The tourism business wouldn’t survive without Chinese customers, so we don’t want to complain about them. It’s 50/50, give and take. We appreciate them coming, but we wish that they would come with a

We appreciate them coming, but we wish that they would come with a little more cultural awareness.

There is nothing "cultural" about this. It is bad manners to drop trash on the floor in China too.

Just grow a set and have a sign made in Japanese and Chinese saying, "No outside food or drink allowed in this establishment".

Or, if the value of their custom is higher than the inconvenience of picking up a few wrappers, then shut up and stop whining.

There's got to a be a bit of give and take on both sides. I've seen plenty of Japanese people on trains just throw their garbage on the floor. The last guy did it very sneakily as if he thought nobody would notice. I've had people drop their peanuts over my feet and left a whole bag on the floor, as well as various bottles. And don't get me started on western countries.

On the other side, the Chinese government is actively running campaigns to get the mainland Chinese to improve their manners. Like the Japanese, the Chinese like to maintain face, especially in front of the rest of the world. The problem is a lot of the tourists have never even been on a plane, let alone travel abroad.

Yeah, wrappers! Is this guy not expecting to do any cleaning at the end of the day?

"We like their money, but not them".

Mainland Chinese tourists appear to have a bad rep everywhere. i have heard them being badnmouthed in both Singapore and HK too.

It's hard to say how bad the problem is with Chinese tourists, as a proportion of total travelers I doubt it's that high, but there are just so many of them it looks highly visible.

There is nothing "cultural" about this.

Perhaps. However, the Chinese president disagrees with you.

Stop eating noodles and don't litter: Xi Jinping urges China's tourists abroad to clean up their act

http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1594941/president-xi-jinping-urges-chinese-tourists-set-better-example-abroad?page=all

The comments sections seems to reflect the same sentiment and extends it domestically.

Why pick on the Chinese?

There's another nearby nation whose nationals behave appallingly. I have the misfortune to have to take a train on a tourist route two or three times a weeks and the folk with their feet on the seats shouting at each other across the aisle aren't doing it in Chinese. And the dirty looks you get for looking foreign, even though they're abroad too....

lucabrasi: Why pick on the Chinese? There's another nearby nation whose nationals behave appallingly. ...

C'mon, spill the beans, luca.

Aussies? Brits?

@turbotsat

Oh, I'm sure you Kan work it out yourself... ; )

@Turbostat

Britain and Australia are nearby?

When I was in Malaysia I saw a Chinese tourist throw his cigarette butt into the ocean. The horrors...

I won't hear a bad word spoken about the Chinese. I've been deaf since I was born.

Besides from being very loud, I do not find the Chinese visitors annoying at all. They are no louder than Japanese Elelmentary School kids, MS kids, and HS kids and lots of Japanese seniors screaming on the trains.

They are no louder than Japanese Elelmentary School kids, MS kids, and HS kids and lots of Japanese seniors screaming on the trains.

Maybe you should be more careful not to step on their toes.

Some Chinese are quite rude and dirty, this I do know. I watched one guy taking off his shirt in the store. They just dont care, kind of refreshing at times I guess but at other times they seem annoying.

In China, overweight middle-aged men like to roll up their shirts to expose their bellies and lower back - they make a kind of halter top from their t-shirt. Nothing like watching this while you are trying to eat in a 5-star hotel. Throwing trash on the floor is a given. Even guests in private homes will spit watermelon seeds on the host's floor.

Manners really are atrocious. They are getting better, but it will take some time. More enlightened Chinese are embarrassed by this sort of behavior. As mentioned above, Taiwanese, Hong Kong and other Chinese (outside the mainland) have the same complaints about the mainlanders. You can try to say, "yeah, but Japanese are just as bad." Except they aren't.

All that money, and still can't educate themselves about social graces and class. Yes, other Chinese expat communities residing outside China itself share many of the same complaints... you are certainly not alone, Japan. Some mainland Chinese have enough self-awareness to feel shame... most, however, think their money is enough, and sadly, societies everywhere encourage and perpetuate that sensibility by taking that money, gritted teeth or not.

I howled when my wife told me about the Chinese tourist in the mall walking around drinking a bottle of SAUCE LOL!!!

They often leave the washrooms in pretty bad shape as well!

Like I said before enjoy the horror stories before they are history & just memories that we cant even fathom actually happened!

Mainland Chinese tourists appear to have a bad rep everywhere. i have heard them being badmouthed in both Singapore and HK too.

As a Chinese in SEA,I can confirm this is true.

