Japanese Customs
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Since Blank_zai somtime ago asked for some behaviour advices i think i should provide them to everyone in this thread^^
We all know that different countries have different customs so to prevent emberassing yourself or being rude knowing them is necessary. Like the proverb:
When in Rome, do it like the Romans
Payment
Normally you pass the money for the goods you want to buy directly to the cashier but in Japan it is considered being rude. They have a special place for it where you should leave it. Though some stores don't bother.
Bathing
Before entering the bathtub (furo (風呂)) it is necessary to thoroughly wash yourself to prevent dirtying the water (that means you have to wash your body and hair and afterwards make sure noe soap remains). Since the same water is used by all family members things like hair have to be removed after the bath and normlly the oldest male member starts bathing (if guests visit the guest starts => you should be a good host^-^). Sometimes you have to visit a bathhouse (sentÅ (éŠæ¹¯)) when you can't use your own bath or even don't have one yourself. The same rules aplly to the bathhouse as well (since more people are using the water) and usually the sex is divided (-.-).
Of course as an Otaku you don't have to forget Onsen (温泉). Same rules and divided sex (but moe-factor^_^).
Bowing
The most important custom in Japan. Bows differ from person to person and occasion, for example inferior people bow longer to superior ones and vice versa. Even the depth and length is important. If you bow to apologize a deep and long bow i required (usually the bigger the offence the lower and longer the bow)but don't forget to apologize :D (just say gomenasei^^). Bows as a token of gratitude are performed as well sometimes a kneel bow (saikeirei (最敬礼)) is necessary.
Usually males bow with the back straight and the hands at the sides, females claps their hands in their lap, and with the eyes down.
After watching enough anime you'll understand and perform them automatically^^.
Food
All of you should know that before starting to eat you have to say itadakimasu to thank for the food and after finishing the meal gochisÅsama.
Also you shouldn't pick out certain ingridients. You have to clear your plate.
Slurping is only polite while eating ramen or soba noodles and along with that you have to lift the bowl to the mouth to prevent spilling food.
It is uncommon to pour soy sauce over rice, sushi and so on. Instead you have to dip the food into it by picking it up with the chopsticks. Considering chopsticks it is considered impolite to pass food from chopstick to chopstick, instead you have to put the piece of food onto a plate where the other one can pick it up.
Tooth picks and towels to blow the nose can only be used while covering the corresponding parts (mouth/nose) to be polite).
Visiting
After being invited to someones house it is required to take off coats and hats before the hist opens the door. After entering shoes have to be removed and placed with the toe-side facing the door. Wearing socks is required not to dirty the slippers provided by the host (guest and host both have to be nice). After leaving coat and hat can be put on after the door is closed.
Greeting
As for greetings there are different terms you should know:
ohayÅ gozaimasu - good morning
konnichiwa - good day/hello
konbanwa - good evening
oyasuminasai - good night
that's it.
There are also rules for the languages itself like ending sentences with -desu or -de gozaru but since there's so much to know about it it's kinda difficult to learn all of them for a trip to Japan^^.
For more information about this issue visit this: Japanese Etiquettes and as for the language this should do it.
Fell free to add something you think i forgot or to consult me if i need to edit things.
I hope this will be of use to you :D
We all know that different countries have different customs so to prevent emberassing yourself or being rude knowing them is necessary. Like the proverb:
When in Rome, do it like the Romans
Payment
Normally you pass the money for the goods you want to buy directly to the cashier but in Japan it is considered being rude. They have a special place for it where you should leave it. Though some stores don't bother.
Bathing
Before entering the bathtub (furo (風呂)) it is necessary to thoroughly wash yourself to prevent dirtying the water (that means you have to wash your body and hair and afterwards make sure noe soap remains). Since the same water is used by all family members things like hair have to be removed after the bath and normlly the oldest male member starts bathing (if guests visit the guest starts => you should be a good host^-^). Sometimes you have to visit a bathhouse (sentÅ (éŠæ¹¯)) when you can't use your own bath or even don't have one yourself. The same rules aplly to the bathhouse as well (since more people are using the water) and usually the sex is divided (-.-).
