Aisatsu (挨拶) - an introduction or greeting
When introducing yourself, state your name in reference to where you work or where you are from and bow.
Bath - お風呂- Furo
A Japanese bath is taken in the evening not only to clean one's body but also to relax. When taking a Japanese bath remember the following:
Clean yourself outside the tub first. Wash off all the soap, then soak yourself to perfection. In Japan, the whole family uses the same bath water in turn, so keep the water clean and refrain from pulling the plug when finished!
Cha (茶) - tea
When used with the honorific "ocha", refers to green tea, which is used as a social lubricant in Japan.
Demoisturising agents ‐ 乾燥剤 - kansozai
Japan gets very hot and humid during the summer months. Especially during the June-August rainy season, you need to take extra care to prevent mould growth by placing demoisturising agents in closets, drawers, and other dark places where mould is likely to occur.
Ekiben (駅弁) - a station lunch box
Ekiben are sold by vendors on train platform and inside the trains throughout the country. There is a great variety of containers and contents, as each station tries to represent the characteristics of its area in the lunch box. A good ekiben should not only taste good but also look good.
Futon (布団) - Japanese-style bed
A futon is spread out on mats at night, and folded and stored out of sight during the day. In order to avoid moisture build-up, it is advisable to store futons on the upper level of the built-in closet. Make sure you air out all bedding regularly on sunny days to remove dust and prevent mould growth. This will keep your bedding clean and fluffy.
Genkan (玄関) - entrance hall
Remember to remove your shoes at the genkan before entering a Japanese home. Arrange the shoes tidily so that they face outward, towards the door.
Hashi (はし) - chopsticks
Chopstick etiquette is fairly straightforward. However, there are some situations one should try to avoid for they are considered rude:
*Holding the chopsticks and the bowl in the same hand
*Skewering food with your chopsticks
*Hovering over the table with your chopsticks in hand, pondering what to eat
*Digging through a community dish to locate the most tasty food.
When eating from such a dish on a formal occasion it also shows good manners to turn your chopsticks around and use the unused ends to take food out of the main bowl. Also never pass on food from one set of chopsticks to another and never stand your chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice. These are rituals that occur during a Japanese funeral service, and thus it is inappropriate to perform them during daily life.
Ikebana (生花）- flower arranging
Flower arrangement is a traditional Japanese art. Originating in the Buddhist custom of offering flowers before the altar, it later came to be used for room decoration. Ikebana continued to develop into an art with philosophy and symbolism.
Janken （じゃんけん）－ a hand game, known as rock-paper-scissors
This game is rarely played for its own sake. Rather, it is used to decide order for some other event taking place.
Kotatsu (こたつ) - a heating device
A kotatsu is composed of a table-like latticed wooden frame with an electric heating unit attached to the under-side of the top square, a coverlet placed over the frame and a wooden table top. It functions basically as a foot and leg warmer, but it is at the same time used as a dining table or desk.
Legal age -成人年齢 （seijin nenrei）
In Japan, the legal adult age is twenty years. Drinking and smoking are prohibited for minors under the age of 20. However, the driving age is eighteen.
Meishi ( 名刺 ) - a business card
Never leave home without it! A meishi is an important means of identifying yourself to others, in business and private situations. Present it with the letters facing away from you.
Nihongo (日本語) - Japanese language
Japanese belongs to the Ural-Altaic language family, but its origin is still not agreed upon. It is characterized by a Subject-Object-Verb order. Written Japanese consists of one or a combination of the four scripts: kanji, katakana , hiragana and romaji.
Omiyage (お土産) - a souvenir
It is customary in Japan to give gifts to relatives, neighbours and your colleagues when returning from a trip, usually in form of the local specialty of the place you visited. Omiyage can be readily bought at train stations, airports, and sea ports throughout Japan.
Pachinko ( パチンコ)- a pin-ball game.
Pachinko originated as a post-war mania and is still very popular today. In order to play, one has to buy a handful of small steel balls. The aim of the game is to substantially increase the number of balls, which can be exchanged for prizes at the end.
Ryugakusei ( 留学生)-foreign exchange student
There are currently about 274 exchange students from 42 different countries enrolled at Kagoshima University.
Sliding doors-(障子、ふすま）
There are two kinds of sliding doors found dividing Japanese-style rooms: fusuma (light wooden frames with thick opaque paper on both sides) and shoji (light wooden frames with semi-transparent paper on one side only). Avoid sharp or heavy objects coming into contact with these doors as the paper rips easily.
Note: Aged or damaged sliding doors are replaceable. Contact your landlord for details.
Tatami (畳) - straw mats
Tatami mats are the traditional floor covering of Japanese rooms. They are made out of straw and rush and will last a long time if treated with care. Regular vacuuming will remove most of the dirt and dust. Wiping should be restricted to a damp cloth only. Make sure that the tatami has dried completely before putting carpets or furniture back into place. Aged or damaged tatami are replaceable. Contact your landlord for details.
Umeboshi ( 梅干し) - a pickled plum
Umeboshi are plums pickled in salt and wrapped in shiso (Perilla) leaves that give them their red colour. They are believed to have many good effects. For example, when placed on a bed of cooked rice, umeboshi keeps the rice from going bad. In addition they are said to stimulate the stomach's digestive activities.
Ventilation - (換気)
Make sure you air your home regularly. When using oil or gas heating devices in the winter, it is advisable to open the windows every thirty minutes to prevent carbon monoxide build-up.
Water Closet (WC)
Japanese (actually Asian) style toilets are set into the floor, requiring one to crouch, sitting squat-styled while facing the hooded end. Often special bathroom slippers are provided for the toilet area only. Please remember to take them off when leaving the toilet area.
Yatai (屋台) - a mobile road-side restaurant
Usually a yatai specializes in ramen (Chinese noodles), oden (hotchpotch), or yakitori (grilled chicken). Alcohol is also served (in Kagoshima this is usually shochu: sweet potato liquor).
Zen (禅)- religious meditation (Zen Buddhism)
Zen, a sect of Buddhism, was brought to Japan in the 12th century. It appealed first to the warrior class, and then spread rapidly throughout the country. Its principles have greatly influenced the arts and literature, including the tea ceremony, flower arrangement, Japanese-style gardening and even Japanese Noh drama. |
