I realized that there are different things in each country around the world. Indonesia and Japan, of course, have many significant differences in culture and customs.
I came to Japan as an exchange student from Indonesia two years ago. Before coming to Japan, I studied Japanese at university. Not only did I learn the language, but I also studied Japanese culture. When traveling, I learned that you shouldn’t take photos without permission, litter, or be loud during meals.
When I first arrived in Japan, I felt the difference in customs. The first time I entered a house in Japan, I didn’t remove my shoes and got scolded by the president. He said loudly, ‘No shoes allowed!’ I was really surprised at that moment. In Indonesia, it’s normal to enter a house with your shoes on. When I was disposing of a lot of trash after unpacking my belongings from Indonesia, I was scolded again by the president. He said loudly, ‘You can’t throw it there.’ Then, he immediately explained various rules about garbage disposal. In Japan, people separate trash for environmental reasons and dispose of it on designated days. Not only that, but the type of garbage bag is also determined by the type of trash. In Indonesia, such customs do not exist at all. Even if there were strict rules, I think Indonesians would not care about the environment and would dispose of trash as they please, which is why I think there are often floods when it rains. On my first day in Japan, being cautioned by the president made me realize the different customs between Japan and Indonesia.
Additionally, Japanese people love dogs. Every morning, I often see Japanese people walking their dogs. They raise dogs with affection. The most shocking thing for me was seeing dogs dressed like humans, which seems strange from my Indonesian perspective. For Indonesians, a dog is just an animal. Moreover, Japan has rules regarding dogs.