History Main / JapanesePoliteness

* The picture above is from a city like Nara, where deers are sacred and it is forbidden to harm them and they walk freely. Locals and tourists alike often pay for leaves or special "deer crackers" to feed them, with the deer themselves learning to bow respectfully to receive treats. However, this is actually a subversion, as the deer are known to get aggressive once their feeder runs out of treats, with numerous signs being posted around the city to warn people of the risks of feeding the deer as people have been headbutted, knocked over, bitten, and had their feet trampled by these gluttonous deer. [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome Which is a natural response]], since the deer are wild animals and have no understanding of politeness, human culture or anything else, their actions being nothing but a learned response to being offered treats for certain kinds of behavior.

* At one point in VisualNovel/TheGreatAceAttorney, Ryunosuke, a lawyer from Japan (that's right, they averted ThinlyVeiledDubCountryChange), apologizes a lot. When told off for this he grumbles [[InnerMonologue to himself]] "(Let me just tell that to the entire nation of Japan.)"

* At one point in VideoGame/GreatAceAttorney, Ryunosuke, a lawyer from Japan (that's right, they averted ThinlyVeiledDubCountryChange), apologizes a lot. When told off for this he grumbles [[InnerMonologue to himself]] "(Let me just tell that to the entire nation of Japan.)"

* The picture above is from a city like Nara, where deers are sacred and it is forbidden to harm them and they walk freely. Locals and tourists alike often pay for leaves or special "deer crackers" to feed them, with the deer themselves learning to bow respectfully to receive treats. However, this is actually a subversion, as the deer are known to get aggressive once their feeder runs out of treats, with numerous signs being posted around the city to warn people of the risks of feeding the deer as people have been headbutted, knocked over, bitten, and had their feet trampled by these gluttonous deer.

'''Child!Japan:''' ''[bows]'' Hello China, whom the sun sets upon. I am Japan...\\

If this is portrayed negatively, see also InscrutableOriental. See also YamatoNadeshiko, who aspires to excel at this. See also OverlyPolitePals. Contrast JapaneseSpirit and AnimeLand, where Japan is portrayed as a WorldOfHam. Contrast also AsianRudeness.

If this is portrayed negatively, see also InscrutableOriental. See also YamatoNadeshiko, who aspires to excel at this. See also OverlyPolitePals. Contrast JapaneseSpirit and AnimeLand, where Japan is portrayed as a nation of {{Large Ham}}s. Contrast also AsianRudeness.

If this is portrayed as a negative stereotype, see also InscrutableOriental. See also YamatoNadeshiko, who aspires to excel at this. See also OverlyPolitePals. Contrast AsianRudeness.

* Ironically, the Japanese ritual of the Tea Ceremony, considered the epitome of Japanese politeness and hospitality, has backfired when it comes to treatment of missionaries from [[UsefulNotes/{{Mormonism}} the Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints]]: another group of people famous for their extreme emphasis on politeness and hospitality. The Japanese consider it to be polite and customary to offer tea to guests, unfortunately however, Mormons are not allowed to consume hot drinks containing caffeine, such as tea. This results in a lot of misunderstanding, as because of both Japanese and Mormon emphasis on politeness it becomes awkward to express displeasure or refusal of the consumption of tea.

The Japanese, in general, take the art and tradition of SacredHospitality ''very'' [[SeriousBusiness seriously]]. They will have many unwritten rules on etiquette and public social behaviour, not just amongst themselves but also to guests, visitors and anyone they may encounter in life in general. These include but are not limited to: [[HintDropping avoiding explicit disagreement or refusal]] at all costs as to not offend the guest; [[MyCountryRightOrWrong refraining from criticism of one's own in-group]] (whether that's your family, your company, your school club, or whatever) in front of outsiders; never bragging, either about yourself or about your in-group (you do not use honorifics about people from your own group while speaking with someone outside your group); [[ExtremeDoormat extraordinary deference]] toward others in general esp. on guests and authority figures; and indirectly praising others but always [[ThinkNothingOfIt downplaying one's own accomplishments]]. These are all taken to such extremes that it's necessary to learn a [[{{Keigo}} drastically different vocabulary and even set of grammar rules]] for expressing degrees of politeness in the Japanese language.

