Japanese sleep on FUTON..

Japanese don't sleep directly on the floor, but on thick quilted mats called futon. They put them on the floor at bedtime and take them up again in the morning. They're stored in special closets during the day. This is the general practice throughout Japan. But many people do, of course, prefer beds and have them in their homes.

It is comfortable to sleep on the floor. It's not strange at all once you're used to it. Many foreigners who visit Japan try it. A lot of them like it.

Japanese sleep on the floor because it's an age-old custom, and they don't see much reason to change. It really fits the way they live. Most Japanese homes are small, with futon, a room can be a bedroom at night and living space by day.

Mixed Bathing in Japan

In the past, men and women used to bathe together at the public bathhouses but not now. There's a men's dressing room and a women's dressing room. And there are separate sections for scrubbing and bathing too. It's the law. Foreigners can go to the public bath without worrying about mixed facilities.

Many people use the public bath, although the number is declining. People who don't have their own bath at home have to use the public bath. For many Japanese, public bathing can be a nice, relaxing, friendly way of socializing.

Mixed Bathing is rare these days, but some hot springs resorts have separate dressing rooms for men and women, and a main bath area or pool for everyone.

How do Japanese take a bath??

It's quite different from the way westerners do it. The main thing is that they wash themselves outside the tub. The tub itself is just for soaking. They don't ever soap themselves inside the tub. And they're careful to rinse all the suds off before they get into the tub. Other people use the tub after finish bathing, and there mustn't be any soapsuds in the water.

Other people use the same bath water. And yes, it's quite clean, because they've already washed and rinsed themselves before getting into it. The tub is deep, and the water is hot. Japanese enjoy just soaking in it. It's so relaxing.

A Japanese bathroom usually has a tiled floor with a drain in it. There are faucets on the wall close to the floor. They sit on a low stool to wash, and they rinse the soap off with small buckets.

Japanese take their shoes off when they enter a home..

Japanese take off their shoes as soon as they enter. Homes have a kind of entry hall called genkan which can be very large or quite small. They leave their shoes in the genkan. Then they step up from there into the home. Japanese do the same thing in some Japanese-style restaurants too.

There are usually slippers available, and they wear them in　the home. But they take off the slippers too before entering a tatami room, if there is one.

There are many reasons why they don't wear shoes in the home. One is that, if you remove your shoes before entering the home, the floor stays much cleaner. Most Japanese do a lot of living on the floor. They sit there and even sleep there. It's important that the floor be very clean.

Cards so important to Japanese!

Exchanging cards helps us to know who the other person is. It's important for Japanese to know a person's business affiliation or profession. Once they know that, they know how to deal with him or her. Japanese are often called a vertical society. They usually interact with each other according to their relative positions on that vertical ladder.

What does it involve?
Japanese have to make a lot of choices - in the level of language they use, or in how they bow, for example. Once they see the other person's card, they both know what kind of language to use with each other, and who should bow lower to whom.

There are not exclusive social classes. Family background doesn't matter as much as individual achievement in Japan. Almost any man has a chance to make it to the top. That's why the company identification represents potential as well as achievement. It's all on the card.

Japanese shake hands..

Japanese shake hands rarely with each other. When they greet or say goodbye to other they might bow at the same time, depending on the circumstances. But they wouldn't ordinarily shake hands. Of course they know that westerners shake hands. And many of them expect Japanese to. In that case it's quite all right. It's just that in general Japanese don't touch each other much in public.

Are western-style greetings offensive?
Not really. Japanese know that they've got to adapt somewhat to different customs. It's sometimes a bit awkward for them at first. Japanese are not used to the bear hugs and kisses with which westerners often greet each other. But they manage.

Many Japanese who are around westerners a lot don't bow to them at all. Others who are not used to foreigners may bow because it's automatic. But Japanese don't usually expect foreigners to bow in return.

Guests at Japanese home...

Japanese entertain guests at home, but not like in the West. When Japanese want to entertain friends or business associates they normally take them out. That's what entertaining means to Japanese. Japanese believe that a guest will be more comfortable in a restaurant than in homes. Most Japanese live in very small places - perhaps even cramped by western standards. Not all of them have room to entertain at home.

Some homes are suitable for entertaining. Another important consideration for inviting people home is where they live. It may take two or even three hours by train to travel between some suburbs of the large cities. But young people are beginning to visit each others' homes rather frequently.

A Japanese friend might invite foreigners home. Or he or she might arrange for foreigners to visit someone else's home. You'd be very welcome.