A video titled 'Japan is not truly civilized' was posted on China's SNS Xiaohongshu (RED) and garnered a significant response.

The male poster, who appears to live in Japan, explained in the video, 'This is why Japanese society is said to be oppressive by many people. Japan is actually a society where people monitor each other. Japanese people appear to have high civility, and the roads are kept very clean. However, in reality, a large part of the reason for this is that Japanese people monitor each other. If someone violates a rule, that person is despised by others.'

He added, 'Personally, I really dislike this kind of society. This is because, in this society, people are in a completely adversarial relationship with each other. The first thing you do when you meet someone for the first time is 'appraise' them. You check whether the other person follows the rules and has good manners.'

He continued, 'Living in such a society is very tiring. Moreover, the scope of this mutual monitoring is very broad, from school to work, daily life, and even when walking on the street. In Japan, even walking while talking on the phone or eating while walking becomes a target of criticism,' and he stated, 'This is why Japanese society is said to be oppressive by many people.'

In his post, the man also claimed, 'So-called 'civility' is merely the result of people monitoring each other. The order in Japanese society is often for the purpose of making people in the lower strata of society conform, and the 'civility' that is visible on the surface is merely a byproduct. Therefore, there is no need to harbor excessive illusions about Japan. So-called politeness and rules are, in the end, means to oppress others. A society that cannot even tolerate walking while talking on the phone, looking at a smartphone, or eating while walking, can hardly be called inclusive.'

In response to this post, the comment that garnered the most empathy from Chinese netizens was, 'Anyone who has stayed in both Europe and Japan will understand the difference. If a European treats you politely, that person truly believes you should be respected. Japanese politeness is merely observing rules and behaving that way; it doesn't necessarily mean they respect you in their heart.'

On the other hand, the second most empathetic comment was, 'Of course, mutual monitoring is necessary to follow rules. Without monitoring, there will be those who don't follow them, and eventually the rules themselves will cease to exist. Following rules is inherently uncomfortable.'

Furthermore, among the opinions agreeing with the man, comments such as these were seen: 'I have worked in Japan, but my methods and ideas were never accepted. You couldn't touch your smartphone during work, but everyone monitored each other, and if someone did, they would either be warned or reported to a supervisor.' 'Europe and the United States are basically open societies. Japan is a unique society not seen in any other country, adept at maintaining appearances.' 'Japan's surveillance society is like a backward rural village in China. Everyone's eyes are fixed on others, and once someone goes against the flow, others swarm them like flies. This is by no means civilized; it's very barbaric.' 'Japan actually selectively adopts cultures introduced from China and the West (for its own convenience). Potentially, 'Murahachibu' (ostracism) and 'Gonin-gumi' (five-person groups) still remain.'

On the other hand, opposing views included comments like: 'So, are you saying a society without rules is better?' 'Isn't it a very good thing to follow rules? At least (in Japan), you won't be forced to inhale secondhand smoke.' 'I agree it's oppressive, but I don't think the word 'surveillance' is appropriate. (Japanese society) merely emphasizes rules.' 'That's why Japan is a suitable place for people who properly follow rules. It becomes difficult for those who don't follow rules.' 'I like this kind of society. It's 100 times better than being stabbed from behind by someone (a society like China).' 'Given the small land area and high population density, if everyone doesn't follow rules, it will quickly become like other countries. Are there any other major cities with a population over 10 million in the world that achieve the level of cleanliness seen in Tokyo?'