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As a Japanese person, I think personally the interviewees seem to have "lower standards" than the average Japanese person. However, the reason Japan is so clean is that these attitudes are "AT LEAST" the standard.
No. It simply shows that those interviewed are aware of dirty places, since they have their knowledge first hand. I personally have seen many times dirty places in Japan but I am however aware that in urban areas or very public places there is a high awareness. Also the amount of people doing these jobs of cleaning in urban areas is impressive compared to some other countries. Of course, it also depends very much on what comparative possibilities you have yourself in order to be able to assess how your own situation is to be evaluated in the context.
@@marioh5172 No, this is Shibuya, a place that reflects the perspective of younger generations. While I have no intention of criticizing them, it's important to note that Japan also has a countryside where many older individuals reside. These older generations possess deep knowledge and experience in these matters, actively working towards improvements. In comparison, I find the knowledge of the interviewees to be superficial, and believe that a deeper understanding is necessary to preserve our rich culture. What was discussed in the interview extends far beyond what you might consider "simple." Japan's beauty lies in its ancient history and ongoing education, and passing this knowledge on to future generations will shape our future.
you mean their normal standards is normal to them and they get confused when other people say their normal is impressive? I mean, I understand both sides but their reaction is totally expected lol.
Why is Japan so clean? Simple, because the people keep it clean. I've been to many countries, some cleaner than others, but in all cases it is what the people make of it.
@@myronkipa2530 Every country in the world is home to its own people. If we want to keep our cities clean, it requires more than just government action and education. It also demands a consensus and commitment from each individual to desire and take action toward this goal. However, if they can achieve this, maintaining cleanliness is indeed possible.
I'm not familiar with the situation in India. but I watched a station in Bangladesh was supported by japan on TH-cam. It's very clean. station staffs gave a lecture on how to use it to the citizens, so I think it was an effect. Indians are smart, and India continues to develop, so I'm sure it's going to be a wonderful city. sorry, my english is not good
@@saurMLit comes down to having a proper underground sewage system,incinerators and land fills .those are the only things that matter and that costs a lot of money
I do not understand the US thing to have shoes on inside. It's so strange. Here in Norway we take the shoes off inside. If you want something on your feet, we use slippers.
I lived and worked in Japan for a couple of months and the cleaning culture is everywhere, including the workplace. Every Thursday we would clean our workspaces from 2pm to 2:30pm, and everyone took part and was punctual: you start at 2pm sharp and you finish at 2:30pm sharp. I remember my task was basically sweep the floor and the counters, but my colleagues would take out the trash, mop the floor, vacuum, etc. Everyone had a specific task. I loved taking part of that! I wish my country would implement this culture but no way people would accept it: they would start complaining about work explotation or how they are too qualified to do this work. I am a qualified engineer, my colleagues were engineers too and our job was an engineering job, but we still cleaned our workspace every week as a group. I think the way people in Japan look at cleaning tasks is also important: cleaning is something everyone should do, whether you are a doctor or just finished high school. We all live in the same space.
I've seen this taught at Japanese schools at a very young age. This includes meal service where the kids are involved with serving and cleaning. Custodial and janitorial staff is minimized. So the learning starts at a very young age.
I'm an asian born who move to the west, but I don't understand how cleaning became a low social class thing that people would feel shame to do it for themselves like a workplace or home. My culture doesn't make cleaning as integral as the japanese but I feel like that just makes more sense than not.
@@soonlet4977 It's a bourgeois attitude that persists today. Every cultured civilized person should be cleaning up after themselves, but unfortunately we're conditioned to think that someone else (the "help") will do it for us.
@@paranoidhumanoid Yep, no job is beneath anyone. Someone has to fix your dirty car, wash your car, haul your garbage, unclog your drains, mow your lawn, flip your burgers, serve your ass, cook your meals, clean the public toilets. IF you haven't done any of this, you have right to be entitled.
If you come to the slums and ghettos of most bug cities in the USA the people living there (mostly black Americans) just throw their trash (such as fast food trash) out of their car. These people usually don’t work and live off getting welfare or they have a low paying job & many addictions like drugs, gambling, or being an alcoholic. I agree with many people in this video who say that cleanliness is based on a persons moral and principles and world view.
As Japanese people, this issue isn’t a challenge for us. However, if we attempt to introduce it into other cultures, I believe it will necessitate significant cultural change, inheritance, and education passed down through generations. Our culture differs from Western in numerous ways, both positive and negative. To address these issues, a "fundamental shift in values" may be necessary. This isn’t something forced upon anyone; rather, it’s up to the people in each country to decide whether they want it or not.
The thing that Americans and Europeans don't understand well is that they erroneously think the laws are so strict that littering will land you in prison or heavy fines, but it's just that most Japanese would feel embarrassed to litter and that's the "self-policing" aspect of the culture. To some, the embarrassment of being seen as a litterbug or "trashy" person is more anxiety inducing than imprisonment or a fine. This attitude would never work here in the US because people don't mind being trashy or embarrassed.
I hope for a world where the self-policing would come from a place of self-love and self-respect for everyone. So that whether people seem to be looking or not, people do what's right.
Native Shintoism has a lot to do with it. Shinto engaged in intense purification practices through the centuries. The priests wear white (buddhist priests wear darker colors). In the old days, Japanese were prohibited from eating animal flesh as it was considered dirty. Also, the Japanese school system teaches children to clean their own classrooms at the end of everyday promoting a collective sense of responsibility for hygiene. Try doing that in America!
@Magnonx And which middle eastern religion would that be? Judaism? Christianity? Zoroastrianism? The only religion indigenous to England is the Pagan faiths.
As a Japaneases, I don't think it's good to impose our religion on other countries. Sometimes it is considered an invasion. Even if you don't rely on religion, you can get into the habit of cleaning by incorporating cleaning time into your school education.
I'm Swedish and I still remember being amazed at how clean it was the first time I visited Japan in 2011. I agree with the speakers that some places are cleaner than others, but compared to other countries it's really clean. I've worked in hostels in various countries and one thing I noticed was that you could almost always tell if a customer was Japanese or not when you went to clean their room/bunk after checkout. They always cleaned up after themselves before leaving and some even went to far as to make their beds perfectly to the point where we'd scratch our heads wondering if we were in the right room or not. "Did they actually stay here or not?!" Compare that to other nationalities that almost always would leave their rooms/bunks looking like a bomb had gone off in there (there are of course exceptions, but I'd say the majority would leave a big mess because they knew that someone else would come and clean it up for them). My husband is probably the first and only Japanese person I've met during my time here who more or less lives like a pig (if I didn't clean, it wouldn't get done), every other Japanese person in my life is incredibly cleanly (both men and women). I definitely think it's a cultural thing and it goes together with the omotenashi.
I really think it's worth doing a follow up video on this where you interview people who have lived both inside and outside Japan. That is, westerners who do (or have) lived in Japan as well as Japanese who have spent at least a few years in the west. As someone is is living a life between both these areas myself, I think it's important to realize that people naturally struggle to see things from the perspective of other cultures until they live in one. (Which I suppose is the point of this great channel.) If I were approached on this one I wouldn't even know where to start. I do want to say though that I think it's important to understand the kind of mentality that is instilled by the Japanese school system where everyone is responsible for cleaning and caring for their school. A blend of ownership and responsibility for your society from an early age is a beautiful thing. I feel this has been lost in the west.
Completely. My wife is Japanese and sees many positive things here in Switzerland. But when it comes to our values and efforts in like keeping things clean or being responsible for things as a group she feels like we are somehow very dumb people. And we're talking about Switzerland, a country called clean by many other Europeans.
@@TheEsh4 100%. agree. I feel us westerners are boneheads who create a lot of trouble for ourselves unnecessarily, but I would also say the same for Japanese society for completely different reasons. That's a huge topic. The exact origin of the groupthink eluded me for many years. It's so different that it's very hard to articulate even in long form. I had an "Aha!" moment recently though. There is a podcast called Gastro Pod that looks at foods through the lens of science and history. Bear with me here it'll make sense in a moment. They did an episode on rice not too long ago. In this episode they talked about how rice can get a lot of yield from a small plot of land. If you have water at the ready even a small terrace will make enough rice to feed quite a few people. Thing is, it takes a lot of people to maintain the rice paddy compared to other foods. So, the result is that many people need to chip in ,in order for everyone to get fed. If anyone doesn't do their part, the crop could fail and everyone is at risk so there is a lot of social pressure to do your part. They explain that this is the reason why cultures with a rice growing origin tend towards putting society ahead of self. Side note: To this day if I leave any grains of uneaten rice in the bottom of my bowl, even just a few, any nearby Japanese person is likely to shame me a little and tell me to think of the hard working farmers. It's that deeply ingrained. No pun intended but I'll take it.
