Japanese Culture - The Untold Truth

• April
• 28

6:54 am Uncategorized

I was recently doing an internship at a locum doctors job in Japan, which led me to realize the stark contrast of Japanese culture and how it differs greatly to what we know in the United States. Two examples of Japanese culture is bathing and bowing. These two practices in Japan differ greatly from most other places in the world.

Bathing in Japan is very important to the routine of the average person in Japan. Japanese people will scrub their hair and body thoroughly before even entering a tub. They will sit on a small stool to do this by using a faucet or shower in the same room as the tub. The typical tub in Japan is much smaller and deeper than the tubs we are used to in the U.S.. The water is typically saved for all of the family members to use instead of draining it after every use. This is done by special heaters in the tub. Sometimes, the bath water is then used to wash clothes in a washing machine. Bathing is one part of Japanese culture that differs from most other cultures.

Bowing is a huge part of Japanese culture. It is what most people recognize first with people from Japan. Bowing is taught at a very young age. It is a very important part of Japanese etiquette. A bow is done with a straight back and hands at their sides for men. For women, the back is still straight, but instead of hands at the side they are clasped in the lap. There are three different degrees of bowing. The deepest bows are for formal occasions. For informal bows, they do not bow as deeply. Bowing is a huge part of Japanese culture.

When it comes to Japanese culture, there are many aspects that differ from most other parts of the world. Two aspects of this culture that stand out are their bathing habits and their bowing. These two parts of Japanese culture set them apart from the West.