After being devastated by World War II, Japan bounced back to become the world’s second largest economic power in just a few decades. Meanwhile, the U.S. went from being on top of the world to being the country everyone loves to hate. Is it possible that Japan, a country whose greatest strength was once its expertise in making miniature American flags, is now a country Americans should look up to?
I went to Japan recently to see what’s so great about it, and it does indeed have some good things going on. Without further ado, here are 10 reasons Japan is better than America.
1. The world is their buffet.
Japan is one of the most isolated countries in the world. They generally don’t care about anything that happens outside their borders. And yet, when they find that someone has something they like, they’re perfectly happy to make it their own.
They needed a language, so they borrowed Chinese, and later some words from European languages. Shinto is their native religion, but they had no problem adopting Buddhism on top of that. And Christmas seemed pretty cool too, so why not be Christian as well? They love their ancient castles, but they’re even better when you add a McDonald’s and a Starbucks nearby. Walking down the street, you might see an old woman in a traditional kimono next to a 20-something in a T-shirt that says “F*ck that.”
It doesn’t matter if different things conflict. Once they become Japanese, there is no conflict. Japan is the Borg. You will be assimilated.
2. No shaking hands.
I’m guessing the reason for not shaking hands is simply because bowing makes it unnecessary, but a pleasant side effect is that they never have to shake with someone who doesn’t wash their hands.
3. Hikonyan the samurai cat.
Hikonyan was a cat who saved a feudal lord from being struck by lightning over 400 years ago. In return for his heroism, they made him a samurai, built him a castle, gave him his own theme song and merchandise line, and dubbed him Hikonyan (which comes from Hikone, the name of the city, plus nyan, the sound a cat makes in Japanese). While he was created in 2003, they have whitewashed history to have him saving a feudal lord in 1603.
As well as still being alive well past the age of 400, he is approximately as popular now as Elvis was in the late 50s. He can’t go anywhere without being followed by legions of fans of all ages. Grown adults go nuts when he waves at them.
By the way, these fans are very well behaved. You can see in the first pic that everyone is standing where they were told to, in a wide semicircle around him. In the second pic, it’s time for him to say bye-bye, and the kids aren’t tackling him.
4. Taking your shoes off indoors.
Instead of dragging your muddy clodhoppers across the floor like a caveman, you’re invited to do the sensible thing. Kick off your shoes and relax. The floor stays clean, and sometimes they even give you slippers to wear.
5. No tax, no tips, no pennies, no nickels, no quarters.
Front and back of the only four coins the Japanese people need: ¥10 ($0.10 U.S.), ¥50 ($0.50 U.S.), ¥100 ($1 U.S.), and ¥500 ($5 U.S.). Photos by Misogi.
Taxes are always included and there’s no tipping, so the price is what it is. In spite of not using paper money until they get up to Â¥1,000 ($10 U.S.), you never have to carry around a bunch of change. That’s because they’ve gotten rid of the useless coins. Pennies (Â¥1) and nickels (Â¥5) do exist, but prices are almost always a multiple of ten cents (Â¥10), so they don’t need them. 50 cent pieces (Â¥50) make up for the absence of quarters. I’m sure they would laugh at the idea of Coinstar, because their coins are actually useful.
6. The food.
Photo by jslander
It’s hard to judge American food as a whole because there’s such a huge variety, but in Japan I found that the food was almost always terrific. Sushi, chicken, beef, noodles, it’s all good. Even things that don’t seem like they’d be anything special turn out to have some combination of spices that brings your palette to life. In spite of this, they don’t have a national obesity epidemic.
When I came back to the U.S. I went to a local Japanese restaurant and had some sushi (fish on top of vinegared rice) and sashimi (just the fish). It was twice as expensive, and not half as good.
7. They’re obsessed with perfection.
The Japanese are guided by the principle of kaizen, a philosophy of continuous improvement in all aspects of life. It’s how Toyota took over the automobile industry. Every person from the CEO on down has the responsibility of improving the way they do things. They perform experiments, observe the results, and make adjustments as needed, always inching closer and closer to perfection.
