of which are found in the larger cities of Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Kobe.

With a high density of people crowded into a relatively small space, people have to learn

to get along with one another.

At the same time, Japan is made up of local Japanese with very few foreigners among them,

so they are also very similar in culture, values, and manners.

They have been described as being “one nation, one civilization, one language, one culture

and one race” and are actually one of very countries in today's globalized world to

be so homogenous.

Politeness is a typical characteristic of the Japanese that other people admire, and

here are five possible reasons why.

Number one: Japanese Philosophy and Religion For the Japanese, the country and family are

considered more important than self.

This idea stems from the teachings of Confucius, the Chinese sage who laid down strict codes

of conduct, as well as Shinto religious beliefs.

For centuries, Japanese have been taught from a young age that they need to be responsible

members of their families and their country, and serve others' needs before their own.

As a result, the people became obedient and relatively passive, used to having their lives

regulated by rules.

Number two: Group Culture and Rules Japanese culture is known to be highly complicated

with very fine differences between what is seen to be 'right' and 'wrong', and

it continues to have a strong influence on anyone who wants to live and work in Japan.

Unlike in Western societies, the 'group' is seen as more important than the 'individual'.

If you step out of line on any aspect, it has a strong impact on the way other people

see you - your basic character and values are at stake if they judge you negatively.

This is reflected very clearly in the Japanese language itself which has both a formal and

a casual form, and which makes learning Japanese very difficult for outsiders.

The good thing about these guidelines and expectations is that it helps maintain social

harmony and makes living together go much more smoothly.

It is like the oil that makes the tricky parts of a machine move in tandem with all the other

parts instead of causing irritation and friction when rubbing against each other.

Number three: Children's Upbringing and Schooling

Japanese parents place a whole lot of importance on teaching social manners so that the child

avoids causing trouble for them and for others.

Many stress the value of learning the social 'rules'ｃ their behaviour is not

criticized by other people.

At the same time, parents value closeness with their children and spend time together

on various activities.

This parent-child closeness positively helps children want to please their parents, and

naturally they accept the rules and regulations that their parents set for them.

In school, too, children learn proper ways of behaving together.

For example, they are taught to clean up their classrooms and school grounds every day, and

exhibit extremely polite manners towards teachers and other adults.

They enjoy learning to work together in groups on projects and in other forms of learning.

Many schools also require their students to wear uniforms which makes them even more aware

of their 'one-ness'.

Number four: Extremely Close Encounters Rules guide the way the Japanese live and

interact with others, and everyone is generally very polite to each other no matter if you

are friends or strangers.

They try to avoid all kinds of conflict, especially in the public eye.

This is partly because there is so little personal space available in the over-crowded

cities and people know they need to cooperate and respect others to make life flow more

smoothly for themselves.

For example, if you talk loudly into your mobile phone while riding a packed train to

work, you are very likely to annoy other commuters.

If you smell bad, or dress sloppily, you will have that same effect as well.

Number five: Individual Status and the Formal 'Pecking order'

The way a Japanese uses everyday language clearly shows who they are and who they speak

to.

There are formal rules for speaking differently to different people depending on their age

and relationship to you.

Even a simple greeting like 'good morning' can be formal or informal, depending on who

you say it to and when.

For example, the older members of a family, like a grandmother or father, must be addressed

in the formal form to show their importance in the group.

This goes for the boss of your company, or colleagues holding a higher title than you,

unless you don't mind being instantly fired.

Even bowing to another person to say 'thank you', already considered to be very respectful

in other cultures, has different rules for 'levels' depending on who is doing the

bowing or is being bowed to.