JSランゲージスクールブログ | Friendships
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Since July 30th is the “International Day of Friendship”, today I would like to talk to you guys about some interesting things I have noticed about friendships in Japan compared to my home country of the United States. In the United States, unless you live in a small town and stay there your whole life, you never really talk to the people you went to elementary school with when you are an adult. Friendships made in elementary school are usually not so important later in life.
In the United States even middle school and most high school friends are forgotten after you go to university. Your university friends and friends from work are the closest friends you usually have in the United States. This is because usually the friends we become close to in university have the same major as we do. This gives a common background and common interests between what we want to do with our lives. With friends in high school, everyone has a different path.
For example, I had 3 best friends in high school and middle school. We had been very close since 7th grade. One I had known since 4th grade. We grew up together, but we had very different interests. I wanted to live and work in Asia. One girl wanted to be a radio DJ. Another girl wanted to be a beautician. The last guy had no clue what he wanted to do. Even though we spent so much time together, I only talk to one of these friends pretty regularly now.
In Japan, I feel people are still close with friends they make in elementary, middle, and high school. Even if they aren’t close, sometimes all of the friends get together for a party or event. Many of my friends also have LINE groups with different friends from elementary, middle, and high school. Many of my Japanese friends are especially close with people they went to high school with.
I know that it all depends on the person, but these are just some general things I noticed when I thought about friendships in Japan and in the U.S.
