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Social
Greetings, gifts, and polite distance in conversation.
10 rules published
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Business Dining in Japan: Seating, Ordering & Drink Rules
A Japanese business meal is the meeting. Seating order, pour rules, and when to start eating all follow hierarchy. Here's what to do at the table.
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Don't Hug Japanese People: Personal Space Rules
Hugging is not a Japanese greeting — even a smiling person may be deeply uncomfortable. Bow, don't reach, and don't shake unless they initiate.
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Japanese Gift Giving: 3 Rules Most Tourists Miss
Both hands when you give, wrapped until the giver leaves, never in sets of four. These aren't optional details — they decide if the gift lands.
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Japanese Karaoke Rules: Private Rooms Change Everything
Japanese karaoke is a private room, not a stage. Don't hog the mic, cheer for every singer, order food to keep it cheap, and watch your time slot.
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Meishi: How to Exchange a Japanese Business Card
Meishi koukan is a small ceremony: two hands, a slight bow, reading the card, placing it on the table. Here's the sequence professionals expect.
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Reading the Air (空気を読む): Japan's Unwritten Rule
Kuuki wo yomu — sensing mood and expectation without anyone saying a word — is one of Japan's most distinctive social skills. Here's how it works.
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Don't Blow Your Nose in Public in Japan — Here's Why
Loud nose-blowing in public reads as gross in Japan. The expectation: sniff quietly, step into a bathroom, or wear a mask. Not at the dinner table.
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How to Bow in Japan: The 3 Bows Tourists Actually Need
Japanese bowing is a whole language, but you only need three: casual, polite, and formal. Here's the depth, duration, and when to use each.
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Japanese Money Gift Envelopes: Noshi-bukuro Rules
Wedding, funeral, and celebration cash goes in specific decorated envelopes. Amounts follow rules, bills must be crisp new, and the cord matters.
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Obon: Japan's Ancestor Festival and How to Join In
Mid-August Obon honors ancestors returning home. Bon odori, floating lanterns, family reunions — visitors are welcome at the public events. Here's how.
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