Evaluating Intercultural Behavior (Post #4)

This intercultural scenario that I am about to describe occurred last year, on a family trip to Japan. We were on board the local subway – thankfully during non-peak hours – when something interesting occurred..

At one of the stations, a young man entered, with his headphones blasting audibly loud for most heads to turn. It was surprising, that many people actually looked at him.

In Singapore, such a scenario is not uncommon. Well, every time I ride the MRT, there’s bound to be one such person. (Serious!)

As soon as the man made himself comfortable at the centre of the train, an older man approached him, and politely asked him to lower the volume. The older local ended up gesturing to him to reduce the volume of his music. Clearly, the young man was not Japanese. As much as I was shocked by this incident, I was also pleased that we’ve regained some privacy for ourselves.

In Singapore, I think the most that locals would do to such an inconsiderate person would be to stare. It would be rare for someone to attempt to request the person to turn down the volume of his music.

After this incident, I’ve become aware that it is train etiquette in Japan to not speak on cell phones or to even listen to personal music. (How strict!) If there was similar etiquette in Singapore, MRT rides would be made so much more pleasant, won’t it?

Here are some educational posters by the Japanese government, courtesy of http://wanderingabc.blogspot.com/2009/02/how-to-16-follow-train-etiquette-with.html

The Japanese may generally be considered a very polite population. They are often deemed highly respectful, even towards strangers. Hence, I don't think it's too much to expect similar standards from others. Perhaps this is how the Japanese feel, thus the level of reverence in their culture, which indubitably leads to a certain degree of intolerance towards non-followers (i.e. the young man who entered the train).

This event has taught me the significance of following the rules when you’re in a foreign environment. Even if we may not be aware of the local culture, it is important to play by ear, and always remain sensitive to the locals. We do not have to wholly assume the culture of the country we are visiting. Rather, I think it is imperative that we try to avoid violation of their norms, and appreciate the differences between both cultures. This I believe, constitute the fundamentals of effective communication, and is one of the ways to avoid potential cultural clashes.