Japan is a place I’ve lived for 13 years now and just like any other place, it has goods and bads. This isn’t gospel carved into a rock, rather just a list of things I love, but also truly hate, about my neighbors, in this place I’ve stayed for such a surprising amount of my life.
10) They are Insanely Punctual
In Japan, when someone says “I’ll arrive at 6:34.” They mean exactly at 6:34. The train system, even the buses, in Japan are very, very punctual. It’s a pride point the country takes for granted and so do the expats living here. I’ve stood next to friends on train platforms, they look down at their watch and sigh. “Oh, Jesus, really? A late train? This is bullshit.” It’s 6:35. The train is less than a minute late, and we’re both really put out by this. I obviously love this, the on-time-ness of the public transportation.
The flip side here is the individual obsession with punctuality, but then not planning appropriately to achieve this without turning the daily commute into an esoteric Olympic event.
Every morning and every evening, a phalanx of shoulder bag toting salary-men and office ladies go streaming by at a gallop and then smashing into the already max capacity train cars, forcing their way into the death-trap-to-be, all in the name of punctuality. “I WILL NOT miss the 7:56 Express! Will Not!”
Although I have deliberately scheduled my life in a way to avoid these times, I still see it, and it never ceases to make my blood boil with the desire to flick a leg out into the path of the galloping herd and watch a dozen worker bees tumble.
Just wake up fifteen minutes early and all the sprinting is avoided. Or, even better, don’t worry about being two minutes late.
9) They don’t Change for the Sake of Change
America is obsessed with the new. If it isn’t new, it doesn’t matter. Actor Denzel Washington feeling-raped some reporter on some red carpet lecturing her about how nobody cares what’s true, only what’s new and being the first one to say it out loud. It isn’t just the news. Old buildings, old people and old values; America wants it new and it wants it now. On one hand this can be awesome and give us things like Twitter, but on the other hand, it can be tiresome and ridiculous, and give us things like…Twitter.
Japan is never in too much of a rush to replace the old. With over 4,000 years of history, why should it be?
The problem here is when the non-desire to change is actually making life far more cumbersome and ridiculous. The old Japanese business model is today, a failure. The refusal to try new things saw Japan go from the world leader in cellular technology to the backward, laughing-stock seemingly over night. Even when the signs are painfully clear, Japanese companies are unable to make the decision to cut loses and walk away. It isn’t just business either. Japanese education is hurting because it’s unable to change.
Americans throw the baby out with the bath water but the Japanese all pile in together and soak in that tepid old sludge because “Shouganai“.
8) They are Obsessive about their Obsessions
I’ve known so many Japanese who became highly proficient at their “hobbies” to the point of being near masters at whatever it is they are into. If a “hobby” is adopted, it’s almost without exception taken seriously, with years of practice and months of salary spent on equipment and training. Rarely is something taken on in a half-assed manner. This is why if I ask a Japanese person “What are your hobbies?” Instead of the typical “I listen to music, I cook sometimes, I like movies, I workout occasionally and I used to snowboard.” The Japanese response is something like “I do baking.” This means ” I am a school trained French pastry chef, I simply work at a company to fund this life long passion.”
Completely new kit; easily thousands spent on the new racket, the racket case, the shoes, the matching jacket, the visor, plus a tennis club membership and all before your first lesson? Japan, pump your brakes a little, please. It doesn’t have to be tennis, either. Snowboarding, hiking, skiing, surfing, skate boarding and Brazilian Jujitsu; I’ve seen this over-obsession before even taking the first real step in all of these and it drives me nuts.
7) The Women are very Feminine
“Japanese women are professionals at being women.” said my friend. This is true and it’s a welcome break from us all having to pretend that women are “just like men.” Because, and I know this may shock some politically correct readers, WOMEN ARE NOT JUST LIKE MEN.
So, it can be a welcome break to be around women who are not ashamed of being feminine and all the things which come with that. Allowing themselves to giggle, be enchanted by puppies and babies, concerned about whether or not their outfit matches and worried about their weight or hair. Whatever.
There is such a thing as too much, and at some point being “girly” and “cute” becomes being “frail” and “mentally retarded.” The constant cat gestures, the never-ending shrieking of “KAAAAWWWAAAIIIIIIIII!!!!!” and the absurd short skirts and hooker heels, in the snow, lose their charm at some point. Occasionally it would be nice to enjoy a beer with a woman who can take the piss and deal with your cigar smoke. Nobody is recommending testosterone injections, just a little less Estrogen overdosing.
