Things Foreigners get HATED for in Japan 

I’m Japanese. We don’t care if foreigners can’t use chopsticks well because we know they don’t use in their countries😂

I am from Sweden, but I really think almost all of these things are common sense. I wish everyone in Sweden had this respect for others...

Been living in Japan for quite some time and most of the things they say that they hate, I see many Japanese people do the exact same things. I wonder if their responses would be the same if you asked them "What would you think if you saw a Japanese person do X?"

Yeah, just so everyone knows, going around taking pictures of school girls isn't just rude in Japan. Frankly it'll get you arrested in a lot of other countries!

The picture incident is so disturbing. I can't help but think of the worst for why this man wanted a picture of a young girl in her school uniform so bad he did it against her will

I feel so bad for that girl's friend in school uniform. It must've been some weeaboo creep who doesn't know personal boundaries, smh. No means freaking no! Getting your picture taken by strangers without permission is freaking creepy.

I definitely agree with this video. But just to play devils advocate, after living here for five years during covid when tourism was halted, many Japanese ppl did those same things lol. I still get annoyed when I'm going up the escalators and ppl don't follow the escalator manner. For me, it kind of really made me realize that while not to the extent of foreigners(since they're bringing their own culture and mannerisms with them), some Japanese ppl do the same it just gets overshadowed because "Look the foreigner!!" Though that goes for any country I suppose. Basically like all the other comments just be respectful lol. As for the picture guy.....fuck that dude.

I mean, I get blocked by groups of Japanese walking side-by-side several times a day, they can’t really single out foreigners for that lol

I’m so glad, that the young generation is against smoking! When I was living in Kumamoto, twenty-five years ago, the only thing I couldn't stand was cigarette smoke everywhere! It made me sick to my stomach constantly. Many men’s fingers were yellow from tobacco. Now a gaijin with a cigarette is a nuisance on the streets of Tokyo 😂😂😂 Way to go, Japan!

A lot of these are just common sense. Unfortunately there are trash people visiting abroad that give the rest of us a bad name.

Actually as a foreigner / tourist in Japan, easiest is just carefully watch, how they are interacting! No one talks on a train, why should you? No one smokes on the street, why should you? I had some experiences with Japanese working at an airport. Handling a group of 100 Japanese travellers was easier than a group of 20 Europeans. They were so organized and efficient. It was so amazing! They are so polite and show manners anywhere. I really was afraid of making people in Japan annoyed by my behaviour. I guess I didn´t. I just copied them.

So basically, be a respectful person towards others, lol. Sounds perfect, although I’m sure I’ll still get looked at 😂.

I've been living here in Japan for over 30 years and many of the things these young people say are very true and were practiced like 20 years ago...many Japanese ppl do those exact same things.

I’m wondering if the worst Americans are going to Japan. Most of the things the interviewees mentioned are things that annoy most Americans too. We have designated smoking areas, and I think most people are courteous to others on the escalators, most of us hate when people talk loudly on their phones in public, and most of us hate when people in groups walk side by side and don’t move for other people. I witness all of these things too. It seems these bad habits are practiced in families with bad (or missing) parents, and I also see it more with younger people who were born in the 1990s or later. It annoys me also when I see people at the store and they eat fruit to test it or they open a drink or snack they haven’t paid for. Many of us were raised never to do this. Most Americans won’t know about the chopstick etiquette from other countries.

Really grossed out about the guy taking the school girl's photo even after she told him no. I can't help but think he was probably a weeb, but either way people need to be respectful of others.

I've lived and worked in Tokyo for a year and a half, and I've never seen almost all of these, and the ones I have seen have been only a few times max. Also, the things I have seen apply to Japanese people too. I see way more Japanese people not following escalator rules than I do foreigners, and I hear Japanese people talking on the train almost every day, even more so when it's approaching the last train of the night, those are always full of conversation. Honestly, I think a lot of Japanese people already have it in their minds that foreigners will do something bad, so even the slightest thing is judged way harsher than when Japanese people do the same.

