What do you dislike about Japan ?

[Bucko]

Hmmm .... I've read and heard some ( truth and half-truth ) little unpleasant comments to baseless anti-Japanese crap about them,lack of dental hygiene is the first for me.Can you elaborate further,isn't " cleanliness " a deep-rooted cultural trait ?

This is something that still shocks me everyday and was one of the first things I noticed when I came to Japan. Still, no one has given me a good explanation as to why so many Japanese people's teeth are so bad. (we're not just talking crooked here, we're talking crooked, rotting, plaque covered, black, brown, stinking teeth)

[ricecake]

Still,no one has given me a good explanation as to why so many Japanese people's teeth are so bad. (we're not just talking crooked here, we're talking crooked, rotting, plaque covered, black, brown, stinking teeth)

Are those individuals from lower economic class in Japan,can't afford dental plan ?

None of Japanese nationals I've been in contact with person to person ( for many years ) here in northern California has any of those mentioned denture symptoms,no bad breath or stinking teeth.

[gaijinalways]

Better dental hygenie awareness seemed to come to Japan later than some other modernized countries. Many young people here still could use braces, but stinking teeth seem to be a thing of the past.

[Maciamo]

Better dental hygenie awareness seemed to come to Japan later than some other modernized countries. Many young people here still could use braces, but stinking teeth seem to be a thing of the past.

I also noticed that many young people still have very apparent metalic teeth fillings in Japan. Here it is over a decade (maybe over 15 years) that fillings are white and invisible. My wife had her fillings changed in Belgium because she couldn't find a dentist that did white fillings in Japan, after I told her about it when we were living in Japan. I noticed that Japan was very late (usually over 10 years) in matters of medicine compared to Belgium or France. My wife has a few Japanese friends who have given birth in Belgium or France, and they said that hospitals and gynaecologists were so much better here than in Japan. Two of them had already given birth in Japan and could compare knowingly.

[Maciamo]

2. People who continually complain about how Japan is not like their home country. If you wanted to be in your home country, why did you leave and come to Japan?

Two things for you to reflect upon :

1) not all foreigners in Japan chose to live in Japan. Personally I went to live there because of my wife. Many people are there for their job (expats, US servicemen, embassy staff, etc.).

2) Many of the complaints in this thread so far concern things which nobody would accept in their home country. Personally, there are things in this poll which I have also criticised in Belgium on Eupedia (e.g. political corruption, urban planning and public transports, colonial abuses, etc.). Many of the cited complaints are things which are universally disliked : natural disasters, destruction of historical and natural heritage, discrimination...

Most of the rest regards the condition of foreigners in Japan, something that one cannot compare with his/her home country. In my case, though, I can compare it to my other experiences of living in several foreign countries, and I only complained when I found that Japan was worse than other (developed) countries for that matter.

I intentionally refrained to add my complaints about language and cultural differences I do not like (e.g. slurping tea and noodles) in the poll itself, because it is too personal.

[DoctorP]

Two things for you to reflect upon :
1) not all foreigners in Japan chose to live in Japan. Personally I went to live there because of my wife. Many people are there for their job (expats, US servicemen, embassy staff, etc.).

Understand that I do not wish to make this personal...but I will say that you did have a choice! Just as you chose to leave, you also chose to come here.
Military personell also have choices...you wouldn't know, you never served.

2) Many of the complaints in this thread so far concern things which nobody would accept in their home country. Personally, there are things in this poll which I have also criticised in Belgium on Eupedia (e.g. political corruption, urban planning and public transports, colonial abuses, etc.). Many of the cited complaints are things which are universally disliked : natural disasters, destruction of historical and natural heritage, discrimination...

Please leave Eupedia out of this, they are seperate forums, and I would not be able to verify anything you have posted there anyway.

[DoctorP]

I also noticed that many young people still have very apparent metalic teeth fillings in Japan. Here it is over a decade (maybe over 15 years) that fillings are white and invisible. My wife had her fillings changed in Belgium because she couldn't find a dentist that did white fillings in Japan, after I told her about it when we were living in Japan. I noticed that Japan was very late (usually over 10 years) in matters of medicine compared to Belgium or France. My wife has a few Japanese friends who have given birth in Belgium or France, and they said that hospitals and gynaecologists were so much better here than in Japan. Two of them had already given birth in Japan and could compare knowingly.

White fillings are/have been available in Japan for several years...how long I am unsure, but they do have them.

As for dental hygiene. It seems as though there has been a swing in the last 10 years to where there is more trust in dentists and more teaching going on as to the importance of good dental hygiene.

Many children still have terrible teeth, but it is getting better. Braces are extremely expensive, and I think that Japan should find a way to make it less so. My oldest son will be getting braces soon, and I am dreading the costs involved.