The Japanese, in general, take the art and tradition of SacredHospitality ''very'' [[SeriousBusiness seriously]]. They will have many unwritten rules on etiquette and public social behaviour, not just amongst themselves but also to guests, visitors and anyone they may encounter in life in general. These include but are not limited to: [[HintDropping avoiding explicit disagreement or refusal]] at all costs as to not offend the guest; [[MyCountryRightOrWrong refraining from criticism of one's own in-group]] (whether that's your family, your company, your school club, or whatever) in front of outsiders; never bragging, either about yourself or about your in-group (you do not use honorifics about people from your own group while speaking with someone outside your group); [[ExtremeDoormat extraordinary deference]] toward others in general and authority figures in particular; and indirectly praising others but always [[ThinkNothingOfIt downplaying one's own accomplishments]]. These are all taken to such extremes that it's necessary to learn a [[{{Keigo}} drastically different vocabulary and even set of grammar rules]] for expressing degrees of politeness in the Japanese language.

The Japanese, in general, take the art and tradition of SacredHospitality ''very'' [[SeriousBusiness seriously]]. They will have many unwritten rules on etiquette and public social behaviour, such as [[HintDropping avoiding explicit disagreement or refusal]] at all costs; [[MyCountryRightOrWrong refraining from criticism of one's own in-group]] (whether that's your family, your company, your school club, or whatever) in front of outsiders; never bragging, either about yourself or about your in-group (you do not use honorifics about people from your own group while speaking with someone outside your group); [[ExtremeDoormat extraordinary deference]] toward others in general and authority figures in particular; and indirectly praising others but always [[ThinkNothingOfIt downplaying one's own accomplishments]]. These are all taken to such extremes that it's necessary to learn a [[{{Keigo}} drastically different vocabulary and even set of grammar rules]] for expressing degrees of politeness in the Japanese language.

The rules can interact in ways that are hard for foreigners to predict. For example, it's polite to diss your superiors when talking to outsiders, but only behind your superiors' backs. If you're present and your superiors aren't, you're a representative of your group, and talking about your excellent leadership would be bragging. If one of your superiors is present, you have to present a united front; intra-group tensions aren't just disturbing to watch in action, they're impolite.

However, this stereotype has only become truly popular relatively recently, and the older generation of westerners will likely be more familiar with the two other stereotypes associated with the Japanese: the angry, screaming, {{Katana|sAreJustBetter}}-wielding, [[GodEmperor Tenno-Heika]]-worshipping, [[HonorBeforeReason bushido-on-steroids]] ProudWarriorRaceGuy (primarily because of memories of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII); or (in {{Cyberpunk}} works) the corporate executive or investor of a MegaCorp, who [[FauxAffablyEvil acts superficially polite]] but [[CorruptCorporateExecutive is utterly ruthless in the pursuit of efficiency, profit]] [[JapanTakesOverTheWorld and technological domination at all costs]]. Of course, both of these stereotypes are colored by anti-Japanese feeling, and have rather been {{discredited|Trope}}.

The Japanese, in general, take the art of SacredHospitality ''very'' [[SeriousBusiness seriously]]. They will have many unwritten rules on etiquette, such as [[HintDropping avoiding explicit disagreement or refusal]] at all costs; [[MyCountryRightOrWrong refraining from criticism of one's own in-group]] (whether that's your family, your company, your school club, or whatever) in front of outsiders; never bragging, either about yourself or about your in-group (you do not use honorifics about people from your own group while speaking with someone outside your group); [[ExtremeDoormat extraordinary deference]] toward others in general and authority figures in particular; and indirectly praising others but always [[ThinkNothingOfIt downplaying one's own accomplishments]]. These are all taken to such extremes that it's necessary to learn a [[{{Keigo}} drastically different vocabulary and even set of grammar rules]] for expressing degrees of politeness in the Japanese language.

