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this post was submitted on 19 Mar 2026
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"Showing respect in all aspects of daily life" sounds like a bit of orientalism. People aren't exactly bowing to each other when they pick up a beer from a convenience store.
Its really not, if you're broadly comparing Japanese culture to American culture.
I was a karateka for over a decade, met a fair number of Japanese people, Japanese karatekas.
Even the Japanese karatekas, who are... largely considered to be more rude and care less about politeness, be more brash than the typical Japanese non karateka... they were generally much more polite, less crass, more likely to avoid an unintentional insult, and be very embarassed than the American karatekas I knew, than the typical American.
Like I actually remember a Japanese karateka explaining to me the difference between ... what kinds of situations call for a 15-30 degree bow, a 30-45 degree bow, and basically a 90 degree bow.
There is a literal physical language and ettiquette to showing the proper amount of respect: If you do a very deep bow for something that only calls for a minor one, you're basicslly acting like a kiss-ass, being overly dramatic. If you do a minor bow for a situation that calls for a deep bow, you're being flippant, insulting, not taking things seriously.
The only exception to that pattern I've personally experienced was when, years later, I happened across an apparent ex-Yakuza at a bar.
Yeah. Yeah that guy was significantly less well-mannered lol.
But also extremely skilled at martial arts.
Yeah, talking cultures broadly I agree, but the phrasing of how respect permeates "all aspects of daily life" sticks in my craw.
This isn't really unique to Japan, except maybe for the fact that it manifests itself as a bow. If you owe someone a really big apology and you say "Yeah, oops" you'll come off as flippant. If you minorly inconvenience someone and you say "I'm so deeply sorry for the grave harm I've done to you!" you sound insincere.
I mean, my point in saying its a literal physical form of etiquette that is systemitized is to ... differentiate it from many other cultures, where its mostly just linguistic.
Not too many other cultures have a whole system of physical manuevers that also comprise part of how respect is culturally conveyed.
Microexpressions? Nah, this is a macroexpression.
Tons of broader Japanese culture also has systemitized, physical rituals... essentially, complex dances, that either accompany or just literally are an actual ancient tradition.
There is an extreme amount of emphasis on physical control of your own body, compared to other cultures I have interacted with, have studied.
Of course, not everyone takes all of that so seriously, is so formal... culture changes over time and is never totally homogenous... Japan is also rather famous for its extremely expressive and distinctive fashion/lifestyle sub cultures.
There is differentiation, but its... its sort of like the Overton window for etiquette is in a significantly different position as for many other cultures, if that makes sense.
... that actually happens. Cashiers at Konbini do bow. Not every cashiers, not every Konbini, but more than you'd expect. Plus, they verbally welcome you to the store and say good bye when you exit. It's reflexive over there.
You usually get the welcoming phrases, but that's not unique to Japan. The goodbye phrase is less common I think, to the point where I'm not sure which one you're talking about--maybe "mata yoroshiku onegaishimasu"? Bows aren't super common either, or it could be because I live in the countryside. Maybe they're more polite in Tokyo or something.
On an overall average I'd agree that society operates on a more considerate level, like you'd never have someone playing music on their phone on the train or something like that. So maybe it's just the phrasing that bothered me. "Respect (how much?) in ALL aspects of daily (down to the most mundane) life" just makes it sound like "honorable citizens would never dream of showing an ounce of dishonor!"