Self-centered zombies running rampant through Japanese society

During the Japan Open golf tournament held in mid-October, 18-year-old pro golf prodigy Ryo Ishikawa botched his swing on a bunker shot for a double bogey.

It may have been shutter noise emitted from the cell phone cameras brandished by the horde of adoring spectators that interfered with his concentration. Subsequent to that, staff at the country club went into the crowd to plead that spectators refrain from picture-taking. But ring tones and shutter noises continued right up to the final hole.

To add insult to injury, some spectators appeared to be viewing “one-segment” broadcasts on their phones as well.

“If you warn them, they’ll act surprised, saying ‘Huh? Is it prohibited?’ They haven’t a clue that they’re disturbing the play,” sighs a spokesperson for the pro golfers’ association.

But this kind of thoughtless behavior, grumbles Shukan Gendai (Nov 7), is becoming endemic, and the weekly backs up its assertion with several pages of anecdotes about how mindlessly self-centered Japanese are becoming.

In the delicatessen counter of a supermarket in Chiba, shoppers were aghast to see a mother who permitted her primary school-age child to wolf down the merchandise as if it were a restaurant buffet.

“There’s the kid, chomping away on breaded fried prawns and croquettes, and dropping crumbs all over,” an eyewitness relates. “Did her mother scold her? No—she was eating the stuff too! The customers were too intimidated by such extreme behavior to tell her off.”

A certain Ms A and her female friend women were partaking a meal in an upscale Italian restaurant when she noticed the couple at the neighboring table using a cell phone camera to shoot pictures of their food—probably to post on his blog. The boyfriend looked over at the dish “A” was eating and said, “Wow, that really looks tasty,” and then without warning approached her table and snapped photos of her meal.

“I was too shocked to say anything, but thinking about it afterwards, I really felt humiliated,” she tells the magazine.

But it’s not only the younger generation that’s lacking in manners. An employee of a private railway in Kansai tells Shukan Gendai that recently it has become increasingly common for hard-of-hearing seniors to converse on their mobile phones in loud voices. When warned that they are annoying others, some will issue a stream of curses. “There have even been cases of them whacking people with their canes,” he says.

Rakugo (traditional comic monologue) artist Danshi Tatekawa is occasionally aggravated by ringing cell phones during a stage performance.

“There I am, in the middle of an Edo-period tale, and I’m abruptly yanked back to Heisei by the sound of somebody’s phone,” he mutters. “It ruins the whole atmosphere. But these are paying customers, so I can’t pick a fight with them.”

“Actually once when I was on stage giving a performance, my own phone rang,” Tatekawa admits.

Thinking quickly, he made it part of his act. “I had the character I was portraying say, ‘Hey, your phone is ringing,’” he chuckles to Shukan Gendai. “But ring tones cause some performers’ routines to turn weepy. It’s a real problem.”

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Latest 15 of 87 Total Comments Show All

Shylock at 02:30 PM JST - 3rd November

It's funny, I never considered talking on the train in Toronto because there is no signal on the TTC.

I was surprised when my girlfriend told me I couldn't do it here.
TokyoXtreme at 01:50 AM JST - 4th November

There's nothing wrong with being on a train and talking on the phone at a normal conversational level; the problem is the SHRILL and ANNOYING ringtone (always someone over 45) that goes off for 20 seconds, and gets progressively louder the longer it rings. Anyway, what do you expect from a society that rarely teaches basic courtesy and actually disdains social grace?
diggerdog at 09:05 AM JST - 4th November

There’s the kid, chomping away on breaded fried prawns and croquettes, and dropping crumbs all over, The customers were too intimidated by such extreme behavior to tell her off.

Is this serious? Extreme behavior is dropping crumbs, well maybe here it is but come to the UK and you ll see what extreme behavior in kids really is. Surely its a kids right to drop crumbs, they like.... you know cant help it.

The boyfriend looked over at the dish “A” was eating and said, “Wow, that really looks tasty,” and then without warning approached her table and snapped photos of her meal.

“I was too shocked to say anything, but thinking about it afterwards, I really felt humiliated,” she tells the magazine.

seriously get a life, did they hurt you in anyway. Unless there are going to be laws against having fun and enjoying yourself i think some people need to lighten up just a little and stop being so anally retentive.

The other examples i can agree with such as the phone in the work place or at performances, as for the guy hitting people with a cane, sue his ass. Its just a case of manners, and this comes back to the parents teaching their kids how to be polite. you cant fix it with more rules, only with parenting.
Beelzebub at 11:00 AM JST - 4th November

Is this serious? Extreme behavior is dropping crumbs,

Er no, extreme behavior is mere et fils gobbling up displayed deli merchandise off the counter (and then probably walking off without paying for it).
diggerdog at 11:55 AM JST - 5th November

Er no, extreme behavior is mere et fils gobbling up displayed deli merchandise off the counter (and then probably walking off without paying for it).

haha, that would be funny, maybe they could throw some food at customers too just ensure a clean get away
haniwawa at 11:32 AM JST - 6th November

You know what makes me really angry about this? On a nearly-empty train I receive a call (in silent mode), and answer it discreetly, near-whispering into the receiver that I'm on the train and will call back. Then I get huge flak from some old person for using my phone. One time I was subjected to a tirade in terrible English - 'Japanese manners please! Bad! Stop! Stop!' - and the rest of the train looking at the floor. Because I'm not Japanese, I get shouted at. Japanese can do what they please.
Kuroyama at 01:30 PM JST - 6th November

This topic deserves far more investigation and reporting than one story soon-to-be-forgotten. Japan is largely a mannerless free-for-all where ignorance and bullying are the order of the day. Im not suggesting that other societies are much better, but you HAVE to wonder how the heck Japan got a reputation for being such a well mannered society.

