About a month before my scheduled departure, I sent Matt an e-mail about what would be hardest to readjust to in America. Matt, having gone through actual culture shock, assured me that I had not been in Japan long enough to suffer through intense culture shock. However, he cited that the American service industry as a specific area of troubled readjustment. Upon returning, I see what he means. In Japan, the service industry is a completely different animal.
When you walk into a store, restaurant or other service based area, a customer will usually be greeted with a hearty and often ear piercing "irasshaimase", which means welcome. Prompt, respectful, careful, and attentive service is something that is the norm in Japanese places of business. The customer is revered so highly, that it almost seems funny by American standards. Add to this, Japan's already semi-anal attention to cleanliness, especially when one compares fast food restaurants, and the custom of no tipping you see the amazing Japanesse business paradigm.
Upon my return, I cringed at the sound of my shoes on sticky fast food restaurant floors, or on slow unfocused and often uncaring service. I think that many American service jobs need to remember that it is the serve US industry.
Ganbatte,
DPN
