Reflections on our home countries after living in Japan

Question

I think one thing living in Japan has given me is an appreciation of things my country does really well, and things it doesn't do so well in comparison to here. 

For instance, I think Australia is great with annual leave entitlements. You get four weeks automatically (some workplaces offer even more!) and there's not any guilt associated with taking it. 

Something we don't do so well is public transport. I know that Australia is a massive country, but there has been talk of creating a high speed rail option from Melbourne to Sydney for ages, and nothing has ever come of it. It's basically an 8 hour drive or flying. Also, inner city trains are regularly not on time.

What are the things you think your home country does better or worse than Japan?

BigfamJapan · Answer

This is a coincidence, i.e. very timely, I was thinking of doing a few posts exactly on this.   I'm at home at the moment and the kids have been doing Japan Vs Ireland lists!

genkidesu · Answer

@BigfamJapan oooh, I'd love to read a blog about your thoughts between the two!!

TonetoEdo · Answer

One cultural thing I appreciate about Canadians is that most say please, thank you, and sorry to retail workers. It's not expected in Japan, but it's so ingrained  for me. Conversely, I hear people say "gochiso sama deshita" to servers in restaurants.

genkidesu · Answer

@TonetoEdo I do think globally, Canadians have a reputation as being extremely kind and polite!

TonetoEdo · Answer

@genkidesu I'm not saying that Canadians are better than anybody. But we do have cultural habits (some stemming from our constitution and others a result of socialization) that encourage us to be inclusive and mindful of others. Canadian culture is flatter (less social hierarchy) than Japan. So we tend to stop for emergency vehicles, yield to elderly and infirm people on public transport, and treat shop staff with courtesy. 

It helps that the publicly owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) gives airtime to Indigenous and newcomer voices.

helloalissa · Answer

Something I was just mentioning to my mom (in the US) is that I wish celebrities and politicians there had an expectation to be good examples to others. 
Here in Japan it's an end to your career when you're caught drunk driving or taking bribes; while it's not seen as unusual for entertainers in the US to get tattoos on their faces or to be in and out of rehab.

Reflections on our home countries after living in Japan

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