Americans ask “why fix it if it ain’t broken.” They think if something’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for anyone. They think “your” and “you’re” are interchangeable, and any trivial difference is best left for Oxford academics to debate.
8. The girls.
Photo by tata_aka_T
I don’t know if this is a national law or something, but at least in Kyoto and Tokyo, you can go to any random location at any time of day, and at least half the girls there will look like supermodels. And they’re very likely to be wearing leather boots and a miniskirt…even in the snow.
9. Public transportation.
Photo by Wikipedia
Thanks to a wonderful public transportation system, many people in the cities don’t feel the need for a car. Buses run frequently between all the locations I wanted to visit in Kyoto, and for traveling greater distances, they have ultramodern trains that go as fast as 186 mph in service.
Public transportation is cheaper, safer, and better for the environment. If you’re like most Americans, the last bus you rode was a big yellow one.
10. They’re totally into technology.
Photo by angela n.
For many Japanese people, their gadgets are an extension of their body. I don’t think I was ever more than 50 feet away from a Nintendo DS. Once when I was sitting on a bus, I noticed that all four people across from me were texting on their cell phones. One of them was an old lady, and another one was texting on two phones at the same time.
Here in the good ol’ U.S.A., it wasn’t that long ago that I had to give someone personalized coaching on how to insert a floppy disk.
American car companies are proud to have some models that get more than 20 miles per gallon. The Japanese have recently built a robot that can play the trumpet. Who do you think is more likely to enslave mankind?
Japan has its strengths, but it certainly has its weaknesses too. We’ll look at the flip side of the coin next time, and see why America is better than Japan.
this one was a great read as well. enjoyed it.
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@ Natural, thanks for reading both of them…you get a better perspective when you look at it from both sides. Glad you liked it.
It’s interesting you make these points. Considering your most outlandish point about improvement, you are aware that Japan must import nearly all of it’s innovators, right? Their school system is such that it breeds conformity, not innovation. If you need further proof, just look at the Nobel prize per capita in the last ten years and compare it to China, the US, or Germany. Further, what about the catastrophic rate of depression? Or suicide? What about their disregard for the environment in their relentless pursuit of land development?
Ha! Very interesting article. Every culture has it’s good aspects, and it’s pretty easy to pick out 10 of them. Japan is a homogenous culture and I had to laugh when you equated them to the Star Trek characters where everyone is assimilated. The truth is, if you are not Japanese, you will not be assimilated.
I’m glad you will be posting about why America is better than Japan, but again, Every culture has it’s good aspects, and it’s pretty easy to pick out 10 of them.
Marc Carlin
Consulting Hypnotist
@ Nick, I’m not saying they don’t have their disadvantages as well. See the follow-up post to read about some of them.
@ Marc, for assimilation, I didn’t mean people, I meant culture. In the follow-up post I specifically talk about how outsiders are not accepted. And yes, it’s pretty easy to pick out 10 good things from most countries.
Wow, you know… I thought I was amazed by the ignorance of the people who commented on why America is better, but the comments here are ridiculous. Have these people ever even BEEN to Japan?
1. Only on some trains are you ever crammed in. I lived in Kyoto (and will gladly go back as soon as I finish my degree), and there were times when I was crammed in. However, Japanese people on a whole are much less loud and obnoxious, so being crammed in with a train of them really isn’t as bad as it could be. Most of the time (including hours at which people would be coming or going from work) I has free space.
2. Say what you will about Japan being a rigid society, but there are a lot of people who look past those things, especially the younger generation. And as a foreigner in Japan, I feel that we have more freedom to not fit into such molds. Yeah, sometimes you get discriminated against… but you do meet people who see you as a person rather than a foreigner. I lived with a wonderful host family who were the nicest people I’ve ever met and made other Japanese friends while I was there. If you show that you respect their culture and try to fit in with the expectations, it really isn’t a difficult place to live.