日本人がやったら許されるのに！とかいっている人々が多くてドン引き。なんなら日本人がやったときのほうが厳しいわ、マナーを知っているのに破っているとみなされるから。すきあらば日本人は差別的でー僕たちは被害者ーと言い出すから、そういう人たちは心底嫌い。

The blocking the streets thing isn’t isolated in Japan. It happens everywhere that there are guided tours. It’s more of a group size

So basically "Show some damn consideration to the people around you!" That's pretty good advice no matter where in the world you are.

As a tourist spending its last days of a long stay in Japan, I gotta say the main problem is not what you do as a tourist, but the fact of not being Japanese, as many state in other comments. Japanese culture has many great and wonderful things, but they're still really close-minded in that way and once you get here you'll get judgement looks for everything you do. Even by people who work on the tourism field. Plus, you can't expect young people to generally be able to speak English nor try to approach you in a friendly way. Only a few elder people actually show excitement towards foreigners and will make nice contact with you. Or at least, that's been my partner and I's shared experience. They're respectful, but you can feel many times they don't really like you xD.

I too am a foreigner who lives in Japan. I have done so for quite some time. I am from Australia and i grew up with a home where we respect honor and privacy. In Japan i understand and stick by all the rules. Perhaps because i have been in japan on and off since i was 6 years old and now i am 52. to me it is not rules, but socially normal and common sense. I too do not like bad behaviour in foreigners anywhere. It is not hard to take some time to learn socially acceptable rules for a place you visit. However, even members of my own family fail to do this and i find it embarrassing. As i am white, many people view me as a foreigner, although i may speak Japanese at a restaurant, it is like they do not understand me and turn to my Korean friends who do not speak japanese. Judged by appearance can be a little annoying. However, i find Japan easier to live in mostly.

Japanese people break these rules or manners all the time. So it was pretty refreshing to see that one guy acknowledging it. Lots of Japanese people are guilty of stopping midway up the escalator, cutting in line, blocking the walkway, and eating/drinking on trains. It especially annoys me when the sidewalk says "no bikes" but people bike on it anyway smh. Foreigners who have lived in Japan long enough can attest to this. I really wish there was a debate or even a field observation video to show that Japanese people don't follow their own standards of rules and manners. And then show the findings to Japanese people who think otherwise - kind of like the experiment where a guy puts a Quran book cover over the bible and ask people their opinions on some verses. I'm only saying this because questions like this are framed to limit (and even force) people to become narrow-minded. I tell my students to be self-aware and think critically all the time. It's so important. (I'm probably just ranting to the wrong channel lmao.)

I think most of these things are just common sense for a well behaved and educated person. You should not have a loud conversation on a train or open a bag of chips in the supermarket before buying them whether in Japan or not. I have been in Osaka for three weeks now and sadly, I can see a lot of other tourists being disrespectful and unable to adapt. But if I am a guest somewhere, I try to behave in such a way as not to offend the host. I think that would be the right and natural attitude anywhere in the world.

4:40 omg… I see Japanese men (sometimes women, but mostly men) all the time smoking in areas where there is CLEARLY a no smoking sign. As a foreigner that’s my biggest pet peeve. So many people smoke freely on the streets when there are no smoking signs everywhere. A lot of people also smoke while walking so you get a whiff of their second hand smoke in your face. They don’t seem to enforce the no smoking zones so no one does anything about it. In Canada where I’m from, they are very strict about where you can and can’t smoke so that would never fly in my home country. I have also witnessed some Japanese people cutting in line and walking in groups so that they block the path or block train doors. Also some Japanese men do the ‘man spreading’ on train seats 😅 Foreigners are very very far from perfect (even I get annoyed by some of the tourists) but neither are some Japanese people living here. With that said, this video is still very important for tourists who are planning to visit this year 🙌 At least the guy in that clip admitted that Japanese people are bad at following the no smoking signs 👍

That’s not true many Japanese have a beer on the train after work it’s common not a problem and should not be they are not doing any harm

Minding your surroundings while walking is rich coming from japanese girls. They are often known as Smartphone zombies in Japan, constantly on the phone, walking in a straight line, expecting everyone else to move out of their way.

Im pretty sure taking pictures of school girls with out permission is not apropriate anywhere

I'm from the US and have always lived here. I have never heard of or seen people opening things in stores before you buy them. Who does that??

