Various entities, from governments to media publications, try to explain the customs and realities of America before foreigners visit. For Japanese tourists, the tips range from accurate to downright strange, as Mental Floss noted.
After translating a few travel sites, Mental Floss pulled a few notable entries.
“Manners with cars in America are really damn good. Japanese people should be embarrassed when they look at how good car manners are in America,” one said, impressed with American norms.
Work ethic, however, might be lacking. “In America, whether you are a student, working person, or housewife, you carefully make room for leisure time, weekdays and weekends … in Japan we believe that there is no free time during the weekday.”
Nor were writers impressed with American supermarkets.
“Cashiers are slow. Abysmally slow compared to Japan. I get frustrated when I’m in a hurry… I thought Americans were going to be quite impatient, but in reality they are extremely laid back.”
Advice for visiting America is something of a cottage industry. It’s also a reflection of how the United States is viewed by foreigners, and how foreigners understand themselves.
“Individualism in the USA is prized,” STA Travel noted. Americans are also relaxed in their manners. “Visitors can often be surprised when people are so informal to the point of being very direct or even rude, but don’t be offended!”
Patterns, however, emerge.
“Of the many pieces of advice proffered, four of the most common are: eat with your fingers (sometimes), arrive on time (always), don’t drink and drive (they take it seriously here!), and be careful about talking politics (unless you’ve got some time to spare),” Max Fisher noted for The Atlantic a few years ago.
Much of the advice can become useless depending on where in America a tourist visits. Essential tips and knowledge to navigate New York City can be almost useless for rural Iowa. For all the contradictions and context-specific American ways, the best bet for tourists might be to ask a nearby American for advice.
