etiquette and superstition in japan.ppt

7/28/2019 Etiquette and Superstition in Japan.ppt

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Etiquette governs the expectations of social behavior

in the country

a code that rules how everyone is expected

to behave, according to the socialconventions and norms, in society, in

a social class, or group.

includes the principles and morals thatpeople have to obey in their daily life.


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Basic Japanese Etiquette (General)

- When someone greets you, greet the person back in a lively

manner.- Bows and handshakes are both acceptable forms of greeting inJapan. When thanking someone or apologizing, it is respectful to

bow.- Address other people by their last names followed by the suffix -

san but do not add any suffix to your own name when introducingyourself.

- Do not use your cell phone when you are on a train or a bus.- Shouting in public, even if it is to call the attention of someone, is

unacceptable behavior.- When sitting on the floor, do so with your hands on your lap and

your legs tucked under you. For women, sitting with both legs to oneside is also acceptable while men can sit with legs crossed.

- If someone offers to help you, it is polite to refuse initially. If theoffer is made a third time, you may accept.

- Eating or drinking while walking down a street is considered rude.


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Etiquette

Visiting Someones House


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- Do not refuse an offer to visit someones home while visitingJapan. It is considered a rare honor.

- It is polite to bring a wrapped gift for your host food ordrink is preferred but humbly apologize that it is all you can

bring, even if it is expensive and worth bragging about.- Upon entering a house, remove your shoes and place themneatly at the entrance. If there are slippers provided, use

them. If you are wearing sandals, it is polite to bring a pair ofwhite socks with you to wear inside the house after takingthem off.

- When using the bathroom in someones home, you will noticethat bathroom slippers are provided. Use these when inside the

bathroom but leave them there afterwards.- If you are staying overnight at a Japanese home, you will

likely be offered a bath. Keep in mind that baths are shared inJapan, and as the guest, you will likely get to use the bath

first, so do not drain the water or dirty it.


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- greet your counterparts with the proper respect and politeness. If yourcounterpart bows make sure you return the gesture. More often thannot, a handshake is sufficient.

- The Japanese follow their schedules strictly so you should never be

late for a business appointment.

- Always hand out and receive business cards with both hands and do

not put them in your pants pockets.- If you are taking notes during a business meeting, use blue or black

ink, never red.

- When the meeting is done, wait for the other person to stand before

standing up yourself.

-Do not address your Japanese counterpart by their first name unlessinvited to do so.

-Do not use large hand gestures, unusual facial expressions or

dramatic movements. The Japanese do not talk with their hands.

Japanese Business Etiquette


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Bathing in an Onsen

- Public baths, particularly those fueled by hotsprings called onsen, are common in Japan, withseparate ones for men and women. Wearing a bathingsuit, or anything else for that matter, in the water is

not allowed.- You will be expected to wash and rinse at a showerfacility or bathing station before using the onsen,same as you would with a public swimming pool.

- Do not soak or dip your towel into the water.Rather, leave it at the side or place it on top of yourhead.- If you have tattoos, however small and unoffensive,

you may not be allowed to use the onsen.


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Appearance- Always maintain a neat appearance.

- Dry your hair after your bath,before going out in public.

- Avoid wearing excessive jewelry.- When wearing a kimono or yukata,always wear the left side over the

right side. The opposite of this isonly observed at funerals.


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Etiquette

Trains

cannot talk too loud should turn the phone on silent-mode courtesy seats are very common ie. give seat to old

people & handicapped people is highly encouraged

putting on make-up is not allowed


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Dining Etiquette

meals traditionally begin with the phrase itadakimasu (I

humbly receive)

upon finishing a meal, the Japanese also use the polite

phrase Gochisosama-deshita (Thank you for good meal)

it is considered polite to clear one's plate, even to the last

grain of rice

impolite to pick out certain ingredients and leave the rest


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-It is customary to hold the bowl of rice in onehand (the left for right-handed people) rather than

set it on the table, and to use your other hand tohold the chopsticks.- When using chopsticks, do not point them at other

people, wave them in the air or spear food withthem like a fork. You should also never stick your

chopsticks into a bowl of rice since this will makethem look like sticks of incense. If there is a

communal dish, get your portion using the oppositeend of the chopsticks (not the one you put in your

mouth).- Slurping noodles is NOT considered bad manners.Try to avoid having the noodles fall back into the

soup, though.


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Superstition

In Japan there are certain things one does not do because they arethought to cause bad luck. A few examples are:

The number four:The number four is considered inauspicious because it is

pronounced the same as the word for death (shi). Therefore,one should not make presents that consist of four pieces, etc.In some hotels and hospitals the room number four is skipped.

Stick chopsticks into the rice:Do not stick your chopsticks into your food generally, but

especially not into rice, because only at funerals, chopsticksare stuck into the rice which is put onto the altar.

Give food from chopstick to chopstick:This is only done with the bones of the cremated body

at funerals.


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Sleeping towards the North:Do not sleep towards the North beacause bodies are laid

down like that.

Funeral Car:If a funeral car passes you should hide your thumb.Cut nails at night:

If you cut your nails at night, you will not be with yourparents when they die.

Lie down after eating:If you lie down immediately after eating, you will become

a cow.Whistle in the night:

If you whistle in the night, a snake will come to you.Black cat:There are also some imported superstitions such as thebelieve that black cats crossing the street in front of

you cause bad luck.

etiquette and superstition in japan.ppt

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