Summer 2026 field reports · Vol. 2: The Many Who Caught Me
The Bewilderment
By NOBUNAGA (@japan_nobunaga). Featured in The New York Times · ABC News Live · Press · Book.
As a Japanese person, one thing that still messes with my head in America is how “How are you?” is basically just a greeting.
Back home, if someone asks “genki desu ka?”, you’re expected to give a real answer.
So when Americans say it to me, I always freeze for half a second thinking “Wait… how much of my life story do they actually want right now?” 😂
Do you guys genuinely not care, or is it just polite code?
Cultural FAQs
Do Americans expect a real answer to "How are you?"
Often no. A short "Good, you?" is the social script. A long honest answer can feel unexpected unless you know the person well.
What is "The Bewilderment" category?
Stories where ordinary American habits — greetings, orders, appliances — feel like puzzles to a visitor raised on different defaults.
