[English/Japanese] In this issue, I would like to introduce you to some of the things that you should not do in Japan. There are things that you may have done without knowing it, but that even foreigners are not allowed to do. How many of Japan's unique cultures do you know? Gift Giving Etiquette There are two numbers that are frowned upon in Japan: 4 and 9. 4 is pronounced "shi" and 9 is pronounced "ku" in Japanese. "Shi" means "death" and "9" means "suffering", so anything with "ku" and "shi" in it is frowned upon in many situations. For example, "comb" is not allowed to be sent as a gift because it has a bad meaning. In addition to this, there are a few other gifts that should not be sent. For example, a plant in a pot should not be sent to a person in the hospital. A plant in a pot has roots. This is because it can be taken to mean that the plant will have roots in the hospital, meaning that the illness will last longer. If you want to give flowers to someone who is in the hospital, use cut flowers instead of potted plants. However, even cut flowers such as chrysanthemums, which are used for funerals, are considered rude, so be careful. Also, do not send a handkerchief as a wedding gift. Why is this? Because handkerchiefs are associated with tears. Other items that can be broken, such as china and mirrors, are also considered bad luck. Similarly, for housewarming gifts, lighters and ashtrays should not be sent because they remind people of fire. These are just a few examples. If you are going to give a gift to a Japanese person, you need to find out beforehand if it would be a rude gift. Dining Manners Your country also has various manners for eating. I have heard manners such as never using your left hand when eating curry from Nepalese students at our school. So, what kind of manners do we have in Japan for eating? In Japan, we use chopsticks when we eat. Chopsticks are difficult to use, but their manners are also complicated. For example, the worst thing you can do is to use two chopsticks to hold your food. The reason why this is not allowed is because it is the same act as placing the bones of a deceased person in an urn at a Buddhist funeral. (*Not talking about chopsticks, but putting the right collar of the kimono on top of the left collar is the same as wearing the kimono of the deceased, so you have to be careful. ） There are many other manners of chopsticks that should not be practiced, such as "stabbing chopsticks" and "yose-chopsticks". In addition to chopsticks, it is also bad manners to eat rice without holding the bowl, or to put your elbows on the table. However, if you think about it too much, it will be difficult to eat a good meal. I recommend that you learn at least the minimum manners for eating, and then gradually get used to them. Superstitions How many superstitions do you know about in Japan? The first one is the "north pillow". The first one is "north pillow", which means that you should not sleep with your pillow in the north, because it is related to Buddhism and there is a theory that putting your pillow in the north means death. Second, don't cut your nails at night. There is a superstition that if you cut your nails at night, you will die before your parents do. One reason is that nails are the place where a person's "soul" is located, so they must be taken care of. Another reason is that in the days when there was little light, cutting nails at night would cause injury. The third is "don't whistle at night." In Japan, there is a saying that whistling attracts spiritual things. This spirituality includes not only good things, but also bad things, so there is a theory that it is dangerous to whistle at night, when spirituality is more active. The three I've mentioned so far are all things you shouldn't do, but I'll end with a superstition that has a good meaning. The last superstition that has a good meaning is "If a pillar of tea stands, good luck will come. A pillar of tea means that the stems of the tea in the teacup stand up like a pillar when the tea is made. For Japanese people, a "pillar" has a powerful impression as something that supports a house. (A recent popular manga often features a "pillar [Hahira]”) For this reason, the tea pillar is known as a good omen. Incidentally, I have heard from Mongolian students that there is a superstition that if a pillar of tea stands, relatives will come to your house. In different countries, superstitions have completely different meanings, don't they? I hope you now have a better understanding of manners. In the next article, I will introduce manners at leisure facilities. This time, I will introduce "what not to do in Japan". Even if you don't know it, there are things that you can't forgive because you're a foreigner. How many unique cultures do you know of Japan? Gift etiquette There are figures that are hated in Japan. 4 and 9. 4 is pronounced as Japanese, "shi" and 9 as "ku". Since "shi" means "death" and "9" means "suffering", things with "ku" and "shi" in the words are disliked in various situations. For example, "comb" is a gift that has a bad meaning, so it is not allowed to be sent. There are a few other gifts you shouldn't send. For example, plants in pots should not be sent to people who are in the hospital. The plant in the pot has roots. This is because it is taken as the meaning of being rooted in a hospital, that is, the meaning of prolonged illness. If you want to give flowers to someone who is in the hospital, cut flowers instead of potted plants. However, be careful not to use cut flowers such as "chrysanthemums" used for funerals, as they will be rude. Also, if it is a wedding gift, do not send a handkerchief. Why? Because handkerchiefs are associated with tears. In addition, crackable objects such as pottery and mirrors are also considered unlucky. In the case of housewarming, lighters and ashtrays should not be sent because they are reminiscent of fire. These are just a few. If you are going to give something to Japan someone, you need to research it in advance to see if it will be a rude gift. Dining etiquette Your country also has various dining etiquette. I have heard from Nepalese students at our school that they never use their left hand when eating curry. So, what kind of dining etiquette is there in Japan? In Japan, chopsticks are used when eating. Chopsticks are difficult to use, but their manners are also complicated. For example, the last thing you should do is hold one food with chopsticks for two people. The reason why this should not be done is because it is the same act as placing the bones of a deceased person in an urn at a Buddhist funeral. (* I'm not talking about chopsticks, but you have to be careful if the collar of the kimono is in front of the right, because it will be the same as the kimono worn by the deceased.) In addition to this, there are many other acts that should not be done, such as "embroidery chopsticks" to embroider food and "chopsticks" to pull plates together. It is also bad manners to eat rice without holding a bowl in addition to chopsticks, or to elbow yourself on the table. However, if you think about it too much, it will be difficult to eat delicious rice. We recommend that you learn the minimum manners of your meals and gradually get used to them. superstition How many superstitions do you know about Japan? Here are some of them. The first is the "North Pillow". There is a theory that you should not sleep with a pillow in the north, which is related to Buddhism, and that placing a pillow in the north means "death". The second is "do not cut your nails at night." There is a superstition that if you cut your nails at night, you will die faster than your parents. There is a theory about this, but there is a teaching that nails must be cherished because they are the place where the person's "soul" is, and there are reasons that in an era when there was little light, cutting nails at night would injure you. The third is "Do not whistle at night." There is a Japan tradition that whistling attracts spiritual things. There is a theory that this spiritual thing contains not only good things, but also bad things, so whistling is dangerous at night when spiritual things are active. The three things I've introduced so far are all things you shouldn't do, but here are some good and meaningful superstitions at the end. It is "good luck comes when the tea pillar stands". A tea pillar is a tea stalk that stands like a pillar in a teacup when tea is brewed. For Japan people, "pillars" have a powerful impression as they support the house. (Recently, popular manga often have "pillars.") Therefore, tea pillars are known as auspicious. By the way, I have heard from Mongolian students that there is a superstition that "relatives come to the house when the tea pillar is erected." Different countries have completely different meanings of superstition. Do you understand manners? Next time, we will introduce manners at leisure facilities.