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luckyloser700
Joined: 24 Mar 2006
Posts: 308
Location: Japan
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 Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 6:27 am Post subject: Ahh!...Why did I do that? |
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| What is the single-most serious social blunder a foreigner living in Japan can make in the workplace or just out in public? Lately, I've been wondering if I'm not sensitive enough to cultural differences. |
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kdynamic
Joined: 05 Nov 2005
Posts: 562
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 7:29 am Post subject: |
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I know some ALTs who seriously pissed some people off while in mixed company at karaoke by singing an English song with a heavy katakana accent, making fun of the accent Japanese people have in English. I wasn't there, but the Japanese people who were are apparently still pretty sore about it.
However, I think your question is a little overly broad.... I think the thing that gets many westerners in trouble is not closely observing the people around them for nonverbal cues and expecting that if they are meant to know something it will be told to them explicitly, which is just not how it works. This trips them up and can cause bad blood both at work and in interpersonal relations. |
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Jazz1975
Joined: 14 Feb 2006
Posts: 301
Location: Zama, Kanagawa
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| Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 7:59 am Post subject: |
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| Would going out alone at night qualify as a faux pas (when one is a woman)? I'm quite comfortable about going to salsa clubs on my own, especially when I know I'll be running into at least a few friends and acquaintances. Any thoughts? |
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kdynamic
Joined: 05 Nov 2005
Posts: 562
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 9:00 am Post subject: |
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| Jazz1975 wrote: |
| Would going out alone at night qualify as a faux pas (when one is a woman)? |
Hahahah hardly!! Japan might just be the safest place in the world for a woman to walk the streets alone at night. Not only is there very little violent crime, 9 times out of 10 you could drop any little Japanese punk dude that tried anything with you before he knew what hit him. The worst you can expect is someone maybe grabbing your ass on a Tokyo subway. Just stay out of kabuki-cho, mmkay? |
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luckyloser700
Joined: 24 Mar 2006
Posts: 308
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 9:01 am Post subject: |
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| Jazz1975 wrote: |
| Would going out alone at night qualify as a faux pas (when one is a woman)? I'm quite comfortable about going to salsa clubs on my own, especially when I know I'll be running into at least a few friends and acquaintances. Any thoughts? |
I don't think it's a social blunder, but it's probably better to go out with a friend or two, if at all possible. This is a relatively safe country, but there are perverts everywhere in the world. I haven't heard any horror stories from people I know other than the occasional groping of a female on the subway (Not saying this isn't a horrible experience, just not a horror story). Lots of Japanese women go out alone at night so I don't think anyone would think you're strange for doing so. If you have to traverse any dark areas you don't feel comfortable being in, take a taxi. |
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Jazz1975
Joined: 14 Feb 2006
Posts: 301
Location: Zama, Kanagawa
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| Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 9:02 am Post subject: |
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| kdynamic wrote: |
| The worst you can expect is someone maybe grabbing your ass on a Tokyo subway. |
That's where the word "CHIKAN" comes in handy  . |
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Jazz1975
Joined: 14 Feb 2006
Posts: 301
Location: Zama, Kanagawa
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| Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 9:05 am Post subject: |
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| luckyloser700 wrote: |
| I don't think it's a social blunder, but it's probably better to go out with a friend or two, if at all possible. This is a relatively safe country, but there are perverts everywhere in the world. I haven't heard any horror stories from people I know other than the occasional groping of a female on the subway (Not saying this isn't a horrible experience, just not a horror story). Lots of Japanese women go out alone at night so I don't think anyone would think you're strange for doing so. If you have to traverse any dark areas you don't feel comfortable being in, take a taxi. |
Point taken @ friends and trust me, I know @ perverts. Very true @ taking a taxi. I'd do the exact same thing right now if I didn't have access to a car. Might have to crash at a capsule hotel at times if I can't catch the last train out. |
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luckyloser700
Joined: 24 Mar 2006
Posts: 308
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 9:07 am Post subject: |
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| kdynamic wrote: |
| Not only is there very little violent crime, 9 times out of 10 you could drop any little Japanese punk dude that tried anything with you before he knew what hit him. |
HaHa! I wanted to say this, but I didn't want to sound like I was putting down the Japanese male population. Besides, the guy who'll be groping your ass on the subway will most likely be a 50-something salaryman. Jazz could take one of them out, I'm sure. |
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Jazz1975
Joined: 14 Feb 2006
Posts: 301
Location: Zama, Kanagawa
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| Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 9:16 am Post subject: |
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| luckyloser700 wrote: |
| Jazz could take one of them out, I'm sure. |
I'd certainly try, that's for sure. It's all about survival. |
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canuck
Joined: 11 May 2003
Posts: 1921
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 9:17 am Post subject: Re: Ahh!...Why did I do that? |
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| luckyloser700 wrote: |
| What is the single-most serious social blunder a foreigner living in Japan can make in the workplace or just out in public? |
To randomly kancho multiple oban-chans, while wearing a Yomiuri Giants' jersey, drunk on sake.
Last edited by canuck on Tue Apr 11, 2006 9:51 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Eva Pilot
Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 351
Location: Far West of the Far East
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| Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 9:34 am Post subject: |
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| kdynamic wrote: |
| Jazz1975 wrote: |
| Would going out alone at night qualify as a faux pas (when one is a woman)? |
Hahahah hardly!! Japan might just be the safest place in the world for a woman to walk the streets alone at night. Not only is there very little violent crime, 9 times out of 10 you could drop any little Japanese punk dude that tried anything with you before he knew what hit him. The worst you can expect is someone maybe grabbing your ass on a Tokyo subway. Just stay out of kabuki-cho, mmkay? |
Singapore. World's safest place. *loves Singapore* |
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angrysoba
Joined: 20 Jan 2006
Posts: 446
Location: Kansai, Japan
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| Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 9:54 am Post subject: |
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| Asking for maguro (tuna sashimi) from a girl at an izakaya, but saying the wrong word, mange (female pubic hair). |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 10:18 am Post subject: |
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There are any number of things you can do that will seriously pi-ss off the locals.
Get soap in the bath at an onsen. Ive heard they had to drain it once and foreigners are banned from many places in Hokkaido
Wearing toilet slippers outside the toilet.
Blowing your nose into a handkerchief. Japanese think this is disgusting. Carrying nose mucus around in your pocket.
Putting soy sauce on rice. Big no-no.
Standing chopsticks in rice bowl. This is only done with incense sticks at Buddhist funerals.
Foreigners calling people 'omae' should be avoided.
Common in language schools- talking in loud voice in teachers room about students English ability, not realising students and office staff can hear every word you say. |
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abufletcher
Joined: 14 Sep 2005
Posts: 779
Location: Shikoku Japan (for now)
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| Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 10:31 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
Singapore. World's safest place. *loves Singapore* |
It may be the world's safest place, but you couldn't pay me enough to live in Singapore with all their authoritarian attitudes and signs announcing fines for just about any human activity.
On the topic of safety in Japan, last weekend I was walking around Shinjuku about 9pm and got tired of all the noise and crowds so I ducked into a dark alley which ended up in a little shrine area. There was no one there. I found a nice seat under some small red arches and read for about an hour. It never once occurred to me that I shouldn't be sitting in a dark, isolated place, all by myself in what is essentially the middle of a "red light" district. |
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Like a Rolling Stone
Joined: 27 Mar 2006
Posts: 872
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| Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 10:41 am Post subject: |
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[quote="Eva Pilot"]
| kdynamic wrote: |
| Singapore. World's safest place. *loves Singapore* |
Singapore is a fine city!
You get a fine for this  and a fine for that !
Ha ha ha! |
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