@@missplainjane3905 I'm not really qualified to make such judgements as the reality is too nuanced and complex. but I will say that for my entire life I was happier to be from and live in the west but now Japan is looking way more appealing. My money goes further and I can get the services I want more easily. Housing is super, like ridiculously, cheaper in Japan in relation to average income due to a rapidly declining population. Certainly healthcare is better there than Canada or US.
As someone born and raised in NY and spent a significant amount of time in both Japan and Singapore. Japan is an 9.5 overall and Singapore is an 11/10 on the cleanless scale
@@shinigami1176 The average American or Korean is worried about penalties and jail time while the Japanese worry about it being a shameful act. No shame. It's okay to litter as long as nobody is watching.
Depends on where in Europe lol. Paris when I visited in 2018 was dirtier than any place I’ve been in California, and that includes LA and San Francisco. No wonder Paris syndrome is a thing with Japanese tourists lol.
@@Creepytaco95 - I did write "in general". Yes, there are differences depending on where in Europe you are. There are places at the same level as California, but there are places with an index of perhaps 6 (nothing better than that), but the average score is extreme low.
@@Creepytaco95thank you for pointing this out. People are acting like the US is the dirtiest country in the world, so dirty that if you touch the slightest thing you’ll contract typhoid. It’s not that bad, they’re just over exaggerating, if not, then just ignorant. I live in California and I give it a 5. If this guy saying that it’s a 0, then he obviously never been to California or just only explored LA. And the US overall is a fair 6.
I don't think that Japan is necessarily more cleaner than other countries since (as mentioned) it depends on the area. But the general consensus of most native Japanese denizens is to clean up after yourself as often as possible. So naturally many places will generally look more clean than certain areas of other countries.
They are taught from an early age to keep where they live and study clean. Students do the cleaning at schools. In Italy it's the mothers who show up throwing rubbish around!
I was pleasantly surprised how Japanese were well mannered about respecting their environment. At the contrary I went back to my home town in Italy and after a day on the beach (particularly young people) left rubbish everywhere. It’s a disgrace how low the civility is in Italy compared to Japan.
It's not just clean. My friend just came back from Vietnam. He said there's trash everywhere in the wild and in the forest. Not only that but he noticed there were no birds everywhere he went. No seagulls, pigeons, crows.
i'm a japanese. I think Americans are good at complimenting others😊 The good thing about Americans is that they can find the good in others! sorry, my english is not good
As a Japanese woman who lived in America, I think that Americans are confident as individual and want to criticize and hear criticism about their national characteristics. I think that Japanese people are opposite…I’m too old, too fat, I don't have ability to do this kind of work, I don’t want to speak English because my English is super poor.…but blindly believe that their 民度(mindo) is the best in the world. I look like SouthAsian. I have faced more〝racism〟in Japan than in America. I have been a victim of crime many times in Japan, but never in America. Many Japanese people have got mad to hear that 😓
Japan has gotten so much dirtier in the past few years due to increased tourism. It went from nearly zero trash to now litter every 30 to 40 feet and I’ll see some tourist just throw trash on the ground. If any one went 10 years ago they would know the difference
I’m super messy though. Both my parents are super clean. I lived in America. I’d wondered how people from overseas could stand our racism(xenophobia？) in Japan. I like that Americans open their mind easily. Some Americans have thrown racist remarks and attitudes to me but I didn’t care because they were different from people I like. My parents are very polite and xenophobic. Many people from overseas say that they like Japanese people because we are polite and well mannered…And many of those Japanese people hate foreigners. I’ve thought it must be hard for people from overseas. When I asked some of them if it’s hard, I found that it’s difficult to recognize for them because those Japanese people don’t show that they don’t like them clearly. When I was working for a condominium, some residents puzzled me because they told me to tell foreign residents not to put trash on other days and locations than those specified(We usually have to obey customers and do anything what they tell us)…None of them saw foreign residents did！ Recently, a rat was found in bread from a major bread manufacturar. Although the factory is located in Tokyo, it is very far from tourist spots. A famous Japanese publisher published an online article blaming foreign tourists. I don't think there are many Japanese people who believe this, but some will use it as a reason for their hatred of foreigners.
it's a bad mix of Japan's lack of trashbins + culture of cleanliness and tourist with far below Japan's cleanliness standards and lack of trashbins... lol
The US does have very clean places too, especially in wealthy neighborhoods and nice college towns. It's just its major cities like New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, etc., can be filthy. It can't be helped, since it is a far more heterogeneous society than Japan. US is a country of immigrants, with people from all socioeconomic backgrounds and level of education, so the regard to maintaining public spaces clean can vary drastically from person to person. Not to mention, the US got a lot of ghettos and homeless people, where the people couldn't care less about maintaining clean streets. Overall, I would rank US cities more on the clean side among the world cities, though. If you think US cities are bad, you really haven't traveled much throughout the world.
@@lissandrafreljord7913 I’ve travelled to over 25 countries including the US via different states. We are not comparing other countries but US to Japan so my comment still stands.
@@lissandrafreljord7913I 100% agree with you but these people don’t want to listen, they are ignorant. It’s very common for people to hate on their own country and praise another country. There are many Japanese people who speaks fondly of the US while hating Japan
@@sabinbajracharya3815 it doesn’t matter if one has more immigrants than the other . At the end of the day Japan is still cleaner . Not sure why everyone comes up with all these reasoning and excuses when the fact remains the USA isn’t as clean as Japan , period.
It is basic manners to clean up after ourselves. And as they say, "manners maketh man". And if such values aren't inculcated in children before they step foot into the society, it is the fault and negligence of their parents and teachers. (“养不教，父之过。 教不严，师之惰。”)
I'm a black American man who lived in Tokyo for 2 years, and yes Japan is one of the clean country that I have ever been to in my life. Also I love the country of Japan.
An idol group (Tokyo CLEAR'S) I used to follow, would do trash pickup on Tuesdays (my Monday), and would ask for otaku to post photos of them picking up trash. There were many times on Monday evenings when I was picking up trash in Mission Bay Park, San Diego; that people would stop me and ask me what I was doing. I usually got a thanks for doing that, but never had anyone join me even though I had extra trash bags.
I remember when it used to be more of a thing for clean ups in the street and along streams to make sure its clean of garbage. My father was an Eagle Scout, and even as an adult, he was picking up trash in the street he found when he walked to places.
The people who don't rate it high, I'd like to know what country they think is cleaner than Japan, because I can't think of it. Maybe Switzerland? That's all I got.
7:45 something I noticed when in Japan (and I think that there's a video about it) is the lack of trash cans (compared to Denmark where I'm from) which actually made it more difficult to not litter as I would have to hold on to my trash in my bag.
There are several reasons for this, but as a Japanese person, I believe it comes down to "cultural differences". For example, I haven't generated "any trash in the city" for about 10 years, so I don't feel the need for trash cans. Plastic bags and trays might be significant sources of garbage, but Japanese people generally consider "walking while eating" to be rude. Moreover, "eating while standing" is also seen as impolite. As a result, it has become customary for people to take the food they buy back to their homes or workplaces to eat. I think it’s normal to "walk while eating" in other countries. Additionally, younger people today seem less concerned about these manners, so the "level of rudeness" is becoming more relaxed.
@@gotakazawa408 That much is surprising ~ Japan, Tokyo specifically, is known as a bustling city filled with office and salary workers rushing to get to work and very little time, so I would've assumed that people would quickly stop at a convenience store, or small shop or even packed lunch and eat during their commute to get energy for the day without sacrificing too much of their valuable time. In Thailand where I'm from, we have a lot of convenience stores but also a lot of street food stalls that open very early in the morning so any hungry office workers or school kids can grab something simple (For example, a favourite of mine is grilled pork skewers with sticky rice where everything can be eaten on the go and mess-free) and then eat it while walking to their office or school or stop and eat outside before entering the residence. Of course, if you're not hungry, then people will often just buy food and store it at the company to eat later for lunch (especially if they are working during their lunch breaks) but I think because there is so many food options available nearby, then people will just go out and eat. For example, there are of course food options in my office building itself but if you go to the ground floor, there is a nice and affordable food court filled with food that I much prefer to eat at times rather than franchised chains. However, I think the biggest reason for Japans cleanliness is of course the sense of responsibility and community, while normal in Japan, I think many other countries are filled with selfish people who take the easiest way out even if it means littering at times. It's not just cleanliness, it's also in the acts of restoration ~ I've visited Japan a few times now and the amount of second-hand things you can buy that are kept so well maintained they practically feel unused is unreal.
