by Takeshi Uchida Is Taiwan very similar to Japan? Is your answer “Yes” or “No”? I want to say “Yes,” but also say “No”. Maybe some Japanese say “Yes” and other Japanese say “No”. I don’t know which is true. Therefore, to figure out the difference between Japan and Taiwan, I focused on my life every day from morning to night.
My story “It is time to get up”; I have to get up at 7am, but I feel heavy, because it rains and is always humid. “I don’t want to go out.” I think in my bed. I finish getting ready and go to the campus. Chinese class starts at 8 am. I can concentrate during class because the teacher can speak English very well and the teaching style is so good. In general, Taiwanese people can speak English better than Japanese students can. After class, I have plans to meet my Taiwanese friend in Guting. So I go to Gongguan station. On the way to the station, there are a lot of bicycles and motorbikes on the road. It is so scary to walk and I have to be careful all the time. When I get to the station, I have to buy the ticket, so I charge 500$ to my card. I am surprised to see how cheap the transportation fare is. In Japan, the fare is more expensive. Also, if I use my student ID, it is cheaper than the regular price. I am so glad. I arrive at Guting station and I meet my friend and go to a Taiwanese restaurant. I am so thirsty that I wait for water, but no matter how much time I wait, the waitress doesn’t bring a cup of water. I ask my friend “why they don’t bring a water?” he say “It is usual to buy something to drink in Taiwan.” I am used to Japan’s style, so I wait for a cup of water, naturally. I end up ordering Taiwan beer. When I drink little bit, I am surprised it is so easy to drink. Japanese beer is more bitter, so I don’t like the Japanese one. But I like Taiwan beer so much. I eat a lot of Taiwanese foods; they are all tasty and have a lot of garlic. I like them all so much. I eat a lot, so I am worry about how expensive it is. When I see the bill, I say “How cheap!” In Taiwan, the cost is much cheaper than Japan. I am so satisfied with the lunch. On the way back to the dorm, on the MRT, I drink juice. Suddenly a woman says to me” don’t drink juice here. I say” Why?” a woman says “drinking on the MRT is banned. Oh,no… I didn’t know this rule. “sorry”. In Japan, it is usual to drink juice on the train. So here I learned about Taiwanese culture. I want to sit, and there are some seats, so “please sit in those seat”. But my friend says “They are different colors, so we should not sit down there. Wow, in Japan we should give priority seats to elderly people, it is the same as Taiwan, but some people take priority seats. In Taiwan, nobody takes priority seats. I feel the kindness of Taiwanese. After coming back to the dorm, I say “what a refreshing day” while on my bed. This is my day. Have you experienced the same or not? Do you think Taiwan is similar or not? Result of interviews To generalize the difference, I interviewed 20 Japanese exchange students. (See graph below) pros 6 people say cheaper cost is the most attractive point. Of course, food is cheap, and fare is also cheaper than Japan. Next, 5 students answered kindness of Taiwanese, they feel kindness anytime in Taiwan. Third is traffic system. MRT and bus is well established. 4th is about foods. Most Japanese say Taiwanese food is so tasty that they are satisfied with them. Except for ranking, some student say it is comfortable to live or Taiwanese is cuter than expected. Cons Take a look at the above graph. 1st is about traffic. Most students think the road is dangerous. 2nd is about weather. It rains a lot and is so humid that it is a little stressful for Japanese. 3rd is toilet. In Taiwan, toilets are a little dirty for Japanese. In Japan, restrooms area too clean and have a washlet. 4th is about smells. In the streets of Taiwan, gasses from motorbike and car make the air have bad smells of “chodofu” is offensive. So while walking on the street, Japanese feel uncomfortable. Expect for rank, there are less holidays. There are a lot of wild dogs too and this is scary. Summary Can you see the differences? We still cannot answer this question. However, according to my story and results of the interviews, we have differences. I think it is so good because culture difference is exciting and interesting. I want to investigate this topic more. If you can enjoy my article, I am glad. See you. a
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May 2024
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