1980s Japanese Manners

Point (read all about it!)

A new freezine hit the streets in Tokyo this week called Japan Scope. I'm not going to comment on the content other than to say it's pretty dire and half the information seems to have come from the 1988 version of Lonely Planet. Take the following advice, for example, on how to conduct business in Japan. (My comments follow the quoted text in brown; I meant to put more links in but I kinda ran out of time.)

1. Those who dress according to their status or position impress the Japanese. Dress to impress. In other words, buy the same bag from Louis Vuitton.

2. Men should wear dark conservative suits. Business suits are most suitable. As opposed to furry animal suits.

3. Casual dress is never appropriate in a business setting. But you can wear your pyjamas down to the 24-hour convenience store (provided you remember to wear some shoes).

4. Women’s dress should be conservative. Little emphasis should be placed on accessories. They should minimal. This simply isn't true. See here.

5. Women should not wear pants in a business situation. Japanese men tend to find it offensive. Ditto.

6. Women should only wear low-heeled shoes to avoid towering over men. Rubbish. I have yet to see a Japanese women wear non-heeled shoes in a strictly business situation.

7. Remember the Japanese phrase, “The nail that sticks up gets hit with the hammer” when considering your choices for attire in Japan. So don't wear any Eraserhead masks.

8. Avoid using large hand gestures, unusual facial expressions and any dramatic movements. The Japanese do not talk with their hands and to do so could distract your host. Use small gestures instead.

9. Avoid the OK sign; in Japan it means money. Actually, everything means money.

10. Pointing is not acceptable. Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting is though.

11. Do not blow your nose in public.
Sniff throughout the entire train journey and cough all over someone instead.

12. A smile can have a double meaning. It can express joy or displeasure. Use caution with your facial expressions. They can easily be misunderstood. Smile and you could be taken two ways; scowl and be taken one way – I know which I'd choose.

13. The Japanese are not uncomfortable with silence. They use it to their advantage in many situations. Allow your host to sit in silence. No comment.

For the record, I thought I'd offer a bit of practical adice of things you should remember when "doing business" in Japan, although the suggestions can really apply in many situations:

1. When you meet someone for the first time, remember their name.

2. It can often take two or three weeks to make appointments with some people (owing to their busy schedule), so take this into account when arranging your schedule.

3. Make sure you know exactly how to get to your intended destination before you leave home; make sure you take the phone number of the person you are going to meet; and, most importantly, call if you are going to be late for whatever reason.

4. Make sure to remove coats, hats, scarfs etc before being in the situation where you have to meet the person you're supposed to meet. It's often best to remove these items in the lobby before introducing yourself to the receptionist. Once you meet the person you want to meet you may not get much of a chance to remove excessive clothing items.

5. On that note, make sure to have some business cards at the ready so that you can present them without having to fish around in your bag for five minutes when meeting a person for the first time.

That's my two cents' worth but I' be keen to hear from others such as SG who have been in this country for longer and, thus, are far more experienced in this subject matter than myself.

Let's Event (coming soon to a space near you)
It's been raining cats and dogs but I'm really looking forward to this. Will keep you posted...