Japan recently introduced a Digital Nomad Visa that enables foreigners from 49 countries to live within the country for six months.
But before they pack their bags, they should want to read Japan’s “Life and Work Guidebook,” which is aimed toward helping foreigners slot in.
The guidebook, published by Japan’s Immigration Services Agency, provides advice on immigration, medical care and housing. However the chapter on “Every day Rules and Customs” is where foreigners will find specific guidance on “life rules” that illustrate Japan’s emphasis on collectivism and respect.
Listed below are among the rules.
1. Making noise
Based on the rules, “Japanese people are likely to think that loud sounds and voices trouble others.”
Not only party and music levels ought to be kept to a minimum, but additionally “voices” and “TV” levels, the guidebook states.
Foreigners are also advised to avoid making noise when using “a washer, or a vacuum cleaner, or having a shower early within the morning or late at night.”
A Japanese guidebook for foreigners advises against making noise through the use of washing machines early within the morning or late at night.
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Listening to music through earphones may not even be enough on buses and trains.
“Ensure that your music just isn’t too loud and can’t be overheard outside of the earphones,” the guidebook states.
2. Coughing manners
Section 2.2 of the rulebook deals solely with “coughing manners.”
There are even separate rules for “sudden” coughs and protracted coughs.
“For those who suddenly cough or sneeze, accomplish that in your elbow or inside your sleeves of jacket,” it states. “Don’t use your hands.”
Others should wear a mask, it states.
Mask-wearing was a fixture in Japanese every day life even before the Covid-19 pandemic, based on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, due to the country’s concentrate on personal hygiene and cleanliness.
“Japan is home to a culture of being considerate of other people,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in an article about mask culture. “These defining characteristics of the Japanese people reinforced their awareness in order to avoid causing trouble to others around them, and this will have made it easier for masks to return into extensive use.”
Mask usage rose in prominence in Japan throughout the Spanish influenza, which began in 1918, and increased through the years, based on the ministry. Now, they’re considered “a classy fashion item,” it added.
3. No phones on bikes
Many countries prohibit using mobile phones while driving cars. In Japan, this rule also applies to bikes.
Bicycles are a well-liked way for locals and tourists to get across the country, with many tourist destinations offering rental bicycles, based on Japan Guide.
Cyclists in Tokyo cannot hold, talk or text while riding a motorcycle. Earphones are also prohibited by law.
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4. How one can act on public transport
Talking on the phone on buses and trains is frowned upon in Japan.
The guidebook highlighted that such a gesture is deemed highly impolite because it “bothers other people.”
Talking to seatmates may offend in Japan —if it’s too loud.
“Speaking in a loud voice is taken into account to be manner violation,” the rules states, in reference to passengers on buses and trains.
“Talking on the phone on a bus or train is taken into account to be bad manners in Japan,” states a guidebook for foreigners published by Japan’s government.
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Most Japanese passengers stand or sit in silence when riding public trains, based on Japan Rail Pass, an internet site for train travel in Japan.
Foreigners are expected to abide by such rules and are reminded to talk to the train driver only in “emergency situations,” it said.
Anyone who has ever been hit in the top by an errant backpack may appreciate the federal government’s final tip for public transport: “When a bus or train is crowded, take care so your backpack doesn’t trouble other people.”
Why Japan’s advice is so detailed
Japan is a ethnically homogeneous country with lower rates of immigration than other countries, said Henri Vlahović, the managing director of Meiji Academy, a Japanese language and culture school.
As such, it’s focused on retaining its culture by encouraging foreigners to evolve, he said.
“Immigration is generally seen as something more sensitive,” said Vlahović. “The federal government may be very concerned about reducing or omitting any sort of trouble that might occur by foreigners not following certain rules.”
Vlahović explained that those rules govern how Japanese society functions, which can also be expected from foreigners living and visiting Japan.
