Japanese Greetings and Etiquette

Explore Japanese greetings and etiquette to navigate social interactions with respect and understanding. Learn key phrases and customs.

Understanding the do’s and don’ts of different cultures is especially important in the workplace. Greetings and customs can vary drastically around the world. To ensure that you don’t commit a faux pas, explore this blog about Japanese greetings, customs, and etiquette.

Japanese Greetings

There are plenty of Japanese greetings, each with their own usage rules. Aisatsu means “greeting” in Japanese, however, it’s more than just saying “hello.” It’s a way to show a sign of respect and is taught in early childhood.

Konnichiwa

This is probably the most well-known Japanese greeting translating to “hello,” and it’s best used from late morning to around sunset.

Ohayō gozaimasu

Meaning “good morning,” it’s typically used in the morning (before noon). For close friends and family, you can leave out “gozaimasu” for a more casual greeting. For those more senior than you, always use the full phrase.

Konbanwa

After around 6pm or sunset, use this greeting translating to “good evening,” but literally it means “tonight.” This greeting, while more formal than “konnichiwa,”  can still be used with close friends or acquaintances in appropriate contexts.

Oyasumi nasai

This is used to say “good night.”

Sayōnara & Gokigenyō

Contrary to popular belief, sayōnara isn’t used for casual goodbyes. It’s more formal and used for permanent goodbyes or goodbyes to someone you might not see again for a long. More frequent ways to say goodbye include “baibai”,  “jaane”, “dewa” or “mata ne”

Moshi moshi & Osewa

“Moshi mosh” is commonly used on the phone at the beginning of a conversation. “Hai” ( meaning “yes”) is also becoming increasingly common on phone pickups. “Osewa” is part of expressions like “osewa ni narimasu,” meaning “thank you for your care.”

Japanese Customs

Harmony is crucial to Japanese culture, so there are many customs that hope to facilitate peace between people.

1. Take off shoes when entering someone’s house, a restaurant, hotel, resort, etc.
2. No hugging or shaking of hands when meeting with loved ones. Instead, you bow 15-30 degrees to show respect. If the greeting is taking place on a tatami floor, people will kneel to bow.
3. Wash hands when entering any shrine.
4. Wear slippers when using the bathroom.
5. Make a slurping noise when eating noodles.
6. Bath at night and not in the morning.

Japanese Etiquette

Japanese people typically follow strict etiquette rules. Some common etiquette social faux pas include:

• Talking on the phone while on a train
• Eating something while walking or while on a train
• Giving or taking something with only one hand
• Showing up to a meeting at the exact time (you should arrive 5-10 minutes earlier)
• Passing food to someone with chopsticks, vertically sticking chopsticks into food, waving chopsticks above food dishes, or using them to point at someone
• Writing someone’s name using red ink as it’s considered unlucky or associated with death
• Giving yellow or white Chrysanthemums to someone when they’re sick as they’re a reminder of a funeral

When you’re looking to deepen your cultural savvy, cultural competency training can help you achieve this goal of understanding those different from you better. A Diversity Calendar is also helpful as it’s full of unique diversity days, DEI events, and religious holidays and festivals that may be unknown to you. Learning about other cultures allows you to appreciate the world in a more complex way.