6) The Guys Cowboy up for Manhood
After university, assuming they went to university, in Japan the fun and games are well over. These young guys are all in black suits, going from interview to interview, begging some company to hire them. Once hired, by and large, they are nothing less than indentured servants, until the company goes bust, they retire, or they die at their desk or in front of the morning express.
If they marry, it’s even more extreme. Their wife assumes near total command of the home and all finances and the man becomes a permanent cog in the company machine, often being forced into unwanted assignments in foreign countries or undesired locations. They spend little time with their kids but pay huge fees for school, outings, clubs, cram schools and other useless junk. The way a man deals with this is heavy drinking with co-workers, chain-smoking, and the occasional liaison with a hooker. This is all just “shouganai” and one after another, they generally step up to the plate and take their ration of adult-hood-shit like, well, men.
If your life is so bad, that the only way you’re making it through is by drinking yourself into an absolute stupor every evening, and smoking in the hope of dying early so you can avoid going on another business trip with your boss, you are not a man, you are a shell. You are a lifeless robot who is stuck in a paradigm which is simply no longer necessary. Too many times I’ve asked “So, how do you relax?” and have heard “I drink and play pachinko on Saturday.” “How about sports or hobbies?” They smile “I played baseball in high school.” You are boring, sad, and there’s nothing “Samurai” about you. You’re just a beta-cuck-alcoholic with estranged kids and a bored wife who is probably emailing some sleazy gaijin. Becoming you is my worst nightmare, so thanks for the lifetime of motivation.
5) They Love to Organize Events
With Hanami, or flower viewing, season coming up, this is a no brainer. What expat in Japan hasn’t had the pants charmed off them whilst pounding booze and munching a rice ball in a park with Japanese friends, eager to help you experience this lovely time of year? Sitting under the Sakura trees, part of the crowd, is truly a good time and it’s just one of the many events the Japanese never fail to plan. Fireworks festivals in the summer, boat cruises, festivals of all colors, beach trips and nabe parties; The Japanese love these events.
But if it isn’t organized and planned to the max, they have a hard time getting involved. This goes across the board for everything and into every nook and cranny of the society. Random drinks in the park: Unlikely. Home party? “Yosuke, come over man we’re partying.” “Is it a birthday party?” “Um, no. Just drinking, blazing and jamming, come over.” “I don’t understand.” “OK, it’s a birthday party for, uh, Matt. Yeah, Matt.” A moment goes by…”I do not know this Matt-san, but I love birthday parties. I will going to the department store and purchase appropriately themed items.”
Disney Land is heaven on earth to them, anything spontaneous is an incomprehensible nervous hell.
4) They aren’t Threatened by Marginalized Groups
Gay, Lesbian, Tranny, Transvestite, White, Black, Brown…whatever, basically mainstream Japanese society leaves you alone. Nobody is roaming the streets, angry, and looking for some gay-black-vegan to kick the shit out of. Often, the thing which would get you crap back home is kind of embraced here, and almost appreciated. Almost without exception, every Japanese woman I know is fascinated by homosexuals. The point is, except for the Chinese and Koreans (because it’s hard to marginalize groups you’ve stolen half your culture from, easier to just hate them), those of us in these other minorities get a pass.
“Ni-Chome is great! I feel so safe there!” Really? Gay town in Shinjuku makes you feel safe? That’s ironic, because if I, for example, wanted to buy a fistful of mind bending narcotics, aside from Shibuya, the first place I’d go is “2-Town“. The streets at night are a parade of drugs, booze and mistakes; men in ass-less leather chaps on 3-wheelers zoom off into the night with scared young men astride behind them. On three separate occasions I’ve been with people there who have had their bag/wallet/wallet stolen: This has NEVER happened at any other area in the city for me, or the people I’ve been with. But because “Gay” equals girly and that equals “kind” all common sense rules go out the window. People are so entirely unthreatened they lose all will to survive. Consider this: a gaijin guy I know, has on multiple occasions, taken girls to Ni-chome to drink knowing it was the most likely place they’d get wasted and easily cab it back to his flat for selfish sex.
I don’t know who that scumbag was, but he was an unthreatening minority, utilizing another unthreatening minority, to seduce non-threatened bimbos. Wake up: Being a minority doesn’t make someone a good or bad person, it just makes them a minority.
