I personally take elements of Japanese culture to heart when playing a Japanese muse! I thought it would be useful to say some various random things so people make an accurate portrayal!
Of course this is generalization of what’s going on in Japan in day-to-day life… feel free to correct or add your one when reblogging!
In Japan, meat is very pricey. Since it’s often imported. Eating a good steak is a luxury - that’s why the hamburger steak is popular, it’s the substitute of it. (That why they eat eggs all the freaking time it’s cheaper for proteines)
Unlike what some people may think it’s not uncommon to eat with a fork and a knife - I mean how do you think they eat the steak?
Pickled vegetables and nori are usually found in the middle of the table during meals, like how we put bread and butter in the West.
You don’t just take a bath. Bath are purely for relaxation in Japan. You take a shower and then you get in the bath.
Nudity is not necessarily sexual, it’s like a platonic intimacy thing.
Japanese rarely know how to use a computer. It is seen as VERY VERY nerdy aka hardcore Star Trek fan kind of geeky; thus when the computer was introduced nobody wanted one to not be seen like an Otaku. School essays even of 40 pages are done by hand and most Japanese only learn how to use a computer when they find a job. (Yes in Durarara!! in itself Mikado just knows how to type very fast and go on 4chan to get infos and it is seen as WOW)
Unlike in the West where there’s a lot of individualism, Japanese see themselves a lot as acting for the community. Not only as the whole Japan, but whenever they get into something; you act for your family name, when you hang out with friends and help you act for the whole gang. Everything is like teamwork.
In Japan the computer gaming industry is next to non-existent since arcades and consoles are a huge thing.
Manga are seen as being for kids. Nice, but a bit childish.
Storytelling in Japan is very slowpaced - mostly about novels, movies and shows and it has always been. (compared to western storytelling which is very fast paced)
Calling someone by their first name is very very intimate. I can never press it enough. It’s for very close friends, family (I mean if the whole family called each others by last name jesus) and lovers.
If you call someone you’re not close to by your first name, you can be seen as a delinquent, impolite and very laid-back.
There a much bigger social pressure for students in Japan about grades and to further press them, final exams results are publicly shown. It can come down to the point that failing students are seen as social outcasts. You may be the nicest bubbliest, you won’t be seen well if you have very bad grades. Add to that the sense of community; you hurt the school reputation if you’re not a good student and it is very badly seen, even between students since the school spirit is strong.
This mix of reputation and social pressure with honor and pride is mostly the reason why Japan suicide rate is so high.
Japanese high schoolers are not very different from western high schoolers. Though what comes out the most is that students are a lot lot on their phone. They love texting, even more than the US, that’s why LINE is such a huge thing.
Unlike what anime tells us Japanese high schoolers “have no life”. Especially the third years since college exams are really fucking hell hard. It’s a common saying in Japan that your life starts AFTER high school.
Even if officially Japanese high schoolers have the weekend off, most spend the Saturday at school anyway for club activities such as practice.
Just like with school reputation, there’s a pride in the high school uniform in Japan and even outside school, as long as you wear it, you bear the school reputation. It’s not necessarily conscious but it’s a cultural thing.
Fresh fruits such as for example grapes are expensive in Japan and only eaten during very special occasions like weddings.
Japan’s views of love is very old-fashioned. Arranged marriage are still a huge thing, especially in business. Not getting technical, but Japan economy is based on families. Although they are competitive, they support each others for the community, for Japan, this is basically the miracle behindwhy Japanese economy recovered so much after the war.
Yaoi and Yuri are seen in Japan as fetishism. A fujoshi can be very homophobic.
You don’t just work to live, you almost live to work. It is not unusual for Japanese to spend days at the office or still work when they go back home.
Women at work receives a lot of sexism. Not blatant but it’s here. It is almost required for a working woman marrying to quit her work and take care of the kids.
A strong spirited tall working woman is seen as very unattractive.
A lot of Japan culture is about politeness. In itself, a lot of things you do don’t seem to have sense or seems like you have the choice, but you don’t, because it’s the thing to do it’s the correct polite way to do. For example, even if you hate your boss you have to go drink beer with him after work because it’s the thing to do or you might not like your coworkers much , but if you’re a woman you definitely should bring them chocolates on Valentine’s Day.
Coworkers dating is frowned upon unless you get married (or any romantic relationship going for a while without marriage between adults). This makes a lot of Japanese marriage hasted and unhappy.
If you’re a single unmarried woman who gave birth to no child you’re frowned upon.
Even if you have been in Japan for 50 years if you’re a westerner you will always be treated like a stranger outside the community. Not in the flanderized villain way, but it’s mostly a feeling or how people see you. On the countryside, people will somewhat fear you.
I f you’re Chinese or Korean, Japanese really won’t like you - it’s a racism thing. It’s even WORST if you’re half Japanese. And you can actually be a victim if you look like one.
Young idols and actresses are loved in Japan and youth is a big thing, giving Japanese women a lot of pressure about appearing young. At 35 you’re old.
Ironically it’s very fashionable in Japan to follow western fashion or way of being. Thus if you say English words, bleach your hair, listen to western bands and wear western fashion, you’re a cool kid. Although at some point, you might be taken as a delinquent.
Unlike what some anime shows us, sailor uniforms are for elementary schools.
Japan is extremely sanitized. That’s why everyone get sick so often they clean everything so much they don’t get strong enough antibodies.
Japan health system is shit. Although it is being reformed. Before it was not uncommon for the hospital administration to give someone lots of medicine even if they know they will die so their family will give them more money.
Mangakas literally have no life. You’re paid by the page and live like shit. Same shit for animatorsespecially those who are paid by the frame (why we get so many shit anime they rush the frame so they can eat at the end of the month).
