Japanese Etiquette For Tourists

Above, the Niigata Dormy Inn, where I heard ramen slurping in the restaurant.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The United Kingdom's The Telegraph has an article on Japanese etiquette for tourists.  It is a guide on the dos and don'ts while a tourist is Japan.

To give you an idea on what the article explains, here's one excerpt:

It may sound like common sense, but never be late for a meeting, wear a suit with a tie and never forget an ample supply of business cards – handed over and received with both hands, a shallow bow and placed carefully on the table in front of you for the duration of the meeting. It is considered dismissive if a business card is simply tucked away in one's wallet and put in a back pocket.

Thank goodness I already knew of the above when I first visited Japan in 2001.  I had an ample supply of business cards and had them in a nice brass business card holder. 

Here's another, and a fun one:

Try to ignore the loud slurping if you are in a restaurant that is serving ramen noodles as this is the accepted way to eat the dish – and great fun for children who have always been told to never slurp their meals. 

I never noticed ramen slurping until I went to Niigata in December 2010.  I was in my hotel's (the Dormy Inn) restaurant and was waiting in line for service when I heard a whole lot of slurping.  I slyly looked around and there were about 15-20 Japanese businessmen seated nearby and consuming bowls of ramen while giving off loud slurping noises.  I wasn't shocked as I knew it was customary, but I never noticed hearing it before.  It was amusing, to say the least.

To read the full article, go here.