On the 24th, a post appeared on China's social media platform Xiaohongshu (RED) stating, 'Upon returning from Japan, I keenly feel the differences (with China) in these three aspects.'

The poster listed 'the environment of public restrooms' as the first point, explaining, 'In Japan, whether at convenience stores, airports, or Universal Studios Japan (USJ), restrooms are very clean and almost odorless. There are also plenty of them, so women rarely have to queue.' On the other hand, regarding China, they recalled, 'The environment of restrooms in public transportation facilities is honestly not very good, and it's not uncommon for long queues to form for women's restrooms in crowded places. I never once had to queue for a restroom in Japan.'

As the second point, they mentioned 'the civility of citizens in public spaces,' pointing out, 'In domestic (Chinese) subways, children loudly scream, jump around, climb on seats with their shoes on, or play by circling pillars, making it truly noisy. Parents not only fail to stop them but sometimes even lift their children to play with the strap handles. Adults themselves can be seen taking off their sandals and putting their bare feet in the aisle, or placing their feet on top of suitcases.' They wrote, 'Regardless of how prevalent these phenomena are in China, I believe they are almost impossible in Japan.'

As the third point, they cited 'differences in urban landscape,' remarking, 'I had always wondered why Japanese roads feel so spacious and clean. After returning home, seeing multiple illegally parked cars blocking traffic lanes on the roads, I instantly grasped the difference. In Japan, not only is there hardly any trash on the streets, but restaurant floors aren't sticky with oil, nor is there the smell of food waste lingering outside shops. I'm so curious how Japan manages to maintain such a high level of hygiene.'

They concluded, 'While we are certainly excellent in terms of science and technology and productivity, when it comes to fundamental public environments and urban manners directly related to daily life, I still feel that we cannot match Japan.'

In response to this post, Chinese netizens commented: 'That's so true. It's truly admirable that no one litters even when there isn't a single trash can on the streets.' 'There is indeed a difference in national manners. Japanese people are more compliant with rules.' 'Japan is truly the pinnacle of civilization among the three East Asian countries.' 'Japan is truly amazing. Public transportation is so quiet, it makes you want to cry with emotion. It's an experience rarely found in China.' 'Japan's restrooms are so clean and smell good, they could almost be considered tourist attractions.'

Also, 'Another good thing is that almost no one smokes on the streets. This is incredibly comfortable. And in the subway, people always get off first, then people get on. There's truly order.' 'In the big city where I live (in China), there are indications for boarding and alighting positions in the subway, but most passengers ignore them.' 'In China, the smell of tobacco that wafts when you get off a plane and the long-ingrained odors in public spaces are a problem.' 'I really can't stand it. People watching Douyin (Chinese TikTok) on their phones with the sound on in the (Chinese) subway.' 'Every time I return from Japan, I feel the gap. When will public manners in China improve?' These were some of the comments comparing their own country.

Furthermore, 'Japan's building exteriors are truly well-maintained. Even buildings 20-30 years old look like new. I'm scared to imagine what China's high-rise residential and commercial buildings will look like in a few decades.' 'At Kansai Airport, people without luggage held doors open for those with luggage to pass first.' 'What's amazing is that Japan has been like this for decades.' Such opinions were also received.

On the other hand, counterarguments also emerged: 'I couldn't help but laugh at "Japanese children are quiet".' 'If you actually live there for a while, you'll realize that the noisiest people in restaurants are Japanese students.' 'I worked in Japan for several years, and Japanese society is quite suffocating.' 'It's not a matter of civility but merely a difference in customs.' 'Overall, China is better. Today's Japan is not the Japan of 5 or 10 years ago.' 'While Japan certainly has its strengths, the cost is ubiquitous rules and restrictions, leading to significant stress. Foreigners, in particular, strongly feel the inconvenience of being outsiders.' 'While China still has room for improvement in minor details, in terms of overall societal inclusiveness and freedom of life, Japan does not measure up to China.'

Even so, rebuttals were also posted: 'Chinese people don't really want to hear such stories.' 'It seems many people have been provoked.' 'The poster shouldn't mind these comments. Whether it's good or bad, anyone who has actually been there will understand.' 'What is being said is true. Unfortunately, many people cannot accept it.' 'I don't understand why there's so much sarcasm and opposition. Learning from strengths and compensating for weaknesses is the path to long-term development.' 'If you talk even a little about Japan's good points, some people immediately attack you. We should learn from the good points. If we always just criticize, we can never surpass others.' (Translation/Editing: Kitada)