No offense, but some of the things they don't like about foreigners. They should hold themselves also times to it. Because just like foreigners, the Japanese are not all quiet in the train (often enough experienced when I lived there) or eat in the train enough Japanese eat onigiri in the train. I think sometimes you should also consider tourists and foreigners who live there are huge differences. Tourists can not know everything, foreigners living in Japan should already know many manner from work, school or friends. And what I also find important is that what you expect from foreigners in Japan you should also do abroad, thanks for understanding.

It's just the same in Bali we expect the foreign tourists behave as normal human being. Some of them just get deported because they mostly act like a non human being.

I need to start streaming in Japan because everything the Japanese people said in this video are done by Japanese too. Japanese people break every rule they have. They wander aimlessly on the sidewalk, talk loudly on trains, take pictures without permission by pretending they’re watching a video (you can see the reflection of your face on their screen in the train window) 😡, etc. At least those guys admitted Japanese smoke outside of designated areas.

Thanks for all your hard work!

I’ve seen Japanese people committing these fopas. Also how do people tell a “foreigner” do they mean a non Asian person?

the blocking the street thing happens in my country too often i get nervous. it's people that are like this, not just tourist

ever since smart phones, people young and be blasting they're music or youtube video on the train like a boombox from the 80s. its annoying in america

Great video thanks 😊 The one thing I find a little puzzling is almost all the 'rules' I feel like are just mostly common sense and common decency... Maybe it's because I'm from London a fair few of the rules apply here too. But honestly I'm shocked people behave outside of this in public especially in a different country!! Bags on train seats, blocking escalators 😱😂

These things are generally considered annoying in the US too, aren’t they?

I think some people become stupid when they are tourists. I live near a beach/hotel area in Puerto Rico, and when I go to CVS pharmacy I am surprised that women wearing thong bikinis that barely cover anything are offended when they are told to wear a cover up or a towel (and sometimes even sandals because they are barefoot!) to come into the store. It’s almost like rules do not apply to them. I would love to see them wearing their micro bikinis at their local pharmacy, see what happens. 😂

Seems rather petty. As long as we all observe general manners, why dictate odd behaviour to tourists?

A good handful of these are good common sense advice 😂😂 still nice to know what the living Japanese public thinks - instead of just 'tips and tricks' boxes in textbooks lol

Most things are common sense, but the girl saying to ask for permission of everyone when recording a video out on the street is a little ridiculous. Obviously don't just film random people, but there will always be strangers in the background of photos and videos.

In which countries do people open the food before they buy it in the supermarket? :O Aside from that, those are very valid points. I personally also don't like people filming and recording (especially when swimming or being somewhere with swimwear)

The people who record voice messages as a form of communication and playing things on loud speaker are Chinese I notice. Even outside Japan, they’re rude and they just don’t give a f 😭

Many escalators are starting to have signs saying you shouldn't walk (on either side) and just stand on them. I've seen the signs in Saitama and Tokyo. But most people ignore the signs. And sometimes you have the random person just stopping half way up.

All the things they are complaining about foreigners doing there in Japan they are going to other countries doing the same thing.

Freedom and selfishness are different. Stop calling hate what you disagree with

I'm used to standing at the right side of the escalator... My classmates would pull me onto the left side of the escalator whenever we're out in Yokohama 😂😅

Maybe Japanese ppl should give the tourists a break. They're not all going to know all the rules (though many of those just seem like common sense that are not particular to Japan). Japan's economy could use the tourism dollars (yen), so maybe appreciate the tourists for how they're benefiting your country rather than focusing on petty nuisances. If someone was visiting my country, I would hope I would treat them with patience and gratitude.

These are my favorite videos. I want to go to Japan and my main goal is to respect the culture.

I live in NYC and everyone does everything that has been discussed. More and more I am looking forward to my trip

been living in osaka for 6 years, and let me tell you the the escalator thing is not true 😂. the ONLY prefecture that stands on the right and walks on the left is osaka. every other prefecture stand on the left and walks on the right even in kyoto and kobe which is also in the kansai area same as osaka.

In Australia, we stand on the LEFT, walk on the RIGHT on escalators. Also, when you are walking on a footpath - keep to the left. We do not mirror Japan. It is the Same!

