Japanese stereotypes

This article specifically refers to intra-Japan stereotypes. For North American stereotypes of the Japanese, see Stereotypes of East and Southeast Asians.

Japan, like any country, has its own cultural norms and stereotypes. Japanese stereotypes is an attempt to catalog these stereotypes and cultural expectations in the hope of understanding them.

Motorcycle gangs
Main article: Bōsōzoku
A rebellious youth counterculture, the Bōsōzoku have made waves in Japanese fiction. Great Teacher Onizuka is about a reformed member of such gangs, while Akira begins with a bōsōzoku gang encountering a child with ESP powers. They may draw analogies to the "motor gang" image often associated with the Hells Angels, but the Bōsōzoku have more similarities to the Greaser subculture.

Work ethic
Not a stereotype per se, but a strong cultural expectation of hard work exists in Japan, especially for business-related professions. (see Salaryman.) One instance of this: in the demanding manga industry, the popular artist group Clamp typically works around eleven to thirteen hours in an average day.
Japan's work ethic has actually been known to kill; Karōshi is a phenomenon in which many have been known to suffer heart attacks caused by work stress and excessive overtime, usually unpaid.

See also

Culture of Japan
Stereotypes of East and Southeast Asians