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Japanese people are insensitive about the personal distance?
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We feel stress when we are in the jam packed trains.
However we have to be patient because there is no space there.
When I wait the checkout line at the supermarkets, some persons stand right behind me.
They sometimes touch my body.
I know they are no offence but they are insensitive very much.
As you know Japan is safe country relatively so I think some people are insensitive about the personal distance.
My American friend told me that the personal distance of Japanese people are closer than that of American people.
I was very surprised to hear that.
People in Western countries shake hands, hug and kiss a lot so I thought they are not care about the personal distance.
However these are only things of the close relationships.
Could you tell me about your opinion of the personal distance?
私たちは満員電車の中でストレスを感じます。
でもスペースがないのだから我慢しなくてはいけません。
スーパーでレジの列に並んでいると、私の後ろにぴったりくっついて並ぶ人がいます。
時々体が触れます。
悪気はないのですが、とても無神経です。
日本は比較的安全な国だから、人との距離に鈍感な人がいます。
アメリカ人の友人は、日本人の他人との距離はアメリカ人より近いと言いました。
私はそれを聞いてとても驚きました。
欧米では握手やハグやキスをよくします、だから彼らはそんなこと気にしないと思っていました。
でもこれは（ハグやキス）親しい間柄だけです。
みなさんの考えを聞かせていただけますか？
http://youtu.be/tx52f32toX0
However we have to be patient because there is no space there.
When I wait the checkout line at the supermarkets, some persons stand right behind me.
They sometimes touch my body.
I know they are no offence but they are insensitive very much.
As you know Japan is safe country relatively so I think some people are insensitive about the personal distance.
My American friend told me that the personal distance of Japanese people are closer than that of American people.
I was very surprised to hear that.
People in Western countries shake hands, hug and kiss a lot so I thought they are not care about the personal distance.
However these are only things of the close relationships.
Could you tell me about your opinion of the personal distance?
私たちは満員電車の中でストレスを感じます。
でもスペースがないのだから我慢しなくてはいけません。
スーパーでレジの列に並んでいると、私の後ろにぴったりくっついて並ぶ人がいます。
時々体が触れます。
悪気はないのですが、とても無神経です。
日本は比較的安全な国だから、人との距離に鈍感な人がいます。
アメリカ人の友人は、日本人の他人との距離はアメリカ人より近いと言いました。
私はそれを聞いてとても驚きました。
欧米では握手やハグやキスをよくします、だから彼らはそんなこと気にしないと思っていました。
でもこれは（ハグやキス）親しい間柄だけです。
みなさんの考えを聞かせていただけますか？
http://youtu.be/tx52f32toX0
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Japanese people are insensitive about personal space?
We feel stressed when we are in jam packed trains.
When I wait in the checkout line at the supermarket, some people stand right behind me.
I know they don't mean to offend but they are highly insensitive.
As you know Japan is a relatively safe country, so I think some people are unaware of personal space.
* I changed insensitive to unaware because I don't think people in Japan intentionally invade your personal space.
My American friend told me that the personal space between Japanese people is closer than that of American people.
People in Western countries shake hands, hug and kiss a lot so I thought they do not care about personal space.
However these are only things they do in close relationships.
Could you tell me your opinion when it comes to personal space?
Before writing this entry, I was thinking whether I should have used “Space” or “Distance”
Thank you for your corrections.
I know they don't mean to offend, but they are highly insensitive.
It seems everyone is crushed like sardines to fit inside the train.
I think that is why Americans prefer to drive cars.
I have been to large concerts with thousands of other people around me and when the concert is over and everyone is leaving, I feel like a cow or sheep among thousands of other cows or sheep.
I don't really like that feeling, but it's OK, if I get to see a great concert.
However, I think I'd rather be forced to squeeze in a train with nice Japanese people, than fat,sweaty Americans.
Do you know that?
Japanese business men are thin and Japanese girls' boobs are small because they have to ride jam-packed trains. haha
Thank you for your corrections.
(lol)
We feel a lot of stress when we are in the jam packed trains.
When I wait the checkout line at my local supermarket, some people seem to stand just behind me as if they want to pick my pocket.
They sometimes accidentally touch my body.
I know they mean no offence, but they are very insensitive.
As you know Japan is a relatively safe country. So I think some people are not aware (or indifferent) if not insensitive about the idea of personal space.
3 meters is a lot to ask in a city as closely packed as Tokyo.
It doesn't relate to their age or sex.
I walways don't say anything but last time I complained to the old woman, “Don't touch me! Why do you push me?”
Thank you for your corrections.
We feel stressed when we are in the jam-packed trains.
When I wait the checkout line at the supermarkets, some people stand right behind me.
They sometimes bump into me.
I know they don't mean anything but they are very insensitive.
As you know, Japan is a relatively safe country relatively so I think some people are unaware of personal space.
My American friend told me that the personal space of Japanese people is closer than that of American people.
People in Western countries shake hands, hug and kiss a lot so I thought that they do not care about the personal space.
