Japan vs. Thailand vs. China (Part One)
1.
Speaking English: The average person in Japan speaks pretty much no English. The only upside is that Japanese has many loan words borrowed from English (though spoken with a strong Japanese accent), so by firing off a few English nouns, there's a slim chance you might be understood. The average Thai, particularly those in Bangkok or any other major tourist destination in Thailand, can speak "pidgin" English. Thai also has quite a few loan words from English, particularly nouns, though they're also usually spoken in a heavy Thai accent. Thai English is usually riddled with grammatical errors but is still intelligible. Just like in Japan, the average Chinese speaks pretty much zero English. Mandarin has almost no loans words borrowed from English, so firing off a few English words will generally get you nowhere in China. However, it's become somewhat "hip" among Chinese youngsters to pepper their Mandarin with English words. On the upside, there are quite a few people, particularly youngsters, who do speak decent English, but you won't normally run into them on the streets of China, unless you know where to look. All three countries have pitiful English overall, but I think you're the most likely to run into a decent English speaker in urban China, and you're most likely able to get by with extremely simple English in Thailand. I would rank Japan at rock bottom. If you can't speak any Mandarin or Japanese, you might want to consider having a translator in both China and Japan, but I don't think this is ever really necessary in Thailand.
2.
Learning English (or other foreign languages): Japanese people don't seem to be very driven to learn English or any foreign language for that matter. It's normal to meet people who claim they want to learn English, but very very few of them are willing to put in the proper work of acquiring a new language. It's very normal to be asked right from the get go, even when speaking to someone who speaks OK English, if you can speak Japanese. Thai people seem to get to a certain level of English (usually quite low), and then they plateau from there, and never seem to improve for the rest of their lives. Thais are generally a very unmotivated bunch when it comes to hard work of any kind, and this extends to learning foreign languages. Of the three groups, I'd say Chinese are generally the most motivated and the most realistic when trying to learn English. There is a true desire for many people to learn English in China. The demand for English is insane in China. "Languages leeches" are also extremely common in China, but less so in Japan and Thailand. I personally enjoyed teaching Chinese students English the most, Thais second, and Japanese the least.
The Japanese almost never take on a foreign name when learning English. I've taught nearly 150 students English in this country, and I've yet to meet one with a foreign/English nickname. Thais also generally do not take on foreign nicknames, at least not because they are learning a foreign language. However, because traditional Thai names are extremely long with many syllables, almost every Thai person, particularly females, has a one syllable nickname that they use in most everyday situations. Often these nicknames are similar to English words - Mint, Oil, Beer, Maam, Bim, etc. - so most Thais are content using these names in their foreign language classrooms as well. I guess they figure one nickname is enough in their life. The Chinese on the other hand pretty much ALWAYS take on foreign names when learning foreign languages. Usually the very first thing a Chinese student learning English will request from their teacher is for their teacher to give them an English name. It's very normal to meet a Chinese guy who prefers you to call him Brian, or a Chinese girl who prefers you call her Summer, etc. I'm not trying to say who is right or who is wrong in this situation, but as an English teacher, I appreciate the devotion from my Chinese students the most. I feel the Japanese refusal to take on an English name reflects their lack of dedication in truly learning English.
3.
Complexes: The Japanese have a superiority complex - i.e. in their hearts they truly believe they're better than many other nationalities. However, the Japanese are the best at hiding their true feelings. In everyday social interactions, Japanese are the most polite and considerate, so it can be easy to be fooled here. But the longer you're here, the more you realize how exclusive and not so open Japanese people can be. The Thais also have a strong superiority complex. They pretty much think they're better than the entire rest of the world, except for maybe Japan, England, and Switzerland. Thai people love these three countries, especially Japan. However, the Thais are not very skilled or considerate at masking their superiority complex. Spend enough time in Bangkok, and if you're observational enough, you'll likely notice situation after situation where Thai people are looking down at you for seemingly no reason at all. You usually won't even know where their animosity towards you is coming from. It's the most noticeable in the Thai workplace. But the further you get away from popular Thailand tourist destinations, generally the less you will experience this phenomenon. On the other hand, the Chinese have an inferiority complex, at least towards foreigners from developed Western nations - i.e. in their hearts they are ashamed of their country's current state, so as a result they constantly need to prove to Western foreigners and themselves about why their country is so great. This is the same as South Korea. Chinese nationalism just seems so fake and exaggerated, and I find it very obnoxious. The Chinese are also the most sensitive of criticism towards their country, and they often misinterpret negative things you say as a jab at their country, even if that was not your intention at all. Doesn't this sound just like a person with no confidence? As a foreigner, you'll be reminded again and again by Chinese locals about why their country is so awesome - China's "5,000" years of history, its "world-class" culinary cuisine, it's "magnificent size," etc. On the other hand, Chinese people pretty much look down on the entire non-Western, non-developed world. Just like Americans, they think everywhere else is "dangerous."
