Rooted in Respect: What Japan Teaches Us About Culture, Courtesy, and Community
What Americans Can Learn from Japan
Respecting Culture, Country, and Community
As someone who deeply respects both American and Japanese cultures, I think it’s important that we pause and consider how much we can learn from Japan—not to mimic or idolize, but to appreciate and maybe even improve the way we operate as a society.
1. Respect for Language and Cultural Identity
Japan predominantly speaks Japanese. It’s the national language, used in government, schools, media, and daily life. While many Japanese people do study English, it is not expected of them to be fluent—nor should it be. They are not an English-speaking country, and to demand they accommodate English-speaking visitors is both rude and culturally insensitive.
Ironically, many Americans firmly believe that anyone coming to the U.S. should speak English. But this mindset isn’t always reciprocated when we travel abroad. If we expect that level of respect for our language in America, we should extend the same courtesy when we’re in someone else’s home.
2. Religious Coexistence Without Expectation
Christianity is widely practiced in the United States, and while many Americans consider it central to our values, we don’t ask people of other faiths to convert. Japan, on the other hand, is rooted in Shinto and Buddhism—practices that emphasize nature, harmony, and ancestry. These are deeply interwoven into everyday life, from seasonal festivals to spiritual customs in public spaces.
It’s unreasonable to expect Japan to change its religious presence or public culture just to make Western visitors more comfortable. Just as we don’t strip Christianity from our holidays or architecture, Japan shouldn’t be expected to minimize their beliefs to appear “welcoming.” Respect means accepting the culture as it is—not reshaping it to fit our worldview.
3. Preserving Tradition While Embracing Innovation
Japan excels at balancing the old with the new. Ancient temples and centuries-old customs coexist alongside bullet trains, smart toilets, and robot assistants. They’ve advanced technologically without sacrificing their cultural roots. In contrast, America often struggles with this—either clinging to outdated systems or rushing into modernization at the cost of social cohesion.
4. Cleanliness and Environmental Mindfulness
Walk through a Japanese city and you’ll notice how clean everything is. Public trash cans are rare, yet litter is virtually nonexistent. It’s not due to strict enforcement—it’s a shared value. People take pride in their environment, and cleanliness is taught early on. In schools, students clean their own classrooms and bathrooms. There’s a deep-rooted sense of personal responsibility that we could benefit from adopting more fully here in the U.S.
5. Public Health and Safety
Japan has universal healthcare. It’s affordable, accessible, and efficient. Citizens can visit a doctor without the fear of financial ruin. Crime rates are significantly lower. Public transportation is not only safe but dependable. Infrastructure is constantly maintained. These are not luxuries—they are basic elements of a well-run society. In America, many of these systems are broken or politicized, leaving citizens to fend for themselves.
6. Community and Manners
Manners in Japan are not just superficial niceties—they are social norms rooted in consideration for others. Speaking quietly on the train, removing shoes indoors, bowing instead of interrupting—these are simple acts that promote respect and reduce friction. It’s not that Americans are inherently rude; we just aren’t taught to be mindful in the same collective way.
7. Humility Over Exceptionalism
Japan does not expect other nations to operate like it does. The U.S., on the other hand, often measures other cultures against its own standards—expecting other countries to “catch up,” “open up,” or “get with the program.” But Japan is not behind. It is just different. We should resist the impulse to assume the American way is the superior one. Instead, let’s approach other countries with humility and curiosity.
8. Courtesy, Consideration, and Collective Responsibility
What stands out about Japan is its cultural backbone of courtesy and consideration for others. There’s a collective awareness that your actions affect those around you. People do the right thing not because they’re being watched, but because it’s respectful and minimizes inconvenience for everyone else.
There’s no grandstanding about it. No “look at me” morality. It’s quiet, consistent, and deeply ingrained.
In contrast, America often prioritizes personal convenience and self-expression, even when it comes at the expense of others. We tend to overcomplicate what should be simple—how to treat people, how to live together peacefully, how to clean up after ourselves. Instead of just doing the right thing because it makes life smoother for everyone, we argue about it, politicize it, or reinvent it with unnecessary complexity.
We’ve confused selfishness with freedom.
Japan shows us that a society thrives not when everyone is doing whatever they want—but when people take small, intentional actions that benefit the whole. Being aware. Being courteous. Being responsible. These are not outdated values. They’re foundational ones.
9. Cultural Preservation vs. Racism
There are times when people call the Japanese—or even other Asian cultures—racist simply because they are reserved or cautious toward outsiders. Yes, racism exists everywhere, and it shouldn’t be ignored. But often what’s mistaken for prejudice is actually a strong desire to preserve cultural identity.
Japanese society is built on shared customs, unspoken rules, and deep historical continuity. When a society has worked so hard to maintain harmony, it can feel jarring when outsiders enter with entirely different expectations, especially when they expect a country to bend its identity to accommodate them.
This isn’t always about exclusion—it’s often about protecting a way of life that makes their citizens feel like they belong. And that’s not a bad thing. Most people, no matter where they’re from, just want to feel like they fit in. Japan works hard to make sure its natural-born citizens feel that sense of belonging and unity.
In America, we still struggle deeply with racial divisions, identity, and inclusion. We are constantly told we’re a melting pot, yet so many people—of all races and backgrounds—don’t feel like they truly belong. Even as a white woman born and raised here, I often feel like I don’t fit in because we are always being pitted against each other, constantly having to prove who’s more deserving, more moral, more valid.
It doesn’t have to be like that. We are all human. We all want to live meaningful lives, to be seen and understood. Japan reminds us that a strong cultural identity doesn’t have to come at the cost of respect or inclusion—it can actually be the very thing that helps us find that sense of home.
10. Learning from History Instead of Erasing It
Another thing we struggle with in America is discomfort with our own history. We rewrite, cancel, or ignore parts of it because it makes us uneasy. But discomfort is part of growth. If we’re willing to face our history honestly—not glorify or demonize it—we can use it as a foundation to grow stronger.
Japan does not deny its historical wounds or gloss over its cultural identity. It integrates the past into the present, from memorials and traditions to education and reflection. That’s how a culture builds resilience.
In America, instead of rising above the hard lessons, we keep creating new distractions and ideological extremes that move us further away from simply being decent to one another. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel—we need to slow down and focus on the basics of human respect.
In Conclusion: Cultural Exchange, Not Cultural Override
America and Japan are fundamentally different in history, structure, and values—and that’s okay. The goal isn’t assimilation, but understanding. If we expect people coming into our country to respect our systems, we must extend that same respect when we are guests in theirs.
Let’s listen more. Let’s learn more. Let’s let other countries be who they are, not who we think they should be.
And let’s not forget that often, the simplest and most respectful thing to do is the best one—not because it makes a statement, but because it makes life better for everyone.
