Comments on: Aisatsu at work

By: saffronsaris

saffronsaris — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 15:42:26 +0000

Yeah, I used to be at the receiving end of Ohayo Gozaimasu. The Brazilians would all greet us when we were walking along the corridor. Initially, we didn’t like the awkardness of such forced niceness (we could barely recognise their faces and were increasingly irritated with having to listen to Portuguese in the changing rooms) and often ducked into one of the many rooms along the long corridor. Eventually, we muttererd gozaimasu to return their greeting. Tiring it was.

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 05:06:02 +0000

Hey, I used to say Ohayo gozaimasu when I was working for a restaurant even if it was 3PM. The celebrity industry also does it. It doesn’t really mean “Good Morning” for them.

Anyway, I used to make a joke, “Welcome! Welcome!” outloud in English, as opposed to “いらっしゃい！いらっしゃい！” Used to make the Japanese laugh. The foundation of the languages are different, so better not to compare and just go with the flow I guess.

By: Shari

Shari — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 22:49:18 +0000

I think that there has to be a happy medium somewhere between the arbitrary, awkward and infrequent greetings offered in some places in western culture and the almost oppressive ritualized greetings in Japan. Somewhere in between, there must be sincere courtesy.

I always found the mechanical greetings and goodbyes in my office tedious and found that even most of the Japanese staff gave perfunctory responses at such utterances. Like many things in Japan (or even in life everywhere), such gestures were utterly empty of meaning and just people going through motions because they had to.

By: Roy

Roy — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 19:28:18 +0000

Shaindle, yeah Ohayo was Ozu as his stiffest

Jonas, maybe if you joined a japanese company in the U.S. you might experience something like this.

Rick, this was a strange office and it was custom to do a handshake-bow, probably because it was for an English school and also because of the foreigners. Also, the whole point of all that nonsense was to break you down and turn you into a sales soldier. It’s common in some extreme types of sales offices. At my dojo people greet each other this way too.

By: rick

rick — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 19:13:02 +0000

Only one thing I don’t agree with. I don’t think people shake hands as much as you say. Shaking hands with everyone in the office before you head out of the office for lunch, is a bit excessive even in Japan I think. The bow (more like a little mini bow/ big head nod) sometimes, the “ittekimasu” yes, but shake everyones hand… not at the places I’ve been to.

By: jonas

jonas — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 18:04:38 +0000

watashi wa nihongo no gakusei desu, but i live in the states and could not really be immersed in this type of education easily…

fascinating.
thanks.

By: shaindle

shaindle — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 17:29:18 +0000

I remember that movie; I can never forget the odd directorial decision to have the actors say their lines directly facing the camera in a static medium-shot.
Reading this post has made me glad I don’t work in an office, anywhere.