Japanese Customs: Make it or Break it

Hands down the toughest part of living in Japan is getting used to Japanese customs and traditions, even harder than the language.

Of course there are specific customs for holidays and traditional ceremonies, but Japanese customs are such a big part of life that they play a part in all sorts of everyday activity.

I'm sure most people have heard of a few Japanese customs. Probably using chopsticks, taking off your shoes when you go in, singing the "Domo Arigatou Mr. Roboto" song to your boss at work, etc. Alright, obviously the last one isn't a custom, but seriously, there are some really crazy things from a foreigner's perspective.

Here are some interesting ones:

• When referring to themselves, Japanese point to their nose rather than their chest.

• The number 4 is associated with death in Japan so there are no 4th floors anywhere.

• Refusing people's help is actually polite. Usually people will insist two or three times at which point you can politely accept it. Bowing a couple times and saying "sumimasen" will help you fit in also.

Another good and example of a deeply entrenched Japanese custom is the art of bowing.

If you're in Japan for any amount of time over say, a couple minutes, you'll definitely see someone bow to someone else. Stay over a few weeks and you'll have trouble stopping yourself from doing it.

But it doesn't end there, Japanese not only have an art to bowing, but also gift-giving, Bathing(always shower before you bathe!), and even eating.

In fact, the customs in Japan are so entrenched and unique that it's almost guaranteed for visitors to have some degree of culture shock if they stay for any reasonable length of time.

If you're planning on visiting there I would recommend reading the Japanese Culture Shock Guide to be prepared for what you might experience.

As someone who lives there now, I've screwed up the customs and watched people screw them up more times than I can remember.

Even when I thought I had it down and good and everything, I still messed up. Then the opposite happened....

I had lived here for a few months and when winter break came, I took a trip home. After a long plane ride I get off to see my Mom waiting for me at the airport exit....

Instead of running and hugging and all the great American customs I knew and learned as a child, of all things I bowed to her, totally unconsciously. My mom must have laughed at me for weeks.

Another demonstration of the amazing power of Japanese customs is the "Japanese phone conversation." Actually, not the actually conversation (that's beyond the scope of this page), but rather the body language used while talking on the phone.

Believe it or not, Japanese people often bow while on the phone, presumably to the person they're talking to. I know Japan is technologically advanced, but if they're talking on the phone obviously it's because the person they are talking to isn't in the same room as them.

But I guess I can't say too much. After all, I found myself doing the same thing...

crazy Japanese customs;-)......

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