JPSS, for information about studying in Japan's universities and graduate schools. > News/Useful information for studying abroad > Guide for Studying Abroad in Japan > Living Guide for International Students in Japan > Noise Caution
The walls and floors of some flats are so thin that you can hear the noise from other rooms. It is quite normal to hear loud noise coming from windows. In the city life, you must be patient with some unavoidable sound, but loud noise exceeding the limit is another story.
After 10 at night, every family tries not to make loud noise. People even try not to make the noise of shutting and opening doors or getting up and down staircases. TV sound should be turned down and headphone might be used for listening to music. Try to avoid washing clothes or using vacuum cleaning at night.
For foreign students, it is a healthful thing to get together with friends from the same country. However, when you gather with your friends and enjoy having a conversation you voice tend to become loud. Therefore, if you and your friends gather late than 10 p.m., do not forget that your neighbors might be already sleeping, so your voice must be kept low.
If someone complains "You are making noise". You should earnestly listen to it if the complaint is acceptable. If it is too demanding, you must ask your Japanese friend or teacher for an advice. Then consider how to deal with it. Do not react emotionally to solve the problem, for it cannot be solved in that way.