u/Clane_21

I'm an Asian myself so I am very familiar with having a public face and being indirect but one thing that I find unique in Japan is the culture of indirectly criticizing someone in a polite manner. In my country you usually just talk behind their back or in private if you find something unpleasant.

Do the people who get criticized know that they are being criticized?

Also, what led to having this culture or are Japanese people always like this even before modern times?

edit: I now know that the term for this is 'Ikezu' and is more common in Kyoto. thank you so much everyone.