@@aburn9891 Thank you for sharing your experiences in Thailand. When it comes to lunch for office workers in Japan, particularly in major cities like Tokyo, it typically falls into three main patterns: 1: Quickly dining at a nearby restaurant, often opting for dishes like ramen, gyudon, pasta, or hamburgers. 2: Purchasing a sandwich, Bento or snack from a convenience store and enjoying it at the office, sometimes bought in the morning on the way to work. 3: Bringing lunch from home. As a point of reference, some individuals may have a Japanese-style breakfast at home in the morning, while others might prefer a Western-style meal like bread or cereal, or simply rely on a cup of coffee.
@@aburn9891 As a Japanese person, I agree with your observations on the "quality of used products." We have a cultural ethos of "treating things with care," encompassing both the notions of careful usage and meticulous upkeep. Consequently, Japanese second-hand stores have gained popularity among foreign tourists in recent years. Specifically, items such as clothing, musical instruments, CDs, and records are reputed for their high quality.
a old japanese said that garbage has stopped falling into the city since the trash cans disappeared. the terrorist attacked in Japan, trash cans are no longer installed. in the city
Seeing a lot of blah blah blah in the comments section, but ultimately not having "diversity enrichment" is why Japan is so clean. Used to be pretty clean in the West too before we became "enriched" by the 3rd world.....
@@danteinferno175 The habits or lack of habits starts at home and is not relegated to just immigrants. Urban youths and youths in general have a total lack of respect for property, space, other people and themselves
True. Lower income neighborhoods in the US are filthy. But although rich ppl keep their own neighborhoods clean, many of them are negligent towards the environment. They don't care what their environmental impact is as long as they don't see it.
Japan for the most part is clean - especially resudential neighborhoods, Trains are clean too 😅 - parts of Tokyo are pretty messy ( go in drinking districts of Shibuya, Shinjuku) yuk
I'd love to introduce the cleaning up culture in to UK schools. People here grow up having no awareness of such things and little respect for the environment around them. In city areas anyway. The countryside areas at least have the motto "leave as you find".
I'm currently residing in Japan as a student, and I take part in volunteer trash picking events on certain Saturdays, so hearing how other Japanese people try not to make it hard for volunteers to do their job is oddly heartwarming, hahah!
The reason why the Nishinari area is called a slum is not because of the dirtiness of the city. It's a poverty business. The city is not dirty, but If you give jobs or housing to the people who live there and move them to other areas, the next day you will be floating in the sea. In fact, the doctor who assisted them was found dead in the sea. The criminals targeting the elderly in this area are after the aid money for the country's poor.
@yerri5567 I was just in Shanghai for the conference. Chinese people smoke and spit inside an elevator in a 5-star hotel. This is not a rural China. Littering is everywhere on the side streets.
I think it’s because since the kindergarten we have been taught by parents and teachers to clean the public place like the classroom not only one’s own room. Washing hands as well.
@@animestuff7005 In the Cities, only Business areas are clean and organized. Few Private places are kinda livable. Apart from that, other areas are absolutely messed up and grimy. It's not only the government's fault but also the people's mentality and habit. For example, most people (doing blue collar jobs) in the country have a habit of consuming gutka and spitting on the street. These people need to be fined or some similar strict action should be taken. Then only the condition of our country will change. People and the Government should learn from other asian countries like Singapore and Japan.
I don't know .... Maybe 2 but when we include every part of India . I think it's in negative or more like tending to zero. But where i live in India , Delhi. It's so much clean here and roads as well but there's too much dust particles in air always. We should focus on infrastructure more otherwise these trash problems aren't going to solve any soon
Hmmm.... I love Japan. I've lived here most of my adult life, but that doesn't mean I've drunk the Cool Aid to the point I can't see the flaws. Japan isn't that clean, especially in the rural environments. Tokyo and Seoul have about the same level of trash and overall grime (Osaka is far worse), and I've been tempted to make videos showing all the trash everywhere, especially in the rivers, lakes, and oceans every time I see something like this or Japanese people are cleaning up a stadium. There's trash, including cars and large appliances in most mountains in Japan where people dump it illegally to avoid paying the disposal fees. Someone even set a car on fire near where I live to avoid having to pay to get rid of it. I appreciate the desire to look up to Japan, but this place is far from perfect and it doesn't help to keep inflating the Japanese ego.
This!!! 2nd guy pretty much nailed it. On a whole if you compare it to other nations, sure it probably might look proportionally cleaner but let's not kid ourselves into assuming the place is completely spotless or doesn't have its own problems. You still see the same problems like you would in any country especially the major cities. A vlogger I used to watch used to partake in beach cleanups and she would record parts of that activity. Might not be a fair comparison as these are also popular tourists spots but try spending 10 minutes around Shibuya or Shinjuku and see if it's still the same squeeky clean fantasyland. The tag Shibuya meltdown exists for a reason
No one is saying there is not a single piece of litter on the streets of Japan. It's obvious to everyone that Japanese cities are cleaner than other major cities like New York or Paris. And in recent years, Japanese cities have become dirtier due to tourism.
Shinto, Japan's indigenous religion, emphasizes purity. Being clean is considered a way to maintain purity, which has influenced the culture significantly. Japanese people have high hygiene awareness. Good habits like regular hand washing and mouth rinsing contribute to the overall cleanliness. Japanese citizens take pride in maintaining their surroundings. Cities are well looked after, with rare graffiti and minimal littering. So, Japan's cleanliness is a blend of cultural beliefs, individual responsibility, and societal norms.
The roots begin with understanding ancient Japanese Shinto. Although Shinto is a religion, it has permeated Japan since ancient times as a way of life rather than a profound doctrine. I believe that Shinto's ideas of purification, cleansing, and barriers are still connected to the cleanliness of the Japanese people today, but since they have become part of daily life, few Japanese people are even aware of their Shinto origins. When Buddhism was introduced to Japan, it came to be called Shinto in order to distinguish it from Buddhism, but before that it was simply called "the way."
I couldn't understand why foreigners think Japan is clean. I always thought it was dirty outside. I don't want to sit on any toilet other than my own. But when I went to Europe for the first time, I realized everything.
Same culture, Same value so everything works fine. That s why mixed culture country are not meant to work/be... At least we can travel to Japan to enjoy some peace, when the rest of the occidental world is destroying himself with too much unchosen immigration
We already have the fourth largest immigrations. The reason why many statistics show it’s only two percents is, our way of accepting immigrants is different from Western countries. The difference comes from the difference of definition of “immigrants” . I have many friends who immigrated from overseas. Their houses are much cleaner than mine.
Japan is clean and beautiful and should stay that way, I am concerned about them wanting to import foreigners from certain regions who aren’t particularly known for being clean.
If we're being honest foreigners from any region would be an issue until they have had time to acclimatize to Japanese norms and customs. Where a person is from is irrelevant, whether they are willing to integrate and respect Japanese societal norms is what is relevant.
That’s right. At least those who like Japan and want to continue living there are trying to adapt. On the other hand, people who come to Japan without respect...
@@WANDERER0070 No way, who said so！？ I think America is much more strict. When I said that my colleague called me ババア(hag) every day to an American friend, I was surprised because she told me to talk about it to our manager…Of course, our manager enjoyed that bully！ It’s interesting Americans think it comes from sexism though. When I was changing clothes, suddenly a guy opened a door. I screamed. I heard everyone was laughing. I wanted to yell at him but I couldn’t because he was the old ugly colleague who was also often bullied. I recognized they enjoyed forcing an old ugly male colleague to frighten an old ugly female colleague. …But Americans said that it’s sexual harassment…🤷🏻♀️ I don’t like that many Westerners say that the reason why here is clean comes from homogeneity. Some of my immigrants friends are suffered from serious bully. I think a country with few violences has a lot of insidious bully.
Outwardly, Japan is very clean. The streets are well maintained and swept, and people tend not to litter (generally). However, hand-washing with soap and general hygiene is not as high as other countries. Also, any riverside or viewing spot after cherry-blossom season or fireworks will be absolutely covered with litter.
The fundamental difference in cleanliness between the West and the East is the emphasis on the wellbeing of the collective good over individual self-interests. People in East Asian cultures are socialized to prioritize others over oneself, whereas the inverse is true in places like the US. This extends to other areas as well, such as punctuality and other forms of social etiquette. Of course surveillance is going to influence how we choose to operate in a public setting. When we know we are being watched, we're more likely to alter our behavior accordingly. This is why the CCTV apparatus in countries like China are so effective in maintaining civil orderliness. Maybe Western kids should also be taught how to habitually clean during school hours. Instilling this type of discipline is arguably as important of a life skill as the three Rs.
As a Japanese person, I partly agree with your opinion. While there are certainly general differences between the East and West, the cultures of East Asian countries also vary significantly. These differences might be even greater than those among countries like the US, UK, Germany, and France, for example.
CCTV is common everywhere and generally its used the same in China as it is in US. But just like you said the East emphasize collective good so people are more aware of the CCTV and care about being watched and possibly reprimanded. But for it to be adapted to other places, I don't think it's as easy as making western kids clean up during school hours as I can imagine parents accusing of exploitation or kids simply not following, but maybe I'm wrong.
