Comparing America and Japan, Part 1
July 7th, 2008
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I have some American friends who are staying in Japan for a year, and I wasn’t going to pass up the chance to visit them. I went there from April 15 – 24, 2008, staying mainly in Kyoto, with a couple days in Tokyo.
I found Japan exotic in some ways, like with all the castles and Geisha and beckoning cats. But in other ways, it seemed they were just using common sense. I wish the U.S. could pick up some aspects of Japan.
Upon reading my eBook about Japan, Akemi Gaines at Yes to Me suggested a joint writing project. So here we go. When you’re done with this part, you can read the second half of the discussion, Comparing America and Japan, Part 2, on her blog.
Akemi: I am originally from Nagoya, Japan, and have been in the U.S. since 1995. I’m glad you liked my home country, Hunter.
Hunter: Here are some things I specifically like about Japan:
Food
Hunter:
American restaurants seem to keep making portions bigger and bigger. Do we really need Outback’s 2,900-calorie Aussie Cheese Fries appetizer? OK, that’s a bit extreme, but many Americans consume what should be almost a full day’s worth of calories in one meal. And it’s normal to us, so we don’t realize it’s excessive. We feel like we’re getting a good deal when we say “Supersize me!” The emphasis is usually on the quantity of food, instead of the quality.
I was concerned that I’d get to Japan and not be able to find any food I could eat. Boy, were those fears unfounded! The food was incredible everywhere. There was only one place where I found the food merely OK (it was basically just fried food on a stick), but other than that, it was amazing. And I don’t even like seafood, so why is sushi so good? I don’t know, but it is. And even though they’ve got all this great food, they’re not fat. I’m not sure why, though portion size is a part of it.
Akemi:
Well, there is a secret . . . I could have written the book “Japanese women don’t get fat” I guess 
When I came to the US, food was one of the biggest issues, so I know what you mean. The problem is Americans just don’t pay attention to taste. All they care, it seems to me, is the numbers, like calorie and price. And this is the main reason of obesity in the US, I believe. We want to get satisfaction, so if we don’t get it from taste, we substitute it with quantity, the sheer sensation of fullness. When the food tastes good, small amount is more satisfying and we don’t need to pig out.
When more Americans become discerning to taste, restaurants will have to make good foods to win the competition. But currently, people who pay attention are called “foodie” in the U.S.
Hunter:
Yeah, foodies are really a different kind of person here. I recently attended a Guerilla Cuisine dinner in Charleston, SC, where a group of people get together for food prepared by local chefs, and the theme, menu, and location are announced at the last minute. The people were all great, but they were different…hippies and “arteests” and…well, I don’t even know the words to describe them. It seems that your typical person is not really interested in food, and that will have to change before restaurants feel pressure to improve. Even the Japanese restaurant near me doesn’t have food that tastes similar to actual Japanese food.
Akemi:
Exactly. It’s a process that takes some time. Japanese didn’t become gourmet overnight. When Americans were traveling to the West in wagons, Japanese already had restaurants and cookbooks 
We really need to treat foods with more respect, rather than treating it like fuel. We are humans, not automobiles. We are entitled to enjoy foods!
Crime
Hunter:
I didn’t feel great about having to carry around a bunch of cash (since most places don’t take credit cards), but my friends said that crime is ridiculously low in Japan. When I looked it up, I saw that they weren’t kidding. Japan’s robbery rate is less than 1% of what it is in America!
They’ve done a good job of getting rid of guns, and not many people have the guts to rob someone without a gun. When I went to Tokyo Disneyland, the handout said tattoos weren’t allowed (tattoos are a sign of some criminal organizations). I guess they had a problem with the Japanese mafia hanging out on the teacups ride. But the point is that the laws and rules they’ve put in place seem to be working, though there’s some loss of individual liberty.
Akemi:
Allow me to correct one thing you said . . . Japan didn’t get rid of guns. The vast majority of Japanese never had guns. The samurais had swords, but not guns. You need a special license to carry a gun in Japan.
I agree the crime rate is so much lower in Japan. When I was in Japan, as a young woman ^_^, I usually carried more than 10,000 yen ($100) in my wallet without much thought to it. My first job in the U.S. was for a bank, and I learned we could get killed for a few hundred dollars here. Now I pay everything by credit card.
Having said this, there is a dark side in Japanese society. For example, domestic violence, including parent killing their child or vice versa, is often reported in the news, and there are probably far more hidden violence than we know. There is a culture of not releasing family shame to outsiders. Hidden violence at school is also a problem.
