Being exposed to the culture and customs of a new country can be an exciting experience; but if your background knowledge of Japan is deficient, it can also be highly embarrassing! If you are able to avoid committing faux pas when communicating with Japanese people, your stay here will be all the more enjoyable!
Here are some basic ‘dos and don’ts’ that you should know before you visit Japan.
Japanese greetings
Bowing is the greeting that makes the best impression on a person in Japan when you meet them for the first time. Due to the influence of Hollywood, some Japanese have taken to the practice of shaking hands when welcoming foreigners, but they definitely eschew hugging and kissing! Even close friends and immediate family members avoid physical contact, especially between men and women; depending on whom – and what! – you touch, you might even run the risk of summary arrest!
The Japanese are noted for their reserve, and rarely exchange words with strangers on the bus or train. If right out of the blue you were to turn to the stranger sitting next to you and ask “How are you doing?”, he would probably widen his eyes in astonishment and reply “have we met somewhere before?” This does not mean that the Japanese are stand-offish – merely that casual conversation is absent from our culture.
Table etiquette
Table manners in Western Europe and Japan are very similar, except that you say “Itadakimasu” before meals and “Gochisousama” when you’ve finish eating.
Don’t be surprised if you hear Japanese people making an audible slurping noise when they eat noodles such as ramen and udon! But chewing loudly, and banging the cutlery on the table, are both definite solecisms.
It’s also quite permissible for people to lift plates and bowls up with the opposite hand to the one holding the chopsticks when eating liquid food or things like rice that are easily spilled; better to carry the dish to your mouth than to drop it down your shirtfront! This is definitely ‘not done’ in Western countries, but it’s perfectly OK in Japan.
No tipping culture
When travelling abroad, I like many Japanese people worry about “tip culture”. This is because there is no tipping in Japan, so we have no idea when or how much to tip. If you leave a 100 yen tip on a restaurant table in Japan, the waiter will run after you on your way out crying, “Wait! you’ve left 100 yen behind!”
The payment arrangement for meals is also different from the way it’s done in the West. The statement or ‘check’ will be put on the table at the same time as the last dish, so you can take it to the cashier near the doorway and pay with cash or creditcard as soon as you’ve finished; no tedious ‘waiting around for them to add up the bill’!
Some establishments even have vending machines which provide diners with a prepaid ‘meal voucher’ when they come in; that way, the waiter can collect your ticket while you’re sitting at the table, and when you’ve finished eating you just get up and go!
Every country has its own unique customs for greetings, meals, and the exchange of money. These are unavoidable, so it’s best to ‘do your homework’ before travelling. Whilst it’s true enough that “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”, it’s surely preferable to avoid unintentionally ‘putting your foot in it’!