It’s Not Taboo in Japan?!

What do you think is the difference between these two drinks? If you don’t read any Japanese, you might just assume that one is peach nectar and one is a sparkling version of peach nectar. In actuality, the sparkling version is a collaboration between the Sapporo brewery and the Fujiwa beverage company. It contains alcohol.

I was a little shocked to see how closely one resembled the other, with the same color scheme, fonts and design cues. A child who couldn’t read could easily mistake the two. A few weeks after sampling the nectars, we snapped the below photo at the grocery store: chocolate cigarettes! The packaging looks like it was made in the 50s (back when it was still okay for American kids to have them?!).

It’s interesting to see things that aren’t taboo in Japan that are taboo back in the States. But in these two examples it makes sense. Alcohol was never puritanically protested here and is drunk by almost everyone. Anti-smoking campaigns are almost non-existent. In fact, 50% of Japan Tobacco is owned by the Japanese government, which seems like a huge conflict of interest for any governmental organizations concerned about the health of Japan.

Of course the opposite side of the coin is the things that are taboo here that aren’t at home. Taking off your shoes to go into someone’s home is the most obvious one. Some Americans (my family for example) maintain this custom but more as a way to keep the house clean than as a cultural rule. A lesser known taboo in Japan is blowing your nose in public, which is considered rude. At the same time, gargling and violently clearing phlegm from your throat is not at all rude here, things that most Americans wouldn’t stand for. Perhaps most shocking is the first time you sneeze in Japan. No one says anything. Of course that's because “God bless you” etiquette is definitely a western custom.

There are lots of other taboos/customs worth talking about, but perhaps I’ll just write more about them as we experience them anew.