I didn’t really find any post which talked directly about this “problem”.
How and when do Japanese people blow their nose? I know as a foreigner it’s probably alright to do it in public, but I really try not to, if possible. But sometimes my nose just keeps running and I have to blow it. But I never saw anyone anywhere (not even on public toilets) blow their nose. So how do they do it? Or do they even do it? Are they holding it in until they are home? Maybe they just don’t have a running nose?
TL;DR Where do Japanese people blow their nose if not at home?
15 comments
You haven’t heard the sniffling? Please just blow it if you need, rather than sniffling continuously
Huh, it might be a cultural thing but from my perspective Japanese people blow their nose everywhere. In my company you can always hear somebody blowing their nose on their desk. I guess I am more selective to ambient noise.
Blowing your nose in public is considered bad manners. People usually duck into a toilet to do it when they’re away from home.
Japanese people don’t blow their nose in public because it’s a terribly bad mannered thing to do.
They suck it back into their throat and swallow it like a raw oyster. Or hock it up on the street where it sticks to that yellow tactile pavement for the blind.
Or continually sniff on the highway bus at 1am while you’re trying to get some sleep.
Because it would be so dreadful to blow your nose in public, well I never!
Gosh!
I know blowing your nose in public is considered rude but at least wipe it.
Just blow your nose, why do you care what they do?
I have post nasal drip year round so I just do it quietly and turn away from others to do so. If I actually need to blow my nose harder I’ll go to the restroom. I see people blow their nose way louder than I do even on the train lol, but I try to avoid that.
I saw some disgusting guy sniffle up his snot then spit it out on some neighbors wall a few days ago. Took the opportunity to point out to my son that this is the behavior of pigs and we don’t do this.
I used to work in a large souvenir store back in the day in my home country, and the majority of the floor staff were Japanese on working holiday visas. When winter rolled around, my god… I’d never heard such a disgusting noise in my life. And it just went on and on and on… Powerful, deep throated, bubbly, snotty sniffing. Like they were sucking it up from the tips of their toes, only to have to repeat shortly after. The looks we got from customers from other nationalities were priceless. Man it was just so gross I felt like throwing up sometimes.
Go to the bathroom and do it there.
I only hear that it’s bad manners from other foreigners, while Japanese around blow whenever they need. Perhaps avoid doing it if someone nearby is doing propose or something of that kind, but it’s just the common sense.
I have heard more nose blowing during the past 6 years being in Japan than I have heard during my entire 26 years in my home country. In the office that I am currently working, I swear that there must be a competition about who is gonna blow his/her nose the loudest. I can hear the terrific sounds coming from the cubicles all over the floor and it feels as if a prehistoric beast woke up from its 10,000 years’ hibernation.
Do what you have to do, man. Better out than in.
The nasty **HHHRRRRRRRKKKKK!GARGLE!GULP!** as folks try to drink their own mucus is not conducive to forming a healthy appetite.
I blow my noise in front of my coworkers a few times when I forget to face the other way. Idc much lol . I always face away because I think “not to show them” but if I were to sneeze at them (even with a tissue or in the armpit) and something lands on/near them. Probably better manners to consider everything
Oh they most certainly blow their noses in public. Sometimes less than a meter away from you. 😭