SD 0

One of these puppies isn’t interested in fitting in, and Japan is more than OK with that.

Japanese society places a great value on harmony, which can sometimes manifest itself as intense pressure to fit in. Kids wear uniforms at school, and companies have strict dress codes. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities with their classmates, and for many professionals their work unit is also the core of their social circle, so with so many compounded interpersonal connections, not rocking the boat becomes, in the eyes of many, an important life skill.

But not everyone bows to the perceived expectations of conformity. Kids, for example, are often much less inhibited in expressing their individuality, and it looks like that goes for other species as well, as demonstrated by these seven puppies owned by Japanese high school student and Twitter user @taka1237zo.

At first it looks like all of the pups are taking a communal nap, which would be cute enough if it were the case.

SD 1

But while the whole litter is stretched out on the tatami reed floor, one little guy isn’t ready to hit the sack just yet.

SD 2

“Hey buddy, it’s bedtime for you too!” chuckles @taka1237zo, but if the tens of thousands of retweets he’s gotten are any indication, people across Japan are willing to give this little iconoclast a pass. Maybe in this case, the old Japanese proverb of “The nail that sticks up gets hammered down” isn’t as appropriate as “The nail that sticks up gets hammered-d’awwwwwwww!”

Source: Hamster Sokuho
Images: Twitter/@taka1237zo (edited by RocketNews24)