Etiquette Guide to Japan: Know the Rules That Make the Difference!

by Boyé Lafayette de Mente

Book Overview

Minding your manners is an acquired skill, but what serves you well elsewhere could trip you up in Japan. Save yourself possible embarrassment with Etiquette Guide to Japan. An inside look at Japanese... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 480530961X
• ISBN13: 9784805309612
• Release Date: November 2008
• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Great for busy travelers and those studying lean manufacturing

Ok, travelers, will focus on you, but will also add some commentary for those seeking DNA elements of the Toyota Production System ("TPS", also known as "lean manufacturing"). I am busy at home and work, so when a business trip to Japan was suggested, I wanted a brief, yet comprehensive book on basic etiquette. This author not only achieves both these aims, but also describes "why" customs and such are the way there are... knowing the "why" makes the "how" easier to do correctly, no matter how foreign (or contradictory) something might appear. Pro: -Brief, yet surprisingly comprehensive, details not only "how" things work, but the "why" as well -Awkward miscues (i.e. the whole bowing and shaking hands when exchanging business cards thing) and contradictory/confusing behaviors (e.g. friendly when one-on-one in the evening, but cold and distant the next day at work) finally explained! -Historical notes of where things came from was interesting as a traveler and practitioner of lean manufacturing as well... helps explain some of those little things that make TPS so hard to translate into a functional system in the West Con: -None observed, and I pride myself on finding at least one observation to add balance to my reviews (and to build reviewing/observations skills as well) Bottom line: HIghly recommended for travelers. I think it is also a must read for passionate lean zealots.

Be prepared before you go!

My daughter was going to Japan to spend several weeks with her boyfriends family. I figured she needed some help in the subtle manners that would prepare her to be the best guest she could. It makes for great reading on a long flight! She felt that there were many bits of information that really helped her. Going to Japan with a local is extremely advantagous, but sometimes they forget the details. Lots of good info.

excellent for students and businessman alike

excellent advice for anybody that is going to Japan and doesn't want to offend their local hosts or friends.

Better work on your bow!

In Japan, as visiting foreigners keep discovering -- if they're paying proper attention -- "etiquette" means a great deal more than simply knowing which knife and fork to use. (Or, in this case, what not to do with your chopsticks.) Japan has been a deeply and subtly ritualized and mannered society for millennia, and even with the postwar easing of some rituals and the introduction and acceptance of certain Westernisms -- and even though the Japanese are generally tolerant of minor faux pas on the part on non-Japanese -- the foreign visitor still needs to be very aware of the expectations of those around him. However, this book is also an excellent source for the non-visitor who simply has an interest in Japanese society and culture. The author has been both a periodic resident and been otherwise closely involved with Japan for going on six decades, and he's also a very observant and thoughtful writer, which makes him an ideal guide for the westerner on all things Japanese. He not only tells you what to do, what not to do, and what you can get away with, he provides the historical background, the psychological rationalization, which not even some Japanese are really aware of. This will help you to extrapolate your behavior in other situations, and will assist you toward an understanding of why the Japanese are the way they are. Those shallow-thinkers who consider the Japanese simply "inscrutable," alien, and beyond American understanding should definitely read this book.

Virtually essential

Virtually essential when travelling to Japan for business (or visiting relatives) and extremely helpful for the casual tourist. In spite of its brevity, it covers nearly all of the essentials and provides a weath of historical and cultural background for many of the customs. Even though this is the only one I have read so far, I would imagine that other books by De Mente are well worth reading.