3) They are Serious about Fashion
I was once told by someone in upper management, that the international luxury fashion brand Hermes, makes nearly 40% of its profits in Japan alone. It was easy to believe. The Japanese love fashion, they love luxury brands and they love shopping. Again, a tried and tested cultural barometer: “What’s your hobby?” “I like shopping.” There’s a dry cleaners on literally every corner in Tokyo. Everyone is always getting their hair done and nails done. A lot of stock is put into looking good enough so that one can fall into the coveted upper average bracket. When compared to the t-shirt and shorts, pajama nation I call home, this is refreshing.
There is no point, none, in walking down the street with a three thousand dollar Gucci shoulder bag, when you live in a room the size of an average American toilet. There’s also nothing so absurd as a thirty year old man, dressed to the hilt in a tailored Ermenegildo Zegna, peddling slowly toward the station on his rusted out old Mama-Jari (Grandma bicycle: standard issue in Japan). It’s the hypocrisy. Life should be congruent, or as close to congruent as possible. The fashion-outside/beggar-at-home paradigm is infuriating to me.
2) They Follow the Rules
Rules were made to be broken, by Gaijin. The Japanese just love rules. They line up, and they wait. They do all the paperwork, all the time. This in some ways is very comforting. If I fall asleep on a train in New York, I can be pretty certain someone is either going to steal my bag, or take a whizz all over me, just on principle. Not so in Japan. Personally belongings are relatively safe, (as long as you aren’t in Two-Town). A great over-arching example of the general agreement to follow rules is Janken, or Rock-Paper-Scissors. Starting from a very young age this is used as a legitimate means of conflict resolution. I was stunned when I first saw some kids do it, determining which of them would get the last piece of candy. I was shocked that a method was in place, other than fighting, to figure this out but most of all, that they actually accepted the result and then moved on; the one kid munching down the candy he had won. The indoctrination starts early and it keeps pretty well later in life.
Law and order, sure, I get it. But sometimes, there’s such a thing as too much. For example, at my house we had this random piece of wood lying around. It wasn’t particularly big and not heavy, about the size of a chess board. Well, I was working and I asked my wife, who was heading out to meet friends, if she’d drop it off at one of the communal dumping areas. These places are full of Sofas, TVs, desks, and not all the stuff is junk; I own a nice coffee table I retrieved from one of these areas. It isn’t “legal” but someone puts that stuff there. Well, to make a long story short, although she left with the wood, she simply couldn’t do it, and in fact, convinced herself that the police were watching her via cameras. Sweating, heart racing, she had to bring it back home.
1) They Know they are Japanese
I think one big problem in the USA is that nobody really knows who or what they are. When I was little, we all got taught we were Americans and there was a whole mythology built to explain what that was. Sure, some of that was bullshit, but everyone’s is, so it didn’t matter; we all had something in common. Around 1990 or so this started to erode and now it’s gone. Everyone is on a quest to define themselves, no matter what. There’s a sick desperation to this cultural phenomenon, so, it’s refreshing sometimes to be around a people who know exactly who they are. The Japanese don’t have to wonder about their identity or their homeland. It’s all here. They live collectively and this results in a shared identity. It’s the 3rd richest country in the world, and frankly, not a very comfortable or thrilling place to live in so far as “quality of life” is concerned. But the Japanese stay, because it’s Japan, and they are Japanese.
The one word I hate in Japanese more than Kawaii, is Shouganai. It translates to basically mean “Nothing we can do about it.” Sure, these situations occur, like above: It’s raining and my umbrella broke, shouganai.” However, it gets thrown around to avoid having to actually figure things out. “I hate my company so much.” “Just quit. You speak 4 languages. You can get a better job.” “I can’t. I’m Japanese. Shouganai.” I’ve discussed before how normal, everyday Japanese food isn’t really very good, and above we talked about how so many Japanese live in 3rd world conditions but play developed-nation-dress-up when going to work. These dismal conditions and the general state of unhappiness and often deep loneliness which so many Japanese suffer from, is never addressed, and often dismissed with, a shrug, another shouganai, and the inevitable, “I’m Japanese.” Well, I call bullshit. We spent thousands of years in the mud, barely surviving and are now at the pinnacle of human civilization. So, before we all die in nuclear hell fire, enjoy your life, be who you want to be and stop allowing a word to define your entire existence. Lets face it: None of us are getting out of here alive; there’s just no time for shouganai, Japan.
