I have a say in this issue.

When I was young, I often went to Japan. In recent years, I have visited China frequently.

Generally speaking, people in these two countries are very friendly and enthusiastic, and are willing to help others, such as foreigners like me.

However, the feeling they give me is indeed very different.

Let’s talk about the Japanese first The Japanese are the most "polite" people. They always greet you politely when they see you. Will proactively say "Hello", "Welcome", "Sorry to trouble you", "Sorry". They like to express enthusiasm to others by bowing. When you ask them for help on the road, in a store, or in a restaurant, they usually respond enthusiastically. But once you become familiar with Japan. You will find that the enthusiasm and politeness of the Japanese often stay on the surface, giving you the illusion of enthusiasm. When you really need a lot of their help, they'll tactfully avoid it. For example: "I'm very sorry, I don't know about this"， "Sorry, I don't have this either" ，"I'm really sorry, you can look it up on Google"。

Generally speaking, the Japanese give me a feeling of "hot on the outside and cold on the inside". Polite and kind words are often spoken, and ceremonial movements such as bowing are very frequent. But the sense of boundaries between people is very strong, and the help they are willing to give to others is very limited. At the same time, they also have a "don't cause trouble to others" mentality. This makes "asking for help" an unpopular behavior in Japan.

The experience in China is exactly the opposite of Japan. When I first went to China, I felt that Chinese people didn’t care much about “politeness”. When they see you, they won't even say "hello" or "welcome", and rarely say "sorry". Even when you walk into a store or restaurant, no one says "Welcome" to you. Even if Chinese people are friends, they don't have any etiquette when meeting each other. I have never even seen Chinese people bow to each other or to me. Their biggest ceremonial gesture is shaking hands or patting you on the shoulder. Compared with the Japanese, the Chinese have much less ceremonial language and actions. So, I initially thought that Chinese people were not that enthusiastic. But after spending a few days in China, I found that Chinese people's personalities are completely different from Japanese people. They are sparse in superficial words and actions, but often provide you with more practical help. If you simply ask for directions on the road, they will not only tell you the result clearly, but some will even interrupt their own itinerary to accompany you to a certain key destination before waving goodbye to you. In my work, a person who never said "hello" or "welcome" to me quietly gave me great help when I encountered difficulties. When I went to thank him with a gift, he got angry and said, "Don't do these false things, friends don't need this."

The feeling given to me by the Chinese people is that they are "cold on the outside and hot on the inside". They seem to abandon too many polite words and don't like physical gestures. But they are often more willing to provide in-depth help, especially when they know you are a "guest" or treat you as a friend. When faced with others asking for help, Chinese people feel that they have been trusted. Some Chinese friends even explained to me in casual chat that they believe that "a great favor cannot be thanked without words". True help and friendship do not require words of thanks, it is only correct to keep them in mind.

In short, as a foreign visitor.

You have to understand the two completely different "enthusiasms" of the Chinese and the Japanese. Adapt to the local culture and customs and you will be popular.