Yeah its funny that, also if you say "im wanting [blank]" instead of "i want [blank]" it comes over much less rude even though its essentially the same thing
I work in a Costa that serves a lot of Asian students and I can confirm that they say "I want" a lot. I don't see it as rude because I understand that learning a language is difficult but it can seem rude to British people for sure. I also hear "I want a cup of - insert drink name-" a lot too, not sure why.
When asking a Brit "how are you?" you will get the reply "I'm alright thanks" (or some variation) 90% of the time. But its how they say "I'm alright" that tells if they are actually alright or not.
Absolutely. I don't think I'd ever reply in a different way (other than slight variants, "yeah, good thanks" etc) unless I knew the person very well. For example, if I pass my neighbours and they ask how I am, I'm always good/fine/alright. If my friends or family ask and neither of us are in a rush, THEN I might answer more honestly/in more detail.
casually: y'alright? alright? & 'aight? all mean much the same & generally are/should be replied to with exactly the same abbreviated version of the greeting (it's generally not a question, really - unless it's asked by a friend & in private) ^^
How you know some one is English... the response to how are you? must be "good/alright/ not too bad" followed by "and you?" Any other responce and they are 100% an imposter!
Not for the last 50 or so years it hasn't been....... Standards have slipped somewhat. Bring back National Service, along with sending children up chimneys to clean them. I once walked past 2 schoolgirls - both in uniform - smoking in a shop doorway. On my walking past, one of them threw a cigarette packet on the floor next to me. There was a rubbish bin about 10 feet from where she was standing, so I said "excuse me, you just dropped your cigarette packet on the floor". She replied "oh it's ok, it's empty". Lots of hope for the future then?
@@Brian-om2hh I don't agree, for the most part, most kids are taught manners, of course there are unfortunately, kids that are dragged up by ignorant parents who themselves were not brought up correctly either, but that's nothing new. As for what to do with young delinquents, it's beyond my remit I'm afraid.
See I think I'm in the minority but I find most kids to have better manners than most people older than me nowadays or my generation. (me being 32 now) I've always been raised to use my manners & poor manners does/can bother me! But think it's more about the individual and way ones raised.
@@JackRabbit002 exactly, from being as young as I can remember, if didn't say please and thank you, my mum, grandma and grandad (these are the people who raised me) would come down on me like a ton of bricks, I did this with my daughter and no doubt she will do this when she has kids
Most of the books on Japanese politenes is written from an American perspective. In reality, Japan and the UK are very similar in their use of indirect language and extensive use of politeness.
Remember that what's considered polite varies from culture to culture. Just because a culture doesn't do something that we consider polite, doesn't mean that they're less polite.
@@MrEsphoenix umm, yes. There is literally a well known international scale grading cultures on how polite they are. Some cultures are absolutely more polite than others. British and Japanese score very highly on this and the USA scores as one of the least polite. That isn’t a good or a bad thing (I am not suggesting that polite = better) but it is definitely the case that not all countries are equally polite, just in different ways.
@@DavidSharpMSc I would also say it's quite complicated, based on the old class systems etc. For example bowing to a lord/lady is polite, but you wouldn't expect a lord/lady to be particularly polite back to a commoner, whereas in Japan everyone bows to everyone, no matter the class, don't they? Just one example though.
@@itsrobm8 Indeed. One “politeness” difference I found quite interesting was that in Japan it is considered polite to announce a morning greeting to a whole room when you arrive at work in the morning, whereas in the UK shouting like that would be considered rude. Meanwhile in the UK it is considered polite to greet coworkers individually as you pass them when you arrive at work, but in Japan that would be considered a rude imposition. I can see both sides of it now.
The thing about sniffing when you have a runny nose, is that it goes on and on and is ultimately more annoying than someone occasionally blowing thier nose.
while most people find constant sniffing annoying, i very rarely meet people who actually think the person doing it is being impolite, its more like a sympathetic ‘ugh this situation is annoying for them and for me’ thing because we know they’re self aware but cant stop. the only people i know who get angry about it are generally rude to everyone lol, so this list surprised me!
@@chickenfoot2423 I don't get angry it's just an annoying background noise. It's annoyance builds though, I have been in the office before and one of my nearby colleagues has been doing it for hours it starts to grate and I have to find something g else to do.
Omg. Someone did this when I was in a classroom at university doing an internship. All I could hear was this one person sniffing the entire time. I was this close to throwing a packet of tissues at him but I don't like conflict and was too polite. Yeah, don't do that. If you've got a runny nose, go ahead and blow lol
@@ocarinajourney5374 you say that but people I still know from school still complain about one of our GCSEs in which I was almost constantly blowing my nose and that was 4 years ago.
“Can I have ... please,” or “may I have ...” or “I’d like ....” Any one of those would work as they imply a level of cooperation rather than a demand from the requester.
I once worked with a rather unpleasant woman who never once said please or thank you in all the years I knew her. She wasn't a culture though, but more of a vulture............
Interestingly, when someone says 'bless you' after a person has sneezed, it is an abbreviation of 'God bless you' and relates back to when bubonic plague was prevalent throughout Europe, as one of the first symptoms of the plague, could be flu-like symptoms and sneezing. There is also a children's nursery rhyme that is still taught today, that relates to the plague: Ring-a-ring o' roses A pocket full of posies,A-tishoo! A-tishoo! We all fall down.
I looked into this for a translation class once. It's quite interesting. Almost every country in the world that was either affected by the plague, or that speaks the language of a country that was affected by the plague (countries in North and South America, for example) has their own version of the phrase "bless you". The plague didn't really hit East Asia (aside from originating in China) and there was limited spread of western languages in the area, so East Asian countries never developed their own version of the phrase. From experience, a Japanese person will either say nothing when you sneeze, or they will ask if you are okay, cold, or if you have a cold (friends and relatives at least, not so much strangers).
Germany and Russia, and probably other places say 'Good health' or 'be healthy' for the same reason, but it may be a bit more obvious what they mean than the rather more obscure 'bless'.
I personally think the Japanese and English cultures are very similar - respect, manners, please, thank you, don't make a scene, respect your elders etc. Good manners cost nothing 🙂👍
Japan, yes. English culture is very disrespectful, I've found. I lived in the USA and the kids there all call adults sir and ma'am. Here in the UK they don't respect adults or authority figures. Try telling off a group of people in the UK and you'll get physically or verbally abused.
@@voicesofww2 I was actually stating the opposite. The British may not say sir/ma'am, that's only an American thing but we are all very respectfully of our peers and elders etc. Maybe check out videos of Americans who have traveled or who stay in the UK and they all state how nice the population is.
one thing that will get us brits upset is queue jumping, it is polite and courteous to allow the people in front of you to proceed in orderly manner. For example, if you arrive at a bus stop and there are three other people in front you should allow them to step on without being hindered. It's polite to also to move down the bus by saying "excuse me" as you pass people to sit at the vacant seat. Regarding seating, if you are on a bus or train and if you are sitting in a seat that has a sign stating its priority to older patrons, pregnant and less able to stand then you should a lighten to allow that person to sit. Nothing more upsetting is seeing a senior citizen with a walking stick standing while a fit, young person is sitting in that seat reserved for that purpose. ~trooper
Was in a shop the other day and the person at the front of the queue had gone to the exit of the tills rather than the entrance, but everyone else just queued up behind her rather than going to the proper entrance and pushing in, or calling her out on her mistake.
@@David-vm4ee Definitely! It was actually quite surprising how many similarities UK and Japanese have in terms of this kind of thing. Especially when most of the other countries i've visited or worked in were so different.
Here's an addition to the bit about "How are you?" When someone asks "How are you", it's considered a bit strange to reply with details of how you actually feel. For example, if you say "I am stressed out, because my boss has been very difficult today!" - then you are signalling that this is now the topic you want to talk about. It's a bit rude, because a polite person will now have to wait while you explain your problems, when really, they were only being polite by asking how you are, and didn't really want to hear about your problems. But because they are polite, they won't tell you to shut up!
