Never Blow Your Nose in Public
The public sphere in Japan is meticulously and diligently upheld by everyone, whether they’re law enforcement officers or not. Consequently, many things that Americans might consider completely ordinary are viewed as social taboos in Japan. Take blowing your nose, for instance. In wintertime, nearly everyone experiences a cold at some point.
Sitting on a crowded subway car while dribbling snot isn’t exactly pleasant, but don’t reach for that Kleenex just yet. Blowing your nose in public is considered the height of rudeness. Instead, Japanese people opt to sniff – a lot. Somehow, that’s deemed more acceptable.