I was waiting to pick up my nephew from school. The car in front of me opened their driver's door and dropped a bag of trash for 2 combo meals right at the curb. Classy American 😢😅
They are indeed cleaner than the rest of the world (not that I already visited all of them btw), but my vosit last november leave deep impression how clean the place in japan and more important the japanese themselves. We all see in each soccer match they attend, whne the match finish they will picked up the litter around them voluntarily whether its theirs or not. I remember japanese principle taught in our office where a few matter around the place we sit to keep it clean
@@jimwoo9552 Whoever produce them, its the stadium in my country btw, when my country against Japan. On the way out of stadium they took the litter along the way they pass, no matter whoever produce the litter.
It is quite simply the attitude of the people and them getting used to what they built. In many countries, people won’t hesitate to throw rubbish on the floor. But that’s just not how Japanese people behave. In Singapore some won’t litter. But many will if they don’t think they will get caught or if it’s troublesome for them to not litter. It’s the attitude.Cleaners and laws can only do so much.
I've lived in Canada for many decades now and I don't litter if I can help it, and if I did (like throw a grocery store receipt into the cart) I don't feel good about it. Littering is not good for ANYONE. It's not good for health, ascetic, and moral reasons. I've been to countries where trash cans are rare, so Canada and the US are fortunate to have lots of places to throw garbage in. So NO EXCUSE!
I’m one of the ignorant people. I wonder why many Westerners say so…Though there are many homogeneous countries, they don’t seem to be clean, polite, well mannered…hypocritical or insidious as us.
I think that's a very conservative pov, because we are learning this isn't much to do with race as it is the culture. As long as people assimilate themselves to the majority (cohesive) culture, then that society remains strong. Homogeneity is only great for these kind of benefits in society, but for things like creativity, diversity, and growth, for things like food, homogeneity only can bring you circles.
Cultural differences: Japan: "I'd really feel guilty" to add to someone's load who was picking up litter. America: it's a free pass to litter, someone else will pick it up.
It seems like they are unaware that they have been educated since kind garden to keep their environment clean. Some might think that USA is just as clean and American are educated as much as them in this regard.
meanwhile, pick up trash samurai on Tiktok has nearly a million people like me watching him pick up cigarettes and bottles and all sorts of trash in Japan live every day for hours. it's fairly entertaining for longer than i would expect.
Since japan is not a religious country their biggest fear comes from people judgements actions that other can see and judge are the once that they avoid, the problem with these mind set is that not everybody can live a life scared of other people judgements or expectations, that's is in my opinion how hikkikomori and NEETs were born as a phenomenon in japan, another example is the acceptance of cheating, use of "adult services" that are not a big deal because are not being treated like a bad think because many people do it.
Well i dont understand people throwing their trash either. I prefer my car not clean than throwing it away. I just throw it when i stop at gas station or when i get home. Its not that even hard. Manners is whats lacking in most people.
i came from country where people just throwing ciggaretes from their window while driving and it still lighting LMAO. In my country before going somewhere even to shopping mall, i always worry about toilet since i get stomachache easily but when i lived in japan i would just yolo since i knew toilet at the mall would be cleaner than my cheap apartement lol
For more authentic insights like this from Asia, you can watch some of our exclusive videos not available on TH-cam for free here: asianboss.io/yt/123-exclusivevideos
Where is @jimmyKimmelLive and @BenShapiro in this video?
reported for misleading titles.
Why would you add the most absurd clickbait "@jimmyKimmelLive and @BenShapiro" to the video? You don't even mention them nor are they in the video...
It depends what you’re interested in.Never mind what others are into it.‼️😎👊👍👌💥🤪💢㊗️
How true.
The fact that the people being interviewed still don't think Japan is that much clean shows the high standards they hold themselves in.
As a Japanese person, I think personally the interviewees seem to have "lower standards" than the average Japanese person. However, the reason Japan is so clean is that these attitudes are "AT LEAST" the standard.
No. It simply shows that those interviewed are aware of dirty places, since they have their knowledge first hand. I personally have seen many times dirty places in Japan but I am however aware that in urban areas or very public places there is a high awareness. Also the amount of people doing these jobs of cleaning in urban areas is impressive compared to some other countries. Of course, it also depends very much on what comparative possibilities you have yourself in order to be able to assess how your own situation is to be evaluated in the context.
@@marioh5172 No, this is Shibuya, a place that reflects the perspective of younger generations. While I have no intention of criticizing them, it's important to note that Japan also has a countryside where many older individuals reside.
These older generations possess deep knowledge and experience in these matters, actively working towards improvements. In comparison, I find the knowledge of the interviewees to be superficial, and believe that a deeper understanding is necessary to preserve our rich culture.
What was discussed in the interview extends far beyond what you might consider "simple." Japan's beauty lies in its ancient history and ongoing education, and passing this knowledge on to future generations will shape our future.
you mean their normal standards is normal to them and they get confused when other people say their normal is impressive?
I mean, I understand both sides but their reaction is totally expected lol.
@@gotakazawa408 Search "Kensington, Philadelphia" or "SF", "Downtown LA" or "Seattle" 😆
From a Japanese point of view, it's not so much why Japan is clean, but why the rest of the world isn't clean.
IT's all about perspective
Singapore is cleaner than Japan
To create jobs.
Easy. Diversity.....
@@danteinferno175 Ignorance
Why is Japan so clean? Simple, because the people keep it clean. I've been to many countries, some cleaner than others, but in all cases it is what the people make of it.
As a Japanese person, I find it difficult to understand questions like "Why is Japan so clean?" because, for us, this is simply natural.
@@gotakazawa408as it is natural for some countries to be unclean
@@myronkipa2530 Every country in the world is home to its own people. If we want to keep our cities clean, it requires more than just government action and education. It also demands a consensus and commitment from each individual to desire and take action toward this goal. However, if they can achieve this, maintaining cleanliness is indeed possible.
We Indians can learn a lot from Japanese people regarding cleanliness & Discipline.
perpetual cycle of a low-income society and inert government. caste system isn't helping
I'm not familiar with the situation in India.
but I watched a station in Bangladesh was supported by japan on TH-cam.
It's very clean.
station staffs gave a lecture on how to use it to the citizens, so I think it was an effect.
Indians are smart, and India continues to develop, so I'm sure it's going to be a wonderful city.
sorry, my english is not good
5:17 What this person is saying aligns with the fundamental culture of India. How much of those conscious ways can be revived again is the question.
@@saurMLit comes down to having a proper underground sewage system,incinerators and land fills .those are the only things that matter and that costs a lot of money
Indian cities are really so dirty..
I do not understand the US thing to have shoes on inside. It's so strange. Here in Norway we take the shoes off inside. If you want something on your feet, we use slippers.
after seeing this comment I looked up about this but from my google search according to the top source they do remove shoes before going indoor?
Im a black Canadian, in Canada we NEVER wear our shoes inside the house EVER. Especially in a black house
I could probably move into a Japanese toilet.They’re practically cleaner than my apartment
In Shibuya? Fat chance. In Marunouchi? Probably
And no dirty mags allowed.
Wow, so your apartment is.....
Yay to bidets !
@@ricopunojr.4137
Is there an after clean up
Them saying their own country “isn’t THAT clean” is like idk even know a good analogy but it’s like you’re so used to it it’s nothing new ig
I lived and worked in Japan for a couple of months and the cleaning culture is everywhere, including the workplace.
Every Thursday we would clean our workspaces from 2pm to 2:30pm, and everyone took part and was punctual: you start at 2pm sharp and you finish at 2:30pm sharp.
I remember my task was basically sweep the floor and the counters, but my colleagues would take out the trash, mop the floor, vacuum, etc.
Everyone had a specific task.
I loved taking part of that!
I wish my country would implement this culture but no way people would accept it: they would start complaining about work explotation or how they are too qualified to do this work.
I am a qualified engineer, my colleagues were engineers too and our job was an engineering job, but we still cleaned our workspace every week as a group.
I think the way people in Japan look at cleaning tasks is also important: cleaning is something everyone should do, whether you are a doctor or just finished high school. We all live in the same space.
I've seen this taught at Japanese schools at a very young age. This includes meal service where the kids are involved with serving and cleaning. Custodial and janitorial staff is minimized. So the learning starts at a very young age.
I'm an asian born who move to the west, but I don't understand how cleaning became a low social class thing that people would feel shame to do it for themselves like a workplace or home.
My culture doesn't make cleaning as integral as the japanese but I feel like that just makes more sense than not.
@@soonlet4977 It's a bourgeois attitude that persists today. Every cultured civilized person should be cleaning up after themselves, but unfortunately we're conditioned to think that someone else (the "help") will do it for us.
