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| Riding the escalator in Japan (Tokyo style) credit: http://quest-for-japan.com/traditional-culture/japanese-customs-riding-escalator-tokyo-osaka-style/ |
I've lived in the Philippines for 26 years and only 3 years in Japan. Although I've lived longer in the Philippines, it still takes time for me revert to my ''Filipino ways'' whenever I visit. There are some Japanese customs that I've grown used to.
Here are some of them:
1. Automatically bowing when saying thank you.
It's well-known that Japanese people bow a lot. Whenever I visit the Philippines, I can't stop my head from bowing whenever I say thank you. My head seemed to have been auto-programmed to bow when my mouth utters ''thank you.'' But instead of bowing back to me, people in the Philippines probably think I'm strange.
2. Flushing the toilet paper in the toilet bowl.
In the Philippines, people throw the toilet paper in a trash bin. When I shared this fact to Japanese and other foreigners, they thought it was gross and unsanitary. They've always flushed the toilet paper in the bowl. If we do this in the Philippines, the bowls will be clogged. Even though I know this could happen, there were some instances when I would flush the toilet paper in the bowl. By the time I would remember I'm in the Philippines, it would be too late to retrieve the toilet paper.
3. Expecting great customer service
Whenever you enter a shop in Japan, expect to be greeted with an ''Irashaimase.'' If not a greeting, then at least a bow of acknowledgement. In the many shops in the malls (SM specifically) that I've visited in the Philippines, I have yet to find one in which the salespeople would say a greeting. I never noticed how rude the salespeople in the Philippines are until I come to Japan. They would just stare at me as I enter their shops. It's only when I picked something that somebody would reluctantly approach me. On the contrary, I have to commend the salespeople in Divisoria and the crew in the fastfood chains.
4. Waiting for a wet tissue or damp hand towel in restaurants.
All restaurants in Japan have wet tissues or towels. They're used to clean your hands before and after eating. The first few days that I eat out in the Philippines, it feels strange not to be using wet tissues or hand towels.
5. Staying left on the escalator
When using the escalator in Japan, stay left if you're not in a hurry. The rule is to keep the right side always open for people who are rushing. There's no such rules in the Philippines. If you're in a hurry, you have to say ''Excuse Me'' to all the people blocking your way. I didn't realize how annoying this can be until I came to Japan. Whenever I visit the Philippines, I try to stay left but I think it doesn't make much difference.
