a new etiquette guide to Japanese

[Astroboy]

Etiquette guide released ahead of London 2012 Olympics
Etiquette guide released ahead of London 2012 Olympics - CNN.com

Avoid saying "thank you" to a Chinese compliment, and don't ask a Brazilian personal questions. Those are among the tips in a new etiquette guide designed to help create a warm welcome for visitors ahead of the 2012 London Olympics.

One of their suggestions is about Japanese:

-- A smiling Japanese person is not necessarily happy. (They tend to smile when angry, embarrassed, sad, or disappointed.) Also avoid talking to them with your hands in your pockets, staring, being late, and blowing your nose in front of someone. While sitting, try not to show the bottom of your shoes.

But the suggestion about Canadian -- Never call a Canadian an American. Some Canadians take offense at being mistaken for U.S. citizens -- is inscrutable to me. Why is that? :?

 

[Chidoriashi]

Etiquette guide released ahead of London 2012 Olympics
Etiquette guide released ahead of London 2012 Olympics - CNN.com
Avoid saying "thank you" to a Chinese compliment, and don't ask a Brazilian personal questions. Those are among the tips in a new etiquette guide designed to help create a warm welcome for visitors ahead of the 2012 London Olympics.
One of their suggestions is about Japanese:
-- A smiling Japanese person is not necessarily happy. (They tend to smile when angry, embarrassed, sad, or disappointed.) Also avoid talking to them with your hands in your pockets, staring, being late, and blowing your nose in front of someone. While sitting, try not to show the bottom of your shoes.
But the suggestion about Canadian -- Never call a Canadian an American. Some Canadians take offense at being mistaken for U.S. citizens -- is inscrutable to me. Why is that? :?

Would you enjoy being mistaken for Chinese, or Korean, or any nationality that you are not?

 

[undrentide]

Thank you Astroboy for the interesting post!

While sitting, try not to show the bottom of your shoes.

Though being Japanese myself, I have no clue what this is about...:?

 

[Astroboy]

Would you enjoy being mistaken for Chinese, or Korean, or any nationality that you are not?

Good point. Now I understand.

 

[agnoni]

Etiquette guide released ahead of London 2012 Olympics
-- A smiling Japanese person is not necessarily happy. (They tend to smile when angry, embarrassed, sad, or disappointed.) Also avoid talking to them with your hands in your pockets, staring, being late, and blowing your nose in front of someone. While sitting, try not to show the bottom of your shoes.
But the suggestion about Canadian -- Never call a Canadian an American. Some Canadians take offense at being mistaken for U.S. citizens -- is inscrutable to me. Why is that? :?

That's incredible. I wish I knew that much earlier.

 

[nice gaijin]

I don't get the bottom of the shoe thing either, I thought I'd heard that about Arab culture though. Facts mixed up?

Canadians like being confused for Americans about as much as New Zealanders for Australians.

People from the UAE "appreciate being looked after by staff trained to understand Arab culture." Duh.

Real in-depth study there.

For a really interesting look into a specific culture, I recommend "Watching the English" by Kate Fox. I'm reading it now and it's quite fascinating!

 

[AJBryant]

I don't get the bottom of the shoe thing either, I thought I'd heard that about Arab culture though. Facts mixed up?

Nope. It's an old Japanese thing.

There's a wonderful letter from Oda Nobunaga where he's tearing someone a new one, and included in the list of things the person is to do is "make sure he doesn't sleep with his feet in my direction."

 

[undrentide]

Nope. It's an old Japanese thing.

There's a wonderful letter from Oda Nobunaga where he's tearing someone a new one, and included in the list of things the person is to do is "make sure he doesn't sleep with his feet in my direction."

Though we sometimes say ××に足を向けて寝られない (cannot sleep with my feet pointed to xx = the person the speaker respects), I've never heard of showing the sole of shoes when one is sitting...
To me it is impossible when one sits Japanese way because we take off shoes inside buildings in the first place, and to me it sounds very difficult to show one's shoes sole when one is sitting on a chair.