3. Why on earth would you include things like Hikonyan and not shaking hands when there are so many other great things about Japan? How about the fact that people in the service industry are actually polite? Or that because guns are illegal, and the consequences of using drugs are much stricter, that the crime is a lot lower?
I lived in Japan… I was obviously a foreigner and I was stared at and had people tell me that Japanese was probably impossible to write for him and act incredulous that I could read Japanese. But never in my life have I been offended by so much racism as what I see here.
Americans on a whole are idiots. And this is why I am expatriating.
@ Jessica, if you think these comments are bad, you should see the ones I had to delete. For some reason, some people get very defensive about their country, sometimes irrationally so.
I didn’t include those things you mentioned because I wasn’t in a position to observe them.
- “People in the service industry are actually polite.” I didn’t really notice any difference. Maybe I would have if I spoke Japanese, or maybe I live in an area with good service.
- “Guns are illegal.” I didn’t know that. That would definitely be a plus in my book.
- “The consequences of using drugs are much stricter.” I didn’t know that, and I’d need more information to know if I think it’s a good thing. My Chinese friend told me that in China, suspected drug dealers are shot on sight without a trial.
- “Crime is a lot lower.” That’s what they told me, and of course I didn’t see any crime, but I don’t see any crime in the U.S. either. But I looked it up just now, and it seems that crime rates are generally way, way lower in Japan, especially for violent crime. I guess without guns, you have a lot less murders and robberies.
I didn’t include all the good things about Japan, but I didn’t include all the bad things either, like the extraordinarily high smoking rate. I wonder if there’s something about human nature that makes it impossible for a country to eliminate all its vices.
The Japanese are not a culture to look up to. Sure they are more disciplined and advanced then America can ever be, but they suffer under the same effects of globalization that other cultures have encountered. After decades of assimilation of western lifestyles and consumerism the Japanese are faced with a population shortage and a new generation that is displaced from the roots of its culture. The very culture that makes them as effective and disciplined as they are in the global market is now dissolving more rapidly then ever. Consider the irony, they have so quickly assimilated to a consuming culture that is destroying their founding values and principles (as it does in the US). It is as if after WWII they were settled by the west through the use of consumerism, capitalism. In fact that is what happened the nation was brought to its knees then given this new form of government. Japan’s current fate is planned. Part of a strategic world changing historical event. It is now a nation that is slowly corrupting. To me Japan post WWII just seems like a nation that has been colonized by western markets. (Willingly!) We should not look up to a country that is on its way to sharing our problems. by the very tools of consumer culture that we experience. What Americans need to do is stop looking up to any country, look past the shiny exterior of lies we are sold, and relaize that with this advancement in culture comes suffering for all on some level a loss of freedom and personal control until you become a willing consuming slave. Japan is no different
@ Mishka …. such a deep answer that lost me at line 10 after what was meant to be a light hearted article using humour to highlight some differences. Enough gloom and doom and smile a bit.
Japan is a great place to live ….. i’ve had better experiences here than i have in many countries and that includes the US at times.
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@ Neil, I was in fact going for something a bit more lighthearted than what some people perceived…thanks for picking up on that!
Hi, Hunter. I’m a decades-long resident of Japan, and wanted to comment on your article – but things got long, I put the post on my own blog instead. There’s some agreement with your list (Yes! Tipping sucks!), and some good disagreement too.
Where I disagree, my objections might very well be taking some points more seriously than you intended; it can be hard to gauge those things in writing! If that’s the case, consider my objections aimed not at you, but at anyone else out there who does make some of the same claims but in full seriousness.
Anyway, I wrote too much to paste here, so I’ll let anyone interested read more at my site (www.homejapan.com). Here I’d like to address a few people’s comments:
@Brip Blap: “Kaizen’s a concept that seems antithetical to the individualism we think we hold so dear in America…” Ack, I find that so very wrong, and based on a myth of what “kaizen” actually means. Already touched upon at my blog.
