Uploaded July 2018 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
On Cheating:
youtube.com/watch?v=ENscSDOsodE&index=51&t=0s&list=WL
youtube.com/watch?v=iEosfpqDaKc&index=34&t=0s&list=WL
On Technology:
youtube.com/watch?v=imx2FOLOgiM
On Tattoos:
youtube.com/watch?v=5zrzfyHkQII
youtube.com/watch?v=B3GhtGL3ttM
youtube.com/watch?v=lzjwc6uo6rE
FOLLOW ME! (^_^):
*On Twitter: @SonnieTravels
*On Instagram: @SonnieTravels
My 3 Biggest Culture Shocks In Japan
1. Cheating. Before coming to Japan, I had heard stereotypes about how Japanese men cheat on their wives and have also heard that that is slowly changing so I honestly didn’t know what to expect about this one when coming here. The first time we heard about this here in Japan, we were having dinner with some male, Japanese friends that are around our age. They had mentioned that while you shouldn’t cheat on your girlfriend, once she’s your wife, it’s perfectly acceptable. “A man has needs”, they said. But women don’t need to cheat. However, after doing more research on the subject, Joe and I discovered that cheating is almost as common amongst women in marriages as it is with men. The second time this was smacked in our faces, was at an after graduation event. My principal asked me to invite Joe along for sake and sushi with a few teachers. It was all very lovely until one male teacher who I thought I had a very good relationship with started going on and on to Joe about how since he and I will be married for five years in August, it’s perfectly fine for him to sleep with other women! Right in front of me!
2. Technology… Or more specifically the lack thereof and lack of understanding surrounding it. Japan used to be known for its technology, and for those individuals who have never been here, or perhaps have only been to Tokyo or more touristy areas for a quick visit, may think it’s still cutting edge, but that’s simply not true. The primary way to send important documents? Fax machines… I kid you not. I had to learn how to use one of those things again to send my timesheets to the main office. All of the teachers I’ve ever worked with here use Yahoo to search the web and the kids here barely know how to use a computer. Now that last one may be because they’re only using tablets and smartphones and stuff, but it’s still pretty shocking. In our schools, we’re not allowed to plug our USBs into the computers for fear of viruses… USBs… yup. One of my teachers that I need to communicate with, doesn’t have email and many people still have flip phones here. …To sum things up and put it mildly, they’re behind the times. Shockingly so.
3. Tattoos. This is the one that affects me and actually upsets me the most out of all of the culture shocks we’ve experienced so far. I knew tattoos were frowned upon here in Japan and that we wouldn’t be able to go into some onsens due to them, but from what other youtubers have said, people would know we’re not in the yakuza (think the Japanese mafia) and wouldn’t think any less of us for having tattoos. If you’re a full-time youtuber, I bet that’s the perspective you get here! As an English teachers, however, my life is a different story. People in Japan are very nice and will never openly shame you for tattoos and if you’re a tourist, you have nothing to worry about. But the fact of the matter is, I have to keep my tattoos covered in my own city any time I step out of my apartment. Another ALT from Interac was on his own balcony hanging up his laundry when a man from his schools Board of Education walked by and saw his arm tattoo. Even though he’d be living in the same town, and working at the same school for THREE YEARS he received a call the next day not to return to work again and that he’d have to move to another side of the country where no one would no he had a tattoo. Japanese people do not want tattoos and tattooed people around their children. But as Joe and I jokingly asked around, we noticed a pattern. And every person from college students to our co-teachers that we mentioned, “You know, in western countries, tattoos are very common and don’t mean someone is a criminal or a bad person!” 9/10 times, that person becomes very quiet, averts their eyes and quickly changes the subject.
There are some exceptions to this including Japanese people around our age who have studied abroad for a decent amount of time and one of my co-teachers who is freakin awesome and travelled to the UK before. They’re usually much more open-minded and familiar with western culture. Thank goodness for them.
