2. Etiquette and Manners
- Critical to functioning in society
- Standards of conduct which are heavily based
on cultural tradition and heritage
- Both concepts involve rules of behavior but
involve different types of skills

3. Etiquette
- specific rules of conduct or code
of behavior
- can be learned by taking
specific lessons
Manners
-general behavioral guidelines
-often become second nature

4. The Indispensable Basics
1. When entering a Japanese house
or a ryokan, outdoor shoes are
always replaced by slippers at the
doorway (genkan).
2. When you are invited into a Japanese family, bring a small
present or "omiyage".
3. Say "o-jama shimasu" (sorry for disturbing) while entering
someone's house.
4. Some shops, cafes or department stores provide plastic
covers for umbrellas. Make sure not to enter with a dripping
wet umbrella without one.

5. The Indispensable Basics
5. Refrain from blowing your nose in front of other people.
Japanese only use paper tissue for this.
6. You should not eat while standing or walking in the street.
Even inside a house, you should sit down to eat.
7. Do not point your finger, feet or chopsticks at people. If you
have to indicate an object or direction to someone, wave
your fingers with the palm downwards.
8. Avoid expressing your opinion too directly. Japanese have
what they call "honne" (real opinion) and "tatemae" (public
opinion)

6. The Indispensable Basics
9. Avoid interrupting people when they are speaking or
thinking about an answer. Japanese do not mind short
periods of silence in the middle of a discussion.
10. Avoid fixing someone in the eyes.
11. Do not use your mobile phone in trains unless it is clearly
allowed to do so. Using emails or SMS is fine though.

7. Table Manners
1. Do not stick your chopsticks vertically into a bowl of
rice, as this is used in Buddhist funerary ceremony.
2. Do not pass food to someone else with your chopsticks.
3. At a "nomikai", you should (re)fill the glasses of people
around you when they are empty, and they should do
the same for you. If you want to refill you glass, start by
serving other people. If you do not want a refill, do not
empty you glass.
4. Noodles can be and should be slurped. Likewise, bowls
or plates should be brought up the the mouth rather
than bending one's head toward it.

8. Business Etiquette
1. "Meishi" (business cards) are exchanged when meeting
someone for the first time. They should be given and
accepted with both hands in formal situations.
2. Make sure to observe it carefully and remember your
opposite's name. Place the card on the table in front of
you if you are sitting,
or put it in your wallet.
Do not put a proffered cards
into your pocket or fold it in any way.

9. Bathing Etiquette
1. Japanese wash themselves before entering the bath, as
they have a customs of sharing the bath water. This is
true as well for public baths (sentō 銭湯 ) as for thermal
spring (onsen 温泉 ) and bath in individual homes. The
reason is that other people will use the same water
after you.

10. Bathing Etiquette
2. In public baths, do not mistake men and women's
changing rooms, as it is extremely impolite. The men's
room are usually on the left, and normally has a blue
curtain with "otoko" ( 男 ) or dono-sama ( 殿様 ) written
on it. The women's room is usually on the right, with a
red curtain reading
"onna" ( 女 ).
3. Tattoos are banned
in most public baths.

11. Japanese Bowing
A bow ranges from a small nod of the head to a long, 90
degree bend at the waist. If the greeting takes place on
tatami floor, people get on their knees in order to bow.
Japanese people bow to greet, express thanks, apologize,
make a request or to ask someone a favor.