From the Japanese perspective, just about everyone in the world except for Western aristocrats is unimaginably rude. They do, however, have a lot of respect for the British due to [[BritishStuffiness shared norms of politeness]], which tends to be reciprocated. Likewise with the [[SweetHomeAlabama old American South]]; ''Film/GoneWithTheWind'' is [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff huge in Japan]] for its depiction of {{Southern Belle}}s and [[SouthernGentleman Gentlemen]] who are similar in many respects to idealized images of Japanese behavior, with the latter having a Bushido-like code of honor, and KFC owes a lot of its popularity in Japan to Colonel Sanders. By contrast, the ordinary American, especially from the Northeast or Midwest, [[{{Eagleland}} comes across as epically rude]] even when they're ''not'' unleashing actual {{Cluster F Bomb}}s.

The general principles of politeness in Japanese culture are to [[HintDropping avoid explicit disagreement or refusal]] at all costs; [[MyCountryRightOrWrong never criticize your in-group]] (whether that's your family, your company, your school club, or whatever) in front of outsiders; never brag, either about yourself or about your in-group (you do not use honorifics about people from your own group while speaking with someone outside your group); be [[ExtremeDoormat extraordinarily deferential]] toward others in general and authority figures in particular; and indirectly praise others but always [[ThinkNothingOfIt downplay one's own accomplishments]]. These are all taken to such extremes that it's necessary to learn a [[{{Keigo}} drastically different vocabulary and even set of grammar rules]] for expressing degrees of politeness in the Japanese language.

If this is portrayed rather negatively, see also InscrutableOriental. See also YamatoNadeshiko, who aspires to excel at this. See also OverlyPolitePals. Contrast AsianRudeness.

See also YamatoNadeshiko, who aspires to excel at this. See also OverlyPolitePals. Contrast AsianRudeness.

* Japanese railways routinely charge the clean-up work after suicides to the families of the deceased; suicidal depression may be tragic and in many ways motivated by [[TheSocialDarwinist Japanese honor culture]], but it's no excuse for causing [[SeriousBusiness massive public disruptions on how the trains must always run on time]]. In addition the charge is affected by the proximity to busy traffic areas; kill yourself in the center of a city in rush hour and your family will be charged a lot more than if you killed yourself out in an obscure forest off-peak.

However, this stereotype has only become truly popular relatively recently, and the older generation of westerners will likely be more familiar with the two other stereotypes associated with the Japanese: the angry, screaming, ''"bushido"''[[note]] the code of honor among ''samurai'', unknown to most Westerners which was discarded after 1868 and poorly revived with fascist sentiment leanings into the rise of Imperial Japan; also considered "violent and savage” by many westerners at the time [[/note]]-on-steroids ProudWarriorRaceGuy (nourished by memories of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and pop-culture mainstays such as ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''), who always carries a ''[[KatanasAreJustBetter katana]]'' and uses violence to deal with any and all situations; or (in {{Cyberpunk}} works) the corporate executive or investor of a MegaCorp, who [[FauxAffablyEvil acts superficially polite]] but in fact [[CorruptCorporateExecutive utterly ruthless in the pursuit of efficiency and profit at all costs]], looking down on Westerners and reminding them that [[JapanTakesOverTheWorld their economy is in decline]]. Of course, both of these stereotypes are colored by anti-Japanese feeling.