Many mothers do not brush their babies teeth. This combined with breastfeeding, contributes to rotted teeth in babies. Once the children grow, they have not been taught any good habits, and tend to not brush themselves. I have see changes to this though. There are three dentist offices withing 6 blocks of my house. Many children go there right after school now for their appointments. Two of the dentists have installed monitors on the chairs so that the kids can watch TV/DVD's while being seen. They can also use the monitor to watch what the dentist is doing inside their mouth. It has made the dentist quite fun and entertaining, and the children actually enjoy the visits. Maybe more of them will continue to go now.

[ricecake]

Then don't read the complaints.

I dislike people who are blinded by their passion and only see everything in pink (the Japan lovers) or in black (the Japan haters).

Your thread has over 500 viewer hits versus under 100 for " what do you like about Japan and Japanese people ? " thread.

[craftsman]

Your thread has over 500 viewer hits versus under 100 for " what do you like about Japan and Japanese people ? " thread.

Don't diss my thread please ricecake. 103...104....now I've got 105.

[Mrjones]

I don't know why, everybody is saying just go home, or its your fault where you are living you had a choise. In my country we say "go home" to foreigners, usually to people who have said something very stupid and embarassing to public press. Like the case where national soccer player said he would not want to play for Finland, but some other country. This got people pretty mad, but usually people from my excperience try to avoid to say such a rude thing, becouse it is usually related to things which are none of their busnessess anyways...(rant ends here). I am sure we all got our reasons to live, which ever their are they are what we chose.

White fillings are/have been available in Japan for several years...how long I am unsure, but they do have them. ... There are expectianally many gold theeth in Japan compared to me home country. Also many dentist students come to Finland to do exchange study, I think there is reason for this exchange study too. Japan is great country.... but still an country(okuni like every place else)..

[jenova_han]

sometimes too mania or crazy in sex.. >.<

[japantvhost]

Its too warm inside the packed trains in winter time.

[taehyun]

Japanese men

[tampopo]

being tall, I hate low fire exit signs, low light chandeliers and anything that is low for a tall westerner, but high enough for Japanese!!! I had so many bumps in my head after my first visit!
In a private house where one is obliged to walk around barefoot (no problem there) when I realised that the tread in the door way is raised about an inch or a couple of cms above floor level, leading me to rap my toes on a regular basis. Oh it's painful.
I noticed bad teeth in several Japanese. I was once told that it's considered kinda cutesy to have one little tooth sticking out from the others.
I also believe that it's not such a culturally important thing over there as it is in, lets say USA or Canada.
___________________________________-
Edit here.
Yeah, I've been thinking of the teeth thing for ages. I do love good teeth! I was thinking the only two people, celebrities or famous people in the public eye with bad teeth are the actor Steve Buscemi and Shane McGowan from The Pogues!

A couple of more things that make life hard (in a tiny tiny way) are small slippers/flip flops that are to be used instead of outdoor shoes-esp for tall foreigners.It's a pain. I was looking in my wardrobe today and at the back I have a Japanese national rugby jersey. Size L. The sleeves are up to my wrists! There was something else, I suppose I'll have to edit again.

[Sukotto]

That I'm not there


(until I am there, of course ;)

[loquela]

That's quite natural ! Most Dutch people born and raised in the Netherlands speak English very well, some almost like native speakers, without having lived in an English speaking country. Dutch is the closest language to Old and Middle English, that explains a lot !
Just on this forum I have noticed a lot of US-born Americans who do not master English very well - less well than many Northern Europeans who have English as their 2nd or 3rd language.

That doesn't really explain anything. Old and Middle English are about as far removed from modern English as Normandy French.

[loquela]

I have seen a number of your posts Maciano and I have noticed a trend that leans towards the vilification of Japan and the Japanese. In another post someone was complaining that it's always the Americans (not the Europeans) that complain about the country. I think you have succeeded in pulling us Europeans up from the rear end.

I'm curious. Are the negative points you have in your poll born of your own personal experience. Because the interesting thing is that they seem almost to be quoted verbatim from the sources you invite us to read before responding to your poll.

Wouldn't is be more helpful to ask readers to post their own personal experiences rather than form opinions based on third party, often very subjective views?

I see in your profile that you have spent '3 to 5' years in Japan. Does that mean 3 years, then 2 years separately? Whatever it means I don't think you have spent enough time in Japan to assimilate or at least try to understand the culture you found yourself in.

I was in Japan for about seven years and certainly I found things that frustrated, annoyed, upset. But my trick was to accept that this happens anywhere and is even more likely to happen in a place that I don't fully understand. Do think the Japanese find Japan as annoying as you do? I certainly don't find England as annoying as my wife does.