Set some rules and enforce them. They will comply I think.

I agree with frungy, a good first step would be to place clear signs on the door 'no outside food or drinks' I think this will solve a lot of problems. I know it is hard for Japanese shopkeepers to say things that might seem to 'insult' customers, but a way to meet the visitors 50/50 is to not expect them to silently understand the rules. Different culture people need to be told (gently and with a helpful spirit) that something is a faux pas if they are every going to become 'culturally aware' They don't have the Japanese to Japanese magic mind reading ability.

I have never been to China, but I think about just the sheer number of people there. If we were to pick a random number, and guess for example that perhaps 1% of China had bad manners, that would be 13,500,000 rude people. Think about that number, and I am sure any one could agree there is bound to be 1% of ANY population that has bad manners.

The Chinese government has drives and advisories for how their tourist should behave. Also lots of problems with local tourists/travelers like fights on planes, etc.

Said that nations faced the same when overseas travel became the norm, still many stereotypes out there for European, American, etc tourists.

It's really gotten bad. Last year in Hong Kong a mainland couple allowed their two-year-old to defecate on a Hong Kong street. And just the previous year another couple allowed their kid to poop inside a HK train.

You'd think letting your kid poop in public is something so basic that mannered, civilized people wouldn't do. Apparently mainland Chinese aren't those kind of people.

http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-wn-china-hong-kong-defecating-dispute-20140430-story.html http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1205546/clip-couple-allowing-child-defecate-train-goes-viral?page=all

They'll keep coming and the Japanese will keep taking their won't they.......

genjuroFeb. 23, 2015 - 09:01PM JST It's really gotten bad. Last year in Hong Kong a mainland couple allowed their two-year-old to defecate on a Hong Kong street. And just the previous year another couple allowed their kid to poop inside a HK train.

Come and live in the rural areas of Japan where I do and you'll see old folks peeing into the rice fields on a weekly basis, and I've even seen people defecating into the gutters near the rice fields a few times (not often and mostly very old people).

You're probably living in Tokyo or somewhere urban, but this goes on in Japan too.

You'd think letting your kid poop in public is something so basic that mannered, civilized people wouldn't do. Apparently mainland Chinese aren't those kind of people.

So Japanese people aren't "mannered, civilized people"? ... or is it different when Japanese people do it?

I have encountered Chinese tourists in Europe and they have no manners. Push , shove in Qs and throw trash on the ground.

There is no excuse for poor manners and certainly none especially for doing it in another country where you are a guest.

Carry your trash until you find a bin and stuff you cigarette butts in a smokeless and odorless ashtray.

It is only considerate.

During the "bubble years", every japanese (& their mother) visited major US cities. I remember this vividly. They were snobbish. Unreceptive to courtesy. Spoke NO English at all. & didn't TIP half the time.

There's your cultural awareness. It goes both ways-

You're probably living in Tokyo or somewhere urban, but this goes on in Japan too.

? genjuro clearly stated above that he was talking about Hong Kong.

Are you seriously attempting to compare young couples allowing their small children to defecate in a street or a train in crowded city such as Hong Kong to a few old folk in Japan urinating in a rice field or almost never defacating in a gutter near a rice in the country?

Talk about a stretch.

So Japanese people aren't "mannered, civilized people"? ... or is it different when Japanese people do it?

Tell you what, first you tell us whether or not you have seen young couples in large cities in Japan letting their children defecate on the streets or in trains. We already know the answer, by the way. You haven't.

Look around Tokyo and in some places (especially parks and near pools) you'll find "no peeing in public" signs. This isn't just a Chinese thing.

Oh, and as for pushing and shoving... ever tried to stand near the front at a festival in Japan? Prepare for an elbow to the kidneys from some Obaachan who wants to get in front of you and doesn't mind climbing you like Mt. Fuji if you get in her way.

I've been to China many times (north, central, south) and it is cultural. They just do not care about trashing a place -- inside or outside. Saw a kid walking along holding his mother's hand and eating something with the other hand. When finished eating, he just threw the wrappers down as they were crossing the street; mother said zero. Again, ---they just don't care---. Yes, I know other nationalities have undesirable traits, too, but the issue was about Chinese.

