70 Japanese Gestures: No Language Communication

by Hamiru-aqui

Book Overview

Who needs to speak Japanese? There s a lot you can say with traditional hand gestures and body motions that are universal as well as uniquely Japanese. This whimsical look at the language of no... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1933330015
• ISBN13: 9781933330013
• Release Date: January 2008
• Publisher: Stone Bridge Press
• Length: 158 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 4.9" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Cute, funny, great quick read!

Honestly, I didn't have that high expectations when I got it and picked it up to read it. The pictures are strange, with the face blurred out. One or two of the gestures it's hard to tell what they're doing exactly. Still, this book is filled with humor and it was worth the read. It shows different versions of the gestures, and how to make the gestures have different meanings or be more offensive. It also tells you if it used by someone older or younger, male or female, and when to/not to use it. They have a little description of the model at the back of the book, and that to me was neat. But the book has a paragraph with each picture, and the word is written in both romaji and kana, which is nice. I thought it was quite funny and even interesting. Definitely borrow it from a friend or buy it used, because it is short! I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Hysterical!

This book is hilarious and at the same time informative! Who knew learning could be so entertaining? It has a lot of fun insights into different aspects of Japanese culture. I only wish the book was longer and went more in-depth.

Hilarious...and helpful

This book was funny and insightful. It makes visitors to Japan aware that much can be said through a gesture and great offense or insult as well. It's always a good idea to research any country that you are going to visit and this book brings the reader one step closer to avoiding potentially sticky situations.

Amazing wealth of knowledge about Japanese culture

If you're a fan of the Japanese culture, then you know that communication is often full of non-verbal communication - hand gestures, body movements. Here's the way to decipher what those mean! Written by Hamiru-aqui and translated by Aileen Chang, this brilliant book contains photos of a Japanese person doing the gesture, the name of the gesture and its full history. This is invaluable whether you read manga, watch anime, or enjoy any sort of Japanese cinema. For example, what does it mean when a Japanese person puts a pair of fists in front of their nose, making their nose look longer? Does it mean they're telling a lie, like in Pinnochio? Hardly! It's actually representing a tengu, or Japanese demon. Tengu were known as being very conceited, so this hand gesture means you think the person you're referring to is an overly-proud person. The book is full of not only standard hand symbols but also swears and 'dangerous hand movements', ranked by intensity. There are some hand movements you definitely do NOT want to do to a Japanese person - but you might not even realize it! It's like the middle finger in American / British culture. That middle finger movement has a long history and immediately means something to us. To other cultures, it might not mean anything at all. Just as when we see a middle finger stuck at us we get an instant reaction, so do the Japanese get instant reactions to certain hand gestures and body movements. This book is the key to deciphering what those movements mean, so that your enjoyment of the Japanese culture is even more complete! Highly recommended, and very entertaining!