4.
Cuisine: Japanese people seem to like food with subtle taste, but complemented by "fragrant" sauces such as wasabi, soy sauce, vinegar, etc. Decking everything out in salt is also normal here. It's shocking how much salt goes into Japanese food. Just like the Filipinos, it seems like Japanese people have very little tolerance for spicy food. I almost never see spices of any kind (beyond salt and pepper) used in Japanese food. Also, rarely is Japanese food "rich" like you'd find in so many Western nations. It really takes a lot to fill you up here. Japanese people also prefer high quality ingredients in their food, which I can respect. All in all, most of the food in Japan is very bland to my tastes, but even I can appreciate more subtle flavors from time to time. Food portions are also pitifully small, especially when considering how much food costs in this country. Thai food is also served in very small portions, seeing as many Thai people eat like six or more "mini meals" throughout the day. But on the plus side, Thai food is relatively cheap on a global scale, whereas Japanese food is not. Thai cuisine has clearly been heavily influenced by both Chinese and Indian cuisine. Thai food is usually bursting with flavor (not bland at all) - spicy and sweet seem to be the Thais' favorite flavors. Thais loves using citrus juices, fish sauces, and chili sauces on their food. They also love using sugar, chili pepper flakes, and ground peanuts as condiments. Garnishing dishes with fragrant leaves and vegetables is also common. Overall, Thai food is usually very tasty and a pretty good value, but not that diverse in my opinion. Both Thai and Japanese food have a lot of emphasis on making their food look nice and presentable. This is a good thing, as satisfying your eyes is almost as important as satisfying your palette and stomach.
Chinese food is usually served in gigantic portions, which is the same as Mongolia and the United States, and baby-sized portions are almost considered an insult in China. Chinese food is usually a pretty decent value as well, all things considered. Chinese cuisine as a whole is naturally the most diverse of these three countries, seeing as China is the largest country geographically. It should be understood, however, that most Han Chinese people only really like to eat ethnic Han cuisine, which isn't all that diverse. Han Chinese food is mostly salty and sweet, but it can be more spicy and "ma (麻)" (mouth-numbing) as you get closer to central China, especially Sichuan province. Just like Japanese food, rarely does Chinese food incorporate much spices. However, Chinese people usually love cumin and dried chili pepper flakes, especially with their meats. Chinese also love their sauces - soy sauce, vinegar, peanut sauce, etc. China also has lots of great food from its ethnic minority regions, particularly Uyghur cuisine, which I believe far outshines Han cuisine. Tibetan and Hui cuisine are also notable. The downside to Chinese food is that very little priority is given to using high quality ingredients, and modern Chinese cooking methods revolve around dousing everything in low quality cooking oils, MSG, and salt and sugar. As a result, Chinese food has a tendency to be quite unhealthy and unappealing. But at its core, Chinese cuisine is pretty good, but if only they would cook their food taking less cheap shortcuts. Also, very little emphasis is put on presentation with Chinese food, so as a result lots of Chinese food looks ugly and sloppy. Disgusting "famine foods" are generally the most common in China. All three countries mentioned have very carb-heavy cuisine, so cutting out excess carbs can be very hard to do when dining out in each country, but this is par for the course in Asia. All three countries are also home to very picky and fussy eaters, with Chinese being the most close-minded towards any foreign food. Among Japanese, Thai, and Chinese cuisine, I'd say Thai cuisine is my personal favorite, Chinese second, and Japanese last.
