Page 163 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Tokyo
P. 163
PR A C TIC AL INFORM A TION 161
shoes can be stored. other by the family name,
If no slippers are even if they are close friends,
provided, go in but they will happily call you by
stockinged feet. In your first name if you prefer.
Westernstyle hotels, the When speaking to or about
main part of the room is an adult, add “san,” which
not raised above the stands for Mr., Mrs., or Ms., to
entrance, and so shoes their name – for instance,
can be worn by both Smithsan or Johnsan. For
guests and staff. Slippers babies and young girls, add
should be removed to “chan,” for young boys “kun.”
walk on tatami matting However, one should never
– go in stockinged feet. refer to oneself as “san.”
Many restrooms, public
and private, have special
slippers inside the toilet Gift-Giving
area. Remove your own Giftgiving is an important
slippers outside before aspect of social etiquette in
stepping into the toilet Japan. Any trip means bringing
slippers, which are then home souvenirs for friends and
left behind upon exiting colleagues, usually something
Traditional footwear neatly lined up on racks the toilet area. edible. Small gifts may be
outside a temple exchanged at a first business
meeting, and if you visit
Etiquette at Temples Taxes and Tipping someone’s home, you should
and Shrines
A consumption tax of 8 percent buy a luxury food item or take
The atmosphere in Buddhist (planned to rise over the next a small gift from your home
temples and Shinto shrines few years) is paid by consumers country. Keep gifts small to
is casual, and there are no for goods and services. Shops avoid placing an obligation on
restrictions on clothing. Visitors and service providers include the recipient. Gifts are often not
should show respect and not be the tax in the prices shown. opened in front of the giver.
noisy, but there are few of the Other than for exceptional Note that it is regarded as
taboos found in some Buddhist service, there is no tipping in unlucky to give four of anything.
nations. If you enter buildings in Japan; indeed, an attempt at
a shrine or temple, except those tipping might even cause
with stone floors, leave your offense.
shoes at the entrance or carry
them with you. Plastic bags may Language
be provided for this, especially
if you can use a different exit. Tokyo is well signposted in
Some temples allow photo English, and it is not hard
graphy, some only without for visitors to find their way
flash, and others not at all. around. Many, especially
younger, Japanese do speak
at least a little English. It is
Shoes
not uncommon for English Box of cookies elegantly gift-wrapped
It is a serious mistake to wear speaking Japanese to offer in paper, then cloth
shoes indoors in all private help to what they perceive as Lining Up and
and many public buildings. the foreign visitor in distress.
The principle is that the However, do not expect too Jaywalking
clean interior should not be much English to be understood When waiting, such as for a
contaminated with dirt from the by taxi drivers, policemen, or train, people line up neatly.
outside. Always remove your station clerks. To get off a crowded train,
shoes if the area immediately gently push your way through.
beyond the entrance to a room If you are stuck and cannot
or building is at a higher level Japanese Names reach the door in time, call
than the entrance itself. Japanese names are given as out “orimasu” (“I’m getting
When you enter a Japanese family name followed by first off”) as you attempt to push
house or traditional restaurant, name. However, many Japanese your way toward the exit.
take off your shoes and put on automatically reverse this Jaywalking is heavily
slippers before stepping onto order when giving names to discouraged. Pedestrians in
the raised floor. Other people’s Westerners, so you may need Tokyo invariably wait for the
shoes will usually be evident, to check which is which. The crossing lights, even when
or there will be a rack in which Japanese generally call each there is no traffic coming.
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