Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan - Do It Right and Be Polite!

2018 Foreword Indie Awards Winner
Going to Japan? This unfussy modern guide guarantees you keep it polite and get it right!
This guide to common courtesy, acceptable behavior, and manners is essential for any visitor to Japan. Japanese are unfailingly polite and will never tell you if you've crossed the line. But by knowing how to act in every situation you'll gain the respect of your hosts and in the end get even better service and enjoyment during your travels. Covered here are all the essentials-like travel, greetings, dining-plus subtle niceties like tone of voice, body language, cell phone usage, city vs. country styles, and attire (and what to do about your tattoos!).
The author, a 25-year resident of Japan and tourist adviser who lives on the fabled Inland Sea, knows just what foreign visitors need and delivers it in a smart, compact, and delightfully illustrated package for quick use and reference.

List of contents

INTRODUCTION

• Hospitality and Thoughtfulness in Japan
• The Role of the Outsider (You)
• Manners = Gratitude

10 Things You Should Never Do in Japan
10 Things You Should Always Do in Japan
Money

• talking about money
• money envelopes
• tipping
• monetary gifts
• paying the bill at a restaurant
• paying someone for their time or for a favor
• Anecdote/commentary

Bowing & Shaking Hands

• when to bow
• how to bow
• the head-bow
• kowtowing
• bowing while exchanging business cards
• shaking hands while exchanging business cards
• Anecdote/commentary

Conversation

• when to speak
• voice level
• adjusting you speech for non-native speakers
• listening
• good topics
• bad topics (see Taboo Subjects)
• making suggestions
• how to be firm but polite
• asking for help
• expressing interest without creating obligation
• apologizing
• expressing disagreement
• expressing disappointment
• dealing with embarrassing situations and mistakes
• Anecdote/commentary

Taboo Subjects

• burakumin
• yakuza
• suicide
• racism
• gays/lesbians
• foreigners
• money
• about tattoos and piercings
• Anecdote/commentary

Showing Appreciation

• thanking
• gift-giving
• turning thoughtfulness into a habit
• returning favors
• omiyage
• gifts of anticipation
• thanking someone the next time you see them
• Anecdote/commentary

Romance and Flirting

• dating
• holding hands
• visiting someone's house
• dating
• sex
• texting and use of emoji
• Anecdote/commentary

Queuing

• waiting to get into a restaurant
• queuing on the train platform
• middle-aged women who don't que
• giving up your seat on the train to an aged person
• Anecdote/commentary

Eating in Public

• on the train
• eating while walking
• standing while eating
• what to do with your garbage after eating
• foods you shouldn't eat on the train to not cause offense (kimchee
• etc)
• how to put your bento box back together before throwing it away (chopsticks back in sleeve
• uneaten food covered with lid and bound with elastic
• all that put back into plastic bag)
• Anecdote/commentary

Eating in Restaurants

• letting your host order for you
• choosing shareable dishes
• eating leisurely
• chopstick etiquette
• types of food and protocol (nabe
• okonomiyaki
• etc)
• vegetarians
• Anecdote/commentary

Drinking

• in public
• at parties or functions
• ohanami parties
• kompai etiquette
• pouring beer
• refiling others' beer glasses
• wine
• sake
• Anecdote/commentary

Drinking Establishments

• izakaya
• bars
• hostess clubs
• cafes Asking for waiter/waitress
• paying
• tipping
• who pays
• Anecdote/commentary

Shoes

• the genkan
• taking off shoes
• properly taking off shoes
• lining up shoes
• using slippers
• bare feet & tatami mat
• toilet slippers
• outdoor slippers
• using shoe boxes
• Anecdote/commentary

Toilets

• J-style
• Western style
• washlets
• hygiene
• big and small flush
• how to knock on stall door
• the "sound princess," old style pit toilets
• Anecdote/commentary

At the Hotel

• tipping
• how to complain
• dealing with staff
• letting yourself be taken care of
• using the bath and other common facilities
• Anecdote/commentary

On the Subway/Train/Bus

• finding a seat in an unreserved compartment or train
• eating
• sound levels
• use of electronics, headphones, and cell phones
• making conversation (or not) with fellow passengers
• asking for help
• solving ticketing and reservation problems

When You "Take a Meeting" in Japan

• greetings
• basic workplace etiquette
• to bring a gift or not?
• to receive a gift or not?
• who pays for lunch?
• where and when to use your phone
• thank yous at day's end
• how to listen
• how to say no or "I'll think about it"

Bringing Good Manners Home With You
Index

About the author

Amy Chavez has lived in Japan for 25 years, and is proprietor of the Moooo! Bar & Cafe on Shiraishi Island in the Inland Sea, where she helps tourists with reservations, language support, and cultural guidance. She has lived in Japan for 25 years and writes about cultural differences between Japan and the West for the Japan Times, Huffpo, and RocketNews24.

Report

Foreword Indie Awards Gold Winner in Travel
"You are headed to Japan for the first time and you've heard Japanese are very courteous and that good manners are very important in their country... Chavez covers about every situation where manners are important in Japan, from transportation and accommodation to food and drink consumption to business meetings, dating, weddings, cell phones, etc. It is 140 pages of how to be on your best behavior."
-Japan Visitor
"For many American and international fans of anime and manga, visiting Japan is a dream come true. But because Japan has a very unique culture, how can tourists make sure they're not accidentally saying or doing the wrong things? Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan is here to help."
-OtakuUSA Magazine
"Want to delve into the nitty-gritty of Japanese manners? Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan: Do it Right and Be Polite! might be the guide for you."
-Kotaku
"Both humorous and remains informative for anyone needing a little guidance on avoiding the pitfalls that sometimes await travelers in the land of the rising sun."
-Gaijin Pot

"A quick, easy-to-read overview of how to fully enjoy your experience in Japan and best incorporate the complexities of Japanese customs and etiquette into your homestay, study abroad, or quick jaunt to Japan."
-JQ Magazine
"A comprehensive overview of Japanese etiquette for visitors to Japan. Topics are well organized and easy-to-read with personal anecdotes and cute illustrations that present very practical 'do's and don'ts' as well as some of their underlying cultural perceptions. I highly recommend Amy's Guide, not just to avoid making mistakes while in Japan but also to enjoy this intriguing side of its culture and people."
-Cathy Hirano, translator of Marie Kondo's The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Nahoko Uehashi's The Beast Player
"A long-needed succinct, comprehensive, and easily understood guide to the mores of Japan."
-Paul Christie, CEO, Walk Japan
"A thoroughly 'user friendly' guide for businessmen and vacationers to the common courtesy, acceptable behaviors, and expected manners that are essential for any visitor to Japan. You'll gain the respect of your hosts and in the end get even better service and enjoyment during your travels."
-Midwest Book Review
"Sixteen years of writing on the country have honed her take on the subject, and it is in her experience as a writer and an observer that her strengths lie."
-Kyoto Journal
"In my 60-plus years of attempting to describe what it means to be Japanese and how to interact effectively with them, I found Amy Chavez's book . . . the most novel, the most fascinating, and one of the most insightful descriptions of the Japanese character"
-Boye Lafayette De Mente, author of 30+ pioneer books on Japan

Product details

• Authors: Amy Chavez
• Assisted by: Jun Hazuki (Illustration)
• Publisher: Stone Bridge Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 31.07.2018
• EAN: 9781611720433
• ISBN: 978-1-61172-043-3
• No. of pages: 144
• Dimensions: 114 mm x 177 mm x 9 mm
• Subject: Travel > Travel guides > Asia