Japan is an influential country attracting people from all around the world. A lot of people add Japan as a travel destination in their bucket lists due to various reasons. These reasons could be work opportunities, schooling or a zest to learn about a new culture. But whatever is your reason to travel to Japan, you must be aware of some dos and don’ts before you go there. You could be aware of most of it but may be clueless about some of the points I will mention below. So, give this guide a read before you land in Japan.
It is considered rude and disrespectful to eat or drink while walking in Japan. It is not just about littering the streets, it is also about culture. In Japanese culture, food is given immense respect. It is considered respectful in Japan to sit down and show gratitude to the food by saying the phrase “itadakimas” before one eats his or her meal. So, try to avoid eating while walking on the streets of Japan.
In most cases when having a meal in Japan, you will be given chopsticks to eat your food. But if you are not aware of the many rules and etiquettes of using chopsticks, you may offend or embarrass some people. So, some etiquettes that you must keep in mind while eating in Japanese restaurants are:
1. Don’t make gestures using chopsticks: Many of us may have a habit of talking with our hands and when there is something in our hand, we may use it to gesture as well. But doing this with a chopstick is not considered good. So, always try to avoid using chopsticks for gesturing.
2. When eating rice, never put your chopstick upright in the rice bowl. This is considered a bad omen. Also, in most parts it is a ritual done when someone dies. So, it also signifies death. This is why it is advised to not put your chopstick vertically upright in rice.
3. When eating with friends and family, we like to share food with each other. But it is a bad idea to share food from chopstick to chopstick.
4. Also, avoid rubbing the chopsticks with your hands. You might do that unconsciously for no reason. But it may give a bad impression to the restaurant staff or a host that you are doing this because you were given cheap chopsticks.
Talking to someone on your phone while travelling on public transport is normal in a lot of countries. But this is not the case with Japan. In Japan, when you talk loudly on the phone in a public transport, it gives an impression of being ill mannered and rude to others. Because you may disturb other passengers by doing so. So, in order to maintain good and positive surroundings, always avoid talking loudly on the phone in public transport.
In most countries receiving or giving a business card might not be considered very important. But in Japan a business card is highly valuable. Business cards in Japan are considered the physical embodiment of a person himself. It is an indication of starting a business relationship with the person when receiving a business card. So, always receive or give a business card with both hands in order to show respect towards the other person.
Another thing to keep in mind when eating food in a restaurant in Japan is to not give tips. In Japan the concept of omotenashi is highly practiced and is all about mindfulness and selfless hospitality. They will provide you the best customer service there keeping this concept in mind but if you give tips. That may be interpreted as you evaluating their service in terms of money which may not be appreciated and looked down upon.
In many countries kissing or shaking hands when meeting someone is considered polite but in Japan that is not the norm. In Japan the norm is to bow down when meeting someone or maybe a handshake in special scenarios. Apart from that too much physical contact is usually avoided. Also, it is rare thing to encounter public display of affection in Japan. So, keep in mind not involved in excessive physical contact with people that are not close friends.
Putting forward your stance and opinion might be considered a gesture of strength in many countries but in Japan keeping the peace and harmony within the group is more prioritized. The Japanese philosophy of wa builds the foundation of Japanese society teaching people to be aware of their surroundings and avoiding conflict as much as possible. It is okay if you let the other person know your point of view but avoid throwing your opinions all the time. This can make you seem like a difficult person. Which can make people avoid you. So, avoid being too argumentative while you stay in Japan.
Cleanliness and hygiene are one of the top priorities of Japanese society. To maintain cleanliness most Japanese people, adopt this practice of taking off your shoes before entering homes, bath houses, tea ceremony places etc. Not all places in Japan will need you to take your shoes off but the ones that do will mostly have an elevated entrance with slippers indicating you to remove your shoes.
So, these were some of the things that you must not do in Japan. To read more such interesting blog posts visit our website nihongomax.