Rudeness

[Shibuyaexpat]

If only the Japanese themselves would do this. Especially men. The number of times I'd see a carriage full of men sitting and reading and an old women standing...

My point was to point out how to be polite. By your sentiment, then there is no real reason to be polite if there is always an example of someone being rude.

I msut say, if you live in a country this idea of being a 'guest' annoys me.

Yes, if you are a citizen or a permanent resident--neither of which I am. I am an American temporarily living in Japan on assignment. Therefore, I am a visitor.

 

[Shibuyaexpat]

All the above you mentioned is in fact borrowed from the west or the civilised world, rather than originally Japanese.

You put it in such a way as you Japanese invented all this, hmmm, funny. Come on.

You admire the west, which is good, but you are still a pagan nation equipped with modern technology.

First, as noted above, I am an American. Second, and as Iron Chef mentions, I feel that maybe I have unwittingly tried to hijack this thread. So I'll simly stop here.

 

[celtician]

You may fart as you like in Japan ...they don't mind

 

[alexriversan]

its what some people would call humour
but i am truly puzzled by your posts and am now more than ever wondering if you are indeed sane
forgive my bluntness

now, good. i am wondering too. if you consider a graveyard in front of the house as sane?

and: if i would make up my sentence fitting to english, it would not be japanese. i already try to avoid formulations, which do not exist in japanese.

as for english language and my sentence, they are not the same.
as for the formulation i avoid, and japanese, they do not exist.

imagine i write in this style from now on.

i use to write computer programs in english, hence i tend to write logical sentences, direct language.

i see, most of you do not write programs. i guess, the english is more correct than yours, but the formulations are just not common/not in use. people do not talk this way, i know.

------------------

by the way, bugging people with questions, repeatedly, seems to be extremly rude to me. let people talk themselves? asking questions is not too polite, japanese would say "may you introduce yourself?"

 

[Mike Cash]

Wernicke's aphasia

 

[lifutushi]

i heard that when you are eating something, you must make facial expression that the food is totally delicious (oishii.....)....

 

[Pachipro]

That was really good MikeCash You crack me up!

 

[mizer]

Quote: Alexriversan: "as for english language and my sentence, they are not the same".

You've said it.

 

[Bramicus]

You may fart as you like in Japan ...they don't mind

Is this guy trying to get us in trouble when we're in Japan?

 

[PopCulturePooka]

Is this guy trying to get us in trouble when we're in Japan?

I think he only means "You fart as you like in Japan and don't care what people think, especially if you're an arrogant salary man, and ESPECIALLY if you are farting in English class."

 

[Bramicus]

I think he only means "You fart as you like in Japan and don't care what people think, especially if you're an arrogant salary man, and ESPECIALLY if you are farting in English class."

Would it be considered just as polite to say (in Japanese), "Your farts are extremely smelly"?

That might be a handy phrase to learn, don't you think? ;-)

 

[Glenn]

Wernicke's aphasia

Quote: Alexriversan: "as for english language and my sentence, they are not the same".

You've said it.

LMAO!!

Man, this thread certainly has helped to elevate my mood.

 

[PopCulturePooka]

Would it be considered just as polite to say (in Japanese), "Your farts are extremely smelly"?

That might be a handy phrase to learn, don't you think? ;-)

I found the most polite thing to do was death glare the offender until they turned red, looked down and felt thoroughly shamed.

 

[deadhippo]

Just to put a different perspective on this, here are some things to be considered polite:
- On the train, giving up your seat for elderly and parents with small children (MAJOR POINTS)
- At meals with alcohol, be mindful of other's sake/beer glass and fill (preferably holding the bottle with two hands). Reverse is nice too.
- Depending upon your company, place chopsticks on the little "holders" when not in use.
- When eating soba or noodles in general, it is okay to slurp, as long as you don't hurt yourself in the process.)


All the above you mentioned is in fact borrowed from the west or the civilised world, rather than originally Japanese.

You put it in such a way as you Japanese invented all this, hmmm, funny. Come on.

You admire the west, which is good, but you are still a pagan nation equipped with modern technology.

i think you put it in such a way that the author is japanese
i think you will find that that is not so

 

[ArmandV]

You may fart as you like in Japan ...they don't mind

Just act surprised and use a Rodney Dangerfieldism: "Did somebody step on a duck?"

 

[lifutushi]

what about looking at someone next to you and say "that was a loud one!!". passing the buck, huh?

 

[Mike Cash]

Just ask in a (fake) concerned and sympathetic tone, 窶堋ｷ窶堙≫?堋ｫ窶堙ｨ窶堋ｵ窶堋ｽﾂ？

 

[Mercedes]

Don't be loud, and if you get the chance to go to the hot springs, don't walk into the bathing area completely dressed.

 

[alexriversan]

okay sorry to be offtopic, but i think i can explain alexriversan's post weirdness. I think he is a non-native english speaker running a language through an online translator.

to me, backpockets appear somehow weird.

 

[f0rk0]

And don't forget to take off your shoes. This seems to be an issue with westerners.

 

[lexico]

I can see why 'talking funny' can be cause of discrimination unto class bullying. Of course it could be taken in good humour; but is language play so unacceptable ? An experiment to communicate with a slightly different accent ?
There's always got to be some one to pick on. I can well imagine now what kind of humiliation the first immigrants might have had to suffer; those who didn't speak spanking perfect English.

 

[lexico]

You may fart as you like in Japan ...they don't mind

I understand there are two kinds of farts.

1. the loud, voluminous, resonating, but dry and innocuous fart and
2. the quiet, infinitesimal, mute, but wet and deadly fart.

Are they expected to be handled with equal light-heartedness or is one a more serious offense than the other ? Also, should I opt to apologise, what would be the best way to go about ? Or is absolute denial considered the more honorable, face saving for all involved ? I'm afraid an apology might further offend the victims :?

 

[Matadon]

If the Japanese would give 1/100th of the thought to how to avoid being rude to foreigners that most foreigners give to how to avoid being rude to them, it would be a wonderful country.

I don't think I could agree more. I am two weeks into my first trip to Japan, having travelled and worked internationally in the West, and I spent *days* reading up on etiquette, on top of coming with the understanding that I was going to make an *** of myself. Even with this, I managed to inadvertently dig myself into one big-*** hole.

I'm planning on coming back, both for work and play, but you couldn't pay me enough to move here. Germany, Canada, the US, all fine, but Japan is not a happy place to live in my opinion.

I like the country, the food is great, and the people are generally 'nice', but the Japanese are far worse than Americans when it comes to respecting other cultures.

 

[jamosaka]

the Japanese are far worse than Americans when it comes to respecting other cultures.

Worse than the Americans? Surely not that bad.

 

[TwistedMac]

Wernicke's aphasia

harsh, yet probably accurate...

i use to write computer programs in english, hence i tend to write logical sentences, direct language.

i see, most of you do not write programs.

I used to code stuff... still didn't speak gibberish.

i guess, the english is more correct than yours, but the formulations are just not common/not in use. people do not talk this way, i know.

No. Just no.