5.
Social Etiquette: As we all know, the Japanese are well known for their good manners. They're polite, considerate, selfless, and patient. This is mostly a good thing, but there is a downside to all this. These manners are kind of taken too far in my opinion, and many people here seem like personality-less robots as a result. The Japanese expect social interactions to be done in a very specific and rigid way, and as a result no one is used to deviating from their norm. This makes the Japanese seem awkward to outsiders like me. Japanese expect social interactions to flow smoothly as if they were from a script, but when you don't follow that script, it's obvious that they don't know how to react and can sometimes freeze up or panic as a result. Also, because there are so many rules and everyone is expected to be behaving their best at all times, there's a pervasive "walking on eggshells" feeling in this country. You always feel like you might be breaking some obscure rule, and chances are you are indeed breaking some rule. I've also found from my own anecdotal experiences that the Japanese are not shy to tell you when you have done something wrong, and they "politely" correct you to show you how you "should" be behaving. I think this all goes back to their superiority complex, and how they truly believe the way they do things is the best in the world. Nonetheless, it's nice not having to deal with rude and obnoxious people here, and I also appreciate the Japanese respect for peace and quiet. However, the social atmosphere also feels very uptight, rigid, and downright awkward, so there's a trade off. I believe this social uptightness plays a major role in Japan's high suicide rate.
In Thailand it's normal to see people all around you who are seemingly content with their lives. The Thais lack a major work ethnic, and they rarely take their work seriously. This leads to a very "just chill out and enjoy your life" vibe, which can be addicting when in Thailand. However, the Thais do take social etiquette pretty seriously, just not as seriously as the Japanese. They expect everyone to talk softly, respect the unofficial social hierarchy, and to stay calm and patient at all times. Losing one's cool is a severe no-no in both Thailand and Japan, but an everyday sight in China. There are also countless other small rules, but it would take forever to mention them all here. Thai people believe their culture is the pinnacle of "high culture," and this helps result in their superiority complex I mentioned earlier. I suppose on the plus side, the Thais are far less willing to confront foreigners when they have broken these petty social rules. They might say nasty things behind your back because of your "bad" behavior, but rarely will they say anything or correct you to your face, though they will from time to time. Overall, I'd say Thailand's social etiquette and social atmosphere is the most balanced of the three countries.
China's social etiquette is pretty much the polar opposite of that of Japan. Almost anything normal in China wouldn't vibe well in Japan or Thailand. The average Zhou on the street in China is a selfish prick who cares about nothing other than his or her own personal comfort and gain. Chinese society is the very definition of a "dog eat dog" society - it's every man for himself. The average mainlander has very little class - they spit every five minutes, talk loudly, push and elbow their peers, cut in line, have poor hygiene, walk aggressively, stare and rubberneck, and so on. Whereas the social environment in Japan feels very uptight and depressing, the social environment in China feels stressful to the max. I'm exhausted interacting in Japan because I have to follow so many rules, but I'm exhausted interacting in China because there are no rules, or at least no rules that most people follow. On the plus side, the Chinese completely and totally give most foreigners a pass for their cultural faux pas - after all, the average Westerner in China is light-years more polite and cultured than the average mainland Chinese. This might sound mean and racist, but 99% of the time it's very true. The Chinese are also the most relaxed about social etiquette, so there's almost never a "walking on eggshells" feeling. Chinese social etiquette seems to revolve around who sits where at the table, who gets to eat the juiciest piece of meat from the duck, who speaks first at the meeting, who should "gan bei" who when out drinking, etc. But the everyday social environment generally feels extremely lax in China - too lax as a matter of fact. For example, I could wear whatever the hell I wanted to work at my corporate office, including jeans, shorts, and T-shirts, so long as it was reasonable. But in both Japan and Thailand, I had to wear slacks, a button-up shirt, nice shoes, and a necktie to my English teaching job every day. It can be fun having so much personal freedom in China, but the trade off is that everyone around you is a selfish and rude bastard as a result. Get prepared for every public situation in China to be a battle. It's a war out there.
That's it for now. More country comparisons to come later.