@@paranoidhumanoid Yep, no job is beneath anyone. Someone has to fix your dirty car, wash your car, haul your garbage, unclog your drains, mow your lawn, flip your burgers, serve your ass, cook your meals, clean the public toilets. IF you haven't done any of this, you have right to be entitled.
If you come to the slums and ghettos of most bug cities in the USA the people living there (mostly black Americans) just throw their trash (such as fast food trash) out of their car. These people usually don’t work and live off getting welfare or they have a low paying job & many addictions like drugs, gambling, or being an alcoholic. I agree with many people in this video who say that cleanliness is based on a persons moral and principles and world view.
As Japanese people, this issue isn’t a challenge for us. However, if we attempt to introduce it into other cultures, I believe it will necessitate significant cultural change, inheritance, and education passed down through generations.
Our culture differs from Western in numerous ways, both positive and negative. To address these issues, a "fundamental shift in values" may be necessary.
This isn’t something forced upon anyone; rather, it’s up to the people in each country to decide whether they want it or not.
If you have self respect and discipline, you would treat the streets as you do your home, but I digress, as many live in pig sties.
@@jimwoo9552 ? What "live in pig sties"
@@gotakazawa408 it's an analogy of where pigs live (pig pens/pig sties). Pig Sties means a dirty and unkempt place.
@@gotakazawa408 Buta goya. Kitanai tokoro ni sumu to iu koto.
小学校、中学校、高校で掃除させられるのが結構でかいと思う。
中国の様な全体教育。
あと年末に新年を迎えるために家族で大掃除をするのもでかいと思う
Shinto religion
@@brianflynn5355 a very very few.
The thing that Americans and Europeans don't understand well is that they erroneously think the laws are so strict that littering will land you in prison or heavy fines, but it's just that most Japanese would feel embarrassed to litter and that's the "self-policing" aspect of the culture. To some, the embarrassment of being seen as a litterbug or "trashy" person is more anxiety inducing than imprisonment or a fine. This attitude would never work here in the US because people don't mind being trashy or embarrassed.
I hope for a world where the self-policing would come from a place of self-love and self-respect for everyone. So that whether people seem to be looking or not, people do what's right.
USA, you don't have to aim so high, just start with using a bidet please.
Yes, aiming is very important, especially with bidets...
Better a full-flegded Japanese toilet!
Cleanliness starts with a clean ass.
Native Shintoism has a lot to do with it. Shinto engaged in intense purification practices through the centuries. The priests wear white (buddhist priests wear darker colors). In the old days, Japanese were prohibited from eating animal flesh as it was considered dirty. Also, the Japanese school system teaches children to clean their own classrooms at the end of everyday promoting a collective sense of responsibility for hygiene. Try doing that in America!
@Magnonxjapan should always protect their indigenous religion and culture
@Magnonx And which middle eastern religion would that be? Judaism? Christianity? Zoroastrianism? The only religion indigenous to England is the Pagan faiths.
As a Japaneases, I don't think it's good to impose our religion on other countries.
Sometimes it is considered an invasion.
Even if you don't rely on religion, you can get into the habit of cleaning by incorporating cleaning time into your school education.
But remember there is only one god Allah and most Middle East countries are clean too.
@@dashinarnie
Jesus is the Only True God
I'm Swedish and I still remember being amazed at how clean it was the first time I visited Japan in 2011. I agree with the speakers that some places are cleaner than others, but compared to other countries it's really clean.
I've worked in hostels in various countries and one thing I noticed was that you could almost always tell if a customer was Japanese or not when you went to clean their room/bunk after checkout. They always cleaned up after themselves before leaving and some even went to far as to make their beds perfectly to the point where we'd scratch our heads wondering if we were in the right room or not. "Did they actually stay here or not?!" Compare that to other nationalities that almost always would leave their rooms/bunks looking like a bomb had gone off in there (there are of course exceptions, but I'd say the majority would leave a big mess because they knew that someone else would come and clean it up for them).
My husband is probably the first and only Japanese person I've met during my time here who more or less lives like a pig (if I didn't clean, it wouldn't get done), every other Japanese person in my life is incredibly cleanly (both men and women). I definitely think it's a cultural thing and it goes together with the omotenashi.
What would your husband do without a wife like you? 😅
I really think it's worth doing a follow up video on this where you interview people who have lived both inside and outside Japan. That is, westerners who do (or have) lived in Japan as well as Japanese who have spent at least a few years in the west. As someone is is living a life between both these areas myself, I think it's important to realize that people naturally struggle to see things from the perspective of other cultures until they live in one. (Which I suppose is the point of this great channel.)
If I were approached on this one I wouldn't even know where to start. I do want to say though that I think it's important to understand the kind of mentality that is instilled by the Japanese school system where everyone is responsible for cleaning and caring for their school. A blend of ownership and responsibility for your society from an early age is a beautiful thing. I feel this has been lost in the west.
Completely. My wife is Japanese and sees many positive things here in Switzerland. But when it comes to our values and efforts in like keeping things clean or being responsible for things as a group she feels like we are somehow very dumb people. And we're talking about Switzerland, a country called clean by many other Europeans.
@@TheEsh4 100%. agree. I feel us westerners are boneheads who create a lot of trouble for ourselves unnecessarily, but I would also say the same for Japanese society for completely different reasons. That's a huge topic.
The exact origin of the groupthink eluded me for many years. It's so different that it's very hard to articulate even in long form.
I had an "Aha!" moment recently though. There is a podcast called Gastro Pod that looks at foods through the lens of science and history. Bear with me here it'll make sense in a moment.
They did an episode on rice not too long ago. In this episode they talked about how rice can get a lot of yield from a small plot of land. If you have water at the ready even a small terrace will make enough rice to feed quite a few people. Thing is, it takes a lot of people to maintain the rice paddy compared to other foods. So, the result is that many people need to chip in ,in order for everyone to get fed. If anyone doesn't do their part, the crop could fail and everyone is at risk so there is a lot of social pressure to do your part. They explain that this is the reason why cultures with a rice growing origin tend towards putting society ahead of self.
Side note: To this day if I leave any grains of uneaten rice in the bottom of my bowl, even just a few, any nearby Japanese person is likely to shame me a little and tell me to think of the hard working farmers. It's that deeply ingrained. No pun intended but I'll take it.
@@movetonanaimo Well guess what my wife does if I miss a single rice grain. xD
@@TheEsh4
What positive things
@@missplainjane3905 I'm not really qualified to make such judgements as the reality is too nuanced and complex. but I will say that for my entire life I was happier to be from and live in the west but now Japan is looking way more appealing. My money goes further and I can get the services I want more easily. Housing is super, like ridiculously, cheaper in Japan in relation to average income due to a rapidly declining population. Certainly healthcare is better there than Canada or US.
They haven’t seen nyc
Nor Europe. We are at 1 in general (10 being the highest).
NYC would be 3 out of 10
@@skyeevl7656too generous
Most of the West is a cesspool compare to the East led by Japan, China, and South Korea
I've never been to NYC
But New York is one of the richest cities in the world, isn't it?
That's why I thought it was a cleaned city...
Overall Japan 7.5/10
India 0.1/10
Sorry india would be
-5/10
😂
nahh india is literally one of the dirtiest in the world the rating would be in -ve
I think this kind of interview should be on India street food.😂 Total unacceptable hyigene env
As someone born and raised in NY and spent a significant amount of time in both Japan and Singapore. Japan is an 9.5 overall and Singapore is an 11/10 on the cleanless scale
But Singapore is so small. Tokyo alone is 3 times larger than Singapore.
NY? 😁
@@Minmin-sg2eu and in that smallness it’s like paradise level clean. Both are amazing as mentioned
yeah but Singapore is very small and there's a huge fine for trashing
@@shinigami1176 The average American or Korean is worried about penalties and jail time while the Japanese worry about it being a shameful act. No shame. It's okay to litter as long as nobody is watching.
California - 0
US in general - 1
Europe in general - 1
Japan - 9+!
Depends on where in Europe lol. Paris when I visited in 2018 was dirtier than any place I’ve been in California, and that includes LA and San Francisco. No wonder Paris syndrome is a thing with Japanese tourists lol.
@@Creepytaco95 - I did write "in general". Yes, there are differences depending on where in Europe you are. There are places at the same level as California, but there are places with an index of perhaps 6 (nothing better than that), but the average score is extreme low.
@@Creepytaco95thank you for pointing this out. People are acting like the US is the dirtiest country in the world, so dirty that if you touch the slightest thing you’ll contract typhoid. It’s not that bad, they’re just over exaggerating, if not, then just ignorant. I live in California and I give it a 5. If this guy saying that it’s a 0, then he obviously never been to California or just only explored LA. And the US overall is a fair 6.
What about Los Angeles? 7?
