Japanese people are people, first and foremost. Which means that anything said about the group of Japanese people in general may not apply *at all* to any individual Japanese person.
As obvious as that is, it's easy to forget it when the culture in general shares so few touchstones with the Judeo-Christian world. Thus sweeping statements are necessary, and a good way to get a handle on things, because otherwise you get nowhere, but every single general statement might be completely wrong for the Japanese person in front of you.
Polite and hardworking (as noted above) is absolutely correct in general, and yet rude, lazy, irresponsible Japanese people abound.
Here's one thing to know: mistakes early in life have permanent consequences in Japan. I know Americans who committed what amounts to felonies in their teens and now are doctors and lawyers. This is not how things work in Japan at all. Because the college you get into basically determines your prospects in life in Japan. Not the college you graduate from, because basically once you get into a college, you will graduate. So getting in is all that matters.
Thus polite and hardworking is an absolute requirement for anyone who plans to live a respectable life. The pressure on teens is absolutely mind-blowing.
Elementary kids clean their own schools daily.
As obvious as that is, it's easy to forget it when the culture in general shares so few touchstones with the Judeo-Christian world. Thus sweeping statements are necessary, and a good way to get a handle on things, because otherwise you get nowhere, but every single general statement might be completely wrong for the Japanese person in front of you.
Polite and hardworking (as noted above) is absolutely correct in general, and yet rude, lazy, irresponsible Japanese people abound.
Here's one thing to know: mistakes early in life have permanent consequences in Japan. I know Americans who committed what amounts to felonies in their teens and now are doctors and lawyers. This is not how things work in Japan at all. Because the college you get into basically determines your prospects in life in Japan. Not the college you graduate from, because basically once you get into a college, you will graduate. So getting in is all that matters.
Thus polite and hardworking is an absolute requirement for anyone who plans to live a respectable life. The pressure on teens is absolutely mind-blowing.
Elementary kids clean their own schools daily.