If the manners get to you, I'm sure you'll be most enthused when you see reports of them acting up at airports, or on aeroplanes....some of these are not just related to manners, but a sense of over-entitlement and are just plain criminal and dangerous:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2873328/Video-shows-angry-passenger-making-threat-blow-plane-fellow-traveller-scalded-flight-attendant-cup-hot-water-noodles.html

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-11/china-detains-passengers-who-opened-plane-exits/6011492

http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/passenger-deploys-emergency-slide-to-get-off-the-plane-faster/story-fnizu68q-1227160049990

While this next one, yes is culture and they'll learn:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/18/chinese-passenger-opens-plane-door-for-fresh-air

I'm of Chinese descent myself and honestly I can't stand them myself, every time I travel, I end up having to deal with an assaultive mainlander, or really stupid antics... with the most noticeable incident was several of them attempting to rifle through my cabin luggage.

Also, the comparisons to having a public cr@p out in an open field in the country to a dump in the middle of a crowded HK street are a far fetch and to me, reek of feel good excuses for these people. No, both acts are repulsive. The second one, though, impacts on a far larger number of people. Think about it. Making excuses for them only enables them to do the same stupid stuff next time around. They need to learn that every action has a consequence.

Yes I'm sure there are Japanese that act up, as well, and I am not in anyway trying to downplay their actions.

Look around Tokyo and in some places (especially parks and near pools) you'll find "no peeing in public" signs. This isn't just a Chinese thing.

Again, you are comparing people in different environments and acting as if the act is exactly the same. If someone spits on the sidewalk, it is pretty bad. However, if they come inside your shop and do it, it is another thing. Have you actually been to China or Hong Kong. Being in the 'country' as you are, I do not see how you could see Chinese tourists and how they act. So, why not speak about things you know about.

Tell me about it Frungy. There was this massive "crush" on some bridge @Arakawa ( Todakoen area, some years & years bck ) after some local Bon Odori & fireworks. Some people actually died as a result of a stampede. It was like a japanese fire drill gone all WRONG!

You are comparing people in a crowd panicing to people in regular situations throwing garbage on the floors of a shop?

Yes, people are people all over the world, but, although things have improved in recent years, Chinese people have quite a ways to go in the public manners department.

There is nothing new about this. Many years ago, in the post WWII era, when "rich Americans" were flooding into Europe as tourists, they used to talk about "ugly Americans", that is, ugly in behavior. And it is true, they were. But times change and eras pass. The problem with "ugly Chinese" is that they are new on the tourism scene. It is not a result of racial differences. Chinese are no more and no less rude or polite or intelligent or sincere or kind than any other ethnic group. They are just inexperienced in how to be a good tourist. This, too, shall pass. And then, in a few decades, the Chinese can complain about the horribly rude tourists of, well, whatever emerging nation exists at that time.

The funny thing is, Frungy, even the Chinese themselves say this is a problem. I find your attempts to say it's all the same everywhere to be off the charts. If you can't tell the difference between pooping in the middle of a crowded train carriage and doing it in some drainage ditch in the countryside, I'm glad you're in the countryside and not here.

The funny thing is, Frungy, even the Chinese themselves say this is a problem. I find your attempts to say it's all the same everywhere to be off the charts.

I agree 100%. It is rather like the wizard in the Wizard of Oz asking us not to pay attention to the kid pooping behind the curtain...er, on the city train/street.

As per the link I put up above, even the Chinese president acknowledges there is a problem.

@Frungy

Just ask ANYONE who knows the level of sanitation, tidyness, and cleanliness in Chinatown of ANY country. Our state had to put down so much tax money and manpower to gradually clean the street, educate restaurants and residents about recycling, following city's regulation codes by the health dept., no littering, taking trash only on trash day, and etc.

This is not to criticize their lifestyle or culture. I say do whatever in their own country. You don't need to be defensive. We are well aware there are some rude, immoral japanese people who litter, cut in line and what not, too.

But "When in Rome..." sort of respect would be nice while they are in a place where different rules and moral code apply. Would you allow them to spit, litter, and have their youngster poo poo in your backyard?

I tell my friends "NO SHOES IN THE HOUSE" and appreciate they follow the rule when they come over. Some started taking their shoes off in their home, too.

genjuro clearly stated above that he was talking about Hong Kong.

Thanks, slumdog. There's actually more examples you can find online. I think the sign by the Louvre in Paris in Chinese ONLY saying it's forbidden to defecate in the premises is still up.

Seriously, more than 5,000 years of continuous history and culture and still lacking basic manners. Oh well, maybe commie Mao and the cultural revolution had something to do with messing up their culture.

Jimizo: @Turbostat Britain and Australia are nearby?

Britain not that far from Italy (a la Luca Brasi) and Australia not that far from Japan, depending on where you're standing when you look. At least it's in the same hemisphere. This is the Jet Age!