@@Creepytaco95Paris syndrome? I've never heard of that
I don't think that Japan is necessarily more cleaner than other countries since (as mentioned) it depends on the area. But the general consensus of most native Japanese denizens is to clean up after yourself as often as possible. So naturally many places will generally look more clean than certain areas of other countries.
Been there
Japan's dirty, people making stuff up.
They are taught from an early age to keep where they live and study clean. Students do the cleaning at schools. In Italy it's the mothers who show up throwing rubbish around!
Uhhhh, what are those tags for?
What tags?
@@Shinobi5 the Ben Shapiro and Jimmy Kimmel ones (I guess they removed it)
@@SeraYagami I see I see...🤔
I still don't understand why thats not normal for everyone. Its even more easy in other countries where finding a trashbin isn't a challenge.
I was pleasantly surprised how Japanese were well mannered about respecting their environment. At the contrary I went back to my home town in Italy and after a day on the beach (particularly young people) left rubbish everywhere. It’s a disgrace how low the civility is in Italy compared to Japan.
It's not just clean. My friend just came back from Vietnam. He said there's trash everywhere in the wild and in the forest. Not only that but he noticed there were no birds everywhere he went. No seagulls, pigeons, crows.
i'm a japanese.
I think Americans are good at complimenting others😊
The good thing about Americans is that they can find the good in others!
sorry, my english is not good
🤣 you're funny. Because a lot of the Americans I've met are political as hell
As a Japanese woman who lived in America, I think that Americans are confident as individual and want to criticize and hear criticism about their national characteristics.
I think that Japanese people are opposite…I’m too old, too fat, I don't have ability to do this kind of work, I don’t want to speak English because my English is super poor.…but blindly believe that their 民度(mindo) is the best in the world.
I look like SouthAsian. I have faced more〝racism〟in Japan than in America. I have been a victim of crime many times in Japan, but never in America.
Many Japanese people have got mad to hear that 😓
Most Americans I met likes to tell people to do what they say but not do what they do.
@@missplainjane3905 Bad
@@missplainjane3905 People in the U.S. are so divisive and negative when it comes to politics and believes what they see a lot in their media.
Japan has gotten so much dirtier in the past few years due to increased tourism. It went from nearly zero trash to now litter every 30 to 40 feet and I’ll see some tourist just throw trash on the ground. If any one went 10 years ago they would know the difference
I’m super messy though. Both my parents are super clean.
I lived in America. I’d wondered how people from overseas could stand our racism(xenophobia？) in Japan. I like that Americans open their mind easily. Some Americans have thrown racist remarks and attitudes to me but I didn’t care because they were different from people I like.
My parents are very polite and xenophobic. Many people from overseas say that they like Japanese people because we are polite and well mannered…And many of those Japanese people hate foreigners. I’ve thought it must be hard for people from overseas.
When I asked some of them if it’s hard, I found that it’s difficult to recognize for them because those Japanese people don’t show that they don’t like them clearly.
When I was working for a condominium, some residents puzzled me because they told me to tell foreign residents not to put trash on other days and locations than those specified(We usually have to obey customers and do anything what they tell us)…None of them saw foreign residents did！
Recently, a rat was found in bread from a major bread manufacturar. Although the factory is located in Tokyo, it is very far from tourist spots. A famous Japanese publisher published an online article blaming foreign tourists. I don't think there are many Japanese people who believe this, but some will use it as a reason for their hatred of foreigners.
it's a bad mix of Japan's lack of trashbins + culture of cleanliness and tourist with far below Japan's cleanliness standards and lack of trashbins... lol
@@noripee8278
So racism exist in america too
Surprise, surprise. It's shame and dignity. The two things America has pretty much run out of.
The most dirtiest place in Japan is probably cleaner than americas cleanest place 😂
The US does have very clean places too, especially in wealthy neighborhoods and nice college towns. It's just its major cities like New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, etc., can be filthy. It can't be helped, since it is a far more heterogeneous society than Japan. US is a country of immigrants, with people from all socioeconomic backgrounds and level of education, so the regard to maintaining public spaces clean can vary drastically from person to person. Not to mention, the US got a lot of ghettos and homeless people, where the people couldn't care less about maintaining clean streets. Overall, I would rank US cities more on the clean side among the world cities, though. If you think US cities are bad, you really haven't traveled much throughout the world.
@@lissandrafreljord7913 I’ve travelled to over 25 countries including the US via different states. We are not comparing other countries but US to Japan so my comment still stands.
@@lissandrafreljord7913I 100% agree with you but these people don’t want to listen, they are ignorant. It’s very common for people to hate on their own country and praise another country. There are many Japanese people who speaks fondly of the US while hating Japan
You can‘t really compare Japan and USA. One is a homogeneous society and other a country of immigrants.
@@sabinbajracharya3815 it doesn’t matter if one has more immigrants than the other . At the end of the day Japan is still cleaner . Not sure why everyone comes up with all these reasoning and excuses when the fact remains the USA isn’t as clean as Japan , period.
Ben shapiro tag threw me off lol
Why?
Why?is it because he's a Jews?
Same ..
@SaharshJeetSingh A prominent and controversial American conservative.
@SaharshJeetSinghA zionist.
It is basic manners to clean up after ourselves. And as they say, "manners maketh man". And if such values aren't inculcated in children before they step foot into the society, it is the fault and negligence of their parents and teachers. (“养不教，父之过。 教不严，师之惰。”)
I'm just interested how you could get both Ben and Jimmy on such a topic!
Same here
I'm a black American man who lived in Tokyo for 2 years, and yes Japan is one of the clean country that I have ever been to in my life. Also I love the country of Japan.
Are you fluent in the language
@@missplainjane3905 Why does it manner? All your comments give off a vibe that you have some mental disorder 🤣
An idol group (Tokyo CLEAR'S) I used to follow, would do trash pickup on Tuesdays (my Monday), and would ask for otaku to post photos of them picking up trash. There were many times on Monday evenings when I was picking up trash in Mission Bay Park, San Diego; that people would stop me and ask me what I was doing. I usually got a thanks for doing that, but never had anyone join me even though I had extra trash bags.
I remember when it used to be more of a thing for clean ups in the street and along streams to make sure its clean of garbage. My father was an Eagle Scout, and even as an adult, he was picking up trash in the street he found when he walked to places.
Education goes a long way
The thing with the penalties is a mix-up with Singapore for sure.
As an italian i feel bad for them when they come in Rome. Third world for them 😓
It really lends some insight on how to make changes in our own society. Interesting.
I prefer 100 times to fly to Japan than India....
I thought the guy in the thumbnail is jaden smith for a sec and was confused
The people who don't rate it high, I'd like to know what country they think is cleaner than Japan, because I can't think of it. Maybe Switzerland? That's all I got.
7:45 something I noticed when in Japan (and I think that there's a video about it) is the lack of trash cans (compared to Denmark where I'm from) which actually made it more difficult to not litter as I would have to hold on to my trash in my bag.
There are several reasons for this, but as a Japanese person, I believe it comes down to "cultural differences". For example, I haven't generated "any trash in the city" for about 10 years, so I don't feel the need for trash cans. Plastic bags and trays might be significant sources of garbage, but Japanese people generally consider "walking while eating" to be rude. Moreover, "eating while standing" is also seen as impolite.
As a result, it has become customary for people to take the food they buy back to their homes or workplaces to eat. I think it’s normal to "walk while eating" in other countries. Additionally, younger people today seem less concerned about these manners, so the "level of rudeness" is becoming more relaxed.
@@gotakazawa408 That much is surprising ~ Japan, Tokyo specifically, is known as a bustling city filled with office and salary workers rushing to get to work and very little time, so I would've assumed that people would quickly stop at a convenience store, or small shop or even packed lunch and eat during their commute to get energy for the day without sacrificing too much of their valuable time.
In Thailand where I'm from, we have a lot of convenience stores but also a lot of street food stalls that open very early in the morning so any hungry office workers or school kids can grab something simple (For example, a favourite of mine is grilled pork skewers with sticky rice where everything can be eaten on the go and mess-free) and then eat it while walking to their office or school or stop and eat outside before entering the residence. Of course, if you're not hungry, then people will often just buy food and store it at the company to eat later for lunch (especially if they are working during their lunch breaks) but I think because there is so many food options available nearby, then people will just go out and eat. For example, there are of course food options in my office building itself but if you go to the ground floor, there is a nice and affordable food court filled with food that I much prefer to eat at times rather than franchised chains.
However, I think the biggest reason for Japans cleanliness is of course the sense of responsibility and community, while normal in Japan, I think many other countries are filled with selfish people who take the easiest way out even if it means littering at times. It's not just cleanliness, it's also in the acts of restoration ~ I've visited Japan a few times now and the amount of second-hand things you can buy that are kept so well maintained they practically feel unused is unreal.
