Some Interesting Japanese Customs

SOME INTERESTING JAPANESE CUSTOMS

The Japanese are a very distinctive people. Before going to Japan as a tourist, on business or to visit friends, you should learn their customs and what they consider taboo so as not to embarrass yourself.

First when you are out on the street you shouldn't eat while walking, or elderly people will tell you off and sometimes the police will remind you. On signs at festivals and in public places you will see the line 食べ歩きはご遠慮下さい – tabearuki wa goenryo kudasai, meaning "Please refrain from eating while walking".

Second when visiting someone who is ill, you must absolutely not give flowers, tea or potted plants. The Japanese consider that a bad thing. They believe a sick person's resistance is still weak, so things like pollen are a problem, and there are also some Japanese superstitions involved. Fresh flowers you should not give include:

1. Very strongly scented flowers such as lilies
2. Chrysanthemums, because chrysanthemums are mostly used at funerals
3. Cyclamen シクラメン – shikuramen, because shi in Japanese means "death" and kura means "suffering"
4. Camellia, tsubaki
5. Flowers that are purely red, such as roses or gerberas…, because they easily suggest blood.
6. Plants with roots, because a rooted plant in Japanese is read「根がつく」- ne ga tsuku, a homophone of「寝付く」- ne tsuku, meaning "to be bedridden with illness"
7. Flowers that need to go in a vase, because a vase can easily topple and break, causing needless trouble.

Third in Japan, holding up your thumb is not a good sign; it means a boyfriend. Holding up your little finger means a girlfriend. So while in Japan you shouldn't make hand signs carelessly, to avoid misunderstandings.

Fourth Japanese people often say things that express apology: sorry, thank you, sorry to trouble you, and so on. When going to a friend's house for a meal or attending a Japanese-style wedding, some Japanese deliberately leave a little food and then wrap it up to take home. This is a show of politeness and nothing strange. When eating, chopsticks should be laid down horizontally, not vertically. The Japanese consider upright chopsticks a bad thing. While eating they strongly dislike scraping with chopsticks, digging through the food back and forth, poking at it and so on. These are very bad habits at the table…

Fifth in Japan, haggling while shopping is impolite. In shops the great majority of goods have clear prices that cannot be reduced.

Sixth the Japanese love packaging. All the wrapping paper is beautiful. So buying something doesn't take much time to wrap.

Seventh you shouldn't give a handkerchief to a friend. Do that only if you want to break off the relationship.

Eighth you must not casually give tea to other people. It is the gift the Japanese give in return after a memorial rite.

Ninth you must not give shoes, socks or underwear to a superior or someone senior to you. Otherwise they will think you don't respect them.