Ladies first in Japan

Have your ever served ladies first since you came to Japan?  When you went to the restaurant with your Japanese male friend, Did he open the door and wait for you?  At the party, Did someone get some foods or drinks for you?  I guess you rerely served ladies first in Japan that must be make you feel uncomfortable.  I'm afraid but Japanese people doesn't have the concept of ladies first custom.

For example, The Hollywood superstar like Johnny Depp came to Japan to accompany his wife for advertising purpose for his latest movie.(I don't know he already got divorced or not)  A lot of his fans have been waiting for him at the airport arrival gate. Eventually Johnny Depp's wife appeared at airport arrival gate first but she only carried handbag. And then, Johnny Depp appeared later following after his wife. However he carried luggage cart which loading a pile of heavy suitcases. Although Johnny Depp is a Hollywood super star, he carried her luggages and walked behind his wife. It's wonderful that such a super star let his wife take the credit. Despite that, Japanese media wrote for a gossip magazine that he never wins against his wife, how miserable he is. Japanese people those who reading never raise objections to media's misleading article that why many Japanese people including me still doesn't understand what is ladies first.

In Japan, our way of thinking are men first than ladies first. In my opinion, we still retains of samurai spirits. I mean, Samurai's wives devoted to help her husband before he go to the battle fields. I think that Japanese men are not good at escoat women because we still has samurai spirits in our immune system. On the other hand, If you get married with Japanese women who devote to men, you would be feel comfortable about your situation.

Effect of the Internet, the world  became more globalized. Sooner or later, we have to accepts westerner's culture like a ladies first though, It will take a long time before it becomes widespread among Japanese men.

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Tokyoite

When you arrive at Tokyo, Maybe you notice that people around you looks distant behavior.
Even though you met somebody's eyes, you ignored, no greeting. And never say the words even if someone bumped against you in the crowd. In Tokyo, we have no custom to strike up a conversation with stranger that makes our things not going as well as you thought.  Not only the westerners takes it stressful about that but also the Tokyoite like me feels stressful too.

I already accustomed the American way of life that I just hated those who acted like that.
When I was younger, I wanted to make them change such a socially awkward behavior that why I tried to strike up a conversation with stranger in public in order to change the Tokyoite. Unfortunately,  I couldn't make it because many people regards me as a kind of suspicious character. Eventually I closed my mind.

People in Osaka which is the second biggest city in the western part of Japan are not conservative unlike people in Tokyo. They are very friendly even if they don't know each other and has sense of humor. They always thinking make someone laugh when they make a conversation. It's an amazing culture! If you visit to Osaka, definitely you would feel comfortable at there. Although Tokyo and Osaka both city are in the same country, apparently the culture between Tokyo and Osaka are different.

However, maybe we are socially awkward as a first impression, but the people who looks conservative are actually very friendly when they open up their mind, we positively help someone those who needs help and we are very polite to others. I think that because we are being proud of descendants of Samurai warriors.

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Valentine's day in Japan

 I want you to hear a unique custom the way of celebrating Valentine's day in Japan.

On February 14th, Only women gives chocolate to men, that's all. However we also provided similar　way of valentine's day which called the White day on March 14th. Men giving a gift return for chocolate on that day. I guess the advertising agencies organization established such a crazy custom to sell more products to encourage the economy.

Basically if you have got five bucks chocolate on that day from someone, you gonna be giving her a something that equivelent to at least ten bucks on White day.

Some of women plans a strategy to giving a chocolate those who love her but she doesn't like him. and demands expensive bland name goods such a Gucci handbag instead of chocolate.

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