Gaijinass 
Best thing I love about Okinawa is the food and the festival the worst is the crowds
I don’t even consider Oki Japan anymore. I loved Okinawa, still do. It’s like saying Hawaii is America…hmmmm, well technically.
“We spent thousands of years in the mud, barely surviving and are now at the pinnacle of human civilization. So, before we all die in nuclear hell fire, enjoy your life, be who you want to be and stop allowing a word to define your entire existence. Lets face it: None of us are getting out of here alive; there’s just no time for shouganai, Japan.”
This should be taught to toddlers everywhere, not just in Japan.
But without the proper dose of Shouganai, does this even translate?
I loved that part hahahahaha!!
How did the endless amazement at your ability to use chopsticks not make this list. I lived in Suginami-ku for three years and couldn’t share a single meal with anyone Japanese without hearing about how jozu I was with the chopsticks. Surely after thirteen years, the amazement still abounds!
I’ve been beaten over the head with the “Hash Jyozu desk ne” so many times, I’m now numb. Shell Shocked. I simply have nothing left to say on that one. Eight years ago it would have been solidly nested in the list.
Excellent list! However, I have come across a couple of exceptions to the punctuality thing, the most blatant being as follows: I agreed to meet a girl at a particular station at, let’s say (I can’t remember exactly) 7 pm. At 7 pm exactly (as I waited at the appointed station I had arrived at at 6.59) I received a text to say that she was going to be late; I asked how late and she said about 20 minutes (which turned out to be 30 minutes). Next date, exactly the same thing happened. Third date (as the frustration built up) the same thing. When I got the text I left and went home.
I do understand that people are sometimes delayed and can be late, but she must have known at least, let’s say, 20 minutes beforehand that she was going to be late, so why not send me a message as soon as she realised, so that I would have time to do something else (in that particular case, I could have stayed in the office a bit longer). And I’ve also had a very similar experience more recently.
Ellen Deg..whatever, has a good bit about this. “Why are you late?” “Traffic, you know…” “Yeah, how do you think I got here? Helicoptered in?”
I’m sure one can find this anywhere. But here, if a person is late to see you, I really think you know where you on that persons order of importance immididately.
It seems despite the length of time youve lived in Japan, you seem to understand very little about the culture and why the Japanese behave the way they do.
All of your solutions to the problems you perceive in Japan are viewed through a biased, western-lense that basically ignores the country youre in.
Everything you have suggested is basically summarized as, ‘Gimme a break, just do it differently.’
Sorry, but I’ve heard this type of comment all too often. It basically means that you’ve just got to accept things the way they are without suggesting that they could be better! We are (most of us, I assume) here by choice, but we realise that life CAN be better and things CAN be done differently. I’ve spoken to Japanese on a number of occasions and told them how unnecessary (and silly) it is to compliment foreigners on their 2 words of Japanese, for example, and I don’t think they will do it again.
There are a lot of things that need to be improved here and there’s no harm in trying. If a Japanese went to the US and said, “I think life would be better here if people picked up their own rubbish”, would people condemn him for making a good suggestion?
Exactly. It’s called “a discussion”. People have them all the time, online and in real life. I don’t begrudge anyone an opinion, particularly someone who has spent enough time doing something to probably have some data beyond his or her observations.
“Sorry, but I’ve heard this type of comment all too often. It basically means that you’ve just got to accept things the way they are without suggesting that they could be better!”
No, what it means is that one should strive to understand the culture and the context for the behavior before publicizing criticisms disguised as ‘humor.’
Far too many gaijin in Japan, and elsewhere in Asia, do nothing but whine about how bad things are often complaining about the people, food, behavior, way things are done, etc.
Seldom if ever are these oft-repeated criticisms meant as helpful but rather to disparage and dismiss the cultural norms of the guest country.
This blog post is just one of many examples of this behavior along with the plethora of Youtube videos created by gaijin to publicly air their narrow,often ignorant points of view.
Well, an olive branch: Would you be willing to write a guest post, or a series of guest posts for this blog detailing and explaining some of these points to readers? It could be a really good opportunity to shine a light on another view point, or some cultural context/information people might not have considered. If you’re willing to do that, we are interested. You can DM me on twitter @gaijinass or message me on our FB page. Looking forward to hearing from you.
