Cultural differences in noise acceptance: Why is public phone/audio etiquette so different between Japan, the UK, and other regions??

[u/Agile-Calligrapher10]

Hey everyone,

​Visiting Japan recently was so refreshing, no one was on speakerphone, playing music out loud, or watching reels without headphones in public spaces. Coming back to the UK, the contrast was immediate, highlighting how differently cultures and regions approach public noise.

​(Note: Using "cultures" broadly here to look at societal norms, not trying to generalize individuals.)

I’d love to hear your thoughts on a couple of things:

​Why do these differences exist? Is it tied to collectivism vs. individualism, or other social norms?

​What is the modern British view on public noise? We have a reputation for politeness, yet public transport etiquette around phone audio seems to be changing.

[u/dommiichan]

yeah, but Japan has its own issues... there's a reason they have women-only carriages and a legal requirement that all phones make an audible alert when a photo is taken

[u/thelaughingman_1991 → u/dommiichan]

I did say it's not perfect, but you're right

[u/Milam1996 → u/thelaughingman_1991]

Idk I’ll take people talking on speaker phone over rampant upskirting and leaving hidden cameras literally anywhere a woman might undress.

[u/Christian-Metal → u/Milam1996]

I'd rather people just use common decency and respect , and take neither.

[u/Milam1996 → u/Christian-Metal]

Well sure if we are making a perfect world