It’s so funny that the “thick skinned” thing came up because people told me the same about Japan, Japanese people might not like to express their opinions as directly as Americans but when it comes to making comments about your appearance they don’t seem to hold back! I’ve seen multiple people be told “you put on weight!” in Japan (and I know this is more about showing concern or care than insulting them but it still comes as a surprise!) and that they have a “small face” which is apparently a compliment haha! I think Japanese politeness and British politeness is quite similar but it’s interesting that there are subtle differences like you pointed out!
Also, we're taught: "I want, don't get". "Can I have" or "I would like" or "Do you have", not "I want"...with please & thank you, of course! Better to sneeze into a handkerchief too!
I was surprised how comfortable I felt in Japan, the culture felt more similar to the UK than I thought it would. I do worry now that I may have say please and thank you too much though!
I think "bless you" is an interesting way of getting over the awkwardness of someone sneezing (perhaps mid conversation), allowing it to be acknowledged but not so as to cause embarrassment to the person that sneezed. That way everyone can move on without a second thought.
@@iantait309 Which is an interesting cultural meme in that sneezing wasn't a symptom of bubonic plague, and is uncommon in pneumonic plague. Coughing was far more likely to be a symptom and spread the disease.
@@iantait309 I get the reference and I agree with you. I think the reference to sneezing shows how they misunderstood the plague at the time. The "pocket full of posies" line is interesting as it's a reference to the scented bags that the well-to-do used to carry round with them to suppress the foul odours they encountered when walking through the filthy, diseased streets.
@@iantait309 As far as I am aware, there is no actual specific origin of 'God bless you' as a response to sneezing. A wide variety of cultures wish someone well after they sneeze, whether or not they invoke deities. This is probably a common custom, particularly for societies that believe or believed in intercessionary prayer, because sneezing is associated with illness. A lot of ancient cultures also had a breath/spirit association and they may have believed someone lost part of their life-force or soul etc. when they sneezed.
I can understand not necessarily saying 'please' when ordering... but being handed your drink and just walking away without any acknowledgement?? Is that normal in Japan??
@@sjs9698 I'm learning Japanese at the moment and they do have ways of saying please and thank you. Maybe they don't use it as often as we do in almost every setting.
I have been to Japan a few times and I believe that of all western cultures the English culture is the most similar to that of Japan. Obviously its very different, but also similar in ways
@@iatsd Another cultural difference in England, demonstrated really well by this comment is, classism. Big problem here that stems from the hierarchal monarchy and the systematic oppression of the poor and working class. I'll revert to the traditional British saying, 'If you haven't got anything nice to say, don't say anything at all'. I really like your accent Shizuka!
@@iatsd You can have a working class accent and be well educated, actually. The same way you could also be educated and an elitist twit. Judging a persons education based on their accent rather than words, thoughts and actions is really rather shallow.
Another thing that is common in England (and other parts of the UK, I assume) is how we get someone’s attention. It’s considered rude to go straight up to someone and ask for what you want. The polite thing is to say “Excuse me,” and many people will also apologise for taking the other person’s attention away from what they were doing. For example, if you were in a shop and couldn’’t find an ingredient for dinner, the proper ettiquete is to go up to one of the employees, say “Excuse me, could you please tell me where ___ is?”, and then thank them for their answer. (This doesn’t need to be done if the person already had their attention on you, like if you’re ordering at the till.)
It's interesting that 'bless' has moved just from sneezing to common parlance, although some British may condemn it. In other words, if someone has had a misfortune or showing vunerability, for example, you might hear 'bless him' or 'bless her'. It's not condescending; it's a statement of sympathy or empathy. It doesn't have a religious element to it in this context. Robert, UK.
One of the symptoms of the plague was coughing and sneezing, and it is believed that Pope Gregory I (Gregory the Great) suggested saying “God bless you” after a person sneezed in hopes that this prayer would protect them from an otherwise certain death.
interesting, I had heard that it was said a people believed that sneezing was thought to be the body expelling out the devil or his 'vapours'. In Bavaria where I lived for several years the traditional greeting in this Catholic area is 'Gruss Gott' which translates to God is great or as we might more commonly hear it now ...... ............ Allahu Akbar !!
I was told in my church that you said it because people used to think that your soul temperately was pushed out with the sneeze and you said " god bless you" so the devil did not get it during that time.
Yeah I think the plague thing is just an urban myth, I remember it being on QI about the origin of 'Ring a ring a roses' song. Plus sneezing is not a symptom of the plague, even the pneumonic type.
English person here. I loved your comic timing, especially the reaction to “bless you” and the little pause before silently sweeping away with your tea. As you know, we really do appreciate a good sense of humour.
I think all your videos are great. Your intelligence, understanding and appreciation of English culture is amazing really and I think some of us natives could learn an awful lot from you.
An extra to the "How are you?" is that if someone you know gives you a half-smile it's usually a non-verbal "How are you?" if you do not kind of smile back little... you have committed a great sin.
This is refreshingly accurate and funny, well done and enjoy England (and the rest of Britain). Britain vs UK vs England, now there’s a topic... if you manage to cover that, can you send it to all the Brits to learn too 😉
simple things like holding a door if somebody is behind you or saying thank you if somebody holds a door for you but there are many things people do as good manners is important and yes please and thank you are a must...my advice if anybody visits england they head for london which is a big mistake visit the north of england you will find people are much more friendly
"Hi Shizuka! How's it going?" Thank you for these videos. I'm Hugh and I'm British. My parents moved here from Jamaica and I was born in the early eighties here. It's really interesting to see how life is in Britain from a new perspective, so enjoy these videos. My sincere condolences for your loss. I hope life in Britain goes on to be a positive experience for you.
As a Brit, I got 100% XD But in all seriousness, this is a really interesting video. You don't notice all your cultural nuances when you're in them so it's really interesting to have them pointed out - good video and great format! Love the quiz x
Ha, luvvit! It's funny to see our traits exposed. Btw, one should never blow one's nose at the dinner table. You can wipe it quietly, but not blow it!👍
No loud or continual sniffing!!!!!!! - spot on. - preferably wipe not blow if it would disturb others or is near food - physically turn away from people /table if you really do need to blow. Some people leave the table.
These are great tips and will help people visiting the UK a lot. We have many things that I didn't even realise, but when you showed the examples I immediately noticed the lack of please/thank you and not replying 'how are you.' They're such a huge part of our conversation and it felt odd when they were missing. This video is excellent and will help visitors have more natural conversations.
This was really eye opening! Japanese people are renowned for being very polite and respectful, so i assumed that they would instinctively say 'please' and 'thank you'. It goes to show that what is considered polite and good manners differs according to the culture.
"Bless you!" Comes from a time when people were VERY polite and they hoped that your "Sneeze" wasn't caused by a serious Illness. They were "Blessing you" as a means of asking God to protect you. Nowadays, less people believe in any one religion, but the polite people will generally still say "Bless you!"
The origins of someone saying "bless you" when someone sneezes is a christian religious thing, it stems back to the black plague and sneezing was one of the symptoms of the plague, so what you was doing is blessing someone on their deathbed
You seem to understand England better than a lot of English people. Your videos are really interesting. I'm very sorry to hear about your loss this year. Take care.
Hi Shizuka Thank you for your videos. I am from Australia, and we sit maybe between the British and Americans on many cultural aspects. However, everything you have described as good manners in this video is true for Australia as well. I think it would be great if many migrants here learned about these basic manners - as well as many locals who seem to have forgotten them!
You made me laugh at my English ways. Thank you. One odd thing we do is say 'Sorry' if someone bumps into us in a supermarket. It's like 'Sorry I was in your way'.