It’s an observational post based in humor and yes, personal experience. I’m sure you are sage like in your depth of understanding regarding the Japanese and this enables you to appreciate all that wabisabi has to offer. Wonderful. In the meantime, until your text book instructing us all on how much we missed is released, I will continue to write what’s on my mind, and enjoy doing so. I will even enjoy condescending japanophile comments on said writing. In that spirit, thank you for your comment, thank you for reading. Hope your time in Japan is everything you need it to be.
Nemrut, so you just leave all your critical faculties behind when you fly into Narita? What about all the many Japanese (most of whom have been or lived abroad and know how much better things can be) who criticise how things are done here? Are they allowed to do it because they’re Japanese, but we’re not allowed because we’re not? Do you really think that foreigners are incapable of understanding Japanese culture and behaviour? As someone who has lived here for over 25 years, has worked in Japanese companies, speaks the language, been married to Japanese, experienced Japanese society at a very close and personal level and spoken to very many Japanese about the way things work here, I find your suggestion that we should just sit back and say, “This is your country, we won’t make any comments about how things could be better” quite ignorant and insulting.
Man, YOU should write the guest post for us. Let me know.
I think youre projecting a lot of your own biases and insecurities.
You and many others dont seem to grasp the fact that youre in a foreign country with much different culture than your own – despite your 25yrs in Japan and having been married to a local.
What was it about your marriage that didnt work out?
Much like the author of this blog, you and many other westerners, are incapable of understanding Japanese culture, let alone other Asian cultures because you cant grasp the importance of the group over the individual, social harmony, long standing traditions, ‘face,’ and multitude of other cultural behaviors that are outside your western mental model.
You dont even realize that your retorts come across as very self-centered as if it’s all about ‘me’ and ‘my concerns’ and ‘my right to criticize.’
You can criticize all you want but it’s not going to get very you far, least of all as a foreigner. Yes, you are and will always be considered a foreigner in Japan.
We are waiting for that guest post. Thinking you could really bring another point of view to GJS.com. Let me know.
Thanks for the invite! I’m a bit busy at the moment, but you never know; I might find something I’m passionate enough about to lead me to put metaphorical pen to paper. Until then, assuming your kind permission, I may continue to comment sporadically when I think I see idiocy afoot . . . .
Nemrut, sorry but this is a pretty bizarre rant (coupled with an indirect personal insult, which I won’t dignify by a response).
Difficult to know quite where to start, since you appear to such have a massive chip (or is it an inferior complex?) on your shoulder. Firstly, what makes you think I want to be identified as anything other than a foreigner in Japan? Perhaps the last thing in the world I would want to be is a Japanese salaryman; a slave to the company, whose private life takes a distant second place, who has nothing to look forward to except a lifetime of the same drudgery (actually, for many these days perhaps not a lifetime, as the promise of lifetime employment begins to dwindle), with little or no social life beyond business colleagues, existing on what little pocket-money his wife chooses to give him, with virtually no holiday other than at the same expensive time as every other slave (and even then only for a few days). If that is what you think I am aspiring to, then I’m afraid you’re labouring under a very major illusion.
And where do you think I want to get to?? I’m already exactly where I want to be.
Then to suggest that I (apparently together with many other Westerners) am unable to grasp the alleged importance of the group over the individual, social harmony, long standing traditions, ‘face,’ and ‘multitude of other cultural behaviours’ is just plain silly. Just because we choose not to want to live our lives according to the same strictures doesn’t mean we don’t know what the choices are.
But thanks for pointing out that I’m living in a foreign country with a much different culture than my own. I hadn’t noticed until you mentioned it. And finally, biases and insecurities? If the cap fits, I suggest you wear it.
Your last post just proves my point. Despite 25yrs of living in Japan you still fail to understand nor respect culture. You believe youre not beholden to anyone but yourself and are free to pick choose what customs to adopt while living in a foreign country.
Like many gaijin you want to enjoy the benefits of living in Japan without having to make the effort to integrate or adhere to social norms.
It’s no wonder that when so many like yourself believe theyre entitled and free to do whatever they want, it results in the high rates of crime and dysfunctional behavior so prevalent in your home country.
I guess you are passing on the guest post then?
Also, I’m not attacking you, however, it seems clear nobody ever explained how a debate works. You can’t just make various claims and then that’s it. You have to explain your reasoning, give examples and data and actually have theories. You said “Your last post just proves my point. Despite 25yrs of living in Japan you still fail to understand nor respect culture. You believe youre not beholden to anyone but yourself and are free to pick choose what customs to adopt while living in a foreign country.” but then you never explained this.