All of these are basic manners rules and i love that they were respectful while telling what they didn't like! I would have been so annoyed by most of them too honestly. Looks like i have to learn how to hold chopsticks :.)

I love Japan. I hope visit country soon. Too much rules, but its important know them to respect their culture.

エレベーターについて、大阪で私は注意するのであまり困らないけど中国人が、やばすぎる😢 お願いしてるのに、無視されるからやめて欲しい

I see many of these rules broken all the time in Hiroshima but by Japanese people. Eating on the train, drinking on the train, talking on phone on the train, smoking while walking or on bicycle, not wearing a mask prior to the rules being lifted. These young Japanese kids are full of ideas about rules but have little experience in seeing who actually breaks them, most of the time in Hiroshima, it is Japanese people.

The problem with filming is you’re being recorded by surveillance cameras and sometimes webcams wherever you go in public anyway. So we all have to be mindful of that really.

I would like to see a reverse interview with Japanese people who have traveled to the states and what they thought about manners in the states. I bet a Japanese person who rode the Bay Area Rapid Transit would have some stories to tell. Especially if they walked through the Civic Center station.

Well we should make fun of theose weird japanese when they come to the States then...

Been visiting Japan for the past few weeks for some academic purposes with my university and I’ve been really struggling with trying to stay with my group at times because they do most of the things you absolutely should not do. The one thing I’m struggling with is finding a way through crowds. I don’t want to be in anyones way at all and I find there’s absolutely no order to where people move rn and sometimes I get either stuck behind slow moving people in lines or I end up having to weave my way through crowds to not bump into anyone but I consistently feel like I am in the way. There is also a struggle of navigating stores as well

That creep who takes pictures of school girls is morbidly disturbing, and should be reported.

I am married with a wonderful Japanese lady since 22years and been living in this country several years of my life already, so in general I love Japan and get used to many of these rules BUT I want to say that everything said in the video is a part of "GENERAL" common sense in most of "developed" countries so saying "what i don't like about foreigners manners" is very discriminatory attitude in which too many times the Japanese fall into. There are many Japanese that I experienced been absolutely disrespectful with their own manners but what emerges from this street interview seems only "foreigners" have bad attitudes toward common sense in life.. This is very annoying and testify once more how cultural isolated this country still is. Anyway that's it in 2024, take it or leave it.

Most of it is just common sense, and I agree with almost everything they said. The point is all of these behaviors are held by japanese people around me many times, and while nobody tells anything to other japanese people, I've seen many times people getting insanely mad at foreigners having the same bad behaviors or manners (most of the times without being aware of doing something bad or wrong, differently from the japanese behaving exactly in the same way, intentionally giving a s**t about rules). Well, this makes me mad, it feels like is always easy for them screaming at foreigners while nobody cares about other japanese people with the awareness of doing something wrong.

i hate in japan is girls wearing mini skirts in winter esp in school are very weird ...your inviting temptation in my opinion i have daughter so i dont allowed that

as a foreigner living in Japan, I'd like to add: Don't walk into the train or konbini acting like you own it, talking loudly on the phone, ignoring your surroundings, and ESPECIALLY don't go up to the cashiers while talking on your phone. You are wasting their time, and everyone elses. It's just plain rude, I've seen it happen so many times. Everyone's just trying to relax buy what they came to buy, rest on the way to work/way home. No one appreciates the loud and obnoxous attitude. Plus it's just not good manners to be on your phone in closed spaces.

6:45 Aww, poor Japanese! They are annoyed by groups of foreign tourists? They obviously don’t know that, until 20 years ago, Japanese tourists and their buses used to invade Europe. All you could hear was their Japanese-speaking guide and the click of their cameras, taking a thousand pictures. Locals and other visitors alike couldn’t enjoy monument sites because they were too crowded. There were Japanese tourists everywhere you looked: hotel lobbys, restaurants, streets, squares… They, too, were annoying. Some people do have a short memory. 🤦🏻‍♀️

I heard in the Kansai areas, the escalator etiquette is the opposite of Tokyo. ie standing line is on the right side, walking on the left.

