My Top Ten Rundown of Faux Pas in Japan

Coming to the end of my second year of Graphic Arts at Leeds Met I was given the opportunity to travel to Japan for a year to take part on an International Scholarship program at Hiroshima University. Having previously traveled to Hong Kong and Taiwan I felt I knew a little of the weird and wonderful Asian culture.

Fed up with British life and the daily grind, I was quite excited to get back out there to discover what more the Far East had to offer. Little did I know that stepping off that plane would be like getting off a spaceship onto another planet. A planet where cultural pitfalls awaited me at every step! You would think after a year I would have gotten to grips with the etiquette and formalities that exist within Japanese society. Unfortunately I never did.

Here is my top ten rundown of faux pas that I encountered on my year in Japan.

1. Not treating rice with respect! - This includes shoveling food directly from bowl to mouth, mixing rice in with your main dish, playing host, and not serving rice. There is a whole new set of manners associated with eating in Japan; unfortunately the only way of becoming aware of them is by committing each offence yourself and finding out the hard way. Touching food in a communal dish with your chopsticks, eating the stalk of mushrooms, and not taking food when offered are all random acts which are considered to be bang out of order.

2. Getting soap, shampoo or any kind of foam in the clean bath water - you should of course lather up on a small stool which every other naked person in the family has sat on before, rinse off, then plunge into the bath water for a long hot soak; as the guest you will have first dibs on taking a bath, but make sure you leave the water in the bath for the rest of the family otherwise you will have Daddy-san to answer to!

3. Wearing outdoor shoes inside - This is a big no-no. One which can cause a chain reaction of misdemeanours; quickly upgrading your initial faux pas into a level two insult, if you don't think fast and don the correct slippers once indoors! (e.g. don't forget to opt for the guest slippers; and don't wear house slippers in the toilet, use the handy Shitter slippers provided.) You have been warned.

4. Eating whilst walking down the street - The British love to picnic - come twelve o'clock many go out to find a bench in the middle of the city. Out come the old cheese and chutney sarnies, the bumper pack of Smiths Salt 'n' Shake, the slab of cherry cake, and the orange squash - its time to indulge in a small feast while letting the world walk by. However, in Japan the tables can quickly turn on your spot of lunchtime people watching. As you take the first bite into your wholesome, self-prepared meal you will glance up to find hundreds of eyes staring back. With so many places to eat out in Japan, along with the excellent price and good choice there is no need to BYO so the Japanese hardly ever do. Only in the Cherry blossom season is it the designated and acceptable time to opt for the home-made al fresco. Therefore the sight of foreigners 'tucking in' is totally intriguing and irresistible to the Japanese in the street.

5. How short is your skirt? - That doesn't matter, but showing cleavage/mid-drift or even your shoulders is considered to be attracting attention in the wrong way. Tut-tut you foreign slapper!

6. Pouring your own beer/sake - I ask you, do you have the power? It is the role of the highest hierarchal person in the group to top everyone up on the bevvies, you touch the bottle and all respect in the group for you will disappear quicker than you can shout "down it in one my san!"

7. Receiving a business card with one hand - and worse still taking a business card and putting it immediately in your wallet. Remember fool, you should take the time to study and enjoy it. Oh yeah, and don't write on it.

8. Bodily Functions.

Blowing your nose - Don't even think about it punk.
Sniffing - Go on, snort it right back.
Spitting - Hock away.
Sneezing -What?! You trying to spread disease or something?
Slurping soup - No problem!
Slurping soup and smacking lips - Certainly a compliment to the chef.

9. How about the occasional snog in public? - Don't do it. Even holding hands is considered inappropriate - save it for the bedroom smoochers.

10. Being loud and animated - Wild gesticulations are not accepted in Japan. Women laugh behind their hand so as to hide the fact they have been emotionally stimulated.

For an illustrated version of the article please check out my website at http://www.misspoochie.org or on my blog at http://www.misspoochie.blogspot.com

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