@Blue: “You forgot how horrible the public transportation is in japan. i.e the fact that they stuff you in so tight you can barely breathe. They have men standing outside the train to shove people in.” The transportations isn’t horrible; the crowding can be. The passengers are shoving themselves in; “pushers” are only there to help. It’s all voluntary; you don’t ride unless you want! Avoid the rush areas during rush hours, and things are fine.
@dave: “…most Japanese live in boxes not houses, they have no individuality…” I assume trolling/joking is the intent.
@jerry: “…it is amusing how how you generalize so.” Thank you for that breath of sensibility! It’s appreciated. (Though I suspect some generalization here may be tongue in cheek; only the author can say for sure.)
@Nick: “…Their school system is such that it breeds conformity, not innovation…” Rubbish. Japan is one of the world leaders in patents, as well as innovative products and technologies of all kinds.
@Marc Carlin: ” Japan is a homogenous culture.” Heard often, but what does that really mean? Many people in Japan love to emphasize the many regional differences around the country. There are foreign influences galore as well, in every facet of life. What does the “homogenous” claim really mean, I wonder?
@Jessica: Thanks for reality-checking some of the many comments; always good to see more original viewpoints. (Though the closing “Americans on a whole are idiots” is a wee generalizing, don’t you think? : )
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I am very proud that Japan is in Asia.
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@ Hunter, I don’t think it’s a matter of your intended lightheartedness being unperceived… it just comes across as racist and stereotypical, no matter what the intent is. To treat another culture like it is something to be made fun of or puzzled at comes across as ignorant, at best, and Orientalist. And of course that welcomes people who are ignorant and racist in a hurtful way to make responses.
Yeah, there is a lot in Japan that is different from America. No, it isn’t that weird… no weirder than the unique things about America.
As Asian Studies majors at my college, we were all required to take a course where we discussed why Asia should be studied and the ways in which to study it that would not unfairly characterize their cultures. I know this is just a blog, and you may not think of the fact that what you post on the internet could have much meaning. But maybe it wouldn’t hurt to think about such concepts as Orientalism and realize that the exoticism of another country can be a hurtful thing. Many of your points are good, but some of them do come across as… well, ignorant and slightly racist. Scholars are told to take responsibility for the intellectual materials they publish… why not bloggers?
@ Traveler, thank you for responding to some of these comments. It’s good to have some input from a decades-long resident of Japan. I’ll leave a comment on your blog to respond to some of your points.
@ Jessica,
“it just comes across as racist and stereotypical”
I have a hard time seeing how a post about some of the things I like about Japan comes across as racist. Would you mind pointing out some specific examples of what I said that made you feel that way?
I’m also not sure what you’re considering stereotypical. Is it stereotypical to say that Japanese people generally don’t shake hands? Or is it just a fact?
“Yeah, there is a lot in Japan that is different from America. No, it isn’t that weird… no weirder than the unique things about America.”
Sure, weirdness is relative.
“But maybe it wouldn’t hurt to think about such concepts as Orientalism and realize that the exoticism of another country can be a hurtful thing.”
Do you have a blog? If so, I’d be interested to read a post about this. I definitely don’t fully understand how exoticism can be a hurtful thing.
“Many of your points are good, but some of them do come across as… well, ignorant and slightly racist. Scholars are told to take responsibility for the intellectual materials they publish… why not bloggers?”
I do think bloggers should take responsibility for what they publish, and I stand behind everything I’ve said. But I certainly don’t want to come across as ignorant and racist. In fact, these things mentioned here are things that I LIKE about Japan. Perhaps you could clarify this by citing specific examples of what I said that you consider ignorant and racist.
BTW, you said “Americans on a whole are idiots.” Don’t you think that’s stereotypical?
As someone who is both white American and Japanese–75% white and 25% Japanese–this post’s title immediately grabbed my attention.