Hunter:
That’s funny that you’re making what I guess is a manga smiley (^_^)!
We have hidden violence and a dark side here too, sometimes in places you’d never suspect. There was a typical “all-American kid” who once lived just down the street from me, named Danny Petrole (he was all over the national news). No one had any idea that he was the head of a huge drug ring until a fellow dealer, who is now on death row, hired someone to kill him.
I have a friend who stupidly decided to intimidate someone who cut him off in traffic. They turned out to be members of a triad, and they followed him home and threatened him with knives and bumper jacks. When the cops came, they arrested my friend despite what all the witnesses were saying, because apparently the cops are afraid of the triad. And this is all happening in a quiet suburb. It’s scary to think about how much stuff is going on that we don’t know about.
Akemi:
Wow. I’ll be more careful then. I never suspected my good neighbors. . .
Kaizen
Hunter:
Kaizen simply means “improvement,” but they take it very seriously. They know that continuous incremental improvements over time lead to massive results, so they encourage experimenting with new ideas and measuring the outcome.
U.S. auto makers were slow to notice that times were changing and consumers wanted smaller cars. They kept cranking out full-size sedans because that’s what they had always done. Meanwhile, the people at Toyota responded to what consumers were saying, and by changing a little here and a little there, they became the industry leader.
I’ve worked at some companies where I saw obvious opportunities for improvement, but no one wanted to hear it. I worked at one company where they actually asked for suggestions, and people would suggest things like “stop paying millions of dollars to fired executives,” but I don’t know if any of the suggestions were even considered.
Akemi:
That’s interesting. I thought Americans were more open to accept everyone’s opinions. Why do you think American management is so closed minded?
Hunter:
I don’t know if there’s any single answer. I’ve seen higher ups not understanding technical details, or not having respect for the employees, or just wanting to do things their way, or thinking that what worked in the past would always be the best option, or being so focused on tight deadlines that there was no time to rethink things. And sometimes you might convince your boss, but they don’t want to take the idea to their boss. It can be hard to get your ideas in front of the right people.
To be fair, a lot of people will adamantly demand changes without fully understanding the reasons for the current way. But I think instead of just saying “no,” management should explain why these suggestions might not be feasible and encourage further suggestions. That builds respect and cooperation instead of resentment.
Akemi:
I agree. I think Kaizen started in the post WWII collective spirit that Japan must catch up to compete against well-established “foreign” industries. All the major cities, including their factories and transportation systems, were burned down in the war, and it was clear we had to work hard.
Now that Japanese industries are well-established themselves, I think they face the same challenge you described, “We’ve always done it this way.” thinking . . . while Americans learn the Kaizen.
Living within their means
Hunter:
I’m not sure about the current statistics, but the average savings rate is very high in Japan and basically nothing in the U.S. The U.S. as a country and many American families are practically bankrupt, yet they keep wasting more and more money. The government can bail out the irresponsible spenders, but who will bail out the government when other countries decide to stop lending us money? The Japanese are among the highest savers in the world. Why can’t we save even a fraction of what they do?
Akemi:
I’d be cautious to compare two countries’ statistics. It is very possible we may not be comparing apples to apples. Having said this, I agree U.S. economy has serious problems, and by now, many Americans are aware of this.
Japanese love saving, to the point it can be a problem. They have issues enjoying life. I think our hope lies somewhere between the American and Japanese ways of living – in the big Pacific ocean – to enjoy life while being sensible to spending. Not all good things come with price tags, you know.
Hunter:
Americans have issues enjoying life too. Someone might put on a happy face, but beyond that and their big house and their fancy car, they’re feeling the great stress of keeping up with the Joneses. I agree that moderation is good here. If you can keep your wants reasonable, it’s not so hard to afford what you need while saving for a rainy day.
Akemi, I want to thank you for suggesting this joint writing project and taking the time to do it with me. I think it’s interesting to compare the perspectives of people from two very different backgrounds.
I also want to make sure my readers continue to Comparing America and Japan, Part 2 to read our discussion on Housing, Education, Freedom and Opportunities. Don’t miss it!
July 7th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Hey Hunter,
This was fun! Maybe we will do Part 3-4 sometime. We didn’t cover some fun topics like girls / guys this time . . .