Unlike western cinema where the cinematography is very important and seen as its own art, in general in Japan the cinematography is more a mean to an end and the story is the real focus. (kinda important if you roleplay an artistic muse in the cinema industry)
Japanese companies go by numbers and are very practical their thinking is more old-fashioned. An industry can go 360 if numbers show a certain market is more profitable (for example Konami dropping console games for cellphone and tablets apps or anime industry requiring as norm now at least 2 moe characters per new titles - numbers take priority over artistic integrity unlike in the west where there’s more free thinking and individualism and it will be questioned)
This doesn’t mean that Japanese artists have no values, nor that Japanese animators are not extremely frustrated over this. (”Anime was a mistake” - Miyazaki)
HIGH SCHOOLERS DON’T GO EAT ON THE ROOF. It’s dangerous and it’s closed off most of the time and strictly prohibited. This stereotype comes from schools being crowded and wanting to show the characters wanting to be alone and be portrayed as a daydreamer. Really it’s just that you only go on the roof in fiction.
It can seem strange but in Japan you don’t really say your real thoughts. It’s so polite, you deviate and try as less conflicts as possible. For example, if you’re at a meeting and someone of an upper status propose an idea you think is bad and you say “I think this is not a good idea” it will be seen as the same as saying “Your idea suck” in the west. (cue dramatic gasps and people looking at you like the fuck you said omg dude you don’t say that) Instead, you will say something like “We can also consider X course of action.” or “But X person’s idea was also good.”
Same if you don’t like someone; you don’t say “Dude you’re kinda creepy” even if the guy is a real creep, you say “U-uh…” and distance yourself with it and deal with it.
If you actually see “Your idea suck” and “You’re kinda creepy” you’re seen as ill-mannered. (Your character can of course and some people are very blunt, especially males, but the “average” people won’t and will gather a LOT of courage to do so)
That’s why protagonists who goes against authority in anime is SO DRAMATIC when we think Yeah he just told the truth in Japan it’s more like OOOH OMG HE DID THAT YOU CAN’T DO THAT OMG.
This kind of not saying the real things sadly brings a lot of backstabbing and bitching in the average Japanese life. Think about the stereotype of the cute idols being perfect and the second they go for their break, they smoke and complain the hell out of their life.
It doesn’t mean that Japanese are bitchy or backstabbers, but not being able to tell your real thoughts isvery frustrating.
You respect your elders. Like no shit you don’t talk badly of the elders dude you DON’T.
Old small grandmas bending forward stereotype is “true”; they are this way due to years of working in rice fields.
In commerce, Japanese take care A LOT of the client. Like if you go out and it’s going to rain, the owner will lend you an umbrella you can return later or if you sneeze, the bartender will go to the kitchen and bring you a broth. If you go to an interior decorator, they could ask for your hobbies and learn to know who you are so the service is as good for you as possible.
It’s totally not impossible that if you’re stupid and trip on yourself the owner will apologize because their floor is too slippery.
Physical appearances are very important. Even someone slobby will somehow arrange their pjs when going out. They don’t necessarily think about it it’s just cultural.
It’s not uncommon for Japanese teachers to be single women (cue the stereotype of desperately single teachers looking for a husband); there are still some remnants of the female teachers don’t get married thoughts. (Yeah Japan is still pretty old-fashioned)
In this old-fashioned way, it’s not uncommon for Japanese family to still put everything on the family name in the elder child and the money for them to go to University.
For dating, in Japan, you don’t secretly hold a crush and wait for the right opportunity to flirt as much as in the US (while in Europe it’s more straight out direct flirting) - that’s what love confessions and those letters are for.
Even if it says love confession it’s more asking if you wanna have a try at dating. It is not like in the west where you go out officially with someone after some dates; in Japan you are officially with someone before even starting those few dates sometimes. It kinda just confirms that okay this hanging out is romantic.
That’s why it’s not uncommon for teenage couples to go out for a month and have never kissed. (I’m terrible at explaining that I hope it’s clear)
In a veryveryvery generalized way. Let’s say you met someone and you’re interested. You go on three dates, but in the end it didn’t work so after those few weeks you part your different ways; you won’t consider this person as your ex, but in Japanese you will say so. (in middle/high school)
Tbh every teenager guy has a PSP. Please don’t make your character have an Xbox (Microsoft is in the US). They have Playstation (cause Sony is local).
If Yokai Watch isn’t as popular here, in Japan it’s the freaking new Pokemon the kids love it.
Just like how everyone saw Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings in the West, same goes for Japan with anime; everyone saw Gundam and Evangelion. It’s like classic TV, but talk about more obscure anime and they go ???.
People going on in fashion clothes and cosplay in huge places like Shibuya are paid models who are really paid to promote the clothing line by walking down the streets. Fashionistas meet there too.
When anime and manga here is referred to as an animation or a comic made in Japan, in Japan it’s considered a style. So if Japanese saw Avatar the Last Airbender they will consider it as anime because of the visual style.
Anime characters looking white is actually considered a cultural problem somehow frowned upon by the government (linked to being pure Japanese a pride when those characters look like foreigners). Anime characters are seen as hip and hot because of their long legs, clear hair and huge clear eyes but still said to be 100% Japanese? It is linked to Western fashion being hot and fashionable.
You want beautiful cartoon characters to look like someone the viewer would like to be with, be attracted to - Japanese want hip western stuff - make your character look western, even if he’s Japanese - cultural problem.
In Japan voice actors are like our Hollywood celebrities and their life the gossips and reality show. They are everywhere as hosts, animators, video games, in ads, etc and if an actor or idol didn’t have a voice actor role yet, they surely will.
Young kids do watch Attack on Titan and read Berserk. Just like kids at 7 who watch horror shows or go see Deadpool with their parents.
