More than 130 million people speak Japanese, making it the ninth most

widely spoken language in the world. Outside of Japan, there are another 5
million people who speak Japanese with some degree of proficiency –
predominantly Japanese descendants in Hawaii and Brazil. Japanese
language services have become extremely important in social and
business settings. Japan is one of the world’s leading industrial powers and
is remarkable for its economic growth since World War II, considering it has
few natural resources. Japan is known for its people’s strong work ethic
and the high level of cooperation between industry and government. Unlike
most western languages, Japanese has an extensive grammatical system
to express politeness and formality. Broadly speaking, there are three main
politeness levels in spoken Japanese: the plain form (“kudaketa”), the
simple polite form (“teinei”) and the advanced polite form (“keigo”). Since
most relationships are not equal in Japanese society, one person typically
has a higher position. This position is determined by a variety of factors
including job, age, experience, or even psychological state. The person in
the lower position is expected to use a polite form of speech, whereas the
other might use a more plain form. Strangers will also speak to each other
politely. Japanese children rarely use polite speech until their teens, at
which point they are expected to begin speaking in a more adult manner.
Roots of Japanese language The origin of Japanese is in considerable
dispute amongst linguists. Evidence has been offered for a number of
sources: Ural-Altaic, Polynesian, and Chinese amonge others. Of these,
Japanese is most widely believed to be connected to the Ural-Altaic family,
which includes Turkish, Mongolian, Manchu, and Korean within its domain.
Korean is most frequently compared to Japanese, as both languages share
significant key features such as general structure, vowel harmony, lack of
conjunctions, and the extensive use of honorific speech, in which the social
rank of the listener heavily affects the dialogue. However, pronunciation of
Japanese is significantly different from Korean, and the languages are
mutually unintelligible. Japanese has an extremely complicated writing
system, consisting of two sets of phonetic syllabaries (with approximately
50 syllables in each) and thousands of Chinese characters called “kanji”,
approximately 2,000 of which the Ministry of Education has designated as
required learning before high school graduation. The adaptation of Chinese
characters during the sixth to ninth centuries A.D. was the most important
event in the development of the language. By the 12th century, the syllabic
writing systems, “hiragana” and “katakana”, were created out of “kanji”,
providing the Japanese new freedom in writing their native language.
Today, Japanese is written with a mixture of the three: “kanji”, “hiragana”,
and “katakana”. Since the mid 18th century the Japanese have adopted a
huge amount of “gairaigo”: foreign words mainly from English. These
include “teburu” (table), “biru” (beer), “gurasu” (glass), “aisu” (ice), “takushi”
(taxi) and “hoteru” (hotel). There are also a few words from Portuguese,
Dutch and Spanish, such as “pan” (bread) and “igirisu” (the UK), from the
Portuguese “po” and “ingles”. Such words arrived in Japan mainly during
the 16th and 17th centuries, when missionaries and merchants started to
visit the country.
1What are the characteristics of Japanese language? Characteristics of
Japanese Japanese uses four different systems of writing, these are: kanji,
hiragana, katakana and romanji. Hiragana is syllabic and the most original
writing system in Japan. ... Katakana is used to write foreign words. Kanji is
based on the Chinese writing system and consists of about 2000 signs.
Greetings in Japan: In Japan, people greet each other by bowing. A bow
can range from a small nod of the head to a deep bend at the waist. A
deeper, longer bow indicates respect and conversely a small nod with the
head is casual and informal. If the greeting takes place on tatami floor,
people get on their knees to bow. # tatami- is a woven mat that is being
used as Bowing is also used to thank, apologize, make a request or ask
someone a favor. Bowing with your palms together at chest level, as done
in Thailand, is not customary in Japan. Most Japanese do not expect
foreigners to know proper bowing rules, and a nod of the head is usually
sufficient. Shaking hands is uncommon, but exceptions are made,
especially in international business situations. At formal meetings, business
cards are exchanged during the introductions. At shops and restaurants,
customers are typically welcomed by the staff with the greeting
"irasshaimase". No response from the customer is required, and a smile
and a nod with the head would suffice for those who want to reciprocate the
greeting. floor coverings in traditional japanese houses. Japanese
Greetings Etiquette: A. Greetings are said to be very important part of
Japanese culture. If you are going to visit Japan for the first time of your
life, this is a thing you should care about seriously. In Japan, you have got
to follow certain etiquette just not only for being a modest person to others
but also for respecting its unique culture. Whenever you are to meet with
someone in Japan you have to bow and say 1. KONNICHIWA (Hello in
Japanese)! Take a look at the following points that clearly guide you how to
deal with Japanese greetings customs. 2. Ohayo Gozaimazu - good
morning. 3. Konnichiwa - good day/hello/good afternoon. 4. Konbanwa -
good evening.
Japanese Greetings Japanese have traditionally been wary of introducing
themselves to strangers. They generally hang out with people only within
their groups and find interacting with strangers to be stressful, requiring a
certain amount of forwardness they are uncomfortable with. For this reason
introductions are usually made with the help of an intermediary, common
friend or a third party. Aisatsu is Japanese word that is often translated as
“greeting” but in actuality is much broader, more all-encompassing and
important than its translation suggests. Long books have been written
about it or different aspects of it. Aisatsu covers a range of behaviors and
sayings that people use in a variety of situations and includes speeches
and public remarks. To avoid coming off as foolish or ill-bred one has to
have proper aisatsu. Parents often say that it is one of the most important
thing for their kids to learn in day care or kindergarten.
