Interesting Cultural Differences

Since I came here, many things have been special for me. When I went out for shopping, I am noticed great differences between Japan and the US. I found two interesting differences on the bus and in the shopping mall.

First, I used the bus to go downtown, and I noticed a big difference in how people communicate. I saw a man tapped a woman’s shoulder and he spoke something to her. I felt that it was a little bit strange, because they did not know each other, but they did it like it was normal. In Japan, it is not usual to speak to somebody, and moreover to gaze at somebody who you do not know. That might be thought of as rude in some cases. I learned that Americans are more friendly than I thought. This is a big cultural difference.

Second, I noticed that clerks in stores are very friendly. For example, when I enter the stores or go to checkout desks, shop clerk always said to me ‘Hi. How are you?’ ‘Have a good day.’ something like this. I hesitate over answering every time. I know that they do not want to know how I actually feel. I want to know how Americans reply to this situation. I prefer the American style. Japanese shop clerks always yell, but I cannot find the meaning of why they do this. Even if they yell as much as they can, customers do not come and look. We cannot decide what to buy because of shouting at all. Therefore I would be happy with having individual conversations although I would be nervous.

As I found, there are unique differences. It is difficult to blend into American custom, but I am trying to get used to. By the end of semester, I want to behave steady, of course, I want to enjoy shopping and I want to learn American culture more.