However, this stereotype has only become truly popular relatively recently, and the older generation of westerners will likely be more familiar with the two other stereotypes associated with the Japanese: the angry, screaming, ''"bushido"''[[note]] the code of honor among ''samurai'', unknown to most Westerners which was discarded after 1868 and poorly revived with fascist sentiment leanings into the rise of Imperial Japan; also considered "violent and savage” by many westerners at the time [[/note]]-on-steroids ProudWarriorRaceGuy (nourished by memories of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and pop-culture mainstays such as ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''), who always carries a ''[[KatanasAreJustBetter katana]]'' and uses violence to deal with any and all situations; or (particularly in {{Cyberpunk}} works), the corporate executive or investor meeting with his more casual American counterparts, [[FauxAffablyEvil acting superficially polite]] but also [[CorruptCorporateExecutive utterly ruthless in the pursuit of efficiency and profit]], and reminding Americans that [[JapanTakesOverTheWorld their economy is in decline]]. Of course, both of these stereotypes are colored by anti-Japanese feeling.

However, this stereotype has only become truly popular relatively recently, and the older generation of westerners will likely be more familiar with the two other stereotypes associated with the Japanese: the angry, screaming, ''"bushido"''[[note]] the code of honor among ''samurai'', unknown to most Westerners which was discarded after 1868 and poorly revived with fascist sentiment leanings into the rise of Imperial Japan; also considered "violent and savage” by many westerners at the time [[/note]]-on-steroids maniac (nourished by memories of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and pop-culture mainstays such as ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''), who always carries a ''[[KatanasAreJustBetter katana]]'' and uses violence to deal with any and all situations; and the [[AsianRudeness arrogant]] corporate executive or investor meeting with his more casual American counterparts, [[FauxAffablyEvil acting superficially polite but also disdaining Americans]] for being fat, lazy, uneducated and/or too individualistic and reminding them that [[JapanTakesOverTheWorld their economy is in decline]]. Of course, both of these stereotypes are colored by anti-Japanese feeling.

* Japanese railways routinely charge the clean-up work after suicides to the families of the deceased; suicidal depression may be tragic and in many ways motivated by [[TheSocialDarwinist Japanese honor culture]], but it's no excuse for not thinking about [[SeriousBusiness how your actions are going to inconvenience others on the railway]]. In addition the charge is affected by the proximity to busy traffic areas; kill yourself in the center of town in rush hour and your family will be charged a lot more than if you killed yourself out in the countryside off-peak.

* This was actually averted in the post-UsefulNotes/WorldWarII era. Ask anyone who is old enough to have had encountered Japanese tourists in the 50s and 60s, or especially if they had visited Tokyo for the 1964 Olympics (or even Japanese people who grew up in the 70s and had to endure the generation before them), and you will undoubtedly be shocked by horror stories of the type [[AsianRudeness typically associated with Chinese people today]]; as in littering everywhere, street brawls, urinating in public, yelling, pushing and shoving in line and through crowds, the whole nine yards, [[JapaneseTourist on top of obnoxiously thinking everything and everyone is a photo-op]]. The classic Japanese LowerClassLout stereotype, a usually drunk, boorish, haramaki-wearing, cigarette-smoking, short-tempered, lower working class middle-aged male, is very much a product of the era up to around this period. They were pretty much the TropeMaker for AsianRudeness actually (though to be fair they would have been the only Asians who were rich enough to travel at the time), and rivaled the Ugly Americans as TheDreaded for those who lived in tourist areas. This is because after the war, Japan went through an even bigger economic growth spurt than before... which basically resulted in a bunch of {{Lower Class Lout}}s, just coming out of a long period of desperation, struggling with life in a war-torn, basically incinerated country (that had lost a good chunk of its population, among them many fathers and educated and upper-class men) coming to the cities to rebuild them, [[NouveauRiche and/or getting a bunch of money]]. And they never stopped being {{Lower Class Lout}}s... [[https://flemingsbond.com/philopon-a-japanese-murder-drug/ oh yeah, and a lot of them were addicted to meth too]]. Politeness, as noted many times above, has long been a Japanese value, but the poorer members of society (who were most of the population), had much, much catching up to do until it became an actual, true societal norm (and got rid of the meth problem). This will be seen in old manga or old anime like Anime/{{Doraemon}}, where urinating on a telephone pole or shoving one’s way through a crowd will be shown as fairly normal. Possibly due to the conformist nature of Japan and fortunately for the sanity of tourist hosts everywhere, this behavior fizzled out during the 70s to give way to the Japan we all know today. And [[OldShame fortunately for them]], [[LetUsNeverSpeakofThisAgain they’ve managed to let this embarrassing fact be quietly forgotten for the most part]].

