Within seconds of entering a Japanese restaurant, we’ll encounter the phrase “Irasshaimase!” (いらっしゃいませ！), a really polite word meaning “Welcome to the store!”. The phrase gives us a glimpse of how polite Japan actually is. However, if a greeting is said too politely or often, it runs the risk of sounding robotic; without sincerity, the greeting becomes pointless. This is just a glimpse of how ‘politeness’ is done here.

This time, we talk about the good, the bad, and the society in Japan from our views, uncensored.

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