http://www.exploring-japan.com Into the Land of the Rising Sun Mon, 30 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000 en hourly 1 http://www.exploring-japan.com/2010/07/23/understanding-japanese-customs-and-rituals/ http://www.exploring-japan.com/2010/07/23/understanding-japanese-customs-and-rituals/#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 20:11:05 +0000 admin http://www.exploring-japan.com/?p=12 Anytime you travel to another country it’s important to have an understanding of their culture. However, when visiting any eastern part of the world, this is even more imperative because so many customs are completely different from any of our western rituals. In order to avoid awkward situations, take a look at our list of Japanese etiquette tips to remember.

1. Bowing: In Japan it is customary and expected that two people bow a greeting and a goodbye to one another. This is done no matter how well you know a person and even if you’ve seen them already that day. There are different levels of bowing that are reserved for different individuals. Generally the more authority a person has the longer and deeper a bow they receive.
2. Dinner Etiquette: Before beginning a meal, it is polite to say “itadakimaso,” which is translated to mean “I humbly receive.” One etiquette rule many westerners struggle to wrap their head around is the acceptance of slurping. Most of us grew up being scolded for slurping our soup or noodles, but this is actually encouraged as a showing of gratitude and enjoyment of the food. Holding a bowl up to the face to eat or drink soup or noodles is also an acceptable practice.
3. Tipping: No matter what the service, whether it is a waitress, a taxi driver or a bartender, tipping is not expected. It can even be considered rude, so enjoy the reprieve from adding gratuity while you’re away.
4. Taking off Shoes: Unlike in the United States where taking off your shoes in public or in someone’s home can be considered rude, the opposite is true in Japan. When you enter a person’s house you should always remove your shoes and they will usually have guest slippers for you to wear. This is often the custom in businesses or hotels as well.
5. Public Behavior: In our fast paced society it is nothing out of the ordinary to see someone eating in public or talking on the phone. However, this is considered extremely rude in Japanese culture. Blowing your nose in public is also extremely offensive, so try to take care of any sniffles in private.

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