I really enjoyed it.
My favorites from the list:
The food, the obsession with perfection, the girls, and public transportation.
All great things about Japan.
Now I’m going to read the counter post on why America is better than Japan.
Interesting stuff.
@ Jesse, that combination should give you a unique perspective on this topic, huh?
Thanks for your comment.
hmm…
it’s kinna fun 4 live in japan,
well, i’m a high school student in Indonesia. japan is very interest 4 me.
wish me luck 4 da scholarship. ok guys??
Hey, JAPAN…!! Hepsa is Coming 4 you…………..!!!!!!!
About the nickel thing. If you are a tourist and you are hanging around touristy (is this even a word?) then they may have all there prices rounded to the nearest multiple of 10 for the tourist crowd.
I have been here 1 year (and planning for well beyond) and like the other person mentioned, I also receive 1yen and 5yen coins on a regular basis…everyday!
I have a big plastic box of just those coins, I would say perhaps 2 out of 5 purchases might be a multiple of 10 but most have a 1-9 as the last digit of their price.
I do live in Kurashiki in western Japan (west of Kobe), perhaps it is a little different in the Kanto region. Those people are crazy.
I can’t wait to visit Japan!
I got a chance to do it back when I was a little kid, but my mom wanted to spend the money on getting an apartment. I was disappointed, but it’s all good though.
Before I visit, I want to have a good understanding of the Japanese language both written and spoken. If I do get lost, I want to feel confident in asking a Japanese person for directions or being able to read the signs.
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@TheAndySan,
Good luck with the language learning. If you have an interest, I have two short articles on what you may discover difficult and easy about learning Japanese:
http://www.homejapan.com/blog/siteowner/2008/02/whats_hard_about_learning_japanese
http://www.homejapan.com/blog/siteowner/2008/02/whats_easy_about_learning_japanese
No “OMG it’s so different!” exoticism, just some simple observations from a long-time learner. It’s good background stuff to know before jumping into lessons, IMHO.
Again, good luck!
Traveler´s last blog post..A dose of dumb: Asians can’t understand Western music
I love how the money system works in Japan. You know in America you’ve made it when your earning a six figure salary. However, in Japan that’s roughly the same as a million yen! Okay… maybe not the coolest thing about Japan, but still pretty cool!
AID: Hmm, I think you’d love Zimbabwe. : )
Traveler´s last blog post..Re: A dose of wrong: The world’s most difficult language
I read all of your reasons why Japan is “better” but there is something that needs to be said. To you, and it seems quite a few of these comments that these are excellent points why Japan is better than America, but most of these points are mainly opinions and quite a few can be easily argued. For example is your statement that food in Japan is awesome, I don’t have the same taste as you for sushi, as might quite a few around the world. There are also many things that would likely keep most countries from “looking up” to Japan. The probably biggest reason is the great sexual things going on, hentai, tentacle rape monsters, children porn, the large “adult” business while most people will more than likely think of this as morally disgusting. I don’t mean to be hating on you, and I’m glad that you have come to like of japan. Now I am going to check out 10 Reasons why America is Better than Japan!
@ Jkke, most of these points are opinions that can be argued – no question there. That’s true of anything. Regarding the “morally disgusting” elements, I saw almost none, but maybe you don’t see it if you’re not looking for it.
I think Japan is really utterly retarded in a sense. i believe they are so selfish in not expanding their knowledge to other countries. their lack of willingness to teach other languages within the country are going to make them less successful in the long run when it comes to trading ideas and learning new techniques even to expand to different countries for medicinal practices, or international business for that matter. and lets face it, without the United States Japan would be an extension of Korea or China. Having lived here for nearly 5 years, the United States although having problems of its own is far better than Japan. The only thing good about Japan is the food. And as far as the women go, yea they’re attractive but there no better than the pretentious Hollywood asshole in America. Its all about image, Japan is way over priced and it smells like shit almost everywhere you go, also the people cant drive for the life of them. Overall really they havean interesting culture but that goes with history for any country. Bottom line, Japan is nothing without the United States so therefor it can be better. So anyone on this blog who has never been cant decide which one is better, the few that have, are sadly mistaken if you think Japan is better than America.
