When Japanese People Go Overseas

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When Japanese people go overseas When Japanese people go overseas, they often find themselves in trouble when it comes to what is acceptable to do in public. Often the neglect of not knowing can have disastrous results. Some may agree, some may not but all of these advisories listed should at least be noted to make any Japanese tourist aware of what could be misunderstood as inappropriate or taboo in a in a foreign country. 1. Wearing T-shirts with embarrassing phrases on them Japanese often wear t-shirts with western phrases on them maybe to blend in or be trendy, the problem occurs when the phrase is explicit or rude. This can lead to communication problems, or being at least heckled 2. A Japanese parent apologizing if their child is a nuisance to others “Overseas, there is a custom that the responsibility is on the individual who acted poorly, even if it’s a child. But in Japan there is the perception that the blame is equal between the parent and child. When going abroad, encourage your children to apologize themselves.” 3. Not appreciating chivalry- “Men holding the door open for women are a simple custom abroad. However, in Japan many women are not used to ‘ladies first.’ Profusely thanking a man for that can seem unusual, so walk through in a dignified manner when it happens.” 4 At luxury brand stores, entering with another store’s bag. “Because the clerks take pride in their brand, try not to be rude even though you’re the customer.” 5. Calling out to the waiter in a loud voice. “In Japan it’s common to see people yell ‘Excuse me!’ [sumimasen] to the waiters, but in other countries it’s not good.” In a lot of restaurants in Japan it’s also common for waiters to yell at the top of their lungs whenever a person enters. That really accentuates the dining experience. 6. Japanese tourists bringing
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