Japan trivia for roleplayers
I personally take elements of Japanese culture to heart when playing a Japanese muse! I thought it would be useful to say some various random things so people make an accurate portrayal!
Of course this is generalization of what’s going on in Japan in day-to-day life… feel free to correct or add your one when reblogging!
In Japan, meat is very pricey. Since it’s often imported. Eating a good steak is a luxury - that’s why the hamburger steak is popular, it’s the substitute of it. (That why they eat eggs all the freaking time it’s cheaper for proteines)
Unlike what some people may think it’s not uncommon to eat with a fork and a knife - I mean how do you think they eat the steak?
Pickled vegetables and nori are usually found in the middle of the table during meals, like how we put bread and butter in the West.
You don’t just take a bath. Bath are purely for relaxation in Japan. You take a shower and then you get in the bath.
Nudity is not necessarily sexual, it’s like a platonic intimacy thing.
Japanese rarely know how to use a computer. It is seen as VERY VERY nerdy aka hardcore Star Trek fan kind of geeky; thus when the computer was introduced nobody wanted one to not be seen like an Otaku. School essays even of 40 pages are done by hand and most Japanese only learn how to use a computer when they find a job. (Yes in Durarara!! in itself Mikado just knows how to type very fast and go on 4chan to get infos and it is seen as WOW)
Unlike in the West where there’s a lot of individualism, Japanese see themselves a lot as acting for the community. Not only as the whole Japan, but whenever they get into something; you act for your family name, when you hang out with friends and help you act for the whole gang. Everything is like teamwork.
In Japan the computer gaming industry is next to non-existent since arcades and consoles are a huge thing.
Manga are seen as being for kids. Nice, but a bit childish.
Storytelling in Japan is very slowpaced - mostly about novels, movies and shows and it has always been. (compared to western storytelling which is very fast paced)
Calling someone by their first name is very very intimate. I can never press it enough. It’s for very close friends, family (I mean if the whole family called each others by last name jesus) and lovers.
If you call someone you’re not close to by your first name, you can be seen as a delinquent, impolite and very laid-back.
There a much bigger social pressure for students in Japan about grades and to further press them, final exams results are publicly shown. It can come down to the point that failing students are seen as social outcasts. You may be the nicest bubbliest, you won’t be seen well if you have very bad grades. Add to that the sense of community; you hurt the school reputation if you’re not a good student and it is very badly seen, even between students since the school spirit is strong.
This mix of reputation and social pressure with honor and pride is mostly the reason why Japan suicide rate is so high.
Japanese high schoolers are not very different from western high schoolers. Though what comes out the most is that students are a lot lot on their phone. They love texting, even more than the US, that’s why LINE is such a huge thing.
Unlike what anime tells us Japanese high schoolers “have no life”. Especially the third years since college exams are really fucking hell hard. It’s a common saying in Japan that your life starts AFTER high school.
Even if officially Japanese high schoolers have the weekend off, most spend the Saturday at school anyway for club activities such as practice.
Just like with school reputation, there’s a pride in the high school uniform in Japan and even outside school, as long as you wear it, you bear the school reputation. It’s not necessarily conscious but it’s a cultural thing.
Fresh fruits such as for example grapes are expensive in Japan and only eaten during very special occasions like weddings.
Japan’s views of love is very old-fashioned. Arranged marriage are still a huge thing, especially in business. Not getting technical, but Japan economy is based on families. Although they are competitive, they support each others for the community, for Japan, this is basically the miracle behindwhy Japanese economy recovered so much after the war.
Yaoi and Yuri are seen in Japan as fetishism. A fujoshi can be very homophobic.
You don’t just work to live, you almost live to work. It is not unusual for Japanese to spend days at the office or still work when they go back home.
Women at work receives a lot of sexism. Not blatant but it’s here. It is almost required for a working woman marrying to quit her work and take care of the kids.
A strong spirited tall working woman is seen as very unattractive.
A lot of Japan culture is about politeness. In itself, a lot of things you do don’t seem to have sense or seems like you have the choice, but you don’t, because it’s the thing to do it’s the correct polite way to do. For example, even if you hate your boss you have to go drink beer with him after work because it’s the thing to do or you might not like your coworkers much , but if you’re a woman you definitely should bring them chocolates on Valentine’s Day.
Coworkers dating is frowned upon unless you get married (or any romantic relationship going for a while without marriage between adults). This makes a lot of Japanese marriage hasted and unhappy.
If you’re a single unmarried woman who gave birth to no child you’re frowned upon.
Even if you have been in Japan for 50 years if you’re a westerner you will always be treated like a stranger outside the community. Not in the flanderized villain way, but it’s mostly a feeling or how people see you. On the countryside, people will somewhat fear you.
I f you’re Chinese or Korean, Japanese really won’t like you - it’s a racism thing. It’s even WORST if you’re half Japanese. And you can actually be a victim if you look like one.
Young idols and actresses are loved in Japan and youth is a big thing, giving Japanese women a lot of pressure about appearing young. At 35 you’re old.
Ironically it’s very fashionable in Japan to follow western fashion or way of being. Thus if you say English words, bleach your hair, listen to western bands and wear western fashion, you’re a cool kid. Although at some point, you might be taken as a delinquent.
Unlike what some anime shows us, sailor uniforms are for elementary schools.
Japan is extremely sanitized. That’s why everyone get sick so often they clean everything so much they don’t get strong enough antibodies.
Japan health system is shit. Although it is being reformed. Before it was not uncommon for the hospital administration to give someone lots of medicine even if they know they will die so their family will give them more money.
Mangakas literally have no life. You’re paid by the page and live like shit. Same shit for animatorsespecially those who are paid by the frame (why we get so many shit anime they rush the frame so they can eat at the end of the month).
Unlike western cinema where the cinematography is very important and seen as its own art, in general in Japan the cinematography is more a mean to an end and the story is the real focus. (kinda important if you roleplay an artistic muse in the cinema industry)
Japanese companies go by numbers and are very practical their thinking is more old-fashioned. An industry can go 360 if numbers show a certain market is more profitable (for example Konami dropping console games for cellphone and tablets apps or anime industry requiring as norm now at least 2 moe characters per new titles - numbers take priority over artistic integrity unlike in the west where there’s more free thinking and individualism and it will be questioned)
This doesn’t mean that Japanese artists have no values, nor that Japanese animators are not extremely frustrated over this. (”Anime was a mistake” - Miyazaki)