BS! Japan is in all aspect worst than america. Serious. Talking economic, politic, and social wise, no matter which way you look at it, America is in the lead. All the ‘facts’ you stated up there are opinions, and totally bias and unrealistic. I especially disagree on the currency of Japan, there more coins than American currency, making it more difficult and unefficient. Japanese are not obessed with perfection. Trust me, you see them in their continous, repetitive lifestyle, there is almost no love in Japan. I been there, and it’s fun I do admit, and the girls are pretty ( not a quantity amount in the street though, and Im more use to Blondes), but you get real sick and tired easily. The government system is heavily corrupted, and like what Thomas Malthus and Darwin said, the increasing population and small land area leads to stress, disease, and human suffering. Thanks for the effort of this website, but from my p.o.v. I strongly disagree. American is better.
Funny to read but…Do not mistaken between Tourism and Immigration…
It is always difficult to wake up from a dream. Japan is not better than America or other countries, it has its own specifications, that is all to say.
Some said that Japan is somehow racist, but since I live in the country, instead of racist I would rather say protectionist or conservationist, and some individualist or egoistic.
They do not shake hand by tradition, not by salubrity. Referenced to the samurai eras. Japanese doesn’t bow by courtesy but by fear of the interlocutor, famous exchange of the business cards: unless they want to take something from you, as soon as they know that they are in a higher position than you, they talk a different langage and change their face expressions. When I look the Japanese, they remind me sheeps who become cows when they get in the subway. They belch and fart near you (men or women), they have their eyes concentrated in their phones or PSP, or their erotic mangas in front of kids, they act like they are alone in their world. As I used to say, Japanese live in an island and they became an island themselves. What some call manners is translated as hypocrisy in the West. They try to never express their sentiments in public, but they love their beers, and after few drinks, well, it is just like looking under a stone near the river…
Not speaking about that so stupid smile on their faces, expecting that would settle every problems.
The girls, you wrote, they look beauties from far, but they are far from Beauty. Look at their knees or their teeth, and you would understand why there is so many esthetic salons. Japanese love fashion in the way it could hide their imperfections. You can dress a pig like a top model, it always remains a pig: Fashion is made for the Ugly to look tasty, isn’t it?
Guys are machos because they are afraid of their girls, they don’t know how to handle them. Since a new study results made by Japanese scientists and sociologists, they noticed that Japanese males have more feminine behaviors than the precedent generation. They are weak. Japanese old generations made the same constatations and they try to ring the bells, but it is too late, maybe.
Do not mistaken, Japan is a pyramidal system (work, society, politic) based on the mass works. Corrupted, of course, even in front of your eyes, you could even see Yakuza’s shops and recruitment’s desks between two shops or restaurants. Nobody, not talking about the police, says anything. Japanese people do not like to talk about problems, that doesn’t mean there is no problem. Have you ever heard of the suicide statistic rates, the true one not the one they talk on TV or the press. There is a tremendous recession in Japan, but you can’t talk about it.
Train system? Surely one of the most expensive in the world. Perfection? You are joking, no? CEO is only thinking about his bonuses, the employee works only when his/her boss is around, unless they do something else. I work in a Japanese company surrounded by Japanese only, believe me or not but it is the reality, I wouldn’t say that they are lazy, but they are surely tired.
The food, well, it looks healthy from western countries, but it lacks some proteins or others, japanese drugstores sell an excessive amount of supplements (iron, magnesium, vitamins or else).
BUT when you understood all this and else, you are ready to get into the Japanese philosophy…It is not the country where you live that is not good, it is ourself that is not appropriated to the country. This is just a question of codes, available for all the world.