- Japanese consider it odd to have a shower in the morning - you should bathe before going to bed here.
- It's rude to blow your nose in public, far more polite to snort the gunk back in.
- When eating noodles, you are expected to slurp them up noisily.
- It's perfectly OK to ask a new acquaintance how old they are.
- When laughing, don't show your teeth - if you are a woman. You can often see women putting a hand over their mouth if they feel the need to laugh in public.
And here's another rule I discovered while in the bank last weekend - don't start a business conversation with pleasantries and small talk about the weather, latest sports news or disaster in China - start talking turkey, and only when you are standing up to leave may you change the subject to something far more intimate and engrossing like the extortionate price of Leicester cheese in Japan (for example).
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4 comments:
I remember living with a Japanese guy at uni adn the slurping used to drive me insane.
it's like that old one in SE Asia about not pointing your toes at people.how do you sit in a circle like that?
I mean it's impossible.
Not impossible, just uncomfortable - sit on your knees - see the pic of me doing the playgroup (on the Tower Talk blog). No less absurd than doffing your cap or tipping a cab driver.
I was referring to the comfort.customs are customs and I do my best to respect them but that toes one has had me in some real pain and i'm not even sure anyone noticed.
You're big and ugly enough that people will make allowances, Dr D. Just don't wipe your backside with your right hand while whistling The Sash and you'll be OK.
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