@@aburn9891 Thank you for sharing your experiences in Thailand.
When it comes to lunch for office workers in Japan, particularly in major cities like Tokyo, it typically falls into three main patterns:
1: Quickly dining at a nearby restaurant, often opting for dishes like ramen, gyudon, pasta, or hamburgers.
2: Purchasing a sandwich, Bento or snack from a convenience store and enjoying it at the office, sometimes bought in the morning on the way to work.
3: Bringing lunch from home.
As a point of reference, some individuals may have a Japanese-style breakfast at home in the morning, while others might prefer a Western-style meal like bread or cereal, or simply rely on a cup of coffee.
@@aburn9891 As a Japanese person, I agree with your observations on the "quality of used products." We have a cultural ethos of "treating things with care," encompassing both the notions of careful usage and meticulous upkeep. Consequently, Japanese second-hand stores have gained popularity among foreign tourists in recent years. Specifically, items such as clothing, musical instruments, CDs, and records are reputed for their high quality.
a old japanese said that garbage has stopped falling into the city since the trash cans disappeared.
the terrorist attacked in Japan, trash cans are no longer installed. in the city
Not having imported the third world helps a LOT.
The littering habits are not confined to just immigrants....
Seeing a lot of blah blah blah in the comments section, but ultimately not having "diversity enrichment" is why Japan is so clean.
Used to be pretty clean in the West too before we became "enriched" by the 3rd world.....
@@jimwoo9552 Actually they mostly are....Latinos are notoriously bad litterers.
@@danteinferno175 The habits or lack of habits starts at home and is not relegated to just immigrants. Urban youths and youths in general have a total lack of respect for property, space, other people and themselves
True. Lower income neighborhoods in the US are filthy. But although rich ppl keep their own neighborhoods clean, many of them are negligent towards the environment. They don't care what their environmental impact is as long as they don't see it.
Japan for the most part is clean - especially resudential neighborhoods, Trains are clean too 😅 - parts of Tokyo are pretty messy ( go in drinking districts of Shibuya, Shinjuku) yuk
I enjoy Tokyo but whenever possible, I try to avoid the area around Shinjuku sanchome and kabukicho whenever I'm up there. Seen way too many rats
I'd love to introduce the cleaning up culture in to UK schools. People here grow up having no awareness of such things and little respect for the environment around them. In city areas anyway. The countryside areas at least have the motto "leave as you find".
I'm currently residing in Japan as a student, and I take part in volunteer trash picking events on certain Saturdays, so hearing how other Japanese people try not to make it hard for volunteers to do their job is oddly heartwarming, hahah!
this is probably like when you think your house is not that dirty until you go to a friend's house and said friend thinks his is still dirty
South Asian countries should take some notes
The water's abondance helps a lot to maintain clean the spaces
普通に世界１綺麗だわ。
The slums in Japan, especially Nishinari ward in Osaka, are cleaner than many upscale neighbourhoods in China or Korea.
A Canadian who moved to Nishinari Ward in Osaka says it’s generally safer and cleaner than other Canadian cities.
@MaximSupernov Not sure whens the last time youve been to China, but China is ultra clean now. Especially in upscale neighbourhoods
@@yerri5567 估计是30年前吧，中国现在即使是最落后的地方，也算的上干净
The reason why the Nishinari area is called a slum is not because of the dirtiness of the city.
It's a poverty business.
The city is not dirty, but If you give jobs or housing to the people who live there and move them to other areas, the next day you will be floating in the sea.
In fact, the doctor who assisted them was found dead in the sea.
The criminals targeting the elderly in this area are after the aid money for the country's poor.
@yerri5567 I was just in Shanghai for the conference. Chinese people smoke and spit inside an elevator in a 5-star hotel. This is not a rural China. Littering is everywhere on the side streets.
I think it’s because since the kindergarten we have been taught by parents and teachers to clean the public place like the classroom not only one’s own room. Washing hands as well.
It’s especially impressive considering how few trash cans are around, especially in Tokyo
7:38 What happened? Why do I feel like a foreigner littered right there in front of them while they were talking about it?
In the scale of 1 to 10, how clean is India?
Cities are cleaner than rural parts obviously, but as a whole maybe a 4
@@animestuff7005 In the Cities, only Business areas are clean and organized. Few Private places are kinda livable. Apart from that, other areas are absolutely messed up and grimy. It's not only the government's fault but also the people's mentality and habit. For example, most people (doing blue collar jobs) in the country have a habit of consuming gutka and spitting on the street. These people need to be fined or some similar strict action should be taken. Then only the condition of our country will change. People and the Government should learn from other asian countries like Singapore and Japan.
Probably a 2
is minus also an option?
I don't know .... Maybe 2 but when we include every part of India . I think it's in negative or more like tending to zero. But where i live in India , Delhi. It's so much clean here and roads as well but there's too much dust particles in air always. We should focus on infrastructure more otherwise these trash problems aren't going to solve any soon
Hmmm.... I love Japan. I've lived here most of my adult life, but that doesn't mean I've drunk the Cool Aid to the point I can't see the flaws. Japan isn't that clean, especially in the rural environments. Tokyo and Seoul have about the same level of trash and overall grime (Osaka is far worse), and I've been tempted to make videos showing all the trash everywhere, especially in the rivers, lakes, and oceans every time I see something like this or Japanese people are cleaning up a stadium. There's trash, including cars and large appliances in most mountains in Japan where people dump it illegally to avoid paying the disposal fees. Someone even set a car on fire near where I live to avoid having to pay to get rid of it. I appreciate the desire to look up to Japan, but this place is far from perfect and it doesn't help to keep inflating the Japanese ego.
This!!! 2nd guy pretty much nailed it. On a whole if you compare it to other nations, sure it probably might look proportionally cleaner but let's not kid ourselves into assuming the place is completely spotless or doesn't have its own problems.
You still see the same problems like you would in any country especially the major cities. A vlogger I used to watch used to partake in beach cleanups and she would record parts of that activity.
Might not be a fair comparison as these are also popular tourists spots but try spending 10 minutes around Shibuya or Shinjuku and see if it's still the same squeeky clean fantasyland. The tag Shibuya meltdown exists for a reason
No one is saying there is not a single piece of litter on the streets of Japan.
It's obvious to everyone that Japanese cities are cleaner than other major cities like New York or Paris. And in recent years, Japanese cities have become dirtier due to tourism.
Shinto, Japan's indigenous religion, emphasizes purity. Being clean is considered a way to maintain purity, which has influenced the culture significantly. Japanese people have high hygiene awareness. Good habits like regular hand washing and mouth rinsing contribute to the overall cleanliness. Japanese citizens take pride in maintaining their surroundings. Cities are well looked after, with rare graffiti and minimal littering. So, Japan's cleanliness is a blend of cultural beliefs, individual responsibility, and societal norms.
Go to any nightlife area on a weekend in Japan and you will realize it isnt as clean as people always claim lol
Drunks and foreigners are to blame 😂
The roots begin with understanding ancient Japanese Shinto. Although Shinto is a religion, it has permeated Japan since ancient times as a way of life rather than a profound doctrine. I believe that Shinto's ideas of purification, cleansing, and barriers are still connected to the cleanliness of the Japanese people today, but since they have become part of daily life, few Japanese people are even aware of their Shinto origins. When Buddhism was introduced to Japan, it came to be called Shinto in order to distinguish it from Buddhism, but before that it was simply called "the way."
I couldn't understand why foreigners think Japan is clean.
I always thought it was dirty outside. I don't want to sit on any toilet other than my own.
But when I went to Europe for the first time, I realized everything.
Same culture, Same value so everything works fine. That s why mixed culture country are not meant to work/be...
At least we can travel to Japan to enjoy some peace, when the rest of the occidental world is destroying himself with too much unchosen immigration
Visitors must remember to learn and respect and follow local culture and not to bring your 'habits' there
We already have the fourth largest immigrations.
The reason why many statistics show it’s only two percents is, our way of accepting immigrants is different from Western countries. The difference comes from the difference of definition of “immigrants” .
I have many friends who immigrated from overseas. Their houses are much cleaner than mine.
Japan is clean and beautiful and should stay that way, I am concerned about them wanting to import foreigners from certain regions who aren’t particularly known for being clean.
If we're being honest foreigners from any region would be an issue until they have had time to acclimatize to Japanese norms and customs. Where a person is from is irrelevant, whether they are willing to integrate and respect Japanese societal norms is what is relevant.
And who are those particular foreigners? Mind to elaborate.
@@abhinay172 google search and in one minute you will know who they are. Japan has approved of accepting these people in by the hundred thousands.
@@abhinay172Kurdish of course. It’s mentioned in the video.
