Japanese Etiquette and Manners

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Japan is known to be one of the strictest country when it comes to etiquettes and manners. Their etiquettes and manners have been passed on for generations and it has become their part of the culture. One of the most important factors that affect this culture is body language and speech tone. Their body language and speech tone are differentiated greatly depending on the person they are talking to. There are many concepts such as age and rank that determine the actions of the Japanese people in society, and it is a very important part of the Japanese culture. A very noticeable body language the Japanese people frequently used was pointing their finger to their nose when referring to 'me' or 'I'. This is a gesture that is quite unusual in Australian as it is very different to how westerners express 'me' or 'I'. Most westerners use the body language where they place their palm on their heart/chest, when referring to themselves. However, after observing the Japanese students who came to Canberra, they seemed to point to their nose rather than their heart. Another body language that was observed was 'placing hand behind head'. This gesture is known to be used widely in Asian countries, especially Japan. This specific gesture is used in an embarrassing or frustrating situation to express how they feel. The Japanese students often put their open palm behind their head when they were in a embarrassing or awkward situation. This is usually not a gesture that western people would make, but almost all the students seemed to make this gesture when they couldn't communicate easily with the Australian students. Japanese people differentiate their actions according to the people they interact or talk to. Japanese people act very differently to a person who is older than themselves, being much more politer. Their gestures and body movements when they are talking to their friends

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