I reckon it would be healthier and more constructive to discuss more about what you really like about Japan. Go on, I dare you!

[Mrjones]

"I reckon it would be healthier and more constructive to discuss more about what you really like about Japan. Go on, I dare you!"
I agree there is only one healty answer for person, unfortunately I cant do it..
Every man has his/hers own mind.

(what i mean is, everybody always wants to see other people agreeing with themselves..when somebody disagrees, he is automaticaly wrong.)

[loquela]

I agree there is only one healty answer for person, unfortunately I cant do it..
Every man has his/hers own mind.

I don't think I said there was only one healthy answer. I was just suggesting and alternative to the constant barage of negative discussions.

(what i mean is, everybody always wants to see other people agreeing with themselves..when somebody disagrees, he is automaticaly wrong.)

I don't feel this way. I am glad for anybody to point out that I am wrong or I have made a mistake or I am misguided, etc. I certainly beats stomping around in ignorance.

[fuma_kamui]

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[Kaoru Hino]

Japan is seem to be a modern country which accepts foreign culture (outside Asia) and which is prepare for foreigner issues...

In my oppinion that is just a lie.

One of the examples: when you came here, you always think everyone can speak at least English (at least around Tokyo area), but you just have to ask:

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To make them look at you with a panic face.

I'm not an English native speaker, and I can speak Japanese more or less, but when I have troubles, I really want to have a language in which I can be understood... But here sometimes it seems to be impossible.

Another example... Every Japanese will ask you about your culture, about your history, your experience, and so on... But I still cannot find a person who I can really talk and discuss things to. And I'm gonna tell you just an example of what is happening me around here:

One day, I was in the University, and we were talking about the Spanish Colonization of America and then the Spanish trip to Japan, and so on... And well, because I'm Spanish, the teacher looked at me and told me:

-You are from Spain, so you should know that Spanish came here to invade our country, so explain that to us. And also, explain the relationship between the colonization and the Industrial Revolution in Europe.

I was shocked at first. As fas as I know, and I studied History, Industrial Revolution and Colonization have nothing in common because they are two different topics, and also, Spain never tried to invaded Japan. The Spanish who went here just tried to teach Christianism, and actually, there were not enough Spanish in Japan to do that xD. But OK, I thought, maybe here is a problem of different ways of study History...

So I started some kind of debate between me and the teacher... And the teacher just let me know that Japanese way of study history is the real one, and that Japanese killed Christians because they were trying to conquer them... But anyway my what surprise me most is when in the middle of the debate, he just told me:

-Well, that's is your point of view, but I'm not gonna change mine.

That made me think I was right, but he didn't want to tell us.
So, what was the purpose of the discussion?. You ask me for some information, I give it to you, but you're going to do nothing with it. That is completely useless.

I mean, is OK if Japan wants to mantain its own culture. And also, I think is the best thing they can do, because Japan has such a fascinating culture. But, Japanese (in general) need to open their minds and think that sometimes, they are not right withouth feeling some kind of country pain. Because yes, the Japanese is proud of being Japanese, and that's good also, but when this starts to make you think that you cannot be mistaken, it starts to become a problem, right?

But anyway, this is just my oppinion

[caster51]

So I started some kind of debate between me and the teacher... And the teacher just let me know that Japanese way of study history is the real one, and that Japanese killed Christians because they were trying to conquer them... But anyway my what surprise me most is when in the middle of the debate, he just told me:

is he a teacher..........?
I was surprised

Every Japanese will ask you about your culture, about your history, your experience

??

[KirinMan]

There are a few things that I have found to "not" like about Japan, but that doesn't mean that I want to leave, heck I think there are probably a million things that I could write, figuratively speaking of course, about my own home country that I hate as well.

I guess I have just learned to take the good along with the bad and leave it at that.

I would probably say the same thing about anywhere I lived so it just doesnt pertain to Japan alone.

However if someone chooses to dwell on the negatives that they have experienced here then "they" have the problem and not the Japanese people.

Oh I want to add here that this comment is directed at noone in particular, it is just my own opinion, that's all.

[pipokun]

Kaoru Hino, share your thought not here, but in the History & Traditions.

One of the examples: when you came here, you always think everyone can speak at least English (at least around Tokyo area), but you just have to ask:
-窶堋ｿ窶堙･窶堙≫�堙�、窶ｰpﾅ津ｪ窶｢ﾂｪ窶堋ｩ窶堙ｨ窶堙 懌�堋ｷ窶堋ｩﾂ。

When I answer your question above in English, "Yes" or "No", then someone else points out, "I don't know why all Japanese always answer my questions in English, even though I ask them in Nihongo".

[Kaoru Hino]

Maybe is a question of your lucky...

But well, that were the things I dislike about Japan ^^