Great Chitter Chatter - Stories from Loud Voices

A huge website in its own rite, Yahoo Japan is widely popular and financially worth almost as much as the U.S. based Yahoo site. These two websites have several similarities, but if you take a look at the Japanese style website, then the differences between them clearly jump out at you. The U.S. based Yahoo Company actually owns around 34% of the Japanese site.

The Yahoo site in Japan offers several different categories of interest to those who use it. They offer a broadband service, the ability to shop online, a business solution center and an auction site, among many other items. This is most likely why this site is so widely popular with the Japanese people. They of course, also offer many traditional items that one would expect to find on a yahoo site. These include email, the ability to set up web pages that can be personalized, and message boards. There is also a social network available that is named Yahoo Days.

If you took a look at the Yahoo Japan website, then you would notice significant differences from the U.S. Yahoo site, other than the use of the Japanese language. To those who are not familiar with the site, it would most likely look very cluttered and perhaps even a bit unorganized. For the Japanese people, this is not the case. It is true that the front page of the site contains a lot of information, but start pages that are crammed full of information are expected in the modern Japanese culture of the internet. Another item that might shock those not familiar with the Japanese internet is the fact that while the Japanese people love their online auctions, Ebay is not an auction craze. Ebay actually opened an office in Tokyo back in 1999, yet it could not compete with the Japanese Yahoo auction site.

While there are some similarities between the U.S. Yahoo website and Yahoo Japan, the differences greatly outweigh them. The Japanese Yahoo site is widely popular, as it is the U.S. site, and garners a huge amount of traffic each month. This website contains several different elements, including an auction site, online shopping, and broadband services. The front page offers a huge amount of information that keeps the Japanese people who are surfing online, updated on everything from business news on Japanese companies, to the latest happenings in pop culture and celebrity news.

The Japanese style and culture have become very popular these days. Many people who are not natives to this country are flocking there in order to work and to study in various universities. The different culture that they are exposed to by living in Japan is an additional thrill for many.

Living in a different country can be a challenge for anyone, so realizing that the Japanese are very particular about their customs and correct manners is very important. As a foreigner it is important that you become familiar with the basic rules of Japanese society. While many Japanese will cut a foreigner some slack on incorrect etiquette, if one performs something that is extremely disrespectful, then it might not be overlooked. Additionally, it is in your best interest as well to learn a little bit about the rules of a country that you are visiting or planning to live in.

An example of a Japanese culture difference involves entering a home. In Japan it is expected that outside shoes will be removed. The host then provides slippers for the guests to wear. Many people are aware of this Japanese custom; however, there are other shoe etiquette customs that are required in Japan that are not as widely known. For example, another Japanese society custom requires that any room with a tatami floor is to only be stepped on with socks or bare feet. Additionally, there are special slippers that are to be worn exclusively in the bathroom.

Learning all of the rules and proper etiquette for a new country that you’re planning on living in or visiting is a very huge undertaking. This is true for anyone deciding that living in Japan is for them. It would be impossible for anybody to expect that they would learn everything about a culture before they visit the country. The best idea is to try and learn as much of the main etiquette rules of Japanese society as you can. That way there is less of a chance that you will greatly insult anybody. Usually natives in a country will realize that a foreigner is not going out of their way to do something insulting on purpose. They probably just did not realize the impact of what they did or said. As you spend more time with the Japanese people, you will learn more and more about their culture and how you are expected to act. When you come across some rules and etiquettes that are the same as your own native land they are then easier to understand and remember.

Living in Japan is an option that many foreigners are taking these days. They are moving to Japan in record numbers for work or for school. The idea of learning a new culture and living in a totally different environment from where they come from is very exciting for most. The Japanese culture will become more understood as more non natives move in.