Most of this sounds like common sense anywhere in the world

Some of these answers, oh my days! Half are things that *nobody* ever does but there's an image of 'foreigners do this'. The other half are things that Japanese people and foreigners both do, but there's an image of ' *only* foreigners do this'. -Passing food between chopsticks and other chopstick etiquette is brought up like the most pressing life-or-death issue that Japan faces, yet I've never seen anyone make a faux pas. -The escalators are never blocked so standing on the wrong side is a non-issue. -Holding a bowl with your non-dominant hand is not a 'don't do this in Japan' issue, it's not relevant to this video. -Some people smoke on the street regardless of being foreign or Japanese. -I'm today learning of the the issue of *foreigners* taking pictures of schoolgirls. Just go ahead and Google why Japanese phones make a noise when they take photos. -Tourists blocking the street is always going to be an issue no matter which popular city you visit around the world. The only issue I heard that makes sense in this video is about using the phone loudly in public, or talking loudly on the train. I've heard foreigners do this much more than Japanese people and it is super annoying, and more noticeable with Japanese trains being so quiet. On the back of this, my advice for Japanese young people is to go abroad and get out of the backwards 'foreigners are like aliens who come here and do weird things' bubble that Japanese TV and social media perpetuate.

Funny how everything they mentioned I see Japanese people do more than foreigners. I’ve been in Japan for more than 5 years and see Japanese people getaway with a lot more than foreigners. Sure it’s their country and all but I feel like they always try find a reason to blame foreigners for certain things. I’ve seen Japanese ppl damn near hit cops, act stupid drunk and even be loud on trains. Just seems to me they can take everything from foreign cultures but when it comes to them taking responsibility or calling out their own kind they just simply ignore it. Weird but whatever I just don’t even care anymore. Even my Japanese friends agree that nowadays Japanese people basically do what they say we do.

In 10 days among Japanese you’ll see Japanese doing all of these. But they have the nihonjin card. Note some stations change the right/left thing on stairs.

im doing it though .. im eating inside the train i dont mind lol aslong i dont distruct them ..

I’m looking forward to being in Japan soon- I love all the rules and consideration of others that is practiced there. Where I live, people don’t seem to value etiquette and good manners.

I have a friend from Manchester Uk that lives in Japan. As she told me similar social rules in Japan. As even though I would be polite in general as I’m also from Uk and Leeds is like a mini London most folk are polite in general but do get the odd few rude folk. I also don’t like folk smoking in the street especially when it goes blasting in your face as you walk on by >x

Tbh, most of the foreigners you meet here are incredibly respectful of Japanese social rules because they know they're being scrutinised much harder than Japanese people. Honest mistakes are taken as being rude, and you're reduced to outsider status instantly.

Are people allowed to breathe, or is that meiwaku too?

Except for the "passing things from chopstick to chopstick" (it never comes up), these are all rude actions in the West as well. The rest of us hate them as well.

Japanese people would love NYC subways. It's quiet, clean, smells good, people aren't rude, they don't eat or drink, etc.

and NOW, lovelý japanese people, YOU learn the RIGHT habbits of EVERY.. OTHER.. countrý.. in.. the.. world.. 😊👍

about the escalators, it's almost common practice in Hawaii and Washington with the Asian demographic--- but it's always changing on which side is standing which side is going, just purly out of American understanding "left is fast lane/go, right is slow lane" and vice versa for other East Asian countries.

Asking foreigners don't do but all do by ur Japanese 😂😂😂 Who annoying whose???😅😅😅 I'm not living in Japan But in my last trip it totally change my imaging about Japanese Anyway I'm still love Japan not Japanese ❤❤❤

4:26 Japanese people do this ALL THE TIME so it seems weird to single out foreigners here. I don't think you would have to spend very long in any town or city in the country to see this.

the main thing that probably pisses off japanese people which americans struggle with is just being humble and deferential. if you regard others - and especially the community as a whole - as more important than yourself it's easy to behave in ways that are respectful and unobtrustive. but american culture is very ME ME ME I'M THE BEST and that's just obnoxious to everyone else, especially when you're visiting a culture that is less individualistic.

On the contrary, lately I've been seeing quiet a lot of Japanese dudes trying to pick up (bother) foreign women even after they reject them. LOL as they said a No is a no.