Of course as an Otaku you don't have to forget Onsen (温泉). Same rules and divided sex (but moe-factor^_^).
Bowing
The most important custom in Japan. Bows differ from person to person and occasion, for example inferior people bow longer to superior ones and vice versa. Even the depth and length is important. If you bow to apologize a deep and long bow i required (usually the bigger the offence the lower and longer the bow)but don't forget to apologize :D (just say gomenasei^^). Bows as a token of gratitude are performed as well sometimes a kneel bow (saikeirei (最敬礼)) is necessary.
Usually males bow with the back straight and the hands at the sides, females claps their hands in their lap, and with the eyes down.
After watching enough anime you'll understand and perform them automatically^^.
Food
All of you should know that before starting to eat you have to say itadakimasu to thank for the food and after finishing the meal gochisÅsama.
Also you shouldn't pick out certain ingridients. You have to clear your plate.
Slurping is only polite while eating ramen or soba noodles and along with that you have to lift the bowl to the mouth to prevent spilling food.
It is uncommon to pour soy sauce over rice, sushi and so on. Instead you have to dip the food into it by picking it up with the chopsticks. Considering chopsticks it is considered impolite to pass food from chopstick to chopstick, instead you have to put the piece of food onto a plate where the other one can pick it up.
Tooth picks and towels to blow the nose can only be used while covering the corresponding parts (mouth/nose) to be polite).
Visiting
After being invited to someones house it is required to take off coats and hats before the hist opens the door. After entering shoes have to be removed and placed with the toe-side facing the door. Wearing socks is required not to dirty the slippers provided by the host (guest and host both have to be nice). After leaving coat and hat can be put on after the door is closed.
Greeting
As for greetings there are different terms you should know:
ohayÅ gozaimasu - good morning
konnichiwa - good day/hello
konbanwa - good evening
oyasuminasai - good night
that's it.
There are also rules for the languages itself like ending sentences with -desu or -de gozaru but since there's so much to know about it it's kinda difficult to learn all of them for a trip to Japan^^.
For more information about this issue visit this: Japanese Etiquettes and as for the language this should do it.
Fell free to add something you think i forgot or to consult me if i need to edit things.
I hope this will be of use to you :D
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Interesting. I didn't know that paying the cashier directly is considered being rude. But why is that though?
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I remember buying some soda at Narita Airport and when I turned around I bumped into a couple, I bowed really low and fast. When I looked up they looked offended :( , so I just said sorry and they replied it was okay in English. Other than bumping into them, what did I do wrong? When I said sorry they had a smile on their face.
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Jonoe wrote...
I remember buying some soda at Narita Airport and when I turned around I bumped into a couple, I bowed really low and fast. When I looked up they looked offended :( , so I just said sorry and they replied it was okay in English. Other than bumping into them, what did I do wrong? When I said sorry they had a smile on their face.sure they were japanese??
besides you also need to say gomenasei in order to apologize while bowning frequently^^
i guess they were really nice^-^
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Korou wrote...
Jonoe wrote...
I remember buying some soda at Narita Airport and when I turned around I bumped into a couple, I bowed really low and fast. When I looked up they looked offended :( , so I just said sorry and they replied it was okay in English. Other than bumping into them, what did I do wrong? When I said sorry they had a smile on their face.sure they were japanese??
besides you also need to say gomenasei in order to apologize while bowning frequently^^
i guess they were really nice^-^
They were Japanese. I was only at Narita Airport just to transfer planes, and I took pictures of the hello kitty plane. ^__^
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@Korou: I'm not sure if some of these customs still hold anymore... but then again, my relatives didn't have a tub but a shower. Some of the food ones surprised me since I've never heard of people passing food via chopstick to chopstick or putting soy sauce directly onto food. Then again, I don't like soy sauce since it's too salty for my liking.
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g-money wrote...
@Korou: I'm not sure if some of these customs still hold anymore... but then again, my relatives didn't have a tub but a shower. Some of the food ones surprised me since I've never heard of people passing food via chopstick to chopstick or putting soy sauce directly onto food. Then again, I don't like soy sauce since it's too salty for my liking.you may be right
but even if some customs aren't valid today it may be good to know that there were actually some like that^^