will realize that most Japanese people appear to be courteous, law-abiding and peaceful. If more Chinese people and Japanese people can have open conversations, they will come to mutual understandings and celebrate differences.
In all, the two months here definitely has enabled me to view Japan from a more different angle, from interacting with university students here to work for a startup in Tokyo. I am quite fond of Japanese food, and I do love the friends that I’ve made here. I am interested in Japanese histories and philosophies from the past to present, and positively view the growth and collaborations of both countries.