Your reply to the greeting "How are you?" was " I'm good, thank you...". The expression "I'm good is an Americanism that has become common in the UK but it is not or used not to be correct. Previously people would reply "I'm well, thank you". Being 'good' is a description that implies that I am well behaved, or good at doing something but being 'well' means that I am not sick or unhappy etc etc. This is becoming less and less important nowadays because of consistent usage of "I'm good" but it might be helpful for you to know when speaking to people who are more meticulous about their speech. Many many American expressions come into use in the UK all the time and are often resisted for a while but eventually become common here. Another one currently is the say " Can I get........" when ordering something in a shop or restaurant. Previously the English usage was and very often still is "May I have....please" or "I would like....please". To older people these American expressions sound coarse and incorrect though they are not offensive, just not typically English English.
The old fashioned form was, "How do you do?" to which the correct reply was, "How do you do?" The words change for the same or similar sentiment but as a rule one does not answer in the negative because the point of asking is definitely not to listen to how bad your day has been or indeed, how good your day has been. It's essentially a polite greeting rather than an enquiry, unless it's among family or friends of course but even then they aren't necessarily asking because they want to know. Normally, "Fine thanks, how are you?" is acceptable. The Americanism I spotted was in the please and thank you part, where the shop assistant example ends with "...have a nice day." We tend to see that as vacuous and/or disingenuous, like they're reading from a script because, well, they are. We see so many examples of US TV where it happens, not to mention places like Disney Stores where staff are instructed to give us the American experience, or were when they first opened in the UK. To be fair it's little different to the example of "How do you do?" above but we see a huge difference between a polite greeting from an acquaintance or even a passing stranger to a shop assistant saying the same lines to everyone and looking decidedly British as they do it, ie bored and put upon. We dislike it even more if it's accompanied by a fake smile and no matter how good an actor you are, we'll see that smile as fake immediately.
My grandfather always used to say "I'm in good health thank you", so saying "I'm good" seems like a perfectly logical contraction of that regardless of American influence. Nothing to worry about.
Great video Shizuka! My biggest shock was going to America and realising people are not as polite. People would say 'pass the salt', instead of 'please can you pass the salt?'... Also we say 'sorry' so much!
brilliant video - no "please" or "thank you" really is tantamount to a declaration of war!!!! and for god's sake NO SNIFFING!!!! also, don't expect 3 "bless you"s in a row - you're more likely to hear "die quietly" the 3rd time!
In Japan you literally don’t make small talk with coffee shop/convenience store staff, as in you don’t have to greet them when ordering/purchasing or respond to their remarks like ‘welcome’ or ‘sorry for the wait’. In the UK it would be a bit rude not to reply. Also small talk is an art! Super awkward for beginners but essential to build relationships both in formal and social contexts. Cultural differences!
Reputedly, the expression "Bless you!" by strangers if one sneezes in public started during sixth century when plague was killing large numbers of the citizenry. Coughing and sneezing were early symptoms of plague and, at the time, if one coughed or sneezed it was a fair bet that one had contracted plague and would shortly die. Pope Gregory, in the infinite wisdom of the Catholic Church, ordered that people offer prayers to those likely afflicted by plague and the standard short-form prayer "May God bless you!" (later shortened to simply "Bless you!") became the standard offering on such occasions. Even though plague has long since departed, the traditional short-form prayer response became deeply ingrained in the language and remains with us today.
Very interesting.I think in some ways UK and Japan isn't so different. A lot of stuff about not wanting to impose on other people but also a lot of embarrassment if you do it too much. Its the ambiguity of personal space.
Welcome to Europe (I'm not english, so I can't welcome you to England). It's brave to move to such a cultural different region, I hope you'll feel at home despite the differences. To me it's very refreshing to hear you pointing out differences that I've heard of from people who have moved to japan - albeit the other way round :-) Regarding your first observation of saying "please" and "thank you" in stores, I've heard the explanation that in Japan, the employees never talk in their own words, but have to say fixed sentences just like robots do - and noone would say "please" or "thanks" to a robot, would they? In contrast, so goes this explanation, europeans tend to be more spontaneous and to express their friendliness by blending more of their personality in the conversation. Can you comment on this theory? Btw.: When I had the chance to be in Japan, I constantly felt awkward because I knew I couldn't behave properly. I made so many embarrassing mistakes - fortunately, japanese people ar so forgiving to foreigners and simply ignore our bad manners.
the mediaval story (German) goes a poor but honest man was reduced to abject poverty and could no longer stand the plight of his starving children, so he decided reluctantly to rob a wealthy man in his town. On his way he met another 'man' going the same way, as they walked they struck up a conversation the other man somehow knew where he was going and his intent , and revealed he was the Devil himself going to reap a soul (!) but let slip the man would neeze 3 times and if no-one said bless you he would take the mans soul the devil helped the poor man into the town house and waited for the man , whilst the poor man helped himself to the silver, finally the owner came into the room and began sneezing, the poor man now terrified for the other mans soul on the last sneeze said loudly Bless you, whereupon the devil issued a scream of rage and vanished in a cloud of sulphurous smoke, when he had everything explained to him(!) he rewarded the poor man with more wealth than the littles he had already taken, since then it has been a european custom to wish a blessing of good health on anyone who sneezes.....this story is apparently one from the 1200's...it seems sneezing was seen as a precursor to a satanic attack back then :)
@@jonathanwetherell3609 ITS prosit in Sweden (your health) and in badly spelt german its gesundheit which is roughly the same, so they probably all have a similar source :)
Many years ago I was on holiday visiting a friend in USA. I used a street pay phone to home in England. I had to go via an operator to connect me. The operator said: 'Are you through yet?' I said 'Yes' so of course she cut me off before I could speak!!!
really enjoyed your video , when I was a child I was taught it was bad luck to say thank you when some one said "bless you" after you sneezed ,but it seemed so rude not to say thank you I risked having bad luck and said it . note; the bad luck was only for the sneezing situation ,saying thank you is fine in every other situation .hope you continue to enjoy your stay in England
So happy to see you back on TH-cam after your recent struggles. My housemate (also Japanese) and I have throughly enjoyed your videos, particularly the more personal ones. England misses you. Please let us know if you have any plans to return!
Thank you Shizouka, your videos really remind me of how exciting it is to immerse yourself in a different culture, and how significant every little difference is. Keep making these charming things.
As you go further North into England, be prepared to be greeted just with "alright" (or it might just sound like "right") as you walk past someone in the street or maybe in work, typically without stopping to talk further. It's not a question, it's just a quick informal alternative to "hello, how are you" and the typical way to respond is just to say "alright" back to them and to keeping walking. If you do happen to stop and talk, then you can still go to the more formal "how are you, how is your family" etc.
As an Englishman living in Japan, what frustrates me is if you hold a door for someone they will just walk through, they won't take the door and hold it for the next person! Kansai people standing on the wrong side of the escalator! Eating noodles at the in laws, they want me to make a noise whilst eating the noodles, it's impossible for an Englishman!
As an Englishwoman who loves good manners, what I really appreciate about this is that it's made by someone who comes from a culture that also values good manners. I hope to visit Japan one day and am learning Japanese so that I am not rude (or, less rude) :-)
Excellent observations Shizuka! The 'Bless You' after a sneeze comes from way way back when England was decimated by the Bubonic Plague. The first symptom was sneeze sneeze sneeze. So everyone then knew you were going to die. So 'Bless You ' means 'Bless your soul' in preparation for it to go to Heaven when you meet your God in a few days time! Also look up the nursery rhyme 'Ring A Ring of Roses' - same subject. The Roses were the wheals on your skin that were a later symptom.
Very useful observations- hope it may help some others visiting the UK for the first time. The first time I visited Japan, many years ago, we were warned about blowing the nose in public, specially using a linen/cotton handkerchief and putting it back in your pocket afterwards - we were told this was considered disgusting in Japan, and that it was better to use a paper disposable tissue and to blow the nose discreetly and dispose of the tissue in a waste bin. We were given a number of other useful tips for how we should behave in Japan - hopefully I managed to avoid upsetting too many people.
I'm with the Japanese on this one. Nose blowing reminds me of wet farts. Should be practised discreetly/privately. Oh the times I gagged in public because of blatant, wet, gurgling, snottery.
