Cultural shocks — whether big or small — happen every time we visit another country outside of the United States, and if we’re planning to live or spend some months away from home, then it’s easier to identify what are some things that would "send Americans into a coma."
A U.S. student living in Japan recently shared five things, rules, or habits in Japan that he found unusual and that you just don’t see in North America.
TikTok user Ryan ( @ryanthewat) posted a clip that gained over 18 million views in four days, in which he first mentions that the shutter sound on cellphone cameras can’t be deactivated in Japan.
"Every single phone in Japan has the shutter sound when you take a picture. Even if you take a picture on Snapchat or any app," the content creator says. "This is required by the government because they want to stop men from taking photos of girls without them knowing."
Ryan follows by saying that the only way out of having the shutter sound activated is by buying a phone outside the country.
Secondly, the tiktoker mentions that people in Nippon can basically sleep anywhere.
"This is because the work culture in Japan is so bad. Some people work from 9 a.m. all the way to 10 p.m. So, it’s extremely common to see people sleeping on the train," the student says.
What Ryan says it’s called the "Shibuya meltdown" it’s also related to people taking naps in different parts of Tokyo. Yes, that includes streets and even on top of police cars.
"In Tokyo, we have something called the 'Shibuya meltdown,' which is when men, mostly salary men, spend all day working, so they go to Shibuya after work just to drink, and they’ll fall asleep anywhere in Shibuya," the content creator shares. "It’s because the last train in Japan is at 12, so if you stay past that time, you have to stay until 5 a.m. when the trains run again."
Going to the movies in Japan is also a different experience compared to the U.S.
While many people in America tend to leave the theater before the movie credits are over, Ryan says it’s usual for Japanese people to sit through the entire credits.
Foreigners being recruited for hair modeling is also another thing people experience in the Japanese streets, while North Americans don’t see this activity as something that one just gets recruited for.
"Hairstylists will just run up to you and ask if they can cut your hair for free because they want models for their portfolio," the tiktoker mentions. "It’s actually really, really common."
Part of the comment section on Ryan's TikTok clip about things in Japan that would send an American into a coma.ryanthewat | TikTok
Many TikTok users have flooded the comment section showing surprise after knowing about these things people casually do in Japan.
"Japan sounds like a giant neighborhood where everyone knows each other," one person wrote. "You don’t fall asleep on cop cars in NJ."
"Not gonna lie, you had me wanting to move there when I learned I could take a nap anywhere, anytime, and it’s socially acceptable," another person shared.
However, it was the shutter sound on phones that grabbed most people’s attention, and many think this is a smart thing to implement.
"I love the shutter sound thing, tho(sic). At least somebody cares about women," a TikTok user wrote in the comment section.
"I honestly like the thoughtfulness behind the shutter sound ON. The U.S. would never put us first like that," someone else shared.