For example, in the post I complain about people running for the train. I then give some examples of how they could avoid doing this: “Just wake up fifteen minutes early and all the sprinting is avoided. Or, even better, don’t worry about being two minutes late.”
I’m not just shrieking into the ether, I’m actually explaining WHY something annoys me.
Your comments up to this point are literally worthless trolling. That’s all.
If you have some examples, some information or insight to add to this, please do so. Otherwise, perhaps consider going away.
Nemrut, another couple of questions for you. To amplify my point about Saudi Arabia, if you lived there would you be quite happy that women in your family weren’t allowed to drive? Are those foreigners (even those outside the country) who think that this is wrong not allowed to complain about it (because they don’t understand the culture and norms?)? If you are Japanese and live in Europe would you be quite happy for guests to your house to wear their shoes when they visit (despite the fact that you wouldn’t do so)?
Are you getting the point? Most countries have good and bad customs and ways of doing things and ways of thinking. It’s not being culturally superior to point it out. I personally don’t wear shoes at home when I go back to my country, because I like that custom. I like the Japanese way of getting to know your customers very closely before doing business with them, because it makes things easier when you have a problem (up to a point, of course), rather than picking up the phone and calling a lawyer.
This is an example of a useful comment. Thanks.
Nemrut,
Please write the guest post! I respect your opinion, and I want to learn from you! Your perspective is important – please let it be known!
Yep: We’re still waiting.
And you are not? This is a case of the kettle calling the pot black. Of course people have to realize how to use their criticism and in cases where it might be useful and in other cases where acceptance and trying to find workarounds may be more suitable.
Interesting that you love taking this tact where because we are foreigners, we can’t possibly complain. You should flip it around; so when Japanese go abroad, they should never complain as they should just accept that it’s a different culture? Yeah, right.
Sorry, that was for Nemrut, it ended up being posted later than the Gaijinass comments
Nemrut, sorry but this is just more nonsense. You’re saying that foreigners who come here have to integrate and adhere to social norms (and, logically, that foreigners who go to any foreign country have to do the same)? What total idiocy. If you were living in China, would you start spitting in the street? If you were living in certain parts of the US, would you start carrying a gun? If you were living in Saudi Arabia, would you start treating women like second-class citizens? Do you want more examples? Don’t you have the intelligence and common sense to be able to pick and choose what are good customs and norms and what are not?
I’m interested to hear.
You are an observer who see everything superficially. I don’t know how many people you have involved with. But don’t judge about Japanese with some samples. What I can see, is that you will never be able to understand about the Japanese mentality.
I’m not trying to understand the Japanese mentality. I’m doing exactly what you just said: OBSERVING. That’s it. If you want to explain the Japanese to the world, why not write us a guest post? Dazzle the world with your knowledge.
Reblogged this on motto.media.
Hey, you’ve put it very well. Way to go!
Been here 53 years and had a few small peeves but nothing to get me to write the kind of stuff here. Could write lots of happy things but maybe best to go away and not join the grumpies…..
Sir,
I always enjoy reading your rants – some of which I agree with. Dressed to the nines whilst living in shoe box is self defeating but at least Tokyo is not smelly like Hong Kong 🙂
Only a useful tool uses the expression ‘there’s nothing I can do about it’. My dad thought me 3 or so things chief of which is, do something about it always.
@Bosworth missed the point – accumulated gripes are toxic, one has to let it out every now and then at Kabuki cho. If in doubt, do as the Japs do 🙂
hi what did you mean by this sentence: “The point is, except for the Chinese and Koreans (because it’s hard to marginalize groups you’ve stolen half your culture from, easier to just hate them), those of us in these other minorities get a pass.” ?
by the way i enjoyed the post, it was a great satirical read you’re a good writer man
Unfortunately, regardless of his love/hate relationship towards Japan, he doesn’t seem to understand Japan quite right. His analysis about Japan in this post is what you can read from anywhere else on the Internet or can be found from any other articles. This post only reiterates stereotype about Japan and who doesn’t know Japanese people love punctuality? Weirdly specific, personal experience based explanation is what Internet was about, but big corporates ruined everything. You can’t read a single article on the Internet without stumping upon trap posts written by corporate machines and it’s no longer refreshing.