Theres also another tradition around sneezing, but you dont hear it said as often these days. There is a little rhyme One for a wish, Two for a kiss, Three for a letter, Four for something better! Sometimes, usually a person of the older generation, instead of saying 'bless you' , someone might say a line of this rhyme depending how many sneezes you had!
Regarding sneezing; I was in a shop once and the assist kept sneezing and saying “bless me” because she thought there wasn’t anyone else there to “bless her” 🙂
We're never happier than when a foreigner understands the British sense of humour. That is the key to being a true Brit. Nothing else really matters. If you can make a little, not a lot of fun of yourself, we find that endearing. It's great to have you as an honoury British person. Thank you for pointing out what we take for granted everyday. Hope you will enjoy us and our green and pleasant land with her cloak of leafy green for your whole life. Britain will always love you right back. We're both island nations of course and both have significantly different cultures from the main land, which is actually very cool!x
It depends how much noise and 'effort' you make blowing your nose in England. if you really make a huge 'show' of it people will be put off especially if they are eating for instance.
Great video. England and Japan are two countries where respect and etiquette goes a long way. Translation of speech might confuse the matter somewhat, however I think this is a common ground both cultures share. 2 respectful cultures who can respect one another :)
As a native Brit, this made me chuckle, but also surprised that it's not a thing in EVERY country to say "please" and "thank you" ?? I lived in America for a few years and they say please and thank you, and even say "sir/maam" But the whole "how are you" convo makes me feel really awkward, tbh. I almost never ask "how are you" back to someone if i don't know them.
I have an English person I am so glad I got all of these right. it’s really cool to see what isn’t normal in other cultures I didn’t occur to me other places wouldn’t ask how are you back. Thank you!
I didn't realise it but flip most of these things really grated my gears haha guess I better thank mom for raising me right🤣 even when during the call she didn't respond with a "I'm alright thank you, how are you?"
Your perspective is very interesting. Plus, I really like hearing little bits of English accent come out when you speak. I think England and Japan have a lot in common culturally.
Watching this as a British person is so interesting. I never thought for example that other cultures might not use "please" and "thank you", or say "bless you!" After sneezing! Very fascinating haha
Scottish here rather than English, but yeah can confirm that these are generally true. For the sniffing, I think one or two discrete sniffs is okay; it's only really when someone is sniffing very deeply or constantly that it becomes offensive. But you're right that blowing your nose is always better than sniffing and snorting. Couple of others I'd add: We take our queues very seriously. Far more so than a lot of other countries, it seems. If you cut into a queue, then people might not say anything but they'll certainly think you're an absolute monster :) Also, when you're on an escalator, always stands on the left. Very often, people prefer to walk up and down escalators rather than stand and wait for them, especially at train stations and things were people are often in a hurry. So always stand to the side so that people who don't want to stand and wait can move past you.
Good manners are taught to us by our parents or Teachers from a very young age, the one thing that surprises me, is when someone keeps their Sun glasses on when talking to you. I was always taught to remove them but maybe that's etiquet not manners?
Interesting... I'm British and was never taught that one. The only 'rule' I know with sunglasses is not to wear them inside, but even that's not considered rude - just weird and silly.
What always amazes me about the UK is if someone accidentally bumps into you in the street, you say "Sorry", and so does the person bumping into you. In Germany, both people stop and look at each other waiting for a "Sorry" that never comes, and then they walk on.
"Bless you" comes from an old superstition that the devil can get into you when you sneeze, so people say 'Bless you!' to drive him out. Not that people know that when they say it nowadays.
Other people have said this but I think the reason blowing your nose is better than sniffing is because normally if you blow your nose it means you won’t make any more noise after that. If you only sniff once or twice it’s probably better to just sniff instead of blowing your nose. But if you have a runny nose it won’t go away even if you sniffle so you will be making noise for a long time which is bad when everything else is quiet. Blowing your nose into a tissue doesn’t always fix it but it’s usually better.
"I want" is considered rude as it is seen as more of a demand. "I would like" is considered polite.
Yeah its funny that, also if you say "im wanting [blank]" instead of "i want [blank]" it comes over much less rude even though its essentially the same thing
My parents always said to us when we were little 'I want never gets' if we said we wanted something.
@@Laura_Norda same for me! Cant ever say i want without feeling guilty
In Australia people say 'can I get...' when ordering.
I work in a Costa that serves a lot of Asian students and I can confirm that they say "I want" a lot. I don't see it as rude because I understand that learning a language is difficult but it can seem rude to British people for sure. I also hear "I want a cup of - insert drink name-" a lot too, not sure why.
When asking a Brit "how are you?" you will get the reply "I'm alright thanks" (or some variation) 90% of the time. But its how they say "I'm alright" that tells if they are actually alright or not.
Absolutely. I don't think I'd ever reply in a different way (other than slight variants, "yeah, good thanks" etc) unless I knew the person very well. For example, if I pass my neighbours and they ask how I am, I'm always good/fine/alright. If my friends or family ask and neither of us are in a rush, THEN I might answer more honestly/in more detail.
casually: y'alright? alright? & 'aight? all mean much the same & generally are/should be replied to with exactly the same abbreviated version of the greeting (it's generally not a question, really - unless it's asked by a friend & in private) ^^
How you know some one is English... the response to how are you? must be "good/alright/ not too bad" followed by "and you?" Any other responce and they are 100% an imposter!
Im british and i just say "yh, u".
Guess im apart of that 10%
I'm British and I still have a mini crisis on how to reply, because I hate to be insincere and do what most people do!
As soon as British kids learn to speak, the first thing they're taught is please and thank you, it's the law😁👍
Not for the last 50 or so years it hasn't been....... Standards have slipped somewhat. Bring back National Service, along with sending children up chimneys to clean them. I once walked past 2 schoolgirls - both in uniform - smoking in a shop doorway. On my walking past, one of them threw a cigarette packet on the floor next to me. There was a rubbish bin about 10 feet from where she was standing, so I said "excuse me, you just dropped your cigarette packet on the floor". She replied "oh it's ok, it's empty". Lots of hope for the future then?
@@Brian-om2hh I don't agree, for the most part, most kids are taught manners, of course there are unfortunately, kids that are dragged up by ignorant parents who themselves were not brought up correctly either, but that's nothing new. As for what to do with young delinquents, it's beyond my remit I'm afraid.
See I think I'm in the minority but I find most kids to have better manners than most people older than me nowadays or my generation. (me being 32 now)
I've always been raised to use my manners & poor manners does/can bother me! But think it's more about the individual and way ones raised.
@@JackRabbit002 exactly, from being as young as I can remember, if didn't say please and thank you, my mum, grandma and grandad (these are the people who raised me) would come down on me like a ton of bricks, I did this with my daughter and no doubt she will do this when she has kids
@@Brian-om2hh You live in a rough area.
We British have always heard how extremely polite and well mannered Japanese culture is, so this is interesting. :)
Most of the books on Japanese politenes is written from an American perspective. In reality, Japan and the UK are very similar in their use of indirect language and extensive use of politeness.
Remember that what's considered polite varies from culture to culture. Just because a culture doesn't do something that we consider polite, doesn't mean that they're less polite.
@@MrEsphoenix umm, yes. There is literally a well known international scale grading cultures on how polite they are. Some cultures are absolutely more polite than others. British and Japanese score very highly on this and the USA scores as one of the least polite. That isn’t a good or a bad thing (I am not suggesting that polite = better) but it is definitely the case that not all countries are equally polite, just in different ways.
@@DavidSharpMSc I would also say it's quite complicated, based on the old class systems etc. For example bowing to a lord/lady is polite, but you wouldn't expect a lord/lady to be particularly polite back to a commoner, whereas in Japan everyone bows to everyone, no matter the class, don't they? Just one example though.
