What do you hate about Japan?

Exploitation of the Japanese workforce - employees are required to work long hours, don't even get paid for overtime and often don't even get vacations as they are the slaves of the company.

From my observation of Japanese's attitude to workers who distribute leaflets, I must say they're very rude. Most people just walked straight and don't even bother to reply nor take a look at them. I mean, in such a civilised country which emphasizes so much on manners, such act is really a disgrace. Even if people don't wish to accept the leaflets, they can just smile and say no thanks politely to these workers. Manners seem to be very important when Japanese treat their superiors or colleagues and friends. They seem to despise people who seem "occupationally less superior" to them.

Groupism, which is represented by the phrase "The nail which sticks out will get hammered back". 出る杭は打たれる

In schools, offices or whatever, Japanese people are required to do the same thing with others, wear the same cloth with others (that is substantiated as rampant uniform), have the same thought with others, and so on.

I hope Japanese society respect individuality more. But on the other hand, it could be a reason why Japanese society is kept safe.

My experience in Japan was fantastic. The people were so kind, and to this day I would sell my soul to the 100 yen store.

"hate" is too strong a word, but I was always worried that I would offend my host family since respect is such an important aspect of Japanese culture.

At one point I decided to cook them a classic Canadian breakfast of pancakes, which turned out to be horribly undercooked and probably terrible, but my family ate them anyways with smiling faces. All I really wanted them to do was laugh at me like I was crazy!

love Japan. would go back in a heartbeat!

I love Japan, it's one of my favorite countries. One thing I don't like (not hate) though is the amount of packaging they use. Everything is so nicely packaged with paper, ribbons, plastic, etc. They are not very green in terms of that, but I have to admit, it does make everything look much appealing.

I haven't ever lived in Japan, but I've taken boat trips to Japan five times, and almost every time, it's great.

I live in Korea, but visit Japan a lot. It just really strikes me when I visit Japan how much I made the wrong decision to go to Korea.

In Japan, foreigners who live there long enough can have permanent residency and basically the same rights as Japanese people. So, like a western country, you can immigrate there. Not so with Korea.

The money's good there, the visa system is more open and free than most other Asian countries, the culture is fascinating, and unlike China and Korea, they had the good sense to open up to the western world instead of pulling a proverbial pillow over their heads.

So what's to hate? I don't know, I'm sure I'll find something when I live there because no place is perfect, but I guess I hated it in Osaka when some old man started cursing me out and tried to block my path with his bicycle when I tried to enter a supermarket. I hope that when I move to Japan, there aren't too many people like that.

Obviously there's something that foreigners hate, or everyone would stay in Japan for decades. I just haven't discovered it yet.

I have to agree with The Cheapest and Selena.. Groupism: Where everyone is taught to do the same thing in schools, work etc. I would hate going to school 6 days a week and spend a 1 month summer break. But above all I have to say the standard of living is tough. Competition is high and people dont get paid overtime. They work more hours and recieve less vacation. Even a 2 week vacation is hard to get and any longer than that will get you fired. Which is why the suicide rate is extremely high and the birth rate is staggering.

Japanese are polite, but that does not justify their silence to their social injustice.

Majority of the Japanese know what's wrong with their political system, bureaucrats' corruption, excessive stress on education, and money-go-happy society, etc.

But they rarely (if not never) stand up to raise their voice against their social problems and injustice.

Being a Japanese, I do not hate this country.
But I am disappointed with this society.
Then, why don't I stand up? That's a good question.

Haha, DeleraTwinkie, I like your imagination, but you are wrong. I think you'd better make some Japanese friends, because you obviously don't have any.

Well, it seems that Japan's reputation looks too good to be true for some people, considering that this kind of fault-finding question is being asked. Poor Japan. LOL.

As for me, an expat in this country, I don't have particular problems with locals, food, my work environment, etc. There is, however, one thing I hate for sure. It's high humidity in the summer! I originally come from North Europe, and I've never got used to it. Argh, I wish Tokyo had cool and dry summer like my country or Hokkaido...

Smoking! Many people still do. While they make car like Prius to save the environment, and eat good low fat food everyday, they can't stop smoking! I hate that.

Well, Prius won't save the environment, but that's what people believe these days, right? It still use electricity. It won't save, but it will 'help' reducing the bad air. Anyway, I wish the Japanese gov. will push smoking ban more strongly. I know they won't, but I wish they do.

Lol it's probably karma for all the horrific events caused by them. They hunt those poor whales and their babies to death all for some bloody food. May I ask, Is food more important than 3000 whales? they also never own up to the bad things they do and are awfully ignorant. I mean, they killed and raped so much Chinese cilvations and which they now say: no, no we've never done that! They claim that they're doing investigation with the whales but is actually killing and capturing them for food like WTF everyone knows the truth and it's honestly the dumbest lie on the planet. You say to forget and forgive but how do we do that when the Japanese is playing dumb and refuses to even apologise for all the terrible events that could be avoided if they haven't existed?