TRADITIONS AND CULTURES OF JAPANESE
Bowing
� DO bow when people bow to you.
� DON’T come up until they do.
� DO come up before them if you happen to be their superior – otherwise you may be
there forever.
� DO bend from the waist and keep the back relatively straight.
� DO bow with your hands at your sides for men & boys or clasped in the lap women &
girls.
� DO bend lower than the other person when bowing to older people or those of
higher rank (ie your boss).
� DO bow again if you are bowed to a second time – sometimes it will take 3 or 4
progressively less deep bows to make it back to full standing.
� DON’T bow to children or after purchasing something at a store – foreigners bowing
to the 16 year old kid at the 7-11 cash register after buying a sandwich is an all too
common GFP.
Eating
o DO put your palms together and say “Itadakimasu” before eating – it is a polite way
of expressing “Thank you for the meal I am about to receive.”
o DON’T burp at the table – unlike some Asian countries, burping is rude in Japan.
o DO lift bowls of rice, noodles, and small plates off the table to make eating with
chopsticks easier.
o DON’T lift large plates off the table to eat out of them.
o DO be adventurous with trying new kinds of food.
o DON’T blow your nose at the table – do it in the restroom.
o DO cover your mouth with your other hand when using a toothpick.
o DO put your palms together and say “Gochiso sama deshita” after finishing a meal –
it is a polite way of expressing “Thank you for all the effort in creating this the feast”.