How to Do Stuff In Japan: A Guide for Visitors to Japan

By TheJapan Channel

Only 6 of these things are perfectly acceptable to do in Japan.
The other 6 will embarrass you and those around you.
Do you know which are in which group?

Laughing at the embarrassment of others.
Wearing perfume or aftershave.
Wearing slippers in a toilet room.
Wearing slippers in a tatami room.
Telling a Japanese guy his girlfriend is cute.
Telling a Japanese guy that YOUR girl/boyfriend is cute.
Slurping loudly through a straw.
Slurping noodles loudly.
Wiping your face on a towel in a restaurant.
Eating everything on your plate.
Calling out to restaurant staff.
Blowing your nose in a handkerchief.

There are dozens more dilemmas, just like these!
This book will explain what is OK and what is NOT OK to do in Japan, as well as give you lots of useful information to help you have the best experience and get the most out of your time in Japan.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Dec 16, 2015
• ISBN: 9781483442761

Book preview

TheJapanChannel’s

How to Do Stuff in

JAPAN

A Guide for Visitors to Japan

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Copyright © 2015 TheJapanChannel.com.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of both publisher and author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-4277-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-4276-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015920065

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 12/11/2015

Introduction

Whether you are visiting Japan for a short holiday or planning to live in Japan long term, you can get the most out of your time by understanding a bit more about how things are done in this amazing country.

Japanese culture and customs are VERY different from those of other countries. This makes Japan a fascinating place to visit, but also means that we can make a total embarrassment of ourselves or those around us, simply by doing what is considered totally acceptable in our home countries!

Japanese people are incredibly kind and will appear to accept almost anything we say or do. HOWEVER, the reactions to our innocent mistakes could result in us not being included in a social event or activity, or being refused accommodation or employment. At best, our mistake might cause some embarrassment; at worst, it might turn our happy visit into a disaster. By learning to do things the way they are usually done in Japan, we not only avoid potentially negative consequences, but we also increase the chances of something positive happening to us - whether that be a simple invitation to a party or the chance to rent an apartment. In a land where conforming is very important, knowing how Japanese people think and act can make a substantial difference to the quality of a visitor’s experience!

We have spent six years making How to do Stuff in Japan videos for Youtube. These videos have been modestly popular, with many people kindly leaving comments about how useful they found the videos, some suggesting that the most important points be compiled for a book - this book! Contained within are the most useful tips and information from those videos, plus a few more, presented in a way which will be easy to understand.

Some of the language in this book is quite direct. This is not meant to offend. The intention is to make it simple and easy to understand, in the same way that we might advise our friends or family members if they were to visit Japan. (In fact, they will be reading this book