* [[InvokedTrope Japan]] from ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'' acts like this, even at his rudest:

'''Child!Japan:''' ''(bows)'' Hello China, whom the sun sets upon. I am Japan...\\

* ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'' fanfic ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11886910/1/Gankona-Unnachgiebig-Unità Gankona, Unnachgiebig, Unità]]'': Japan refers to himself as "watashi", refers to others as "anata"—"kimi" for Italy and Italy ''[[LoveInterest only]]''—speaks formally in Japanese, and uses honorifics for ''everyone''. Except [[ArchEnemy Russia]] of course.

From the Japanese perspective, just about everyone in the world except for Western aristocrats is unimaginably rude. They do, however, have a lot of respect for the British due to [[BritishStuffiness shared norms of politeness]], which tends to be reciprocated. Likewise with the [[SweetHomeAlabama old American South]]; ''Film/GoneWithTheWind'' is [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff huge in Japan]] for its depiction of {{Southern Belle}}s and [[SouthernGentleman Gentlemen]] who are similar in many respects to idealized images of Japanese behavior, and KFC owes a lot of its popularity in Japan to Colonel Sanders. By contrast, the ordinary American, especially from the Northeast or Midwest, [[{{Eagleland}} comes across as epically rude]] even when they're ''not'' unleashing actual {{Cluster F Bomb}}s.

* [[Wrestling/JumpingBombAngels The Jumping Bomb Angels]] smiled and bowed to the different sides of the crowd after being the sole survivors of the Team [[Wrestling/TheFabulousMoolah Moolah]][[note]]Moolah[=/=]The Angels[=/=]Velvet [=McIntyre=][=/=]Rockin' Robin[[/note]]-Team Wrestling/{{Sherri|Martel}}[[note]]Sherri[=/=]The Glamour Girls (Wrestling/LeilaniKai and Judy Martin)[=/=]Donna Christanello[=/=]Dawn Marie (Johnston, no connection to [[Wrestling/DawnMarie the ECW/WWE Diva]])[[/note]] match at ''Wrestling/SurvivorSeries 1987''.

* After their team lost its opening match of the 2014 World Cup to Ivory Coast, Japanese fans [[http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/worldcup/world-cup-2014-japanese-fans-clean-stadium-after-losing-21-against-ivory-coast-9539793.html stayed behind in the stadium to clean up their section]], an occurrence that is actually rather common in Japan but came as a pleasant shock to other international visitors, earning them much praise on Website/{{Twitter}}.
** This is a common occurrence at international sporting competitions, along with Japanese athletes cleaning the locker room and leaving a note behind, thanking their host for the hospitality.

Much of this is unknown or at least unappreciated by Westerners, who are more familiar with two other stereotypes: the angry, screaming, ''"bushido"''[[note]] the code of honor among ''samurai'', unknown to most Westerners which was discarded after 1868 and poorly revived with fascist sentiment leanings into the rise of Imperial Japan; also considered "violent and savagery" [[ValuesDissonance by Western standards]] [[/note]]-on-steroids maniac (nourished by memories of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and pop-culture mainstays such as ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''), who always carries a ''[[KatanasAreJustBetter katana]]'' and uses violence to deal with any and all situations; and the [[AsianRudeness arrogant]] corporate executive or investor meeting with his more casual American counterparts, [[FauxAffablyEvil acting superficially polite but also disdaining Americans]] for being fat, lazy, uneducated and/or too individualistic and reminding them that [[JapanTakesOverTheWorld their economy is in decline]]. Of course, both of these stereotypes are colored by anti-Japanese feeling.