JAPANESE ARUARU
Hold a door for a group of Japanese travelers, and you may get a little bow from each person passing through. The person holding it nods back every time. By the last traveler, their neck has had more to do than the hand holding the door.
On a train where passengers press a button to open the doors, a traveler from Japan may simply stand and wait. Another passenger reaches over from behind and presses it. The train had reached the station; the door was waiting for one more signal.
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In a supermarket where customers weigh their own produce, a traveler from Japan may bring the bag straight to the checkout. The cashier points to the scales, and the bag heads back to the produce section. The shopping seemed finished, but the vegetables still had one stop to make.
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In a hotel abroad, a Japanese guest may check the TV channels one by one. A staff member entering the room finds them still halfway through the guide. Before choosing what to watch, the guest is finding out just how far the list goes.
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After a meal, a Japanese traveler may say “Gochisousama,” prompting the server to ask what it means. A brief explanation leads to another phrase, then another. The words meant to finish dinner can turn out to be the start of a new conversation.
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Ready to order, a Japanese traveler may check the table’s edges and peek behind the menu. Their local friend asks what is missing; a finger makes a little pressing motion. This restaurant has no call button, but the finger seems to remember one.
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After thanking someone for directions, Japanese travelers may check the route with each other—and point opposite ways. The local, still standing beside them, points once more. Before anyone sets off, the directions receive a short repeat performance.
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At a ticket machine, a Japanese traveler may read the instructions from top to bottom. Their local friend waits with a finger poised over the right button. The ticket has been chosen; the finger is simply waiting for the reading to catch up.
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After dinner, Japanese travelers may stack their plates. The server arrives and quietly rearranges them into a stack that is easier to carry. The same dishes have two possible orders: one for sitting together on the table, another for taking a walk.
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A local friend opens sweets brought by a Japanese traveler. There may be a bag, then a box, then a wrapper, then individual packets. Between saying thanks and taking the first bite, the present manages to have several separate opening moments.
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Japanese travelers may duck a little when passing in front of a camera. The next person follows at the same height, then another. From the photographer’s side, a small, unusually low procession briefly crosses the foreground of the picture.
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Japanese travelers may close their menus, bringing the server over to take the order. Then come exchanged looks and a quick discussion about who will speak. Everyone has chosen dinner; the table has simply not yet chosen its spokesperson.
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A shopkeeper’s “Konnichiwa” may get a separate reply from each Japanese traveler entering the shop. The first answers, then another voice follows, then another. One greeting at the door can come back with a small, friendly echo.
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