Akemi – Yes to Mes last blog post..Comparing America and Japan, Part 2
July 8th, 2008 at 9:48 am
[...] Comparing America and Japan – Part 1 by Hunter Nuttall. Comparing America and Japan – Part 2 by Akemi Gaines. [...]
July 8th, 2008 at 10:49 am
What a brilliant comparison. I see Japan and America as being far more advanced than the UK in many ways, so this was very interesting.
I love visiting America and Japan is on my must do list. Hunter’s crime stories were pretty scary. Many countries have problems with Triad’s though – ours included.
I also find that the food portions in America are pretty huge. We can split a meal and still not manage to eat it all. However, on the whole, the quality is better than it is in the North of the UK and the service is generally better too.
Japanese food is wonderful. We don’t have a Japanese restaurant where I live though. We either make it ourselves, get takeaway sushi from the supermarket, or visit Japanese restaurants in London or the States.
Cath Lawsons last blog post..Immigrating – Choosing Where To Go
July 8th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
This is a GREAT idea. I love seeing your perspectives, side-by-side like this!
Hayden Tompkinss last blog post..Rev Up Your Marriage! Retro Edition
July 8th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
@ Akemi, yeah, it was fun, and there are still plenty more topics to cover, like cats!
@ Cath, that’s interesting, I wouldn’t have thought of the UK as far less advanced. But I haven’t been there in a while. Do they really eat eel pie?
@ Hayden, I liked doing it this way too. You see a different kind of interaction when people take turns. It’s more conversational. Glad you liked it!
July 8th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
Cath,
I haven’t been to Europe so I don’t know what it’s like there — what do you mean UK is less advance!?
Hey, Hunter, Japanese eat eels, too.
Hayden,
Thank you for taking your time to comment on our posts.
Hunter,
Cats? You mean the beckoning cats? Or you mean cartoon cats like Kitty or Nekonyan?
July 8th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Ok ok…it’s still a toss whether my family should plan a vacation in the States or Japan end of this year. Perhaps you can help me by comparing which is better for ski vacations???
Japan sounds appealing because none of us have been there. On the other hand, my husband is due to make 1-2 more business trips end of the year to the States and the rest of us (kids and I) may just tag along. We change our minds every few days!! May be a good idea to start “manifesting” for some money for the trip…LOL!
Evelyn
July 8th, 2008 at 11:26 pm
Evelyn,
If you want to enjoy good powder snow for skiing in Japan, you need to go to Hokkaido (the north island). Nagano, where the winder Olympics was held several years ago, is another possibility, but I think the snow may be a bit damp.
Whereas in the US, you have a lot of choices for good skiing. It’s far from Singapore, but if you can tag along with your hubby, that may work out well . . .
Akemi – Yes to Mes last blog post..Comparing America and Japan, Part 2
July 9th, 2008 at 2:24 am
Hi Hunter and Akemi,
What a fabulous idea for a post.
Having worked for both Japanese and American corporations, where I learned the most was from the Japanese. Although they had the same politics as most companies, it was how they conducted the daily operations and treated the employees where I saw the biggest difference.
I also agree, in the US, food is often super sized. The Japanese spend more time on the presentation and taste (quality) of the food, than quantity. Let’s face it, it’s pretty hard to make a plate of eggs, bacon, biscuits, gravy, and hash browns look beautiful.
I’m looking forward to part two, so will check out Akemi’s blog, as well.
July 9th, 2008 at 6:53 am
@ Hunter – I believe they eat eels in the south, but we don’t eat them in the north. We eat rabbits though.
@ Akemi – We always seem to get anything new last. When folks in the States were all paying a low monthly amount for Internet – my telephone bills were huge, as I had to pay by the minute. And it was a long long time after you all got Broadband that it was available in my office.
When any new idea or technology comes out it feels as though we are blindly following America – eventually.
And when I see some of the electronic gadgets and gizmos the Japanese carry around with them it’s like we’re aeons behind.
July 9th, 2008 at 10:09 am
It’s interesting how Hunter points out that in the US people don’t save and then Akemi adds that in Japan people save at the expense of enjoying life. I guess the two cultures could learn from each other. I also need to pay more attention to savoring my food. And I love sushi
Marelisas last blog post..Finding Balance through the Four Elements: Fire, Water, Earth, and Air
July 9th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
Barbara,
Thank you for your input. I’m glad you enjoyed working for Japanese company.
Cath,
I see. (Does Peter Rabbit taste good?)