@@itsrobm8 Indeed. One “politeness” difference I found quite interesting was that in Japan it is considered polite to announce a morning greeting to a whole room when you arrive at work in the morning, whereas in the UK shouting like that would be considered rude. Meanwhile in the UK it is considered polite to greet coworkers individually as you pass them when you arrive at work, but in Japan that would be considered a rude imposition. I can see both sides of it now.
Japanese and British are similar in a lot of ways, Island mentality - always avoid conflict and confrontation, always be polite.
I have lived in Japan and have always thought this!
Love of tea and seafood, everyone else thinks we have weird humor, we're really super similar.
Don't forget our need to expand! In the past anyway. Empires!
@@WindsGuardian I'd rather that we each did forget that to be honest.
@@VerticalBlank better to remember in the hope that we don't make the same mistakes again.
The thing about sniffing when you have a runny nose, is that it goes on and on and is ultimately more annoying than someone occasionally blowing thier nose.
while most people find constant sniffing annoying, i very rarely meet people who actually think the person doing it is being impolite, its more like a sympathetic ‘ugh this situation is annoying for them and for me’ thing because we know they’re self aware but cant stop. the only people i know who get angry about it are generally rude to everyone lol, so this list surprised me!
@@chickenfoot2423 I don't get angry it's just an annoying background noise. It's annoyance builds though, I have been in the office before and one of my nearby colleagues has been doing it for hours it starts to grate and I have to find something g else to do.
Omg. Someone did this when I was in a classroom at university doing an internship.
All I could hear was this one person sniffing the entire time. I was this close to throwing a packet of tissues at him but I don't like conflict and was too polite.
Yeah, don't do that. If you've got a runny nose, go ahead and blow lol
@@ocarinajourney5374 you say that but people I still know from school still complain about one of our GCSEs in which I was almost constantly blowing my nose and that was 4 years ago.
@@chickenfoot2423 I definitely think it's impolite. My colleague sat next to me for a whole hour and by the end I wanted to punch him in the nose.
I was always taught that "I WANT" never gets.
The correct/polite phrase should be "I would like...."
Yes, I'm old ! (59)
I was taught the same, it's served me well over a similar (cough) number of years
May I have...
“Can I have ... please,” or “may I have ...” or “I’d like ....” Any one of those would work as they imply a level of cooperation rather than a demand from the requester.
But on the other hand "if you don't ask, you won't get" 😊
@@shamteal8614 its not about asking for something its about how you ask shows your level of respect to the person your asking
I find it strange how some cultures don't say please and thank you.
I once worked with a rather unpleasant woman who never once said please or thank you in all the years I knew her. She wasn't a culture though, but more of a vulture............
Da Mighty Shabba I live in San Sebastián, my friends think it’s funny how often I say please and thank you, but i steadfast refuse to change 😂
@@tomlangdonec You're one mighty fine chap. Never change.
Peter Wright thank you you’re too kind
It's becoming less important in the UK these days.
Interestingly, when someone says 'bless you' after a person has sneezed, it is an abbreviation of 'God bless you' and relates back to when bubonic plague was prevalent throughout Europe, as one of the first symptoms of the plague, could be flu-like symptoms and sneezing. There is also a children's nursery rhyme that is still taught today, that relates to the plague: Ring-a-ring o' roses A pocket full of posies,A-tishoo! A-tishoo! We all fall down.
It's amazing that something that happened nearly 750 years ago still echos in our daily lives.
In my experience, 'bless you' is mainly used in Southern England and is seldom used anywhere else in the UK.
@@Jams848484 It killed 60% of the population, that's bound to leave a mark.
I looked into this for a translation class once. It's quite interesting. Almost every country in the world that was either affected by the plague, or that speaks the language of a country that was affected by the plague (countries in North and South America, for example) has their own version of the phrase "bless you". The plague didn't really hit East Asia (aside from originating in China) and there was limited spread of western languages in the area, so East Asian countries never developed their own version of the phrase.
From experience, a Japanese person will either say nothing when you sneeze, or they will ask if you are okay, cold, or if you have a cold (friends and relatives at least, not so much strangers).
Germany and Russia, and probably other places say 'Good health' or 'be healthy' for the same reason, but it may be a bit more obvious what they mean than the rather more obscure 'bless'.
Your first tea customer was like The Terminator visiting a cafe, you even had the sunglasses :)
I NEED YOUR TEA LEAVES, YOUR HOT WATER AND YOUR TAKEAWAY CUP
May I have your clothes, boots and motorcycle, please?
@@karepanman2770 of course! how rude of me not to offer! can i get you anything else? something to eat on your journey perhaps? a map?
It's okaye I have Skynet GPS! Hasta La Vista Cookie!!
I personally think the Japanese and English cultures are very similar - respect, manners, please, thank you, don't make a scene, respect your elders etc.
Good manners cost nothing 🙂👍
Don't make a scene? Only in the south.
@@yasashii89 it's a middle class thing, I think
You're looking at the superficial top coat of vocal dressing and social interaction. The actual cultures are in almost no way similar.
Japan, yes. English culture is very disrespectful, I've found. I lived in the USA and the kids there all call adults sir and ma'am. Here in the UK they don't respect adults or authority figures. Try telling off a group of people in the UK and you'll get physically or verbally abused.
@@voicesofww2 I was actually stating the opposite.
The British may not say sir/ma'am, that's only an American thing but we are all very respectfully of our peers and elders etc.
Maybe check out videos of Americans who have traveled or who stay in the UK and they all state how nice the population is.
one thing that will get us brits upset is queue jumping, it is polite and courteous to allow the people in front of you to proceed in orderly manner. For example, if you arrive at a bus stop and there are three other people in front you should allow them to step on without being hindered. It's polite to also to move down the bus by saying "excuse me" as you pass people to sit at the vacant seat. Regarding seating, if you are on a bus or train and if you are sitting in a seat that has a sign stating its priority to older patrons, pregnant and less able to stand then you should a lighten to allow that person to sit. Nothing more upsetting is seeing a senior citizen with a walking stick standing while a fit, young person is sitting in that seat reserved for that purpose. ~trooper
It's a good job the Japanese share our tendency to queue!
When I take the bus, I go to the upper deck if there is one. All the priority seats are on the lower deck for obvious reasons.
I'm British but I assume this would also be rude in Japan (maybe even more so?)
Was in a shop the other day and the person at the front of the queue had gone to the exit of the tills rather than the entrance, but everyone else just queued up behind her rather than going to the proper entrance and pushing in, or calling her out on her mistake.
@@David-vm4ee Definitely! It was actually quite surprising how many similarities UK and Japanese have in terms of this kind of thing. Especially when most of the other countries i've visited or worked in were so different.
Here's an addition to the bit about "How are you?"
When someone asks "How are you", it's considered a bit strange to reply with details of how you actually feel.
For example, if you say "I am stressed out, because my boss has been very difficult today!" - then you are signalling that this is now the topic you want to talk about. It's a bit rude, because a polite person will now have to wait while you explain your problems, when really, they were only being polite by asking how you are, and didn't really want to hear about your problems. But because they are polite, they won't tell you to shut up!
I won’t tell a stranger but I won’t like to my friends if I’m sad or angry
Which is why you shouldn't ask the question in the first place. Tad bit inane.
English culture is more like Japanese culture than American culture. When I was an EFL teacher the English and Japanese had so much in common.
Well they do say Japan is the Asian version of the United Kingdom
It’s so funny that the “thick skinned” thing came up because people told me the same about Japan, Japanese people might not like to express their opinions as directly as Americans but when it comes to making comments about your appearance they don’t seem to hold back! I’ve seen multiple people be told “you put on weight!” in Japan (and I know this is more about showing concern or care than insulting them but it still comes as a surprise!) and that they have a “small face” which is apparently a compliment haha! I think Japanese politeness and British politeness is quite similar but it’s interesting that there are subtle differences like you pointed out!
I would only tell a very close friend that they had put on weight out of concern. Not someone I hardly know unless I wanted to insult them.
@@Linh-rv5dg I was very thin as a child and in my early teens so that would have been a compliment.
