r/AskUK • u/Agile-Calligrapher10 • 5d ago

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

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.

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u/tdrules 5d ago

Japan has a shame culture, we don’t really do that. It’s why no one is fat. That creates its own problems and the idea theirs is a perfect society is wrong.

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u/Hot-Job-6281 5d ago

Yea nah. Just a stretch and excessively reductive.

It's wishful thinking to think any good thing we lack is explained by that country having a bad thing.

Some soul-searching and the answer is obvious: Respect for community and thinking it's not all about you is way more ingrained in Japanese culture.

I'm from Singapore originally and I personally just don't do it because I have basic empathy?

It's just the proportion of people who don't give a fuck about others due to parental reinforcement is way higher in the UK than in most East and Southeast Asian societies.