Etiquette: Japanese greetings
Background information for the teacher
Japanese people generally do not show their feelings as much as Westerners tend to do. They do not openly show affection or touch each other in
public. When you meet someone for the first time it is appropriate to greet them with a bow or a hand shake. Direct eye contact may be perceived to
be confrontational so it may be best to lower your eyes.
In the Japanese language there are no sounds for ‘l’, ‘th’, ‘q’ or ‘v’, so your name may be mispronounced if it contains some of these sounds. Japanese
language also puts a vowel after each consonant, except for a final ‘n’, so pronunciation may not be as you would expect.
Sample activities
Activity 1 (prepares, observes)
Students view the video from the gift-giving resource ‘Arigato: Japanese gift-giving’ at
http://lrrpublic.cli.det.nsw.edu.au/lrrSecure/Sites/Web/view/learncast/resources/13009.htm, then discuss:
 How do Mr Sasaki and his neighbour greet each other?
 How do family members greet each other?
Activity 2 (prepares, compares, reflects, inquires)
Class discussion:
 How do you greet others in different situations in your culture, e.g. your friends, your family, your teachers, people you are meeting for the
first time? What can influence the way we greet people?
 How do these compare with the way Mr Sasaki greeted his friends and family in Activity 1?
 Create a mindmap with ‘Greetings’ in the centre, and brainstorm the different ways people greet each other. Then watch the video at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxNqrtncw60 to see what another class brainstormed.
 Do the ways we greet people change as we get older? Why/why not?
 Do the ways people greet each other now differ from the way people used to greet each other 100 years ago? Why/why not?
 How would you feel if your name were mispronounced?
 If you are not sure what to do when meeting a Japanese person for the first time, what do you think would be the best course of action?
Activity 3 (respects, takes risks)
With your classmates, role-play greeting and bowing with Japanese people. See http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2000.html for more information.
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© NSW Department of Education and Communities, 2012
Funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment
and Workplace Relations through the National Asian Languages and Studies in Schools Program.
Scenario (prepares, takes risks)
A Japanese family has moved in next door to you. How will you greet the different members of the family?
Divide students into groups of 3-5 and assign roles (two Australian family members, Japanese mother, Japanese father, Japanese child). What does
each person say and do?
Give each group five minutes to prepare their scenario, and then perform it in front of the class.
After all of the performances, hold a class discussion, comparing the performances and asking students to explain the choices they made.
Other useful links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etiquette_in_Japan#Greetings
Syllabus links
Creative Arts K-6:
DRAES1.3
Dramatises personal experiences using movement, space and objects.
DRAS1.3
Interacts collaboratively to communicate the action of the drama with others.
DRAS2.3
Sequences the action of the drama to create meaning for an audience.
DRAS3.3
Devises, acts and rehearses drama for performance to an audience.
English K-6:
TES1.1
Communicates with peers and known adults in informal situations and structured activities dealing briefly with familiar topics.
TS1.1
Communicates with an increasing range of people for a variety of purposes on both familiar and introduced topics in
spontaneous and structured classroom activities.
TS2.1
Communicates in informal and formal classroom activities in school and social situations for an increasing range of purposes on
a variety of topics across the curriculum.
TS3.1
Communicates effectively for a range of purposes and with a variety of audiences to express well-developed, well-organised
ideas dealing with more challenging topics.
HSIE K-6:
CUES1
Communicates some common characteristics that all people share, as well as some of the differences.
CUS1.3
Identifies customs, practices, symbols, languages and traditions of their families and other families.
CUS1.4
Describes the cultural, linguistic and religious practices of their family, their community and other communities.
CUS2.3
Explains how shared customs, practices, symbols, languages and traditions in communities contribute to Australian and community
identities.
CUS2.4
Describes different viewpoints, ways of living, languages and belief systems in a variety of communities.
CUS3.4
Describes how cultures change through interactions with other cultures and the environment.
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© NSW Department of Education and Communities, 2012
Funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment
and Workplace Relations through the National Asian Languages and Studies in Schools Program.
Japanese K-10:
1.MBC.1
Demonstrates awareness of cultural diversity.
1.MBC.2
Identifies cultural practices in Japanese-speaking communities.
2.MBC.1
Recognises the link between culture and a sense of identity.
3.MBC.2
Demonstrates understanding of significant cultural values and practices in Japanese-speaking communities.
4.MBC.2
Demonstrates knowledge of key features of the culture of Japanese-speaking communities.
Disclaimer:
The NSW Department of Education and Communities cannot guarantee the availability or content of external links. Please check websites yourself for
suitability before showing to students. Show YouTube videos in full-screen mode, so that posted comments cannot be viewed by students.
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© NSW Department of Education and Communities, 2012
Funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment
and Workplace Relations through the National Asian Languages and Studies in Schools Program.