3 manners not worth remembering in Japan
So, Sunday I watched a short spot on TV about manners in Japan. Here are 3 things I didn’t know and thought were interesting but dont think they are necessarily all that important (although the TV show made them out to be).
#3: Never give an apron to an older lady as a present (even if it is your mother-in-law). It gives the impression that you want them to serve you by preparing food, it is an insult.
#2: Never give an older person (in the example it was a father-in-law) a watch. It is like telling them to watch their time and to study hard and work hard.
#1: When knocking on a door it matters how many times you actually knock… and it is different for every door. Knock 2 times on a bathroom door before trying the doorknob. Knock 3 times on a bedroom door before trying to enter. Knock 4 (yes… 4 - the number that is usually not a good number in Japan because it, when pronounced, sounds like the same word as death) on a outside door of a house or office
Bonus: And here is a bonus manner that you should actually remember. Never - ever - ask a sushi chef 今日のおすすめは何ですか。”kyou no osusume ha nan desu ka” / “what is your recommendation today?” as it implies that some sushi is not fresh. Since real sushi places purchase fresh fish daily, this is an insult! Instead, ask 今日は何がありますか。”kyou ha nani ga arimasu ka” / “what do you have today?”
May 17th, 2010 at 7:26 pm
This post was very interesting Charles…especially about how many times you’re supposed to knock on someone’s door, depending on what door it is haha that’s really cool and polite
Hope everything’s going great over there. Say hi to Ayako for me and take care as usual 
May 17th, 2010 at 7:31 pm
Glad you enjoyed it , and thanks for leaving a comment
Hope all is well there