Japanese Social Norm & Economy

"In Japan, people rarely like to stand out or act alone. Whenever something important arises, companies prefer to act collectively, presenting a united front through associations...

"Living in Japan, I’ve realized how much people value personal space. Even among Chinese friends who have known each other for many years, it’s rare to meet up every month...

"When I compare China and Japan, what strikes me most is the difference in system and order. Japan, ever since the Meiji Restoration, has had time to refine its capitalist structure. Rules are clearer, boundaries stronger, and the system as a whole feels more stable...

"Here, almost everything is decided through voting, and as the population grows older, policies naturally become more conservative. Elderly voters are less open to new industries or new ways of doing things...

"What strikes me most about Japanese society is how much the economy shapes people’s attitude toward work. For many young Japanese, the effort just doesn’t seem worth it. Japan’s tax and welfare system flattens incomes: once you reach the middle class, whether you work extra hard or not, your take-home pay barely changes...

"Over the past twenty years, I’ve witnessed how much Japan has changed. After the bubble economy collapsed, prices kept falling...

"When I look back on my time studying in China, I realize now how limited it felt. After transferring to an international school in Japan, I was struck by how different things were — everyone was using YouTube, everyone had their own email accounts...

"In daily life, the differences show up most clearly in habits. Garbage sorting, for example, is far stricter here than in China, with detailed rules that take some time to get used to. There are also cultural differences: Japanese people tend to be reserved and prefer not to trouble others. But for me, adapting wasn’t too difficult...

"Life in Japan felt very different from what I was used to in China, especially when it came to rules and order. Everything here followed a strict sense of etiquette and hierarchy...