Level B2 General English

Lesson 16

Annoying Things And Cultural Taboos
迷惑なことと文化的タブー

I remember the first time that I went to a restaurant in Japan. I could not read the menu but luckily it had pictures of the food. I ordered the most western-looking food on the menu which was fried chicken and french fries. After my food arrived I was somewhat surprised when others at the table started taking my chicken. And then, at the end of the meal, we all had to pay the same amount of money. My two pieces of chicken, some french fries and a Coke ended up costing me about $30.00. I realized that in Japan you are more likely than not going dutch on a restaurant bill so you should make the most of your meal.

There is one habit that can be annoying to most Westerners which is when Japanese people eat noodles. Japanese people slurp their noodles. This can be very disturbing if you are in a busy noodle shop. For Westerners, it is not polite to make a noise when you eat. However, for Japanese, it is considered showing respect to the chef. The louder the slurp, the better tasting the noodles are.

Tipping is not done in Japan. After having lived in Japan for some time, I returned home to spend a holiday with friends and family. I ended up surprising my parents and the waiter when I didn't tip in our local pub. Once I realized my mistake I called the waiter over, apologized and gave him a generous tip. It is just as easy to forget your own country’s habits when you don't practice them.