Music:
Cold Funk - Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100499
Artist: incompetech.com
Sidewalk by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Artist: audionautix.com
On Cheating:
youtube.com/watch?v=ENscSDOsodE&index=51&t=0s&list=WL
youtube.com/watch?v=iEosfpqDaKc&index=34&t=0s&list=WL
On Technology:
youtube.com/watch?v=imx2FOLOgiM
On Tattoos:
youtube.com/watch?v=5zrzfyHkQII
youtube.com/watch?v=B3GhtGL3ttM
youtube.com/watch?v=lzjwc6uo6rE
FOLLOW ME! (^_^):
*On Twitter: @SonnieTravels
*On Instagram: @SonnieTravels
My 3 Biggest Culture Shocks In Japan
1. Cheating. Before coming to Japan, I had heard stereotypes about how Japanese men cheat on their wives and have also heard that that is slowly changing so I honestly didn’t know what to expect about this one when coming here. The first time we heard about this here in Japan, we were having dinner with some male, Japanese friends that are around our age. They had mentioned that while you shouldn’t cheat on your girlfriend, once she’s your wife, it’s perfectly acceptable. “A man has needs”, they said. But women don’t need to cheat. However, after doing more research on the subject, Joe and I discovered that cheating is almost as common amongst women in marriages as it is with men. The second time this was smacked in our faces, was at an after graduation event. My principal asked me to invite Joe along for sake and sushi with a few teachers. It was all very lovely until one male teacher who I thought I had a very good relationship with started going on and on to Joe about how since he and I will be married for five years in August, it’s perfectly fine for him to sleep with other women! Right in front of me!
2. Technology… Or more specifically the lack thereof and lack of understanding surrounding it. Japan used to be known for its technology, and for those individuals who have never been here, or perhaps have only been to Tokyo or more touristy areas for a quick visit, may think it’s still cutting edge, but that’s simply not true. The primary way to send important documents? Fax machines… I kid you not. I had to learn how to use one of those things again to send my timesheets to the main office. All of the teachers I’ve ever worked with here use Yahoo to search the web and the kids here barely know how to use a computer. Now that last one may be because they’re only using tablets and smartphones and stuff, but it’s still pretty shocking. In our schools, we’re not allowed to plug our USBs into the computers for fear of viruses… USBs… yup. One of my teachers that I need to communicate with, doesn’t have email and many people still have flip phones here. …To sum things up and put it mildly, they’re behind the times. Shockingly so.
3. Tattoos. This is the one that affects me and actually upsets me the most out of all of the culture shocks we’ve experienced so far. I knew tattoos were frowned upon here in Japan and that we wouldn’t be able to go into some onsens due to them, but from what other youtubers have said, people would know we’re not in the yakuza (think the Japanese mafia) and wouldn’t think any less of us for having tattoos. If you’re a full-time youtuber, I bet that’s the perspective you get here! As an English teachers, however, my life is a different story. People in Japan are very nice and will never openly shame you for tattoos and if you’re a tourist, you have nothing to worry about. But the fact of the matter is, I have to keep my tattoos covered in my own city any time I step out of my apartment. Another ALT from Interac was on his own balcony hanging up his laundry when a man from his schools Board of Education walked by and saw his arm tattoo. Even though he’d be living in the same town, and working at the same school for THREE YEARS he received a call the next day not to return to work again and that he’d have to move to another side of the country where no one would no he had a tattoo. Japanese people do not want tattoos and tattooed people around their children. But as Joe and I jokingly asked around, we noticed a pattern. And every person from college students to our co-teachers that we mentioned, “You know, in western countries, tattoos are very common and don’t mean someone is a criminal or a bad person!” 9/10 times, that person becomes very quiet, averts their eyes and quickly changes the subject.
There are some exceptions to this including Japanese people around our age who have studied abroad for a decent amount of time and one of my co-teachers who is freakin awesome and travelled to the UK before. They’re usually much more open-minded and familiar with western culture. Thank goodness for them.
Music:
Cold Funk - Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100499
Artist: incompetech.com
Sidewalk by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Artist: audionautix.com
