Some cultures are very gregarious and lively. They like loud music, speak to each other loudly, etc.
Which cultures have you found to be more reserved? Not necessarily cold or rude, just not as loud in public?
Some cultures are very gregarious and lively. They like loud music, speak to each other loudly, etc.
Which cultures have you found to be more reserved? Not necessarily cold or rude, just not as loud in public?
Japanese (when sober)
You know what weird cultural observation I’ve made since living in Japan? I don’t hear anyone humming or singing to themselves. And I didn’t realize that was culturally unique to me til I noticed myself doing it and the fact that everyone around me is quiet. I haven’t been in a Japanese home but do the moms sing while cooking and doing chores? Cause this is a staple of my childhood.
My mom whistles while she cooks, does chores, etc. but I know that she’s likely an outlier.
My Japanese MIL is constantly singing to herself. It’s quite sweet.
they do but only in private. Japanese people find it rude to make loud noise in public like humming or whistling
I see people riding on their bicycles and singing at the top of their lungs. It definitely happens!
Same goes for Scandinavians (when sober)
Haha Im Japanese and lived in Denmark. Very true😂
The first time I rode the bus in Oslo on a Friday night I was wtf is going on … it was so noisy and boisterous! Drunk Norwegians are an entirely different breed. (I’m foreign here)
Oslo is different ok xD We don’t claim them cx
No wonder we - Japan - love everything scandinavians!
Japandi!
i remember a quote from some Youtuber about japanese culture she knew she’d messed up when she noticed the woman next to her on a train type out a phrase and it translated into " your headphones are too loud" :)
Lol. I remember that one and now I always turn my headphones down on the train. Not that I ever had them that loud, I’m just paranoid now. I many listen to Gackt so I don’t know anyone that would complain. 🤣 Kidding
The more Japanese way would be “I like the music you are listening to.” If the person is familiar with the Japanese culture, he/she would apologize and turn down the volume. Non-Japanese or people don’t know about the culture would take this as an invitation to a conversation.
That kind of passive aggressiveness is more a Kyoto thing.
Not necessarily a Kyoto thing. It’s more common among the old generation.
Hate such passive aggressive behavior. Glad that I don’t see it so often in Tokyo. At least in the circles I run in.
Except the big cities have SO MUCH noise pollution. Especially around election time. Everything has to have a jingle or blast some music or yell at you through terrible quality speaker phones.
Big Japanese tourist groups are usually pretty loud. I’ve seen them very often in my life.
lol, I worked for a resort as a summer job for a few years and you’re totally right but just as a group though. Once they’ve broken out into couples to find their rooms they’re super quiet. I never had a bad interaction with one of our Japanese guests.
Swiss (when sober)
Or outside of Tokyo/Osaka
My partner, who is Chinese, went on a trip to Japan and said it was almost unnerving how quiet everyone was on the train. We live in nyc so the trains are kind of a shitshow but they said you can hear a pin drop on Japanese trains
Yeah pretty much. If you have to talk to someone you do it in a very quiet whisper. I fucking love it.
Taiwan is pretty good about it too. Went there for a short weekend trip and some guy started watching the news on his phone without headphones (also Asian, not sure if he was a tourist or what), and another random dude actually went up to him and tapped his shoulder, pointed to the phone, and shook his head no. Was kind of funny to watch happen because you could see how appreciative everyone else was
Or unless you’re a high school boy. They are so loud I often thing they are killing each other. Most of the time they just cuddle