Japanese Cultural Insights

After a week here, I have gained tremendous insight into the Japanese culture, and it still fascinates me. Having walked through countless neighborhoods and now listened to a handful of lectures, I have a greater understanding of why I see the things I see.

In a land where Hello Kitty reigns as Queen, Japan is a "Culture of Cute." The word for "cute" is "kawaii" and you hear it everywhere! Everything has cute cuddly cartoon characters on it. Looking for a moving company? Why, I would only use the one who has Hello Kitty as their logo (in fact, there is also an S&M hotel called "The Hello Kitty Love Hotel" and a "Hello Kitty" gun... apparently the license agency have refused some proposals for use of the Hello Kitty logo... I would have to wonder what they said "no" to!). The logo of the police? Is "Pipo" (see pictured, that would never fly in the U.S.!). Even signs warning of danger deliver the message via a cute creature. The sign on a construction site contains a cute cuddly lion (in the U.S. it would have menacing teeth to scare children away from the site rather than attracting to it) to deliver the message. This is believed to translate back to another characteristic of Japanese culture: politeness. It would be rude to say "Stop! Don't come in! Danger".. so the message is softened with the use of "cute."

Everyone is extremely polite here. They take pride in their job, and never have I had so many cashiers chatter away to me (granted, it's in Japanese, so I have no idea what they are saying, but I just smile and they chatter on!). They strive to do their job perfectly, almost as if they are playing a part. This, however, makes them inflexible as far as service is concerned... they won't deliver anything to you except as it reads precisely on the menu, as they have practiced that preparation and if they would deviate, it might not be perfect. So if you want a hamburger, hold the mayo... you're out of luck in Japan.

In a city as dense as Tokyo, the local residents are seeking their identity. It is a rather homogeneous culture, both in looks and actions, but every one strives to make themselves unique. This is mostly achieved by having high-end designer accessories (the irony being, they are attempting to be unique by conforming to high fashion). This translates to people watching being a fascinating past time! I still haven't managed to decipher the fashion, but it sure is eclectic!