However, these are only things they do in close relationships.
Could you tell me your opinion when it comes to personal space?
I would think in most situations that Americans would keep more of a distance, probably because the country is so big compared to the number of people that live in it. So people are used to having lots of personal space.
On crowded buses, people can sometimes get pushed together, but if it's getting too crowded, they won't like any more people on. So it never gets too crowded.
The theme was “Where is the most overcrowded country?”
Guess where?
The answer was Bangladesh.
My husband takes jam-packe trains everyday, poor him!
Thank you for your corrections.
サマーランドです。どこで泳ぐの？って感じの状態です。
私は自分のpersonal spaceが必要なので、混雑とか絶対にムリです。
ですから、セールシーズンの買い物もムリです。
でも、ハグはされたいです。誰か私をハグしてくれませんかねぇ... ｗ
プールがあんまりないから。爆
私はセールの時は我慢するぞ。でもただ疲れて帰ってくるだけだったりする。
食べ物屋に一時間並ぶとか私にゃできない。
Thank you for your comment.
I think Japanese people may be more sensitive about personal space in general. For example, when you talk to strangers, you don't talk too close right?
However, in situations that cannot be helped, Japanese people don't mind.
On the other hand, Americans talk to strangers closer than the average Asian (I think).
However, America is generally spacious everywhere so there are not many 'situations that cannot be helped.' So some Americans feel uncomfortable in Japanese trains, etc... so they think Japanese people are "insensitive about the personal" space.
Japanese people are careless for mail or other delivery service.
They don't put off the motorcycle helmets when they deliver something. ヘルメットをかぶったままです。
Thank you for your comment.
どうして人の体に接触しているのになんとも思わないのか・・・
いくら私がチビだからって見えないわけじゃないだろうがと言いたくなります。>_<
Thank you for your comment.
Wiil I be able to get out at the next station?
I'm falling over; there is no room for my feet!
Thank you for your comment.
同じ日本人でも心地いい距離は人によって違いますね。
わりと親しい人でも近づかれ過ぎると私は一歩下がるのですが、相手にとっては遠すぎて話しにくいようで、下がっても下がっても近づかれます。＾＾；
逆に話しているときに相手が一歩離れたときは、「この人の心地よい距離は私より遠いんだな」と解釈してそれ以上近づかないように気をつけますが、私にとってはちょっと遠くて話しにくいので、意識していないとついつい近づいてしまいます。
ちょっと話が違いますが、私の友人(英国人）が日本で女性専用車両をみてびっくりしていました。これは一種の性差別なのでは？なんて言ってましたが、理由を話すと納得してくれました。そんなに電車が込むって想像できなかったんですね。
私の友達にものすごく声の小さい女性がいます。
本人、わかってないようで、すぐ隣にいても聞こえないので、思いっきり近づいてしまいます。
欧米のドラマではツバが飛びそうなほど近くで会話してませんか？
外国人の友達が出来てからは、あれってテレビ用だったのねとわかりました。^_^;
アメリカ人の友達が来日する前に、女性専用車両に乗らないようにと注意しておきました。
Thank you for your comment.
As land became available, more and more Americans moved westward from their original settlements on the eastern coast. Earlier settlers were able to move into huge tracts of land, and they got used to having an ridiculous amount of land all to themselves. As new settlers moved into their areas and "crowded" it up, some of them apparently felt that "if my next-door neighbor is as close as the next mountain, it's time to move again." Compared to the crowds in the modern world, isn't it pretty unbelievable?!
Even in America, the distance required to maintain personal space (we often call it a "personal bubble") varies because we are a mix of many cultures.
But normally, you should stand far away enough from a stranger that another person can pass between you with plenty of room. That is the minimum. It's hard to put an exact number of feet on it (maybe 3 feet?), but you shouldn't be close enough to reach out and touch the other person. If you develop a friendly relationship with that person, you can stand or sit a little closer. If you become good friends, you can move even closer.
Even though we might hug someone we don't know, or shake hands with them, you'll notice that afterwards, we immediately separate ourselves and move apart to maintain personal space.
I liked history class, we could hear such kind of story.
My parents house is not small but it is very close to next door neighbors.
I sometimes heard the phone ring of the neigbors.
As you know, karaoke machine was invented by Japanese people but we can't use karaoke at home because we live in a small house.
(>_<)
Hehe, can you imagine if all the Japanese teenagers who go out to karaoke could do karaoke in their own homes instead? Just think of the ruckus! The houses are too close together in Japan, aren't they?
I visited Tokyo for the first time when I was 19. I was young, tall, and good looking. I remember taking a crowded train one afternoon. Inside the train compartment space was limited to the level of touching and leaning. There were women whom I felt were looking at me. But when our eyes met they would look away. I actually remember their faces turned crimson. It was not until my next trip to Japan two years later that I realized on that day I did pick the Women Only car! Then I realized how I made myself their chocolate cake for the afternoon!
Boy I wish I could that again. がんばります！