Social Etiquette

Japan and England

Topics of Interest

Japan

• Greetings

• Eating Etiquette

• Gaijin

England

• Introductions

• Pub Etiquette

• The American Way

JAPAN

Greetings

In Japan, the level of formality of greetings is directly connected to relevant hierarchies of:

• Gender• Age

• Seniority of position (Sempai-Kōhai)– Insider-Outsider relations

Vertical Relations

Bowing &

Shaking of Hands

General Rule: Deepness of bow depends on status of self to the person to whom one is bowing.

Handshaking has become more common, but remains a little unusual

“Behaviorisms”

• Directness- Viewed as vulgar, preferred method is “stomach talk”

• Shyness- 1) limited English

2) little interaction with foreigners

• Flattery- “Sono koto wa Arimasen”

viewed as quite natural, the Japanese rarely pass up the opportunity to praise each other in company.

Eating Etiquette

Do’s and Do Nots:

• Do Not Stick chopsticks upright in your rice• Do Not Pass food from your chopsticks to someone else's• Do be polite, saying ‘Itadakimasu’ at the start of the meal,

and thanking your host at the end (or anytime in between).• Do try to eat everything you are given, and don’t forget to

slurp your noodles• Do Not pour your own drink

* Bill-paying

Gaijin

Literally, an “outside person”

– Derived from the Chinese term gwaijin, this status of “outsider” was mainly applied to foreigners but could also be used to describe someone outside the family

– Exclusion and Exclusivity

ENGLAND

Introductions

• Acknowledgment of Introduction

• Meaningless Exchange

• Shaking Hands “Never Shake Hands when it is awkward to do so.” There is no general rule of when to offer your hand to

be shaken, it’s dependent on the temperament of the individual.

Pub Etiquette ‘Pub’ is short for ‘Public

House’

Rules of the Pub:

1. There is no waiter service in British pubs.

2. It is customary for one or two people, not the whole group, to go up to the bar to buy drinks

3. The pantomime ritual

4. & 5. Ordering etiquette

6. Tipping

The American Way

Good manners can be modified from the basic royal court model for a democratic one in which honors are modestly apportioned, and only to individuals.

• Snobbery

• Patience

• “Being A dumb American”

Not So Different

Etiquette regarding greetings and introductions

Etiquette for eating and drinking

Etiquette towards foreigners