Pretty much everytime I’ve interacted with them they were super rude, even at my building another resident yelled at me for actually following the rules. But when i apologized to him using the most polite japanese i knew, he dropped the act. Did he just want me to say sorry for being right? Idgi Today at a restaurant a guy who fits that description was scolding the waitress for forgetting something in an absolutely unnecessary rude way. I’ve seen stuff like this countless times.
I get it, they’re probably executives at their company and scold people all day, but why do they feel the need to do it to normal people that aren’t their subordinates.
Just a rant, curious to hear your experiences
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Old people become stubborn, this is regardless of culture. The thing with Japan is that many of these old people are otherwise healthy and are active members of society, so they take the stubbornness with them when they leave their home
I’d be cranky, too, if I were in my 70s and still a salaryman.
You have no obligation to be polite to people who are rude to you. I will always try to be polite as possible until the other person proves they’re not deserving of any politeness.
Yeah it’s called 老害
Deploy the meltdown/dgafcat meme.
They explained this in television. They are not inherently bad.
Brain changes quite a lot due to age and many lose the filter to their anger, most of those ojisan also lived an unhealthy life, exacerbating the brain decay.
Don’t be polite to someone who’s throwing a temper tantrum like a kid. You don’t need to call em out, but you shouldn’t apologize if you’ve done nothing wrong.
Basically, these geezers grew up in an era where you had to show absolute respect to geezers and it was kind of the reward for grinding out miserably for 40-50years. So they grinded and were absolutely miserable and now that they’ve reached the age where they should be getting respect automatically, society changed.
Young people don’t have to go drinking with them at work, young people can (not in all cases) go home relatively on time and be with their family, young people are having hobbies and things to do on the weekend instead of slaving away.
And if the current geezers try to flex like the old geezers of yore did, it’s power harassment. Touch a girl on the train and you’re getting done up. Can’t just hire young pretty office ladies to oggle at as they serve you tea with both hands who can’t say anything back.
They’ve been caught in the middle of a transition. They feel like they’ve been cheated by society. Why did they have to put in and put up with all that bullshit and not be able to be a king (when their fathers could), whereas young people now get to skip all that and be allowed to enjoy their lives. It’s not fair! Japan is losing it’s values! I deserve to be noticed, respected and not ignored! (Is what they think).
Which then leads to them lashing out in public. Usually at suspects they deem to be weak (women, foreigners and low ranking shop staff like convenience store workers).
At least that’s how Japanese friends put it to me. Ignoring their little hissy fit is the worst thing for them so try that if you can.
But to end it on a positive note, the nice ones love it when you take the time out of your day to chat with them.
> everytime I’ve interacted with them
Hmm… What is the common denominator there…
When they get cranky like my 2 year old daughter, I treat them the same way. “かわいそうでちゅね〜。お腹すきましたか？お昼寝の時間でちゅか？”
(“Aww, poor thing? Are you hungwy?? Or is it time for a nappy nap??”)
It’s fun watching them get red faced.
1. Different generation, they might have lived a harder life. Many concepts that we take for granted now simply didn’t exist back then. Now that they realize they’re nearing the end, they might feel disdain towards the young for having things “easier”. Of course, that’s totally subjective and I’m just trying to think from their perspective.
2. It’s their turn to be an asshole. Since Japan mostly revolves around a seniority system in every aspect of life – they went through the grinder and as they say, misery loves company.
3. Many of them can’t afford to retire and are being forced to take their careers to the grave. They were promised something much different, yet it didn’t fan out as they had envisioned. They probably did life planning according to ideas like “Japan is the dominant force in Asia” or “The bubble era will return soon enough!” Oops.
4. Grumpy, apathetic elderly people exist all around the world. Even though we may deny it now, we too, may succumb to this someday. Life is great when your body and mind are full of vitality and your day has a purpose. These things start to slip away further and further as we age.
I don’t think you all of a sudden become a jerk when you turn 70—they were probably a jerk long before that. I know several really nice people in their 70s.
70+ year old men voted for Trump in America and for Brexit in the UK. They can’t accept any change, even those that benefit all, that doesn’t 100% benefit them first. Not all 70+ men of course but there are a lot of dicks out there.