Service: Japanese Style

One of the things I've known about Japanese culture from working with people over the years is how polite and service-oriented the society is. Yet while one can read about this in thousands of books and experience it from meeting Japanese people in the U.S., there is nothing that compares to experiencing it first-hand in Japan.

While I've been here not quite two days, the examples of exceptional and efficient service and kindness are everywhere: from the governmental officials at the airport in the Quarantined, Immigration and Customs' areas, to the money exchange counter, to the bus limosine staff, in the hotels, restaurants, on the streets, in the subways, the departmental stores, the taxis and the tourist areas. It is truly a delightful change to have people acknowledge you with a slight bow, a smile and a soft voice whereever you go. It certainly makes one feel very, very welcome. Even the store display of this sale in a department store is welcoming! (Hint: Click on the photo to enlarge it so you can read what is written on the display in English.)

In the States, normally this kind of exceptional service would be rewarded with a tip of some kind. Yet in Japan, tipping is not practiced! What a cultural difference this is, leaving me and the other Fulbrighters in my group to feel a bit guilty right now that we cannot reward such service with the tip that it deserves.

Yet we are thinking in our own cultural box when we have such feelings. While I'm aware of it and can process it, I can't help but feel the emotional response of a bit of guilt because that would be how I would show my appreciation back home.

So in my reflection of what I'm seeing, hearing and feeling, I turn to gratitude. I so appreciate this element of Japanese culture and am grateful and humbled by the many demonstrations of it all around me.

And I cannot help but think of how the world would be such a better place if we all practiced a little "Service: Japanese Style" of our own, once in awhile.