SAYING HI!

“Moshi moshi!”

“Moshi moshi” is a way of saying “hello” but it’s only used when you’re speaking on the phone. When making and receiving a call, start off with a “moshi moshi” and you’re a step closer to being a local around here.

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Bowing!

If you’ve ever been in the busy town of Tokyo, you’ve surely spotted the typical scene of “salarymen” at stations bowing to the person they’re talking to on the phone. This may seem quite strange at first, but bowing is a common sight in Japan - try it out during your stay!

Think of bowing - or “ojigi” - as a Japanese alternative to a handshake. It could be used as a greeting, a sign of respect, gratitude or even an apology depending on the context. The most casual and perhaps the most commonly use one of them all is the “eshaku” where you do a light bow by lightly dipping your head forward. Bow at a 15-degree angle if you want to keep things technical.

So when do you use the “eshaku”? Common examples would be when you’re saying thank you to the restaurant/store staff, when you bump into someone while walking the crowded streets of Tokyo and you want to say “sumimasen,” (lit. “sorry or excuse me”) when you pass by a coworker at work who is around the same age as you, and so on. Keep in mind that the “eshaku” is the most casual form of the ojigi so it may come off to be disrespectful if you choose to do this to someone who is significantly older or of a higher status than you.

Following the “eshaku” are the “keirei” bow and the “saikeirei” bow. The “keirei” is usually said to be bowing at a 30-degree angle bending from your waist. Both are usually used in work situations - the “keirei” bow could be used when greeting customers, so you may see that the shop or restaurant staff will be doing this to you when you leave the store as they say “arigatou gozaimasu (thank you),” while the “saikeirei” bow is a more polite version of this and it is used to express deeply sincere gratitude or apologies.

Remember, the longer you hold the bow, the deeper the respect!

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Address people by their names instead of “you”!

In Japan, it’s considered rude when you address someone by “you” and at often times it’ll come off as though you don’t respect them enough to call them by their names. When you’re speaking with a Japanese person, always address them by their names! Add a “-san” to the end of it if you’re not too familiar with the other person. When in Japan, show the respect. It will most likely be reciprocated!

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Irasshaimase!

What’s this phrase - “Irasshaimase!” - that the staff keep saying when you walk into stores? You’ll hear this in practically every establishment you walk into - sometimes you might not even pick up on it because they’re saying it too quickly! “Irasshaimase” is simply a greeting to welcome you into the store. No need to say anything in return - if you meet eyes with the staff, just offer a smile.

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Be On Time!

When a Japanese person says “Let’s meet at 5:00pm,” he or she means it! It can also mean that the person will probably be there around 5-10 minutes earlier, just in case. Punctuality is a way of life in Japan - if only everyone was the same!

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SLEEPING & ACCOMMODATION!

Take off your shoes!

When you enter a Japanese home, the first thing that pops into view are the neatly lined shoes at the “genkan,” or entrance. Yes, this does imply you take those shoes off before you come in!

In Japan, it’s customary for you to take off your shoes at the entrance. This comes from Japan’s traditional lifestyle. Japanese people used to (and still do!) eat while seated on tatami straw mats and also slept on the floor - everything was done on the floor, so you can tell you wouldn’t want any germs lying around, especially while you’re trying to enjoy your yummy white rice. Although many people now eat at dining tables and sleep on beds, they’ve kept this custom alive and it’s not changing anytime soon, so get comfortable with those shoeless feet!

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Bathroom slippers

Bathrooms are considered separate from the household in Japan. When in a Japanese household, (and sometimes even restaurants) they usually have slippers placed inside the bathroom. If you see them, slip out of your shoes, leave them at the door and put the slippers on. Also remember to take them off when you leave the bathroom!

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Don’t wear your slippers on a tatami mat!

In traditional Japanese households, teahouses, and other traditional Japanese structures, they’ll have tatami mat flooring - like you’ve seen it in the samurai dramas! The Japanese like to keep the house clean and offer slippers upon entrance, but tatami mats are an exception. Only bare feet or socks are allowed on the tatami.