Also, we're taught: "I want, don't get". "Can I have" or "I would like" or "Do you have", not "I want"...with please & thank you, of course!
Better to sneeze into a handkerchief too!
Yes we never say I want,my parents would have clipped my ears if I ever spoke to someone like that.
I was surprised how comfortable I felt in Japan, the culture felt more similar to the UK than I thought it would.
I do worry now that I may have say please and thank you too much though!
I think "bless you" is an interesting way of getting over the awkwardness of someone sneezing (perhaps mid conversation), allowing it to be acknowledged but not so as to cause embarrassment to the person that sneezed. That way everyone can move on without a second thought.
It is also a left over from the Black Death, when sneezing probably ment you did not have long to live God bless you.
@@iantait309 Which is an interesting cultural meme in that sneezing wasn't a symptom of bubonic plague, and is uncommon in pneumonic plague. Coughing was far more likely to be a symptom and spread the disease.
@@delivix Thanks for that, I was thinking of the old rhyme Ring a Ring of roses, atissue atissue we all fall down.
@@iantait309 I get the reference and I agree with you. I think the reference to sneezing shows how they misunderstood the plague at the time. The "pocket full of posies" line is interesting as it's a reference to the scented bags that the well-to-do used to carry round with them to suppress the foul odours they encountered when walking through the filthy, diseased streets.
@@iantait309 As far as I am aware, there is no actual specific origin of 'God bless you' as a response to sneezing. A wide variety of cultures wish someone well after they sneeze, whether or not they invoke deities. This is probably a common custom, particularly for societies that believe or believed in intercessionary prayer, because sneezing is associated with illness. A lot of ancient cultures also had a breath/spirit association and they may have believed someone lost part of their life-force or soul etc. when they sneezed.
Watching that first order was painfull.
I can understand not necessarily saying 'please' when ordering... but being handed your drink and just walking away without any acknowledgement?? Is that normal in Japan??
I never thought I was polite before this, but watching that scene made me realise that I literally use “please” and “thank you” as punctuation
@@otocan it's normal in a lot of places afaik. not everywhere has equivalents of please and/or thanks.
@@sjs9698 I'm learning Japanese at the moment and they do have ways of saying please and thank you. Maybe they don't use it as often as we do in almost every setting.
Squirming in the non-politeness 😅
It's very sweet that you take the time to understand the manners and customs of the UK
I have been to Japan a few times and I believe that of all western cultures the English culture is the most similar to that of Japan. Obviously its very different, but also similar in ways
I'm English and I could feel all of the mistakes. Well observed!
I love hearing the occasional bits of your partner's accent you're picking up 😁
I don't. It facking awful. She is starting to sound like an uneducated chav.
@@iatsd 😂😂
@@iatsd said by the guy who says "facking" and cannot spell "it's".
Chavs are not necessarily uneducated but you clearly are mate.
@@iatsd Another cultural difference in England, demonstrated really well by this comment is, classism. Big problem here that stems from the hierarchal monarchy and the systematic oppression of the poor and working class. I'll revert to the traditional British saying, 'If you haven't got anything nice to say, don't say anything at all'. I really like your accent Shizuka!
@@iatsd You can have a working class accent and be well educated, actually. The same way you could also be educated and an elitist twit. Judging a persons education based on their accent rather than words, thoughts and actions is really rather shallow.
Another thing that is common in England (and other parts of the UK, I assume) is how we get someone’s attention.
It’s considered rude to go straight up to someone and ask for what you want. The polite thing is to say “Excuse me,” and many people will also apologise for taking the other person’s attention away from what they were doing.
For example, if you were in a shop and couldn’’t find an ingredient for dinner, the proper ettiquete is to go up to one of the employees, say “Excuse me, could you please tell me where ___ is?”, and then thank them for their answer.
(This doesn’t need to be done if the person already had their attention on you, like if you’re ordering at the till.)
It's interesting that 'bless' has moved just from sneezing to common parlance, although some British may condemn it. In other words, if someone has had a misfortune or showing vunerability, for example, you might hear 'bless him' or 'bless her'. It's not condescending; it's a statement of sympathy or empathy. It doesn't have a religious element to it in this context. Robert, UK.
As someone from England who recently moved to Japan, these kinds of videos are so so interesting!
One of the symptoms of the plague was coughing and sneezing, and it is believed that Pope Gregory I (Gregory the Great) suggested saying “God bless you” after a person sneezed in hopes that this prayer would protect them from an otherwise certain death.
interesting, I had heard that it was said a people believed that sneezing was thought to be the body expelling out the devil or his 'vapours'. In Bavaria where I lived for several years the traditional greeting in this Catholic area is 'Gruss Gott' which translates to God is great or as we might more commonly hear it now ...... ............ Allahu Akbar !!
I was told in my church that you said it because people used to think that your soul temperately was pushed out with the sneeze and you said " god bless you" so the devil did not get it during that time.
@@jonathanperrins8432 - the difference seems to be that our Church assumed the devil was already in us !
Yeah I think the plague thing is just an urban myth, I remember it being on QI about the origin of 'Ring a ring a roses' song. Plus sneezing is not a symptom of the plague, even the pneumonic type.
@@Wang_Monkey Was just about to say this about sneezing not being a symptom of the plague. Watched a vid earlier about Dark Nursery Rhymes. LOL!
English person here. I loved your comic timing, especially the reaction to “bless you” and the little pause before silently sweeping away with your tea. As you know, we really do appreciate a good sense of humour.
I think all your videos are great. Your intelligence, understanding and appreciation of English culture is amazing really and I think some of us natives could learn an awful lot from you.
This channel deserves more subscribers. =)
Very intelligent examination of cultural differences.
Hi Shizuka. I work as an English teacher in Japan. I've just started sharing your videos with my students. I really like what you are doing!
An extra to the "How are you?" is that if someone you know gives you a half-smile it's usually a non-verbal "How are you?" if you do not kind of smile back little... you have committed a great sin.
This is refreshingly accurate and funny, well done and enjoy England (and the rest of Britain). Britain vs UK vs England, now there’s a topic... if you manage to cover that, can you send it to all the Brits to learn too 😉
She doesn't know the difference yet.
simple things like holding a door if somebody is behind you or saying thank you if somebody holds a door for you but there are many things people do as good manners is important and yes please and thank you are a must...my advice if anybody visits england they head for london which is a big mistake visit the north of england you will find people are much more friendly
"Hi Shizuka! How's it going?" Thank you for these videos. I'm Hugh and I'm British. My parents moved here from Jamaica and I was born in the early eighties here. It's really interesting to see how life is in Britain from a new perspective, so enjoy these videos. My sincere condolences for your loss. I hope life in Britain goes on to be a positive experience for you.
UR ACTING IN THIS VIDEO IS HILARIOUS. I LOVED IT WHEN U JUST SHUFFLED AWAY AFTER ORDERING THE TEA LAMOOO
I once bumped into a lamppost by accent and found myself apologising to it !
By accident not by accent.
@@fionagregory9376 Got you LOL !
Your videos are the best I've seen in explaining the English. You have no axe to grind and have analysed our society impartially and accurately.
I've been to Japan several times and have invariably found the people to be very polite and courteous.
These videos are so incredibly lovely, thank you for making them
As a Brit, I got 100% XD But in all seriousness, this is a really interesting video. You don't notice all your cultural nuances when you're in them so it's really interesting to have them pointed out - good video and great format! Love the quiz x
Fascinating to read observations of us English. I think your obvious charm would get you through any moments of misunderstanding.
Ha, luvvit! It's funny to see our traits exposed. Btw, one should never blow one's nose at the dinner table. You can wipe it quietly, but not blow it!👍
Both risk stuffing up the sinus, apparently
No loud or continual sniffing!!!!!!! - spot on. - preferably wipe not blow if it would disturb others or is near food - physically turn away from people /table if you really do need to blow. Some people leave the table.
I'm a Brit and I enjoyed the vid. Must admit I didn't spot all of them either. But yeah that first one about please and thank you is VERY important.