Names and Titles in Japan People should be addressed by their titles and
their family names plus an honorific (usually "san"). Using first names is
considered presumptuous, too familiar and rude. Honorifics have their roots
in the Middle Ages when they were strictly based on social hierarchy. After
World War II when Japanese society became more democratized they
were used in accordance with level of intimacy between speakers.
Japanese should ideally be addressed by Westerners with Mr., Mrs., Miss
or by adding the suffix "san" to the last name. Japanese use the suffix san
even with neighbors and friends they have known for years. Some young or
Americanized Japanese are comfortable being addressed by their first
names or an English nickname. Common titles include sensei (teacher or
professor), oishasan (doctor), untenshusan (taxi driver), omawarisan
(policeman). Within companies people are often addressed by their titles---
chairman, president, manager, section manager, supervisor, etc.”rather
than name. The teacher Aya Nakamura is called Nakayamura-san (Ms.
Nakamura) by her boss and Nakamura Sensei or Sensei by her students.
Some of her friends might call her Aya-chan. "Chan" is a suffix usually used
with the first names of children, good friends and sometimes with dogs or
other pets. In addressing someone in the second person, Japanese have
traditionally had to take into account age, circumstance, gender, social
position and other factors to decide which verb endings, adjectives and
words to use. This is not as true today with the exception of people using
more respectful language when talking to older people or addressing
people in formal situations.
Attitude in Japan Towards Names and Titles Breaches of name and title
etiquette can sometimes have deadly consequences. In 1975, two workers
with the Elpida Company---30-year-old Kunihiro Fukada and 27-year-old
Tomohiko Okabe---were having a drink at a bar in Tokyo. Even though
Okabe was younger than many of his co-workers he often addressed co-
workers that were older than him with language used for people younger
because he entered the company earlier them. He did this with Fukada.
Fukada took offense and Okabe said, “What’s wrong if a senior guy calls
his junior in this way?” Outraged. Fukada grabbed Okabe’s neck,
pummeled his face and killed him. Over time Japan has become less
formal. Some companies have even issued orders to their employees to
stop addressing one another by their titles but to simply add the suffix -SAN
to their names. Parents and teachers no longer expect their children to use
honorific language. Many older Japanese see the change as a coarsening
of their language and society.
Public Customs in Japan Two of the most useful expressions in Japan are
GOMENNASAI (“I’m sorry”) and SUMIMASEN (“excuse me”), which can be
used in almost any situation. Polite Social Behavior in Japan When offering
a book or paper to someone older than you, you should show respect by
using TWO HANDS to present the object. On a crowded subway or bus,
you should give up your seat to elderly people, pregnant women and
women with small children When something is dropped in a park or along a
trail the person who finds hangs it on a branch or a fence so it can easily be
spotted, Papers, notebooks, jackets and possessions are carefully handled,
carefully placed somewhere and carefully handed from one person to the
next---and not handled carelessly or tossed about as is the case
sometimes in the United States. To do would be rude and disrespectful.
Impolite Social Behavior in Japan Japanese consider it rude to look
someone directly in the eye, cross your arms or legs, or have your hands in
their pocket when you are speaking to them. Japanese usually focus their
eyes on the lower neck of the person they are talking to and try to avoid
staring. Blowing your nose in public in considered highly offensive. If you
have the sniffles or are stuffed up, it is best to excuse yourself and blow
your nose in a rest room. Yawning loudly and chewing gum in public are
also considered rude. Tossing a wadded up napkin on the table or unfolded
blanket on an airline seat is considered inconsiderate. The Japanese
always carefully fold their napkins, blankets and even gum wrappers before
discarding them. Even so young people sometimes thoughtless throw their
wrappers and plastic bags on the ground. Many Japanese expect subway
cars, when they are not crowded, to be quiet, mellow places for sleeping.
They don't like people who talk on cell phones or have loud conversation.
Nor do they like women who put on make-up or young people who eat and
drink, Many men read dirty magazines on a train in full view of female
passengers.. Sitting in a desk is bad manners, Eating while walking on the
streets is a custom still regarded with contempt by old-timers. Putting on
make up in public is looked down upon as is brushing one’s teeth in public.
Many people sit in priority seating set aside for elderly people and pregnant
women and then don’t give up the seat when an elderly person or pregnant
woman shows up. Some Japanese respond violently over bad manners. In
the mid-2000s a 28-year-old male high school teacher was arrested for
striking a women on the head for her for crossing her legs on a train and
brushing his leg with her foot and not appropriately apologizing. A police
was reprimanded for pulling the hair of a young woman for talking on her
cell phone on a train.
Everyone, did you read? Pls translate in japanese the greetings below: 1.
What is good morning? 2. Good afternoon/ hello? 3. Good evening? 4.
San? 5. Sumimasen? 6. Gomennasai? Finally, write all your names para sa
attendance.