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EATING & DRINKING

Again, the shoes!

Some restaurants have tatami floor seating, which is elevated at about 50cm above the floor, so if you’re guided to this type of seating layout, be sure to take your shoes off.

Some restaurants may even require you to take off your shoes upon entering the restaurant, just like in Japanese homes. They will either have an open shoe rack or individual shoeboxes where you can place your shoes and lock it up. Keep the key with you for taking the shoes out once again upon leaving.

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Ways to sit

In formal situations, you can try and be polite and sit in the “seiza” position, or kneeling with your butt on your heels. Some (fewer and fewer) restaurants in Japan won’t have chairs so be prepared for a little ache! If you become uncomfortable, then no worries - the staff will understand if you get a cramp and need to sit directly on the floor.

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Chopsticks

Although knives and forks are very much the norm in many restaurants in Japan, the vast majority of places that serve Japanese cuisine will require the use of chopsticks. Of course people will understand if you cannot use them, however learning a little about them will go a long way!

Here are a few pointers:
- If you’re not sure, then watch how other people use them and give it a go. It takes time, but you can do it. - Use the chopstick holder to rest the chopsticks when you’re not using them. If there isn’t one, then try folding one using the chopstick wrapper!
- Always place food from a common dish onto your own smaller plate before eating.
- Never share food from chopstick to chopstick - it’s taboo!
- Never stick your chopsticks upright into a bowl of rice. It’s another taboo since this is how the rice is offered to the dead at Buddhist funerals. It’s better to know!

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Eat & drink together

You’ve heard it before - Japanese people have been brought up with a very group-oriented mindset and this is just one situation where it comes into play. So which is correct? Do you start drinking as soon as your drink gets to the table? Or do you wait until the last person’s drink arrives?

If you guessed the latter you’re already ahead in achieving the Japanese mindset. You should always wait until the last drink arrives to the table before you start drinking. While some may start eating before others in case the people who are still plate-less offer you to eat first since the food can get cold, drinking is very much done in a group and no one will start drinking by themselves first before everybody’s drinks have arrived. That’s when you say “kanpai (cheers)” and down your drink!

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Let’s share!

Say you have a shared plate and you’re moving the food from the shared plate to your own - it’s most polite to use the other end of your chopsticks rather than the end you use while you eat. Dabbing in the end you’ve used to eat into the shared food is not too sanitary, so if you want to come off as a clean and polite person, it’s better to use that other end of your chopstick!

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East sushi like a pro

There are rules of etiquette that come with eating one of Japan’s most famous and loved dishes, sushi. According to sushi connoisseurs, here is the quote and quote “correct” way of eating sushi.

Rolled sushi:

1) Grab the seaweed portion with your fingers
2) Dip just one side of the rice into the soy sauce
3) Once you’re done eating, take the ginger and eat it on its own. People often get it confused and eat the ginger with the sushi, but it’s officially considered to be impolite. The ginger is also there to clear out the taste palette so you can go ahead with your next piece, so to serve its purpose it’s better to eat it on its own.

Nigiri-zushi (fish on top, rice on bottom):

1) Use your chopsticks and roll the nigiri-zushi on its side.
2) Pick it up and dip just the fish side into your soy sauce palette. (Be careful to not dip too much soy sauce, it could diminish the complex flavors you can get out of the sushi!)
3) If you want to go pro in the sushi game, put it in your mouth so the fish lays flat on your tongue. Apparently it enhances the flavors!

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Kanpai!

Like the saying goes, “When in Rome…” well, in this case, “when in Japan, do as the Japanese do.” When you cheers, raise your glass and clonk your glasses to the words “kanpai”!

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Slurping is OK!

Planning on getting yourself a bowl of ramen? Slurp while you’re at it! This may come off as a surprise considering how polite and quiet Japanese people are, but slurping is considered okay in Japan since it indicates how you’re enjoying the food and they even say it tastes better when you do.

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