Strange things about Japan (to an outsider)

[dankles]

This thread is just a rant on things that outsiders might find funny about the Japanese culture and what not. This is not however, a "poke fun at japan" thread. I love japan and its culture, even if some of it is a bit far-fetched (to an outsider).

Anyways, to start off with a bang and what inspired this thread in the first place:
http://otakuinternational.com/2008/08/eight-interesting-albeit-odd-japanese-items/

[Aneroph]

I don't have anything as strange as that phallus snack you posted dankles, but I have a ton of stuff about Japan that's strange to most people. My personal favorite, they refuse to write names in red color. Apparently it's connected with the old Samurai that used to write names in blood of victims, so now it is bad luck to write a name in red. when I went to study abroad for 3 weeks, a businessman in Toyohashi took my red pen to write some business information, but he refused to write his name with it. Another strange one is that being the middle person in a photograph of three people means you will die an early death, and the other people in the photograph will have their families die early. Most Japanese will avoid pictures with three people at all costs.

[vuzedome]

I've seen all the crazy stuff except the sauce dispensing chopsticks, that one's new for me.

[dankles]

Hmm, I never knew any of that, Aneroph.
There is also the thing about the number 4. It's bad luck because "shi" is the word for both the number and the word for death.

[quekmeister]

There is also the thing about the number 4. It's bad luck because "shi" is the word for both the number and the word for death.

Same in Mandarin and quite a few Chinese dialects.

Using red pen for anything besides marking papers and making comments to that effect is impolite, to say the least.

[anesthehero]

I didn't know about any of these, they all look strange to me but the strangest one is the Boong-Ga Boong-Ga: Imagine yourself playing that game in your house  , you would be arrested in half an hour.
But there other things like:
-A restaurant that uses monkeys as waiters http://www.4to40.com/newsat4/index.asp?id=2159&news=Strange_Things_in_Japan
-A device that 'translates a dog's barks into words' http://www.4to40.com/newsat4/index.asp?id=2844&news=Strange_Things_in_Japan ( I'd like to talk wiht a dog )
-Special needs toilets — only 1 legged headless women or otherwise normal headless men allowed.

(click to show/hide)

-Kanamara Matsuri ?? http://througheyesfromafar.blogspot.com/2009/07/penis-matsuri.html
-the best piece of art ever: the Butt Statue
 

(click to show/hide)

[War_God]

is it possible to say that to "an ousider" of Japanese culture anime is quite strange to them i guess
and also the cosplay and "emo" stuff

[Leila]

To a western outsider the (in)formal verbs use can be strange. I guess.

[kaitou-san]

Apparently it's connected with the old Samurai that used to write names in blood of victims

...where did you hear that?

It's based on the Chinese tradition of writing the names of dead family members in red in the family tree.

[Aneroph]

Apparently it's connected with the old Samurai that used to write names in blood of victims

...where did you hear that?

It's based on the Chinese tradition of writing the names of dead family members in red in the family tree.

Well, aside from this:

"I only have a red pen, so I'm going to write your name in red. Sorry about that." I didn't understand why she was apologizing, then I remembered the odd (from my viewpoint) superstition about writing people's names in red ink in Japan (and Korea). This dates from a practice in ancient Japan in which a samurai would send an official declaration to an enemy that he planned to kill, writing his opponent's name in his own blood.

From Peter Payne (American married to a Japanese woman with half Japanese kids living and working in Japan), I was told the same story when I went on study abroad from actual Japanese. I think I would tend to believe what I hear from multiple Japanese citizens.

[billlanam]

I believe that the samurai was using the Chinese tradition to intimidate his opponents (Koreans have the same tradition), so even with the samurai story, it amounts to the same as the Chinese tradition.

Since the Japanese seem to have red signatures stamped on some of their art, it doesn't seem like a strong tradition.

The above I gleaned by googling.

[Humanoidz]

LOL @ that list.

[fohfoh]

I have no idea where the red name thing came from. In Hong Kong, most names on tombstones are in black or gold. Names were not "signed" but instead imprinted on a piece of paper, and ALWAYS stamped using RED ink.

One "weird" thing that westerners may find is that Japanese people get very close to each other when walking on the street or taking public transports. There's no "my bubble area". It's more like "stfu, it's sardine time! Go with the flow!"

[Nikran]

There is also the thing about the number 4. It's bad luck because "shi" is the word for both the number and the word for death.

Same in Mandarin and quite a few Chinese dialects.

From what i read somewhere, apprently chinese + japanese hospitals won't have 4th floors for this very reason.

[ilk3000]

I've never heard of the red ink thing in China. Aren't documents usually stamped with the person's official name seal in red ink? And red is pretty much always the color of happiness in Chinese culture, which it's used so much in celebrations and weddings.

[kaitou-san]

Writing the name in red only happened on your family tree record.

When you died, your name, which was written in with black ink, is crossed out with two red lines.

Nowadays the tradition of keeping a family tree record is not as common, but that is where I was told it originates from. Even Europeans kept a family tree, I think, in their bibles. Not sure what they did with people who died though. Did Europeans also cross out the names of people who have already died?

However, a seal is different. Seals are always stamped in red, regardless of what shape the stamp is. One reason for this is because the color red is said to be able to ward off evil spirits, but truth be told, it's just traditional. Same reason why boys don't wear skirts and girls have longer hair. Tradition.



And speaking of weird stuff from Japan:

Squatter toilets.

[quekmeister]

There is also the thing about the number 4. It's bad luck because "shi" is the word for both the number and the word for death.

Same in Mandarin and quite a few Chinese dialects.

From what i read somewhere, apprently chinese + japanese hospitals won't have 4th floors for this very reason.

Hospitals, hotels, public buildings, apartments etc. They usually replace it with 3A. It's quite common in Malaysia and Singapore as well, since there's a large Chinese population in both countries.

[ilk3000]

Family records have a birth date and a death date that is added after the person dies, for those that keep it. I believe the usual format is like:

1996-2009

 or

b. 1996
d. 2009

[Proin Drakenzol]

And speaking of weird stuff from Japan:

Squatter toilets.

I tried using one once... never again. I will wait for a Western toilet to open up in restrooms at train stations.

[quekmeister]

And speaking of weird stuff from Japan:

Squatter toilets.

I tried using one once... never again. I will wait for a Western toilet to open up in restrooms at train stations.

Deal with it...