These are great tips and will help people visiting the UK a lot. We have many things that I didn't even realise, but when you showed the examples I immediately noticed the lack of please/thank you and not replying 'how are you.' They're such a huge part of our conversation and it felt odd when they were missing. This video is excellent and will help visitors have more natural conversations.
love your accent! Sometimes you sound like a proper londoner.
Yes I also noticed that.
Oof. Don't be so mean. ;P
@@LordBilliam ?
This was really eye opening! Japanese people are renowned for being very polite and respectful, so i assumed that they would instinctively say 'please' and 'thank you'. It goes to show that what is considered polite and good manners differs according to the culture.
"Bless you!" Comes from a time when people were VERY polite and they hoped that your "Sneeze" wasn't caused by a serious Illness. They were "Blessing you" as a means of asking God to protect you. Nowadays, less people believe in any one religion, but the polite people will generally still say "Bless you!"
Great reply, people forget that this is a christian country despite the efforts of many to change that status. Be very careful what you wish for.
The origins of someone saying "bless you" when someone sneezes is a christian religious thing, it stems back to the black plague and sneezing was one of the symptoms of the plague, so what you was doing is blessing someone on their deathbed
Cheers “ is also a good word to learn about !
You seem to understand England better than a lot of English people. Your videos are really interesting. I'm very sorry to hear about your loss this year. Take care.
"I want tea" is only acceptable if you are 5 years old adults use "I would like tea"
Or American... :)
Tea please.
Hi Shizuka
Thank you for your videos. I am from Australia, and we sit maybe between the British and Americans on many cultural aspects. However, everything you have described as good manners in this video is true for Australia as well.
I think it would be great if many migrants here learned about these basic manners - as well as many locals who seem to have forgotten them!
You made me laugh at my English ways. Thank you. One odd thing we do is say 'Sorry' if someone bumps into us in a supermarket. It's like 'Sorry I was in your way'.
Your reply to the greeting "How are you?" was " I'm good, thank you...". The expression "I'm good is an Americanism that has become common in the UK but it is not or used not to be correct. Previously people would reply "I'm well, thank you". Being 'good' is a description that implies that I am well behaved, or good at doing something but being 'well' means that I am not sick or unhappy etc etc. This is becoming less and less important nowadays because of consistent usage of "I'm good" but it might be helpful for you to know when speaking to people who are more meticulous about their speech. Many many American expressions come into use in the UK all the time and are often resisted for a while but eventually become common here. Another one currently is the say " Can I get........" when ordering something in a shop or restaurant. Previously the English usage was and very often still is "May I have....please" or "I would like....please". To older people these American expressions sound coarse and incorrect though they are not offensive, just not typically English English.
Mustn't grumble, could be worse, definitely not never better! :-)
I agree with you. It makes me cringe to hear people saying that they're good.
The old fashioned form was, "How do you do?" to which the correct reply was, "How do you do?" The words change for the same or similar sentiment but as a rule one does not answer in the negative because the point of asking is definitely not to listen to how bad your day has been or indeed, how good your day has been. It's essentially a polite greeting rather than an enquiry, unless it's among family or friends of course but even then they aren't necessarily asking because they want to know. Normally, "Fine thanks, how are you?" is acceptable.
The Americanism I spotted was in the please and thank you part, where the shop assistant example ends with "...have a nice day." We tend to see that as vacuous and/or disingenuous, like they're reading from a script because, well, they are. We see so many examples of US TV where it happens, not to mention places like Disney Stores where staff are instructed to give us the American experience, or were when they first opened in the UK. To be fair it's little different to the example of "How do you do?" above but we see a huge difference between a polite greeting from an acquaintance or even a passing stranger to a shop assistant saying the same lines to everyone and looking decidedly British as they do it, ie bored and put upon. We dislike it even more if it's accompanied by a fake smile and no matter how good an actor you are, we'll see that smile as fake immediately.
Language evolves. There's nothing wrong with saying can I get or i'm good
My grandfather always used to say "I'm in good health thank you", so saying "I'm good" seems like a perfectly logical contraction of that regardless of American influence. Nothing to worry about.
Great video Shizuka! My biggest shock was going to America and realising people are not as polite. People would say 'pass the salt', instead of 'please can you pass the salt?'... Also we say 'sorry' so much!
brilliant video - no "please" or "thank you" really is tantamount to a declaration of war!!!! and for god's sake NO SNIFFING!!!! also, don't expect 3 "bless you"s in a row - you're more likely to hear "die quietly" the 3rd time!
"And yourself" is a good reply to "how are you"
In Japan you literally don’t make small talk with coffee shop/convenience store staff, as in you don’t have to greet them when ordering/purchasing or respond to their remarks like ‘welcome’ or ‘sorry for the wait’. In the UK it would be a bit rude not to reply. Also small talk is an art! Super awkward for beginners but essential to build relationships both in formal and social contexts. Cultural differences!
Reputedly, the expression "Bless you!" by strangers if one sneezes in public started during sixth century when plague was killing large numbers of the citizenry. Coughing and sneezing were early symptoms of plague and, at the time, if one coughed or sneezed it was a fair bet that one had contracted plague and would shortly die. Pope Gregory, in the infinite wisdom of the Catholic Church, ordered that people offer prayers to those likely afflicted by plague and the standard short-form prayer "May God bless you!" (later shortened to simply "Bless you!") became the standard offering on such occasions. Even though plague has long since departed, the traditional short-form prayer response became deeply ingrained in the language and remains with us today.
Very interesting.I think in some ways UK and Japan isn't so different. A lot of stuff about not wanting to impose on other people but also a lot of embarrassment if you do it too much. Its the ambiguity of personal space.
Welcome to Europe (I'm not english, so I can't welcome you to England). It's brave to move to such a cultural different region, I hope you'll feel at home despite the differences. To me it's very refreshing to hear you pointing out differences that I've heard of from people who have moved to japan - albeit the other way round :-)
Regarding your first observation of saying "please" and "thank you" in stores, I've heard the explanation that in Japan, the employees never talk in their own words, but have to say fixed sentences just like robots do - and noone would say "please" or "thanks" to a robot, would they? In contrast, so goes this explanation, europeans tend to be more spontaneous and to express their friendliness by blending more of their personality in the conversation. Can you comment on this theory?
Btw.: When I had the chance to be in Japan, I constantly felt awkward because I knew I couldn't behave properly. I made so many embarrassing mistakes - fortunately, japanese people ar so forgiving to foreigners and simply ignore our bad manners.
saying "bless you" started in an earlier pandemic I was told, when sneezing was one of the symptoms.
the mediaval story (German) goes a poor but honest man was reduced to abject poverty and could no longer stand the plight of his starving children, so he decided reluctantly to rob a wealthy man in his town. On his way he met another 'man' going the same way, as they walked they struck up a conversation the other man somehow knew where he was going and his intent , and revealed he was the Devil himself going to reap a soul (!) but let slip the man would neeze 3 times and if no-one said bless you he would take the mans soul the devil helped the poor man into the town house and waited for the man , whilst the poor man helped himself to the silver, finally the owner came into the room and began sneezing, the poor man now terrified for the other mans soul on the last sneeze said loudly Bless you, whereupon the devil issued a scream of rage and vanished in a cloud of sulphurous smoke, when he had everything explained to him(!) he rewarded the poor man with more wealth than the littles he had already taken, since then it has been a european custom to wish a blessing of good health on anyone who sneezes.....this story is apparently one from the 1200's...it seems sneezing was seen as a precursor to a satanic attack back then :)
The explanation I ws given is that sneezes are caused by a devil in your nose. Saying "Bless You" drives it away.
@@jonathanwetherell3609 ITS prosit in Sweden (your health) and in badly spelt german its gesundheit which is roughly the same, so they probably all have a similar source :)
Many years ago I was on holiday visiting a friend in USA. I used a street pay phone to home in England. I had to go via an operator to connect me. The operator said: 'Are you through yet?' I said 'Yes' so of course she cut me off before I could speak!!!
