Let’s suppose you’ve just got here, and are about to embark on your maiden tour of Japan. You’ve made a right choice, my friends, ‘cause Japan has a lot in stock for you to chew on.
Now, before you plan your way around, just study up a few “Tips” here. It’s a can opener. It’ll help.
Tip 1:
Well, first and foremost, you must understand that the Japanese are on the whole shy and introvert.
They normally understate things and tend to “stay behind the scene”, so to speak. So, at the top of your checklist should be “Don’t be hasty in judging your Japanese friends”. They are like a chunk of dried squid (if you know what that is): the tastier, the more you chew on it. So, take your time, don’t be hasty with them.
Tip 2:
Of course, there is always the problem of language. That’s a big stumbling block. Japanese is one language that is so unique and exclusive that often you can’t tell a tail from a fingertip. So, give up making any sense in Japanese, First, just concentrate on equipping yourself with, say, a dozen or so useful, daily phrases and just use them. Say “John desu. Douzo yoroshiku” (I’m John. How do you do?) and repeat it each time you meet a Japanese for the first time. That’s an ice-breaker: ice, because the Japanese often seem frigid, not that they are but are only shy and reserved.
Tip 3:
Then come various “house rules” peculiar to Japan. Take, for instance, the tradition of using chopsticks at the table. You know that set of two “sticks” to pick things with? One wise way is to just try, try hard, to use those chopsticks. Your Japanese friends take pride in teaching you how to use them. Make it look like you’re having hell of a time trying to learn how, even though you may already know how. That’s the trick. Let your Japanese friend worry how you ever get to know how to manipulate them. Then comes the moment you show them how well you have mastered the “Art of Chopsticks”. By that moment, you will have “broken the ice”.
Tip 4:
Equally intriguing is the “Art of Bowing”. Remember, the Japanese seldom shake hands when they meet. They graciously bow and bow fairly deep. In Japan, the Japanese bow to show respect to the party/parties you are meeting. And the “depth” of respect is often shown by the angle they bow at. For instance, when you meet someone way above you in social ranking, you would bow as deep as 90 degrees, whereas you would merely “tip your head” to juniors to you. So, make a habit of bowing to the Japanese at between 30 to 45 degrees depending on the degree of your association with them.
Tip 5:
Last but not least, you’ll be better off having your name card made out. This is one trick few observers suggest. Japanese is a language full of vowels. The Japanese are less used to consonant-ful words. Prepare your name card with your name spelled in your own way and hopefully spelled out in “Katakana”, a Japanese alphabet for spelling out foreign words. Each time you meet the Japanese, give one out with a casual bow. The card helps them to identify you correctly.
So, you are ready to take off. Be sure to come back to this site for further info on how to get around in Japan.
Bye.
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