Clearly from a stream of foreigners who came and left before their first hot tea got cold. It doesnt take many train rides here before you spot people picking noses fervently and openly, men physically pushing women to get into trains, people coughing and sneezing right into each others faces with no effort at all to cover their mouths...

Does anyone want to mention the general lack of soap in public restroom sinks or the popular move by too-many people here to simply skip even the water, or hand washing of any kind at all??

Its an honest fright fest.

I like to laugh at the shows of Africa here where they show dirty refugee camps and unwashed people... As if it were generally any cleaner here!
Tahoochi at 05:53 PM JST - 6th November

A friend of mine dropped a watch which he strapped to his back pack while walking around town. When he noticed several hours later that he had dropped it somewhere, he re-traced his steps, and low an behold, his watch was sitting on top of a guard rail post of a busy intersection. Not only did someone pick it up, but they left it in a visible location for the owner to find, and no one else took it!

I also witnessed a man on the shinkansen spilling some juice on the floor while he was throwing a can of juice into to recycling bin. He then took out a pocket tissue, wiped up the drops of juice he spilled, then threw the tissue into the garbage!

These are firsthand experiences of good manners which I have seen in Japan, which I don't think I will EVER see anywhere in the US, UK, Canada, or Australia.

Now, with all of this said, YES, there are MANY cases of bad manners in Japan as well, but quite honestly folks, THIS IS JAPAN. When you consider the geographical, cultural, historical, demographic, etc. etc. etc. differences between your country and Japan, it's impossible to compare apples to apples.

That basically goes for almost everything you guys have ever griped about on this website regarding Japan's "Shortcomings".
Kuroyama at 11:42 AM JST - 13th November

Just yesterday I saw a guy in a suit knock a woman with a cane to the ground in his rush to catch a train. He made the train, and I helped up the lady. I was forced to wait 3 whole minutes for the next train...

Thing is... that would shock me no matter where I went. What kind of animal does that? I dont condemn the whole nation of people. They are not "one" no matter what their politicians might say... But there are enough of them that have strayed so far away from what we might arrogantly call "human decency" that Japan is the only place they can function.

So what does that mean?

As for your friends found watch, I left a wallet on a counter at a supermarket, and it was stolen. Then the clerk looked me in the eye and said he didnt see it. The police did not help. so... whatever. Im glad your friend "knows what time it is"...
XXXXX at 12:29 PM JST - 13th November

Self-centered zombies running rampant through Japanese society

Indeed, and one would think that they would be ashamed since it's the culture of shame! Of all that was mentioned, I can't stand when some idiot is walking out of a store, a building, or any other place where the idiot must rejoin the rhythm of the general population circling already. The idiot almost NEVER looks before stepping out, they'd rather bump into you and say they're sorry instead of avoiding the stupid situation in the first place. That's when they say they're sorry. And other zombies never have control of their limbs (hands, arms, legs) and take most of the space in front of you while walking. Rainy days are bad too, because they then have the big umbrellas. Yeah a real 'fureai' society. Why do they insist on TOUCHING and BUMPING into everyone else??? Perhaps Tokyo is the worst since it's so crowded.
1stGaijinman at 02:06 PM JST - 13th November

Becoming mindless? They had their head up their a$$ when I moved here in 1993 already!
Mittsu at 02:27 PM JST - 13th November

What passes for good manners here is different to Anglo Saxon or European expextations. In fact, even germany is different from Anglo Saxon.
Hirota56 at 05:55 PM JST - 13th November

It is all about "different strokes for different folks".
Apsara at 02:17 PM JST - 15th November

I like to laugh at the shows of Africa here where they show dirty refugee camps and unwashed people... As if it were generally any cleaner here!

I hate this kind of ridiculous comment where people compare anything like that in any developed country to a third world country. It's obvious that the person making the comment has never been near a third world country. Try visiting a poorer African country or a Mumbai slum and then come back and tell us if you really think Japan is just as dirty, because I have been to those countries, and I think your comment is laughable.
m5c32 at 12:50 PM JST - 19th November

Next time you get stared at just say something along the lines " (pause) Yeah, I'm on the train, (pause) I answered cuz I wanna fit in like the locals (pause) yeah, yeah, exactly.. so I'm going to talk to you very loudly (long pause) I know this is normally rude, but it's quite normal here -(pause) I find it peculiar too. When in Rome..."