things NOT to do in Japan

jhough37 · 16 May 2005

I found this article, written by a Parisian but about Japanese manners

Just thought some people would be interested to know a few more things that, since they seem minor to me and my western thinking, they might accidentally do in Japan and raise the ire of some older people.

Tsuwabuki · 16 May 2005

Childishly inappropriate behaviour has infected Japan's political elite, as Junichiro Koizumi, the Prime Minister, revealed when he lectured a group of young MPs last year. ﾂ"Don't send e-mails on your cell phones or read comic books in parliament while in session,ﾂ" he told them. ﾂ"You can be seen very clearly from the Prime Minister's seat. You should really stop that ﾂ― it's disgraceful.ﾂ"

Oh those crazy Japanese MPs.

Mycernius · 16 May 2005

Japanese in such situations face yet another problem. While it is not true that the Japanese language has no swear words, standards of vituperation are certainly lower than in English. Even the word commonly used to mean ﾂ"you bastardﾂ" — kisama — is simply an impolite way of saying ﾂ"youﾂ".

The worst that one can do in daily speech would be Shine bakayaro!, which means little more than ﾂ"Drop dead, you idiot!ﾂ" Such is the dearth of salty invective that angry Japanese turn increasingly to a reliable English expression, pronounced the Japanese way: Fakkyuu.

Great, Japanese rebels. Now I can swear at other drivers in Japanese.
"Kisama, kisama, baka!"

andorin · 24 May 2005

crossing your legs is impolite? thats rough...

Endsight61 · 2 Jun 2005

Apart from putting on their make-up at stations, young Japanese have adopted such ﾂ"vicesﾂ" as swinging umbrellas, eating in public and crossing their legs on the subway. While these are minor sins elsewhere, in Japan they are being taken with the utmost seriousness.

That proves it, I am doomed! I love swing umbrellas and holding them like I am a master of the lost sword arts! :samurai: I eat in public all the time (mouth closed of course) . I often cross my legs when I am wearing a dress... I mean geez! The only rule I have not broken yet is putting on make up in public, unless public application of lipsmackers gloss is going to have me arrested? Gosh, I am screwed. *notices that crying has gotten worse*

Mike Cash · 2 Jun 2005

The eating/drinking in public thing is rapidly being abandoned by Japan's youth. It's a rare day I don't see somebody tooling down the sidewalk in the morning, breakfast in hand, happily munching away.

Anchyyy · 2 Jun 2005

mikecash said:
The eating/drinking in public thing is rapidly being abandoned by Japan's youth. It's a rare day I don't see somebody tooling down the sidewalk in the morning, breakfast in hand, happily munching away.

Funny thing I think in Japan is going everything so fast.They don't even have time for breakfast....

monkey0 · 3 Jun 2005

'course, if you're a white foreigner you may as well be wearing clown shoes and a rainbow afro wig anyway. so I figure, why disappoint people's expecations? takoyaki taste better walking...
the monkey is always watching

Morfos · 3 Jun 2005

Kisama most be the most beautiful profanity word I ever heard.

lexico · 3 Jun 2005

Take the list of offences compiled by the Tokyo authorities, which includes using strong perfume, carrying large bags, kissing, infants, crying, sitting on the floor and, most unexpectedly, using an umbrella to practise golf swings.

Infants are not welcome here, even though you may not be crying ! No wonder population is declining. Who'd want all that negativity ?

Endsight61 · 3 Jun 2005

Morfos said:
Kisama most be the most beautiful profanity word I ever heard.

You are being sarcastic I hope because Shine bakayaro is sooo cooler. *laughs under breath*

khammo01 · 15 Aug 2005

Morfos said:
Kisama most be the most beautiful profanity word I ever heard.

Oddly, the word 'kisama' is 窶ｹM窶罵 in Kanji.
When viewed in Kanji, the meaning is actually quite good:

窶ｹM: precious; value; prize; esteem; honor
窶罵: honorific version of "san" (mr. or ms.)

So literally it mean something like "exalted one!"

I guess it obtains its value from the obvious sarcasm?

Another term used is "Teme-" which literraly means something like "This thing standing before me" and translates to something like "Why, you..."

duff_o_josh · 16 Aug 2005

is that the actual correct way of writing it though?

DemonHunter · 16 Aug 2005

talking about swear words
Phone Sex: Introduction, Features, Benefits & Sex Chat Lines

Kuso shinezo!!

Kinsao · 16 Aug 2005

ROFL!
I love that site.

Silverpoint · 16 Aug 2005

It's like a checklist for what my girlfriend calls me over the course of a week ;-)

khammo01 · 17 Aug 2005

duff_o_josh said:
is that the actual correct way of writing it though?

Yes, as far as I know it is correctly written as 窶ｹM窶罵.

things NOT to do in Japan

jhough37

soon to be in Isesaki!

Tsuwabuki

先輩

Mycernius

The Hairy Wookie

andorin

yopparatta hito

Endsight61

Go Rain...It's Raining

Mike Cash

骨も命も皆此の土地に埋めよう

Anchyyy

後輩

monkey0

後輩

Morfos

先輩

lexico

後輩

Endsight61

Go Rain...It's Raining

khammo01

Tokyo Kurt

duff_o_josh

okonomiyaki=bliss

DemonHunter

Psychedelic Man

Kinsao

Horizon Rider

Silverpoint

後輩

khammo01

Tokyo Kurt

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