| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
|
| Bell as gift | 11/10/2009 | Tai Yamanaka |
Q: I'm going on a school trip in which I will meet youths from a Japanese School. I've already bought ...
A: A bell is a good gift. We Japanese like bells - smalls ones, big ones. The sound of bells is how we ...
|
| Wedding gift | 11/5/2009 | Tai Yamanaka |
Q: I have a corporate customer who is a Japanese National on assignment in the USA. He recently eloped ...
A: There is nothing in our tradition that would suggest any type of gift in this situation. Any gift ...
|
| Phone interview with US subsidiary of Japanese firm | 11/2/2009 | Tai Yamanaka |
Q: I have a phone interview with a US subsidiary of a Japanese company and I was told that cultural fit ...
A: Not knowing the subject of your phone interview, I can only provide general pointers, but here goes: ...
|
| gift giving | 10/7/2009 | Philip Lafeber |
Q: I am living in Okinawa and feel a little confused with the gift giving cycle! A neighbor helped ...
A: It is a nice question you are asking. I didn't know much about Okinawa (well, I still don't) but I ...
|
| Gift of money | 9/29/2009 | Tai Yamanaka |
Q: Over 20 years ago we hosted a Japanese exchange student. Today I received a check (large amt) from ...
A: The problem seems to lie with her family, rather than with Japanese culture. The reason for this is ...
|
| Gogyo, Mitsubishi | 9/20/2009 | Tai Yamanaka |
Q: I have been having trouble getting definitive answers to the following questions and do not want to ...
A: What you’re referring to is called the gogyo-setsu theory in Japanese, which comes from the ancient ...
|
| にvsで | 9/12/2009 | Tai Yamanaka |
Q: ん I know it's the wrong category, but the expert on the Japanese language is currently ...
A: The difference in the use of "ni" and "de" that are particles that show place happens with the ...
|
| protocol with Japanese guests | 9/6/2009 | Jewel |
Q: The mother of our son's girlfriend is in the US visiting from Japan. She speaks no English. Her ...
A: Not knowing the mother is difficult, but I think a dinner at home would be the best option here ...
|
| Meaning of a gift received from a client | 8/12/2009 | Tai Yamanaka |
Q: I am an executive chauffer and one of my clients from Japan who was in the states for about 1 yr. ...
A: Not everything has a deep meaning. It seems that the two pieces of cloth are what are called ...
|
| Teaching in Japan | 7/28/2009 | Tai Yamanaka |
Q: a read many of your answers regaurding the school year in Japan but I read elsewhere that during the ...
A: Students are not required to attend school regularly during their summer vacation, but they have ...
|
| Japanese School Vacations | 7/6/2009 | Tai Yamanaka |
Q: How many vacations do Japanese schools get, and how long are they?
A: There are some Japanese schools with two semesters and others with three semesters, but the length ...
|
| Family | 6/19/2009 | Tai Yamanaka |
Q: How many children can a couple have? Also can they adopt a child from other countries? Can they ...
A: Unlike in China, there is no limit to the number of children Japanese couples may have. There are ...
|
| JAPANESE THANK YOU GIFT | 6/12/2009 | Philip Lafeber |
Q: I HAVE BEEN WORKINIG WITH A GENTLEMAN FROM JAPAN HE IS NOW TRANSFERRING BACK AND I WOULD LIKE TO ...
A: If it were me, I would give something that is particular to my own culture or region. It is somewhat ...
|
| First and last names | 6/6/2009 | Tai Yamanaka |
Q: I would want to know about the first names and last names in Japan, is last name then first name?? ...
A: Yes, the Japanese convention is to state the family name (i.e., surname or "last name") first, ...
|
| Introductions | 6/2/2009 | Tai Yamanaka |
Q: How would someone be introduced and/or introduce themselves in Japanese schools and businesses? What ...
A: A person being introduced or introducing oneself in Japanese schools and businesses would do so just ...
|
| Japanese school uniforms | 5/15/2009 | Tai Yamanaka |
Q: What do high school students wear to school? What do private school students wear to school?
A: In Japan, there are more schools that have some sort of uniform, than those without, unlike the ...
|
| Gift for Japanese Friends Moving Away | 4/29/2009 | Tai Yamanaka |
Q: Japanese friends who have lived here in the US for several years will be moving soon. What would be ...
A: In Japan, there are cases when money is presented as parting gift, but in the case of friends, a ...
|
| Education and age taboos | 4/24/2009 | Tai Yamanaka |
Q: Hi I was just wondering if you could tell me if there were any taboos in Japan relating to education ...
A: Taboos are items that certain communities are not supposed to do or to discuss, so that by their ...
|
| Nursing Considerations | 4/17/2009 | Philip Lafeber |
Q: I am in nursing school and was wondering if there is any special nursing considerations for Japanese ...
A: Though I do not know so much about this, there is a little personal experience that I can share. ...
|
| Colors and types of flowers appropriate for Japanese funerals | 4/17/2009 | Tai Yamanaka |
Q: On 4/26/09, our Aikido dojo will be celebrating the anniversary of our founder's death (Morehei ...
