Oh, according to the Japanese, Americans stink. I think the Japanese have the most regular and serious bathing habits in the world. It also has something to do with their diet and the diet of the rest of the world.



>I've often heard that the Japanese think we smell but I didn't realise it about the US.
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>>It is, that is true, but it is not unique. Just google it.
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>>>Its a little worrying that someone can come back from a trip and say the people there stink. They may smell different and you may not like it. I can't think of anywhere I've ever been where the people gave out unpleasant odours. Actually I'd rather smell the real smell of people than the contents of a aerosol can sprayed everywhere.
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>>>>I do not mean to be disrespectful to anyone, but it is a perception, and it was my experience so it is fair to be discussed (along with the faults and foibles of Americans). Now, this is based on the mid 80s so take it as such. It may be entirely outdated and no longer accurate. Although I have many European friends here and over there so the perception is still there. It is pretty well-known to American travelers that Europeans emit unpleasant odors compared to Americans. The worst possible experience is standing in line or riding buses and trains. That is due to the different bathing habits as well as the fact that many Europeans do not use anti-perspirant. The stuff that was available over there (when I was there) was not anti-perspirant, but perfume - only scent based. However, recent studies suggest that there may (not proven) be a link between the aluminum in anti-perspirant and altzheimers so perhaps they are smarter not to and one day all Americans will be
>>>>wandering around lost while the Europeans just smell bad...
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>>>>http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=99
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>>>>>>When I was living in Germany (a duration of 3 years) it was the custom to only bathe once a week. The water was too harsh for anything more and they were big believers and practioners of water conservation even back then (they employed the same conservation practices with utilities). I still bathed once or even twice a day and slathered on the lotion afterwards until my skin grew accustomed to the hard water. We had to clean the tubs and showers with vinegar to remove the deposits. While the water was not as hard, it was the same in France and Spain and Switzerland. I wasn't in Netherlands long enough to know what the culture was back then although I visited twice. This was the mid 80s. Complete opposite of the Japanese who bathed often but had a different routine (they didn't bathe in the bathtub but in a little area by the bathtub with a couple of buckets. The idea was to be clean before entering the bath because other people would use the same bath water.)
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>>>>>>Either the custom has totally changed since then or you, yourself have not travelled as much as I thought. You have however, managed to become ruder as demonstated by your disparaging comment as reply to John. Since his daughter travelled just recently, I put some weight into her statements. They also match my own experience although it was 20 years ago. Rather than answer with information on the custom as you know it in Netherlands, you call him a red-neck and claim he cannot be converted. Converted to what exactly?
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>>>>>>Funny, but at the time I visited Netherlands, I thought it was the European country most similar to culture to the U.S. and the only one I would consider back then living in permanently.
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>>>>>It sounds weird to me, but my daughter said she and her friend almost gagged several times because so many of the people just downright stank. I asked her if she adhered to the "when in Rome" theory and she said - not!
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>>>>>I have never been to Europe, but I plan to go. Hopefully, the Euro will drop and the dollar will be worth 10 times the Euro when Obama comes to save us. I may just go over and buy Lichtenstein. when that happens!