This was brought home to me as I was editing this book in the spring of 2000, and found myself sitting in Tokyo's Keio Plaza Hotel coffee shop one day. Next to me was a young man interviewing another young man for a position in a start-up company, and I couldn't help eavesdropping. The earnest young interviewee, when asked to outline his strategy for a new start-up business, replied, "Aisatsu. It's vital for company morale that everyone say 'Good morning,' 'Good afternoon' and so forth regularly and respectfully." It might seem charming that the young man thought this way, that there's a corner of the world where things like aisatsu still matter; on the other hand, while he's busy working on getting his aisatsu just right, the Internet whizzes of Hong Kong, Singapore, and Bangalore are going to leave him in the dust.
— Dogs and Demons: Tales from the Dark Side of Japan by Alex Kerr
"I humbly request, with all my heart, that you stay out of my life. Forever."
— Homura disowning her mother, EDENS ZERO
Lyse: He said it wouldn't take long, right? Because this feels a bit long to me.
Alisaie: Calm down, Lyse. […] From what I've gleaned of the Far East, they're probably exchanging lengthy pleasantries. There seems to be a correct way to do everything here, bribery being no exception. I say we leave them to it.
Alisaie: Calm down, Lyse. […] From what I've gleaned of the Far East, they're probably exchanging lengthy pleasantries. There seems to be a correct way to do everything here, bribery being no exception. I say we leave them to it.
— Final Fantasy XIV Stormblood
"They tell me you Japanese are a people of protocol and courtesy, and I see that it's true."
— Mael Stronghart, The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures, Case G1-3: "The Adventure of the Runaway Room"
Japanese: you walk into class already apologizing for being alive
Hebrew: you walk into class, the teacher insults you and you are expected to insult her back
Japanese: conjugates every single verb based on degree of intended politeness, nevermind keigo and honorifics
Hebrew: Someone asked my teacher how to say "excuse me" and she laughed for several seconds before saying we shouldn’t worry about remembering that since we'll never need to say it
[…]
Japanese: the closest thing there is to 'bastard' is an excessively direct 'you' pronoun
Hebrew: 'bitch' translates directly
Hebrew: you walk into class, the teacher insults you and you are expected to insult her back
Japanese: conjugates every single verb based on degree of intended politeness, nevermind keigo and honorifics
Hebrew: Someone asked my teacher how to say "excuse me" and she laughed for several seconds before saying we shouldn’t worry about remembering that since we'll never need to say it
[…]
Japanese: the closest thing there is to 'bastard' is an excessively direct 'you' pronoun
Hebrew: 'bitch' translates directly