Go try ask 100 people those same questions, different genders, age, social background and locations. A place where tons of ギャル hang out might not be representative enough to convey what "Japanese" think in general as a society. Also how about trying to do some positive videos about "what do you think foreigners could learn from Japanese" or "what do you think Japanese could learn from foreigners" as well instead of antagonizing people.

Tourists from Japan in Australia do what they are saying not to do. They push in line as well. Doesn’t bother me each to their own.

Drink on public or eating transports = noise/people want to sleep?! Everybody want to sleep on planes as well... but meals/drinks are served during your flight...no sense. Tourists must know &respect the cultures where they travel.

How the Japanese feel about foreigners is how I feel about gentrifiers so I definitely understand 😂

We have many Japanese who visit our national park in Banff, Alberta, Canada. As a Canadian, I would not agree to anything but politeness and respect for any visitor to our country. Japanese don’t act the same as us but why should they when they are Japanese? We don’t bow but we are not offended if Japanese want to do that. In general, Canadians are tolerant of others behavior whether they are visitors or even live here full time. Many Canadians are also not very polite to each other and when their behavior offends us we might mention it or just leave the situation. There are good and bad people everywhere. When others visit our country, they should just act the way they would in their own counties. Tolerance of minor differences should just be the norm everywhere. If somebody is really out of line, ask them politely to refrain from their offensive behavior. Any civilized visitor would politely comply. If you really think that all guests to Japan should study and abide by your culture while in Japan? Do you really want the same treatment when you go on vacation in our country? Sometimes it seems a little crowded in the hot springs in Banff, especially with Japanese tourists, should we get annoyed that they are occupying all the best spots? Maybe the Japanese public should come and visit Canada and see how different people can get along with people who don’t look like themselves.

Same is true for Japanese tourists in the UK. They seem to forget all of these rules when they travel abroad. Especially in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Admit it, you guys just hate outsiders. After checking a bunch of videos, with the intention on visiting Japan, I agree with the rules, but I feel like I'm going to another planet. Not just to a different country...

Why do they allow people to eat and drink on the Shinkansen if it bothers them so much? I'll be in Japan in a few weeks and need to be sure that I won't be bothering people on the Shinkansen by eating an ekiben en route.

Japanese girls are cute. I find the Japanese people civil and pleasant. Einstein once wrote of the Japanese that they were (and I quote) "unostentatious, decent, altogether very appealing,” and he added: “Pure souls as nowhere else among people. One has to love and admire this country.”

It’s funny , yes the people on the trains are quiet. But have you heard the train??? I go deaf whenever there is a slight bend. But ya my drinking or eating might wake the person 😅

Hello. I just liked and subscribed to this channel. Years ago I saw a video of a mob of people boarding a train during rush hour in Japan. It was very busy and there was a conductors actually pushing people onto the train. Does that still happen? In New York City that would cause a brawl🤣

I agree with this video in promoting self awareness while abroad, but perhaps the usage of "foreigners" can be swapped out for "tourists" because, having lived abroad for some time now, when the word "foreigner" is used, people who do not look like the majority population are targeted and discriminated against. If you had to pick a "foreigner", who would you pick out from the crowd? the person who looks like everyone else or the person who doesn't? (when they could both be foreigners). At the end of the day, not all foreigners are tourists who lack the appropriate manners while abroad :)

0:07 So say the lemmings who are unable to use their necks when they change "lanes" on the sidewalks. 3:13 Typical that they don't know the origin of their rules. Perhaps they are too young yet to have experienced a ritual for those passed away. 6:48 Japanese don't do that either when walking towards you, expecting the single person to move away. I fixed that by pretending I do no longer see the line-abreast people on the sidewalks.

The comment about people walking in groups and blocking the sidewalks off is an actual pet peeve for me too. Especially when they're walking slow and all I want to do is get pass them. Being conscious and respectful of the people around you is only a strange concept in the west...

若者にばかりインタビューするのは良くない。箸のこともしてはいけない理由を理解していないし、エスカレーターも本来は片側は歩くというルールではなく歩いてはいけない。なんとなくそうなってしまっているだけ。

I was in Japan for a few days with my family and a drunk Japanese college aged guy walked up to us sitting in the train and started grunting at us. We didn't know what he wanted until my sister in law gave up her seat to him and then he stopped grunting. Never experienced anything like it for several years in the Hong Kong MTR system.