Eva Creates Humorous Comics Showing The Cultural Differences Between Japan And Other Countries

If you happen to have studied in Tokyo, Japan from 2010 onwards, you would have experienced quite a shock from the cultural differences that exist between your country and Japan. Evangeline Neo (a.k.a. Evacomics) had that experience and hence began creating comics about the Japanese and their way of life. The comic artist hopes that she can shed more light on Japanese culture and behavior, as she tries to increase her own understanding of them, as well.

Between the years 2012 and 2015, Evacomics has created over 300 comic strips and posted them on her Facebook page. She has also published compilations of these comics into two books: the “Eva, Kopi and Matcha” and “Eva, Kopi and Matcha 2.0.” You can find these books on Amazon, as well as on other eBook platforms such as Google Books, Kindle, iBooks, and Kobo.

From her rich compilation of comics, here’s a sample of 50 illustrations of cultural differences that you might find really entertaining.

1. Super Clean Toilets

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2. No Required Tips and Service Charge

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3. When Eating Noodles

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4. Train Station Masters

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5. Taking Care of Your Own Trash — As Well As Those of Others

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6. Bath Experience

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7. Japanese Service

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8. Toilets

toilets comics japan cultural differences by evacomics

9. Fruits (and Their Price)

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10. The Train’s Last Stop

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11. When Celebrating Christmas

celebrating christmas comics japan cultural differences by evacomics

It’s quite strange that Japanese Christmas celebrations are filled not with ham and turkey, but with KFC!

12. Presence of Vending Machines

vending machines comics japan cultural differences by evacomics

You can find vending machines everywhere (almost). Strangely, you can even spot vending machines in the remotest of places — where no human beings seem to reside.

13. Curry

curry comics japan cultural differences by evacomics

14. State-Of-The-Art Toilets

state of the art toilets comics japan cultural differences by evacomics

15. Smartphone Cameras

smartphones comics japan cultural differences by evacomics

In Japanese smartphones, there’s no way to turn off the camera shutter sound. This is due to privacy policies against the upskirt taking of photos.

16. Tattoos

tattoos comics japan cultural differences by evacomics

17. When You Get Off The Train

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18. Kids After A Meal

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19. The Seven Wonders of the Japanese

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20. Active Elderly

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21. Etiquette In Trains

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22. Sayonara

sayonara comics japan cultural differences by evacomics

23. Stairs

stairs comics japan cultural differences by evacomics

In small train stations, you’ll find only a few escalators. There are a lot more staircases for passengers to use.

24. Office Toilet

office toilet comics japan cultural differences by evacomics

Before deciding to leave Japan, Eva had an interview with a Japanese company. She went to the ladies toilet, and there she saw something interestingly unusual. There was this nice-looking wooden locker cabinet. What’s more interesting is that the cabinet had small compartments, and the whole thing was mounted on the wall!

Yes, the Japanese are absolutely conscious about hygiene. To Eva, though, it was still quite surprising for her to see toothbrushes and other sanitary items inside the locker.

25. Golden Customer Service

golden customer service comics japan cultural differences by evacomics

26. When Japanese Speak English

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27. Kids’ Behavior In Trains

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This is one of the more obvious cultural differences between Japan and the rest of the world.

28. Sushi Rice

sushi rice comics japan cultural differences by evacomics

29. Designated Smoking Areas

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30. The Hairdresser

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31. When You’re Hiking

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32. Bus Drivers

bus drivers comics japan cultural differences by evacomics

33. Muscle Training

muscle training comics japan cultural differences by evacomics

Because there are more stairs than escalators and lifts in Japan, you can train your muscles quite well. Imagine taking care of all the luggage you need to carry up and down while you go from the train station to the airport or to the hotel.

34. Giving Way To People Who Really Need To Use The Elevator

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35. Shinjuku Station

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Good luck finding specific exits. Google maps have failed here.

36. Making Introductions

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37. Accurate Weather Forecasts

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38. Considerate Cyclists

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39. Convenience Stores

convenience stores comics japan cultural differences by evacomics

Do you also resort to convenience stores when buying snacks? Strangely, it’s one of the places where the cultural differences between Japan and the rest of the world is really prominent.

Eva was quite used to going to convenience stores when she was in Japan. She bought cakes, vegetables, and Bento. Sometimes, when passing by the store section featuring adult magazines, she would wonder how might the customers and staff react in case she pretended to browse through the magazines.

Well, Evacomics was never able to make the plan a reality, as she wasn’t “brave enough.”

40. Promotion at Work

promotions comics japan cultural differences by evacomics

41. Safety

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42. Comic Cons

comic cons comics japan cultural differences by evacomics

43. Recycling

recycling comics japan cultural differences by evacomics

It’s actually useful to recycle…

44. Takeaway

takeaway comics japan cultural differences by evacomics

Some years ago, there was a significant food poisoning incident in Japan. Not wanting to be liable in case anything like that happens again, restaurants and caterers no longer allow takeaway of leftovers from dine-ins and buffets. On the other hand, Bento boxes are okay since they have expiration dates, plus you can find storage instructions right in the packaging.

45. Final Decision In Companies

promotion at work comics japan cultural differences by evacomics

Of course, the Japanese hold meetings so they can have a consensus. But, it’s also likely for them to fix the decision themselves and just let you know (as their employee) that this was their choice. You don’t get to discuss it with them.

46. Japanese Women At Shibuya

women at shibuya station comics japan cultural differences by evacomics

47. Name Cards

name cards comics japan cultural differences by evacomics

Evacomics had friends who shared their real experiences about Japanese name cards to her. Yes, the CEO needs to approve the name cards first!

48. Diagonal Crossing

diagonal crossing comics japan cultural differences by evacomics

After you’ve experienced Japan, you’ll never see diagonal crossings the same way again.

49. Drawing Sessions

drawing sessions comics japan cultural differences by evacomics

Evacomics once attended a life drawing session that was held in Tokyo. When the organizers announced a break, everybody flipped his page. Apparently, the Japanese don’t like showing off or bragging about their work.

50. Rickshaw Pullers That Are Rather Dashing

dashing rickshaw pullers comics japan cultural differences by evacomics

Check out her book too!

Source: FacebookEvacomics