Japanese bad breath disappoints foreigners

Japanese women’s magazine Shukan Josei Prime conducted a survey of many foreigners living in Japan, and according to the survey, many foreigners don’t think Japanese people have bad breath.

The magazine took responses from 100 survey participants, and when asked ”Have you ever been disappointed by a Japanese person’s breath?” 72% answered yes.

72% also said they want Japanese people to ”be more careful about hygiene and oral care”. One respondent even said ”I love the Japanese, but their breath is terrible. Honestly, there is no country with worse breath”. As you can see, japanese bad breath disappoints foreigners.

Japanese bad breath disappoints foreigners

Shukan Josei Prime spoke with dentist Maki Morishita, a representative of the Japan Dental Research Institute, who hypothesized that there may be some cultural traits that make Japanese people more susceptible to bad breath.

今日はNewsPicksさんで
ビジネスパーソンのパフォーマンスを向上させるための
オーラルケアの重要性についての取材を受けました。
日本人の歯やオーラルケアへの関心が高まりつつあると感じ大変うれしく思います。
歯科業界の方々と力を合わせながら、よりいっそう啓蒙できるように努力したいです。 pic.twitter.com/sVF4GUwh3f

— 森下真紀（歯科医師・歯学博士） (@shikasouken) December 16, 2021

”Japanese people tend to keep more personal space than Westerners,” says Morishita, referring to how public hugs, handshakes, high-fives and kisses are comparatively rare in Japan. ”The Japanese are also concerned about not opening their mouths too wide when they laugh, because they think it’s impolite. So there is less pressure to take care of breath and therefore attitudes about oral hygiene can become lax”

Morishita also says she often encounters patients who mistakenly believe they can clean their teeth well with just a regular toothbrush and toothpaste, neglecting the importance of regular flossing or interdental brushes and mouthwash.

There are also two other issues that need to be discussed about the bad breath of the Japanese: the amount of smoking and drinking that occurs in the country. If you spend any time talking to people in Japan, you’ll end up talking to someone who smokes or drinks, or does both, and neither of those things generates a pleasant aroma.

Anyway, what do you think? Let us know in the comments!

Source: SoraNews24