Most of the Japanese students that I went to school with in Germany and later Australia had a few things in common. They were humble, studious and much better than me at the piano. Apart from the bad boy villain in Karate Kid II, every Japanese person that I knew or had seen in movies pretty much fit my stereotype. So, when I arrived at Narita airport in my mid-twenties with a working holiday visa in hand, I had this image of Japanese people being quiet overachievers. I would soon learn that not all Japanese people were the silent type.

My first culture shock came when I walked into a convenience store and heard more than one voice shouting Irasshaimase! from different corners of the shop. I got a big surprise and didn't know what to do. The first thought that came into my head was that I was being accused of stealing something, which seemed strange because I’d only just walked in the door. Later, a friend told me this was just a friendly welcome greeting and I immediately felt my perception of Japanese people widening. 

Then one spring morning, I was walking through the park on my way to work and found myself surrounded by people picnicking, drinking and making noise under the cherry blossoms at 8am! In Australia, we also enjoy drinking under the sun, but not usually first thing in the morning! I was blown away! My most unforgettable culture shock happened in an izakaya when the guy at the table next to me yelled Sumimasen! across the room to get the waiter’s attention. That was unheard-of in my country. You would risk getting kicked out of the place if you did that. 

When I look back on the impression that I used to have of Japanese people, I’m a little embarrassed at how ignorant I was. That said, had I not been so naive, the culture shock probably wouldn’t have been as much fun. 

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The expressions in the bold font above appear in my Speak Like a Native lesson called “Experiencing a new culture”. If you’d like to learn more about this lesson, click here to check out the lesson page. 

Trial lessons → 1000pts for 45 minutes.