Bad Japanese manners / Where are the polite Japanese ?

[Emoni]

People vary because they are people. I've run into assholes in Japan just like anywhere else. Just because the initial behavior "tends to be" one expectation doesn't mean you won't sometimes run into those who fit the exact opposite of that expectation from time to time.

Just remember that one person doesn't represent an ENTIRE culture, race, social group, or nation. It's my hope that one person isn't considered a representative as I know plenty of Americans who have f'd up a lot of situations in Japan due to their behavior and I don't want to be labeled along with them.

[Yan]

The politeness of an entire culture cannot be evaluated by only two or three kids who think they rule everything around them. I know a lot of polite people in Quebec but some of them are not. I'll never say that Quebecers don't know about respect only because of two or three people...

[Mike Cash]

Alright then, back to your main point.

The wisest and most concise comment on the politeness situation I have ever heard in all the time I have been here came from a Canadian fellow who had been in Japan six months. His astuteness and perspicacity are a large part of the reason I think time in Japan is such a poor indicator of anything other than how long a person has been in Japan.

He said, "The Japanese are polite in their sock feet."

If anyone needs that explained to them, I will be happy to elucidate at a later time.

[Crystallize]

Hm, I must say, lately, well, lets say the latest month to be more exact I've actually done a truthful attempt to really know Japanese people on different forums and I must say I never managed to meet a rude Japanese, how ever they can be a bit distant or impersonal and a few a bit close minded ... but never directly unkind or rude and most are very nice and warm hearted IMO ...

[Mike Cash]

Hm, I must say, lately, well, lets say the latest month to be more exact I've actually done a truthful attempt to really know Japanese people on different forums and I must say I never managed to meet a rude Japanese, how ever they can be a bit distant or impersonal and a few a bit close minded ... but never directly unkind or rude and most are very nice and warm hearted IMO ...

I've never been to Antarctica but I've seen photos on the web and I must say that it isn't nearly as cold as I thought it would be.

[Nhat_Hoang]

I've never been to Japan, but I 've met some Japanese. I found them very friendly and warmly. I think impolite people are very few

[SpikeDaCruz]

Of all the Japanese people that I knew, I don't have any complain about them. ;)