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I’ve lived in America and Japan and have traveled the world. There’s absolutely no question that Japanese people have a much, much higher awareness of personal

I’ve lived in America and Japan and have traveled the world. There’s absolutely no question that Japanese people have a much, much higher awareness of personal hygiene than most people elsewhere. Whatever axe you’re grinding here, the premise that Japanese people in particular are just robotically going through the motions is utterly inconsistent with my personal experience. During this Covid-19 episode, every single person who visits my home goes directly to the sink to wash their hands, unprompted. Masks are a precaution, not a cure. If nothing else, they’re a reminder that we’re in a heightened state of vigilance. If anyone were to sneeze or cough in public in Kyoto right now, you better believe that everyone is going to notice. It’s tourists that are visibly breaking the rules of hygiene as far as I’ve seen. (Your example of a conbini worker is funny since they’re generally foreigners.) The first signal that this outbreak was serious was when I noticed all the Apple Store employees were masked up. They’re the front line of dealing with foreign visitors. People also rarely touch each other. No hugging, no kissing, no handshaking. All of this is important at times like this. Riding the subways here and in Tokyo recently, I notice that no one is holding a strap or pole any more.

fiblye 7y ago
Funny that you mention foreigners, because trying to get an STD test in this country is hell. Doctors will grill you and ask if you’ve had sex with foreigners, and if not, why worry? There’s no way you have an STD. Unless you’re leaking blood, doctors will argue that you don’t really need an STD test. They say that to me even though I’m clearly foreign, but I guess I’m not one of those foreigners. I had to visit a few clinics until I finally managed to get one to give me a test. Even then, I had to argue with them to do more than test only chlamydia and at least include gonorrhea. Syphilis and HIV weren’t included with any degree of persuasion, since they said only certain foreigners from certain countries have it, so there’s no chance of having that. That’s in the midst of a syphilis outbreak in a country that offers unprotected services with prostitutes. It seems like a pattern of fundamental misunderstanding among doctors. I also once had pinkeye and went to an ophthalmologist. The doctor was calling people in one by one during allergy season and examining people in an open office setting so it was possible to see them be person before you being examined. The doctor wore no gloves. The doctor didn’t wash his hands before seeing me. After touching my eyes, he said he’d get me some eye drops, told me I was good to go, and immediately called the next person over. I’ve also frequently been prescribed kanpou/traditional Chinese medicine and had to go to another clinic to get real medicine. These are my experiences with medical understanding here. There’s a big problem with blaming “foreigners”, but the only people I’ve seen washing their hands with soap have been... foreign tourists.
- tmm84 7y ago
  The syphilis thing is true. I've watched a few NHK health programs teaching Japanese people what syphilis looks like because most don't know how to ID it. Also, I have had doctors just look at me, feel my throat and look into my eyes then give me the all clear at a physical. Like, how do you know I'm even okay just taking a glance? Kanpou is something I have tried with limited success. I think it works on a placebo effect rather than actually curing you.
  - leppr 7y ago
    > Also, I have had doctors just look at me, feel my throat and look into my eyes then give me the all clear at a physical. Like, how do you know I'm even okay just taking a glance? From my experiences in a bit less than a dozen countries in the US, Europe and East Asia, that unfortunately seems to be a worldwide standard. Unless you're showing very obvious symptoms, it's on you to proactively request tests/medecine. This is why I'm bullish on AI doctors, free from the negative incentives of an overbooked practitioner's schedule.

fiblye 7y ago

Funny that you mention foreigners, because trying to get an STD test in this country is hell. Doctors will grill you and ask if you’ve had sex with foreigners, and if not, why worry? There’s no way you have an STD. Unless you’re leaking blood, doctors will argue that you don’t really need an STD test. They say that to me even though I’m clearly foreign, but I guess I’m not one of those foreigners. I had to visit a few clinics until I finally managed to get one to give me a test. Even then, I had to argue with them to do more than test only chlamydia and at least include gonorrhea. Syphilis and HIV weren’t included with any degree of persuasion, since they said only certain foreigners from certain countries have it, so there’s no chance of having that. That’s in the midst of a syphilis outbreak in a country that offers unprotected services with prostitutes. It seems like a pattern of fundamental misunderstanding among doctors. I also once had pinkeye and went to an ophthalmologist. The doctor was calling people in one by one during allergy season and examining people in an open office setting so it was possible to see them be person before you being examined. The doctor wore no gloves. The doctor didn’t wash his hands before seeing me. After touching my eyes, he said he’d get me some eye drops, told me I was good to go, and immediately called the next person over. I’ve also frequently been prescribed kanpou/traditional Chinese medicine and had to go to another clinic to get real medicine. These are my experiences with medical understanding here. There’s a big problem with blaming “foreigners”, but the only people I’ve seen washing their hands with soap have been... foreign tourists.

tmm84 7y ago
The syphilis thing is true. I've watched a few NHK health programs teaching Japanese people what syphilis looks like because most don't know how to ID it. Also, I have had doctors just look at me, feel my throat and look into my eyes then give me the all clear at a physical. Like, how do you know I'm even okay just taking a glance? Kanpou is something I have tried with limited success. I think it works on a placebo effect rather than actually curing you.
- leppr 7y ago
  > Also, I have had doctors just look at me, feel my throat and look into my eyes then give me the all clear at a physical. Like, how do you know I'm even okay just taking a glance? From my experiences in a bit less than a dozen countries in the US, Europe and East Asia, that unfortunately seems to be a worldwide standard. Unless you're showing very obvious symptoms, it's on you to proactively request tests/medecine. This is why I'm bullish on AI doctors, free from the negative incentives of an overbooked practitioner's schedule.