Japanese Culture
If you are interested in learning Japanese it doesn’t hurt to understand Japanese culture. To help you I have listed some helpful tips below:
Bowing
Bowing is very interesting aspect of Japanese culture and is done when people meet each other. When bowing simple put your arms at your sides and bend from the hips. Make sure that you don’t bow to low or too shallow either as this can be seen as disrespectful.
Homes
When you enter a Japanese house you will nearly always be required to remove your shoes. Many westerners are not accustomed to doing this and sometimes get themsleves in ackward positions. You may be provided a pair of slippers to wear in the house when you arrive. Also please note that when in the toilet you may also need to wear other slippers in the toilet and change back when you leave the toilet.
Names
Japanese people will often introduce themselves using their last name first and then their first name. In addition to this the word ‘san’ is placed after someone else’s name when you introduce them, but be careful not to use it after your own as this would be seen as arrogant.
Table Manners
When having a meal it is not rude for a westerner to ask for a knife and fork if you struggle with chopsticks. However if you use chopsticks then make sure that you don’t keep them in your hand when making hand gestures in conversation, and definately don’t stick them into your food as this is seen as rude and is only done at funerals.
Also make sure you don’t burp at the table, this may seen obvious but some cultures don’t realise this end up offending Japanese hosts. In addition to this if you must blow your nose make the effort to leave the table and do your business in the other room or corner of the dining room.
Try your best to finish your meal as this is a sign of gratitude and politeness.
Terminology
The Japanese place a lot of respect on elders and this is reflected in the language. They have different word to show respect and it is important that you know when and what to say. For example if you are asking someone their name and they are older than you, make sure you ad the word “O” in front of the sentence.
For example: “O namae wa nan desu ka”
The “O” shows respect and honour.
I am sure you will avoid a lot of embarrassing situations if you stick to these tips when in Japan.
If you are interested in Japanese then the best course that I have come across in years is Sayaka Matsuura’s Rocket Japanese. I have researched this author and the company she is apart of and reviewed her. If you want my opinion about the course and author click here: Sayaka Matsuura Review
