--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is often said that the Japanese are…" description: "\"It is often said that the Japanese are extremely clean at home, or inside any house or office, but dirty and untidy outside. 'Go and look at a railway ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f82/george-mikes-4493_clean_it-is-often-said-that-the-japanese-are-e_3003952.png" --- # It is often said that the Japanese are extremely clean at… ![“It is often said that the Japanese are extremely clean at home, or inside any house or office, but dirty and untidy outside. 'Go and look at a railway station,' I was told, 'and you'll be horrified.' I went and was horrified; horrified by the cleanliness of the place.” quote by George Mikes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f82/george-mikes-4493_clean_it-is-often-said-that-the-japanese-are-e_3003952.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f82/george-mikes-4493_clean_it-is-often-said-that-the-japanese-are-e_3003952.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f82/george-mikes-4493_clean_it-is-often-said-that-the-japanese-are-e_3003952.png) > “It is often said that the Japanese are extremely clean at home, or inside any house or office, but dirty and untidy outside. 'Go and look at a railway station,' I was told, 'and you'll be horrified.' I went and was horrified; horrified by the cleanliness of the place.” [George Mikes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mikes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Japanese spaces are meticulously clean inside, but the outside can appear surprisingly spotless, challenging expectations. **In simple terms:** Japanese places are clean inside and out, surprising visitors. Key Takeaway Recognize cultural differences in cleanliness standards. Themes culture perception expectations Mood reflective observational Type essay cultural commentary When to use this quote - Traveling abroad - visiting public transport - first impressions - stereotype challenge Key Concepts Cultural relativism environmental hygiene Questions to Reflect On - How does perceived cleanliness affect your judgment? - What assumptions do you make about foreign cultures? A Different Perspective Cleanliness may be superficial, hiding deeper issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cleanliness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cleanliness/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Humorous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humorous/) [Japan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/japan/) [Japanese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/japanese/) [Office](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/office/) [Railway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/railway/) [Railway station](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/railway-station/) ## Related quotes > [“Rats are extremely clean creatures, regularly grooming and keeping their nest well-kept”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-anderson/rats-are-extremely-clean-creatures-regularly-grooming-and-keeping/) [Adam Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-anderson/) > [One thing about cats: They are extremely clean animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-ostrosky-stern/one-thing-about-cats-they-are-extremely-clean-animals/) [Beth Ostrosky Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-ostrosky-stern/) > [“And yet on that bench at Jacobacci, I was glad I had left everyone else behind. 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A dead loss.’ I couldn’t ask which prison he was in,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mikes/mr-s-got-angry-yes-i-do-have-a-son-he-s-a-good-for-nothing-a-dead/) [George Mikes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mikes/) > [“I have been told that my above-described theory is all wrong and is only due to my Central European conceit, because the English do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mikes/i-have-been-told-that-my-above-described-theory-is-all-wrong-and-is/) [George Mikes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mikes/) > [Rich people (in Australia) have swimming pools in their gardens but, at least, they do swim in them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mikes/rich-people-in-australia-have-swimming-pools-in-their-gardens-but-at/) [George Mikes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mikes/) > [“An average English house combines all the curses of civilisation with the vicissitudes of life in the open. It is all right to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mikes/an-average-english-house-combines-all-the-curses-of-civilisation-with/) [George Mikes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mikes/) > [Australia objects to the mini-skirt not on moral but on economic grounds. Australians are no prudes and the lovely, healthy, sporty Australian girls have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mikes/australia-objects-to-the-mini-skirt-not-on-moral-but-on-economic/) [George Mikes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mikes/) > [The Art of Conversation could not die in Australia; it never lived. 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I can see why people would never want to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-segall/there-s-nothing-harder-than-making-a-mellow-clean-record-it-s-really/) [Ty Segall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-segall/) > [How arrogant - how very far from humility - would be the self-satisfied, smug assurance that God, a tidy-up-after-us God will come and clean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/how-arrogant-how-very-far-from-humility-would-be-the-self-satisfied/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [There is one, and only one solution, and we have almost no time to try it. We must turn all our resources to repairing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mollison/there-is-one-and-only-one-solution-and-we-have-almost-no-time-to-try/) [Bill Mollison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mollison/) > [The sugar maple is remarkable for its clean ankle. 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