Haha. Feel head-first into the UK-US divide there!
We have always taught our children and grandchildren to remember their PS & Qs. Please and thank yous, costs nothing!
This is fascinating!
It’s these small idiosyncrasies I would of never of thought of
Thanks for making
really enjoyed your video , when I was a child I was taught it was bad luck to say thank you when some one said "bless you" after you sneezed ,but it seemed so rude not to say thank you I risked having bad luck and said it . note; the bad luck was only for the sneezing situation ,saying thank you is fine in every other situation .hope you continue to enjoy your stay in England
So happy to see you back on TH-cam after your recent struggles. My housemate (also Japanese) and I have throughly enjoyed your videos, particularly the more personal ones. England misses you. Please let us know if you have any plans to return!
Thank you Shizouka, your videos really remind me of how exciting it is to immerse yourself in a different culture, and how significant every little difference is. Keep making these charming things.
As you go further North into England, be prepared to be greeted just with "alright" (or it might just sound like "right") as you walk past someone in the street or maybe in work, typically without stopping to talk further. It's not a question, it's just a quick informal alternative to "hello, how are you" and the typical way to respond is just to say "alright" back to them and to keeping walking. If you do happen to stop and talk, then you can still go to the more formal "how are you, how is your family" etc.
0:46 omg... I’m a 16 year old brit and I realised it Immediately. Never even thought that other countries don’t do Please and Thank you like us.
As an Englishman living in Japan, what frustrates me is if you hold a door for someone they will just walk through, they won't take the door and hold it for the next person! Kansai people standing on the wrong side of the escalator! Eating noodles at the in laws, they want me to make a noise whilst eating the noodles, it's impossible for an Englishman!
Happy slurping! :-)
Dude, if you get permission to slurp, you slurp XD
Lol
People sometimes ask "who would you like to have a dinner party with" Shizuka is on my list!
"Bless you!" after a sneeze supposedly came from the times of plague when some diseases could have a very high fatality.
As an Englishwoman who loves good manners, what I really appreciate about this is that it's made by someone who comes from a culture that also values good manners. I hope to visit Japan one day and am learning Japanese so that I am not rude (or, less rude) :-)
Excellent observations Shizuka! The 'Bless You' after a sneeze comes from way way back when England was decimated by the Bubonic Plague. The first symptom was sneeze sneeze sneeze. So everyone then knew you were going to die. So 'Bless You ' means 'Bless your soul' in preparation for it to go to Heaven when you meet your God in a few days time! Also look up the nursery rhyme 'Ring A Ring of Roses' - same subject. The Roses were the wheals on your skin that were a later symptom.
Very useful observations- hope it may help some others visiting the UK for the first time. The first time I visited Japan, many years ago, we were warned about blowing the nose in public, specially using a linen/cotton handkerchief and putting it back in your pocket afterwards - we were told this was considered disgusting in Japan, and that it was better to use a paper disposable tissue and to blow the nose discreetly and dispose of the tissue in a waste bin. We were given a number of other useful tips for how we should behave in Japan - hopefully I managed to avoid upsetting too many people.
I'm with the Japanese on this one. Nose blowing reminds me of wet farts. Should be practised discreetly/privately. Oh the times I gagged in public because of blatant, wet, gurgling, snottery.
Theres also another tradition around sneezing, but you dont hear it said as often these days. There is a little rhyme
One for a wish,
Two for a kiss,
Three for a letter,
Four for something better!
Sometimes, usually a person of the older generation, instead of saying 'bless you' , someone might say a line of this rhyme depending how many sneezes you had!
The point about sniffing and blowing your nose was very interesting. I would have never thought that some cultures view that differently.
Regarding sneezing; I was in a shop once and the assist kept sneezing and saying “bless me” because she thought there wasn’t anyone else there to “bless her” 🙂
We're never happier than when a foreigner understands the British sense of humour. That is the key to being a true Brit. Nothing else really matters. If you can make a little, not a lot of fun of yourself, we find that endearing. It's great to have you as an honoury British person. Thank you for pointing out what we take for granted everyday. Hope you will enjoy us and our green and pleasant land with her cloak of leafy green for your whole life. Britain will always love you right back. We're both island nations of course and both have significantly different cultures from the main land, which is actually very cool!x
It depends how much noise and 'effort' you make blowing your nose in England. if you really make a huge 'show' of it people will be put off especially if they are eating for instance.
Especially from 2020
Great video. England and Japan are two countries where respect and etiquette goes a long way. Translation of speech might confuse the matter somewhat, however I think this is a common ground both cultures share. 2 respectful cultures who can respect one another :)
Dear Shizuka, you have a good degree British to your accent. It is a pleasure to hear. 👍
As a native Brit, this made me chuckle, but also surprised that it's not a thing in EVERY country to say "please" and "thank you" ?? I lived in America for a few years and they say please and thank you, and even say "sir/maam"
But the whole "how are you" convo makes me feel really awkward, tbh. I almost never ask "how are you" back to someone if i don't know them.
its also very common to say 'cheers' instead of 'thank you'. often said without much thought but definitely goes a long way in the polite culture
I have an English person I am so glad I got all of these right. it’s really cool to see what isn’t normal in other cultures I didn’t occur to me other places wouldn’t ask how are you back. Thank you!
I didn't realise it but flip most of these things really grated my gears haha guess I better thank mom for raising me right🤣 even when during the call she didn't respond with a "I'm alright thank you, how are you?"
"What was the mistake [in example 1]?" That's not a take away cup!
Your perspective is very interesting. Plus, I really like hearing little bits of English accent come out when you speak. I think England and Japan have a lot in common culturally.
Things I wasn't expecting to see today:
A Japanese person saying that the British are very formal and polite.
If customer doesnt say please or thank you, you are allowed to accidently tip coffee in lap, then say awwwwww so sorry 😂😊😇
Watching this as a British person is so interesting. I never thought for example that other cultures might not use "please" and "thank you", or say "bless you!" After sneezing! Very fascinating haha
Scottish here rather than English, but yeah can confirm that these are generally true. For the sniffing, I think one or two discrete sniffs is okay; it's only really when someone is sniffing very deeply or constantly that it becomes offensive. But you're right that blowing your nose is always better than sniffing and snorting.
Couple of others I'd add: We take our queues very seriously. Far more so than a lot of other countries, it seems. If you cut into a queue, then people might not say anything but they'll certainly think you're an absolute monster :)
Also, when you're on an escalator, always stands on the left. Very often, people prefer to walk up and down escalators rather than stand and wait for them, especially at train stations and things were people are often in a hurry. So always stand to the side so that people who don't want to stand and wait can move past you.
Good manners are taught to us by our parents or Teachers from a very young age, the one thing that surprises me, is when someone keeps their Sun glasses on when talking to you. I was always taught to remove them but maybe that's etiquet not manners?
Etiquette*
Interesting... I'm British and was never taught that one. The only 'rule' I know with sunglasses is not to wear them inside, but even that's not considered rude - just weird and silly.
I've always followed that, even when working in the Middle East many locals would remove sunglasses when talking! Seems the polite thing to do!
What always amazes me about the UK is if someone accidentally bumps into you in the street, you say "Sorry", and so does the person bumping into you. In Germany, both people stop and look at each other waiting for a "Sorry" that never comes, and then they walk on.
"Bless you" comes from an old superstition that the devil can get into you when you sneeze, so people say 'Bless you!' to drive him out. Not that people know that when they say it nowadays.
Other people have said this but I think the reason blowing your nose is better than sniffing is because normally if you blow your nose it means you won’t make any more noise after that. If you only sniff once or twice it’s probably better to just sniff instead of blowing your nose. But if you have a runny nose it won’t go away even if you sniffle so you will be making noise for a long time which is bad when everything else is quiet. Blowing your nose into a tissue doesn’t always fix it but it’s usually better.
"I would like a cup of Tea please... "