A: In Japanese funerals, right after the person has passed away, decorative flowers are chosen in white ...
|
| Honorifics in business situations | 3/4/2009 | Tai Yamanaka |
Q: I recently have been communicating frequently with a Japanese customer, and have been addressing him ...
A: In the business context, the highest honorific is "sama." You would use this form for anyone higher ...
|
| Namban-jin | 3/3/2009 | Tai Yamanaka |
Q: The word Namban-jin is currently translated by "barbarians from the south", but it is likely that ...
A: "Nam" is the phonetic reading of "minami," which is the South. "Ban" means "savage" or "barbarous." ...
|
| Japanese Business Expressions | 2/26/2009 | Tai Yamanaka |
Q: Can you give me the Japanese words for the expression "big company disease"? Also, do you have a ...
A: "Dai kigyo byo" is the direct translation of "big company disease" and is normally used to refer to ...
|
| Gift for male business client | 2/10/2009 | Tai Yamanaka |
Q: Are flowers an appropriate gift for a Japanese male business client? If so, are there any ...
A: There is nothing in Japanese culture that says flowers shouldn't be sent to male clients. Assuming ...
|
| ShiShi | 1/15/2009 | Tim Clark |
Q: My name is also Tim. When I was stationed in Okinawa in 2006, I became fascinated with the Shi SHi ...
A: Well, many shrines used to have many different versions. Today most shrines have the two shishi, and ...
|
| kami | 1/14/2009 | Jewel |
Q: Can you please tell me, what is the plural of "kami"--such as in Shinto's "Five Kamis ~five Kamies ...
A: It's really difficult to know a lot of time if someone is using kami for singular or plural because ...
|
| Gifts for a baby before the birth | 1/11/2009 | Philip Lafeber |
Q: I have a Japanese friend who is pregnant. She lost their first through miscarriage but is beyond ...
A: There is no problem in giving the gift before the birth. As for what to give; I would suggest ...
|
| questions on geishas | 1/3/2009 | Jewel |
Q: I was just courious as to why they paint their backs and leave those 2 or 3 points of skin on the ...
A: Answer 1: For the geisha, the back of the neck and back is very sexy (sort of like short skirts or ...
|
| Student ages in Japanese schools | 12/4/2008 | Tai Yamanaka |
Q: how old are the students when they enter high school? how old are are the students when they enter ...
A: Japanese students typically spend 1 year in kindergarten, 6 years in grammar school, 3 years in ...
|
| Japanese Education | 12/4/2008 | Tai Yamanaka |
Q: What is the Taditional Customs of How Japanese people educated.
A: Japanese typically go through one or two years of pre-school (kindergarten), followed by six years ...
|
| materialism | 11/29/2008 | Tim Clark |
Q: are japanese cultures more hierarchy than the united states? how could you interact with japanese ...
A: Well as far as materialism goes, it is a difficult thing to answer. In the US, many people are ...
|
| Appropriate New Baby Gift | 11/17/2008 | Tai Yamanaka |
Q: We are close friends with the Sushi Master at our favorite place. We would like to give a gift for ...
A: There is no special gift for sushi chefs that would be more appropriate than another. Also, there ...
|
| Gifts for parents and relatives | 11/6/2008 | Tai Yamanaka |
Q: I will be traveling to Tokyo for my son's wedding soon. I have met his fiance but not family. I ...
A: There are no rules for determining what is appropriate as gifts for parents and relatives of your ...
|
| Lesbianism | 10/26/2008 | Tim Clark |
Q: Is Lesbianism accepted or condemned by Shintoism? ANSWER: Hi Alex. Well, since Shinto has no ...
A: Well, the oldest written history of Japan was around 600 AD, called the Kojiki. In it it details the ...
|
| Lesbianism | 10/23/2008 | Tim Clark |
Q: Is Lesbianism accepted or condemned by Shintoism?
A: Well, since Shinto has no theology, no doctrine, it really does not condemn very much. There is no ...
|
| Ronin | 10/22/2008 | Tai Yamanaka |
Q: I have a Japanese friend who has been disowned by her family and considers herself Ronin. I am ...
A: What happened can happen in any society, and not just in the Japanese culture. Disownment is an ...
|
| Addressing female business executive | 10/21/2008 | Tai Yamanaka |
Q: I am unsure of how to address a female business executive I work with primarily by email. She ...
A: Yes, as an American, it is okay for you to use -"san" and that would not sound contrived. It would ...
|
| Addressing female business executive | 10/21/2008 | Tai Yamanaka |
Q: I am unsure of how to address a female business executive I work with primarily by email. She ...
A: Here's a two-part answer to that question. The really uptight, proper consideration is that (1) ...
|
| Modesty | 10/20/2008 | Philip Lafeber |
Q: I have heard that the Japanese have a great deal of modesty about blowing the nose. Do they try go ...
A: It's true that I can't remember seeing a Japanese person blowing the nose. Then again, I am not into ...
|
| School Culture | 9/3/2008 | Philip Lafeber |
Q: Now I've been watching some old japanese drama shows about bullying, also read, and I've read ...
A: After all I did find out about the meaning of flowers on a desk; If the flowers are roses, someone ...
|