Marelisa,
I’m thrilled to find another sushi enthusiast! Yes, our point is not about putting one country down but to learn from each other.
July 9th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
@ Akemi, I mean the whole obsession with cats in general. They’re all over the place! Beckoning cats, Hello Kitty, etc. I wondered what caused that much fascination with them. But I’m more of a dog person.
@ Barbara, how about eggs for eyes, a biscuit nose, and bacon smile?
@ Cath, oh, the poor bunnies!
@ Marelisa, probably any two cultures could learn from each other. I hope to see more posts like this comparing other countries, because I’m sure it would be interesting.
July 17th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
[...] Hunter Nuttall: Hunter has been a regular visitor to this blog for a while. And he always has something interesting or entertaining to say. Some of my favourite posts on his blog include: Overnight Success and Comparing America and Japan Part I. [...]
August 10th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
[...] So I thought this is a wonderful opportunity to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of both countries. Please read the first half of the discussion at Comparing America and Japan, Part 1. [...]
August 29th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
[...] Hunter Nuttall has invited me to come see him in DC for his interview, so I’m skipping my regular Gratitude Friday post. Sorry. It’s an extensive interview on my Akashic Record Reading service. The link will take you to his part of our combo writing we did awhile ago, comparing the US and Japan. Maybe it will entertain you while you wait for my return. (And yes, after reading his post, be sure to come back to read the latter part of discussion here.) [...]
October 5th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
[...] least, that won’t be the focus). I’m just not that into travel, and I already went to Japan and Charleston, SC this year, so I don’t feel the [...]
October 19th, 2008 at 2:24 am
i would like to make a point on your comment in your answer to HUNTER, “When Americans were traveling to the West in wagons, Japanese already had restaurants and cookbooks” , id like to mention that yes, these people were travelling west without gourmet restaurants or books, but the reason was to open farms and ranch homesteads on huge tracks of land , land per family sometimes bigger than all of japan. of course there were no restaurants!!
but i promise you these people came from cities with restaurants!!! They made the choice to leave the cities of the east coast and open large ranches, and many of them at the time became some of the richest people in the world…because of theyre hard work and sacrifice,,a sacrifice that others were not willing to make..and books were troublesome to travel far distances with, recipes were in memory, from whatever european backround the pioneer might have come from, france, germany, england, all places with a fine long history of gourmet food…in general your comment seems extremely mistaken…i recomend you become more globally minded and sensitive before you publish any books geared towards foreigners,,,especially if you want to really educate people and do good business…if your goverment offered you land the size or a prefecture wouldnt you sacrifice the luxuries of city life and get in that wagon? or would you hold on to your restaurants and cookbooks and stay in the same smelly city all your life???what choice would you make? and by the way, we invented the first printing press…just so you know, we didnt have to manually write our books like japan had to at the time;) if you wanna talk about history. ..and also wheels were outlawed in japan for quite a long time, all things had to be ported on mens backs for long distances,,,around the same time as our pioneers, or a bit before, in the edo period…accounts have been written in a book called “GAIJIN” speaking at how rustic and uncivilized things were for the japanese common people…life in japan was not always how you seem to percieve life in japan …there were periods in history where the entire nation had large food shortages that killled countless people, around the same time as our pioneers were travelling the “land of plenty”,,gourmet??????what good is a cookbook, where there is no food?
November 25th, 2008 at 12:02 am
[...] And His Wonderful Pauschisms Overnight Success Comparing America and Japan, Part 1 The Introverts Strike Back What Is An Ebook Worth? How To Be A Woman Persistence Isn’t Using [...]
March 24th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
[...] Nuttall wrote a few posts comparing Japan to America, his home country and he received some really nasty messages. Maybe some Americans have just had [...]
July 14th, 2009 at 11:34 pm
This basically reads like a guy who’s not very familiar with the realities of Japan but who loves the undeniably great first impression in conversation with a Japanese woman who holds the typical Japanese viewpoint: that Japan is superior to most other nations.
I’d encourage you to look beyond “Japanese people aren’t as fat” and “the crime rate is lower”. Japan is a pre-feminist society with a truly frightening justice system, out of control suicide rate, and a runaway construction policy that destroys the countryside. It is not all green tea and hot springs.
July 15th, 2009 at 6:42 am
@ Christopher, of course there are some bad things about Japan, but we can only fit so much into one post. Part 2 is more about the pro-U.S. side. BTW, doesn’t everybody think their nation is superior to most others?