More+Facts+When+Visiting+Japan

=Links with information about traveling to Japan=

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NEW LINK FROM MR. SUZUKI SO THAT WE CAN TRACK THE WEATHER FROM THEIR TWO JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS-YOU CAN CLICK TO CONVERT TO ENGLISH [] =General Facts:= It is considered polite to clear one's plate, down to the very last grain of rice; children are especially encouraged to do so. It is impolite to pick out certain ingredients and leave the rest. One should chew with the mouth closed.

It is acceptable to lift soup and rice bowls to the mouth so that one does not spill food. It is also appropriate to slurp certain foods, especially [|ramen] or [|soba] noodles, though this is not practiced universally.

It is still uncommon for Japanese people to eat while walking around. Some consider it rude to eat in public or on trains, but this is not a universally-held belief.

It is generally considered polite to wear shoes instead of sandals, but sandal wearers may carry a pair of white socks to put over their bare feet or stockings, so that their bare feet will not touch the slippers that the host offers. The shoes are turned around so that the toe faces the door after taking them off. During the winter time, if a guest is wearing a coat or hat, the guest will take it off before the host opens the door. When the guest is leaving, he or she does not put on the coat or hat until the door has closed.

Greetings are considered to be of extreme importance in Japanese culture. Students in elementary and secondary schools are often admonished to deliver greetings with energy and vigor. A lazy greeting is regarded with the type of disdain that would accompany a limp handshake in parts of the West. Simply walking off without saying anything is frowned upon. When parting, instead of simply saying goodbye, it is common to make a wish to meet again. The most common greetings are //ohayō gozaimasu// ( おはようございます [|**?**]  ) or "good morning", used until about 11am but may be used at any time of day if it is the first occasion that day the two people have met; //konnichiwa// ( こんにちは  [|**?**]  ) which is roughly equivalent to "good day" or "good afternoon" and is used until late afternoon; //konbanwa// ( 今晩は  [|**?**]  ) or "good evening"; and //oyasumi nasai// ( お休みなさい  [|**?**]  ) or "good night".

Ask about anything you do not understand. Be yourself and remember everything you have learned about polite manners here in the United States. Our hosts/hostesses will expect you to be mannerly but they will also expect you to be different; not unlike when students came to visit you!