@@abhinay172indians
If Singapore is 9/10 clean, Japan is 8/10
You visited
@@missplainjane3905 I've seen your comments elsewhere before. You obviously have some kind of mental problems 🤣
What are you trying to say? Should Japan adopt more laws like Singapore?
As clean as a Safeway Chitlin.
11:12 I got distracted by the 4 Japanese men continuously bowing in the background. Japan is one of the best cultures I could even argue #1 LoL!
You mean aside from the genocide of Korea, China and the Pacific, right?
Nobody understood the root for their cleanliness...
10:11 Exactly. Many people who move to Japan, especially just because they want to, have the same cleaning standards.
That’s right. At least those who like Japan and want to continue living there are trying to adapt. On the other hand, people who come to Japan without respect...
from someone in US, I envy the safe and clean cities in Japan...
No guns or drugs alowed,also honor is most important to japanese,,even insulting or slaping someone may get one arrested 😮 and ruin your life.
@@WANDERER0070 No way, who said so！？
I think America is much more strict.
When I said that my colleague called me ババア(hag) every day to an American friend, I was surprised because she told me to talk about it to our manager…Of course, our manager enjoyed that bully！
It’s interesting Americans think it comes from sexism though.
When I was changing clothes, suddenly a guy opened a door. I screamed. I heard everyone was laughing. I wanted to yell at him but I couldn’t because he was the old ugly colleague who was also often bullied. I recognized they enjoyed forcing an old ugly male colleague to frighten an old ugly female colleague.
…But Americans said that it’s sexual harassment…🤷🏻♀️
I don’t like that many Westerners say that the reason why here is clean comes from homogeneity.
Some of my immigrants friends are suffered from serious bully.
I think a country with few violences has a lot of insidious bully.
Outwardly, Japan is very clean. The streets are well maintained and swept, and people tend not to litter (generally). However, hand-washing with soap and general hygiene is not as high as other countries. Also, any riverside or viewing spot after cherry-blossom season or fireworks will be absolutely covered with litter.
Kid with the braids look like a Japanese Jaden Smith.
The fundamental difference in cleanliness between the West and the East is the emphasis on the wellbeing of the collective good over individual self-interests. People in East Asian cultures are socialized to prioritize others over oneself, whereas the inverse is true in places like the US. This extends to other areas as well, such as punctuality and other forms of social etiquette.
Of course surveillance is going to influence how we choose to operate in a public setting. When we know we are being watched, we're more likely to alter our behavior accordingly. This is why the CCTV apparatus in countries like China are so effective in maintaining civil orderliness.
Maybe Western kids should also be taught how to habitually clean during school hours. Instilling this type of discipline is arguably as important of a life skill as the three Rs.
As a Japanese person, I partly agree with your opinion. While there are certainly general differences between the East and West, the cultures of East Asian countries also vary significantly. These differences might be even greater than those among countries like the US, UK, Germany, and France, for example.
CCTV is common everywhere and generally its used the same in China as it is in US. But just like you said the East emphasize collective good so people are more aware of the CCTV and care about being watched and possibly reprimanded.
But for it to be adapted to other places, I don't think it's as easy as making western kids clean up during school hours as I can imagine parents accusing of exploitation or kids simply not following, but maybe I'm wrong.
I was waiting to pick up my nephew from school. The car in front of me opened their driver's door and dropped a bag of trash for 2 combo meals right at the curb.
Classy American 😢😅
They are indeed cleaner than the rest of the world (not that I already visited all of them btw), but my vosit last november leave deep impression how clean the place in japan and more important the japanese themselves. We all see in each soccer match they attend, whne the match finish they will picked up the litter around them voluntarily whether its theirs or not. I remember japanese principle taught in our office where a few matter around the place we sit to keep it clean
But who produces the litter in the stadium ?
@@jimwoo9552 Whoever produce them, its the stadium in my country btw, when my country against Japan. On the way out of stadium they took the litter along the way they pass, no matter whoever produce the litter.
It is quite simply the attitude of the people and them getting used to what they built. In many countries, people won’t hesitate to throw rubbish on the floor. But that’s just not how Japanese people behave. In Singapore some won’t litter. But many will if they don’t think they will get caught or if it’s troublesome for them to not litter. It’s the attitude.Cleaners and laws can only do so much.
Japan is in many terms a great country. I just hope that it continues to become a even greater country.
Opposite of japan is Indian😅
Yes. India can never ever look like Japan. Ever.
At least the holy cows help by eating some of the trash 🙈
@@FirebladeX1989 Your sarcasm is unnecessary.
日本人にとっては当たり前のことだから理由を聞かれてもわからないよね。”清める”という神道的な思想が年末の大掃除とか日々の近所掃除といった形で根付いているのと、あとは学校教育で当たり前のように生徒全員で清掃をしてきたからだろうね。アメリカでは清掃＝低賃金の仕事という認識が強い。
I've lived in Canada for many decades now and I don't litter if I can help it, and if I did (like throw a grocery store receipt into the cart) I don't feel good about it. Littering is not good for ANYONE. It's not good for health, ascetic, and moral reasons. I've been to countries where trash cans are rare, so Canada and the US are fortunate to have lots of places to throw garbage in. So NO EXCUSE!
Less so in urban cities where trash receptacles have been removed for security reasons
1:10 I swear that looks just like Jaden smith in the Karate kid remake… anyone else see the resemblance?
Japanese public manners not littering is established.‼️✅🤗😎👊👻🇯🇵
Good Japanese manners on public places are shared by everybody in every community here in Japan ‼️👋👌✅🇯🇵🤗
Well made video!! But those 3 guys group took the spotlight😂
I wish Korea would follow Japan in this area.
is korea not clean?
@@madik4255 It's a shithole 💩
@@madik4255 Full of E. coli, norovirus, salmonella, etc.
韓国は全てのことを日本と比べないでください。なぜ日本を常に意識するのですか？確かにシンガポールは日本の清潔さを自分の国に取り入れました。日本は韓国も他国のことも気にしてないのだから、韓国は日本を意識しないでください。関係ないです。真似ばかりしないで！
So clean, even a trash can is hard to find
cultural difference... while india is total opposite to Japan
Indians have to get hygiene. Really
Racial/ethnic homogeneity goes a long way to create a polite, clean, high trust society. Anyone that says different is either lying or ignorant.
tell that to india…
@@stompstompstomp9394 India doesn't have ethnic homogeneity. not even a singular state religion. It just validates the initial comment.
I’m one of the ignorant people.
I wonder why many Westerners say so…Though there are many homogeneous countries, they don’t seem to be clean, polite, well mannered…hypocritical or insidious as us.
I think that's a very conservative pov, because we are learning this isn't much to do with race as it is the culture. As long as people assimilate themselves to the majority (cohesive) culture, then that society remains strong.
Homogeneity is only great for these kind of benefits in society, but for things like creativity, diversity, and growth, for things like food, homogeneity only can bring you circles.
Cultural differences:
Japan: "I'd really feel guilty" to add to someone's load who was picking up litter.
America: it's a free pass to litter, someone else will pick it up.
Been in Tokyo, Shinjuku area. Even the homeless with the cardboard houses are neat and clean. And they leave their slippers outside....
It seems like they are unaware that they have been educated since kind garden to keep their environment clean. Some might think that USA is just as clean and American are educated as much as them in this regard.
meanwhile, pick up trash samurai on Tiktok has nearly a million people like me watching him pick up cigarettes and bottles and all sorts of trash in Japan live every day for hours. it's fairly entertaining for longer than i would expect.
Since japan is not a religious country their biggest fear comes from people judgements actions that other can see and judge are the once that they avoid, the problem with these mind set is that not everybody can live a life scared of other people judgements or expectations, that's is in my opinion how hikkikomori and NEETs were born as a phenomenon in japan, another example is the acceptance of cheating, use of "adult services" that are not a big deal because are not being treated like a bad think because many people do it.
What is "nini"
@@pomelo9262 my mistake, the term is NEETs
I was about to correct you but I believe Japan isn't so much religious but highly spiritual.
People in Japan be like: Why is the rest of the world so filthy?
because their mind and culture is clean
That Chubby girl looked innocent🥺🥺
他の国と比較したら綺麗だけど、過大評価されすぎな部分もあるんじゃないかな
他国に行ったことがないからそう言えるのかもしれないけど
Well i dont understand people throwing their trash either. I prefer my car not clean than throwing it away. I just throw it when i stop at gas station or when i get home. Its not that even hard. Manners is whats lacking in most people.
clean as individuals, dirty as a country. or where was japans disclipin and cleanliness on radioactive wastewater ?
Cant imagine what they would think if they visited downtown LA.
i came from country where people just throwing ciggaretes from their window while driving and it still lighting LMAO. In my country before going somewhere even to shopping mall, i always worry about toilet since i get stomachache easily but when i lived in japan i would just yolo since i knew toilet at the mall would be cleaner than my cheap apartement lol