Adjustment & Culture Shock
May 14, 2022
“So, what’s been the biggest culture shock?”
This may sound like somewhat of a cop out, but I honestly don’t have a definitive “biggest culture shock.” I’m not sure if I’m just lucky with how well my course on working abroad prepared me for life in Japan, if I’m just too oblivious to my own personal cultural inclinations, or if it’s just something else altogether.
I’ve even tried asking other Americans living in Japan, but they all struggle to answer the question themselves. I would say that the internet is to blame for our relative inability to answer the question. Due to the research that expats put into living in Japan as well as the information obtained by osmosis while browsing the web, most people know what to expect from life in Japan. That isn’t to say that there still aren’t surprises, or that it’s possible to fully distill a whole country into a paragraph or two on a travel blog, but at least the large aspects of Japanese culture are familiar.
I will say that since I first arrived in Japan, there have been many times where I’ve stopped to think to myself, “hmmm, okay that’s interesting.” For example, in Tokyo, everyone stands on the right side of the escalator. The left side is left unobstructed for those in a hurry who wish to quickly walk up rather than to stand in place. I was quickly corrected by a roommate when I stood in place on the left side of an escalator. I also find it quite interesting that in Osaka everyone stands on the left side of the escalator, completely switching up the Tokyo paradigm. I had a tour guide claim that the people of Osaka just want to be different compared to Tokyo.
I guess the largest “shock” that I’ve had so far is when I stepped outside on a rainy day wearing a rain jacket. Imagine my surprise as all I could see was a sea of umbrellas, not a single rain jacket in sight. Normally I don’t feel like I stick out from the crowd on my way to work, but that day I felt like I was wearing flashing lights on my head. I made sure to go out to buy an umbrella the next day.
As the son of a firefighter, I’ve found it quite interesting to see how the emergency service vehicles differ in Japan compared to what I’m used to back in the US. The biggest surprise has been how common it is to hear the driver of an ambulance or police car using a loud speaker to apologize and to ask for consideration from other drivers and pedestrians. Besides emergency service vehicles, there are also cars that drive around blasting advertisements on repeat. Whether it’s a political ad or an ad for an up-and-coming boy band, listening grows tiring almost immediately.
I count myself very lucky to have so far skated by life in Japan without any major obstacles. Every person that I’ve asked for help has been more than willing to assist me. Thanks to the kindness of others, my basic Japanese abilities, and the ability to search things on the internet, I’ve been able to adapt to life in Japan without issue.
~ JHE
