11 Japanese Etiquette Rules Westerners Won’t Understand

11 examples of Japanese etiquette that Westerners won’t understand. For outsiders looking in at a country’s etiquette rules and manners, it can be easy to get culture shock.

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Summary:
Japan is famous for the complexity of its social rules. Japanese culture prizes harmony and social order, and that focus is reflected in its social customs. According to Japan-Guide.com, there are certain things you should know about Japanese etiquette if you are planning on traveling there, and we’ll tell you about some of them in this video!

Honorifics are phrases meant to clarify a person’s social standing, like Dr., Mr. or Miss. Japanese honorifics, a set of suffixes added to names to convey relative social standing, can be confusing to outsiders. But most common honorifics are actually pretty easy to explain, even to people who don’t know anything about the system to start.

San is the most common honorific, and has the same connotations as “Mr.” or Mrs.” Schoolchildren and co-workers typically refer to each other with -san.

Sama, on the other hand, is more formal, and is generally used for social superiors or a person whom the speaker admires. It’s also used for oneself if you want to be a smart-alec (meaning something like ‘my honourable self’).

Kun is typically used for people talking to someone of a lower rank than them, or a man the speaker is emotionally attached to.

Chan is a suffix used for someone the speaker thinks is cute, like a child or a pet.

Tan is an even more cute version of chan and can be used with equals if you’re close to them, but they shouldn’t be used for superiors.

Senpai (“earlier colleague”) is used for peers in higher grades at school, and anyone with more experience at work, school, or a club. The equivalent of “senior,” this is used for classmates in higher grades and all people with more experience than yourself either at work, club, or in any kind of group. Kōhai (“later colleague”) is the opposite, but it’s not generally used as a suffix, as the speaker risks sounding condescending.

From dining etiquette to manners, there are all sorts of Japanese etiquette rules that most westerners probably don’t understand. Did you know any of these? Have you ever been to Japan? Let us know about some other types of etiquette, manners, and traditions from other cultures that most people aren’t aware of by commenting below!