Job Discussion Forums

[gaijinalways]

[BobbyBan]

When it comes to service the standard expected is certainly different between the UK and Japan or between Australia and Japan. In Japan, while service is often considered to be polite it is mostly because clerks are trained to be quite obsequious to their customers.

In a lot of Western countries this seems to be considered an affront to the dignity of shopclerks and others in the service industry and so they are not ordered to bow and scrape and rush about for clients/customers but instead to sarcastically drawl, "Did you see one on the shelf? No? Well, we don't have any then, do we?"

On the other hand, while there are often low standards of service you also will find people working in such situations who put a lot more of their own personality into their work and will sometimes be not just very helpful but also very personable. Some Japanese students may be surprised to have clerks tell them jokes or stories or ask them how they are doing and how they're enjoying their stay as this kind of "banter" between clerk and customer is far more rare in Japan.

Students should probably be able to expect this and not be too nervous if shopclerks and others start up a conversation with them as in the UK and Australia it is considered somewhat rude for customers to ignore staff or treat them as servants.

[wintersweet]

gwynnie86, something that caused culture shock for another client was the fact that many Americans DON'T wear their shoes in their houses all the time! He'd had it drilled into his head over and over that a major cultural difference between Americans and Japanese was that Americans always wore shoes in their houses, so he was shocked to find out that some Americans always remove their shoes, and MOST Americans SOMETIMES remove their shoes (you know, for comfort, or because it's warm, or because they're your "good shoes"). This totally blew him away!

Here's one for high school students if they're doing homestay: the circle and X button on Playstation/PS2/PS3 controllers are reversed! Circle is generally "cancel" and X is generally "do"/execute/accept/search/etc. on American controllers, which IIRC is the opposite of the original Japanese controller (since ○ = correct and � =　wrong　in Japan). (OK, that goes for if they're going to do homework in the US too--a wrong answer may be circled.)

A warning about California rolls and what else is considered standard sushi might be in order, too, though I think they should be encouraged to try it if they can find it at a good place that also does authentic Japanese standards well. My friend from Hiroshima fell in love with the handmade smoked salmon and cream cheese rolls at our local Japanese-run Japanese restaurant and was complaining that she wouldn't be able to get them back home!

[cornishmuppet]

Tell them that if they go to an Italian restaurant outside of Japan they can actually order types of pasta that aren't spaghetti as well as pizzas that are bigger than your average jam jar lid.

[robertokun]

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions so far.

I think the example about handling money definitely rings true. This happens to me in Japan sometimes in reverse where I go to hand them the money and they expect it on the tray, and then they give the change back kind of awkwardly on the tray.

I was also thinking about something dealing with communication like the Japanese tendency of being indirect, but I can't really think of any concrete examples right now.

[Cool Teacher]

But don't overdo it with direct and indirect.
Sometimes teachers tell students to be too direct and rude like this,

A'do you want to go for dinner?'
B'No thanks'

A'Do you like my new haircut?'
B'No it was better before.'

A'Does this dress make me look a little plump?'
B'Yes'

[wayne432]

[steki47]

Don't know how you would mention this politely to your students, but Westerners may assume that the Japanese are Chinese/Korean/Assorted Asian. I know a few Japanese who have been shocked and mildly traumatized by some white American asking them about Chinese food, etc.

Or maybe explain that Westerners have some rather limited images& stereotypes of Japanese society. They may get some questions about, samurai, Hello Kitty and so forth.

[azarashi sushi]

[Apsara]

I very much agree with azarashi sushi. Japanese people in general are very guilty of assuming all white foreigners are from the same place, i.e. the US, so having someone think they are Chinese would probably be a useful and educational experience for them!

Practically all my yoga students seem to assume I am American, ask me about yoga studios in the US and when I am next going back to America- I'm always astounded that that is the automatic assumption given the number of other countries I might be from.

[starteacher]

[seklarwia]

[Apsara]

[quote="starteacher"]

[cornishmuppet]

[quote="azarashi sushi"]

[starteacher]

I only use the words to highlight how fragile the situation is.

seklarwia, You are right as I was referring to people with yellow skin. I may have used the words "yellow folk" too fast in the discussion post for some people, but then it is because I was referring the same usage as Yellow Magic Orchestra, not Yellow Skin Magic Orchestra.

But I don't know whether you're being too anxious, I think even Obama and highend politicans have used the word yellow. I also managed to see Britain Got Talent and the colours of races, white black, red, yellow and brown were mentioned. Is it okay to use the words black folks and white folks but incorrect to use yellow folks ?
I am not giving any racist slur, there is no intent, The intent lies in the eye of the beholder. I am giving what is fact, of skin colour because you and I are most certainly one of those colours with carying hues and tones, sensitivity does not get society anywhere. If you were witness a robbery, not knowing where the person is from, are you going to say "I saw he was British" or are you going to say "I saw someone who skin colour was yellow . If skin colour is the issue to get people under their skin (pun ), so you could say "I saw someone oriental". Well, what conclusions will one make of "oriental", and indirect way of saying yellow ?

When someone says "We Americans do ....." or "We British...", what does that refer to ? Are British people "Europeans" ?

Discussions of race and nationalities (and even religion) are very sensitive topics, and for that very matter they should be discussed more in society in general. It is not what is being said, it is the intent behind the words. The world is getting smaller.

In the UK, the words "equal opportunities" often come up, well it simply highlights the that opportunities are not equal in society. Human discrimination (sex, colour, creed, religion) is a very subtle feature in society.

After all, there are some Japanese who look Americans right ?? (they are not yellow but white). We all take what is a majority assumption, so it does not strike me odd when someone is referred to American or Chinese because it is not intentional but only a majority assumption.

My advice to students and anyone who goes abroad - be friendly, be humble, have fun, love and embrace, not fear. Then there is no shock. That applies to anyone really, more so to myself. I have friends here who have been in Japan for what seems centuries and it still seems like a shock to them.

To conclude, in one second answer the following ... my mother sent me a bunch of roses, what was the colour of the roses ?



Answer - it doesn't matter, it was the thought that counts.