Showing Respect, But Don't Try To Out Japanese the Japanese

[pboylan]

I got asked about showing respect for teachers in Japan and the US, so I ended up writing this blog. Does it make any sense? I would like to get some stuff out there to combat the "More Japanese than thou" garbage I see too much of.

http://budobum.blogspot.com/2014/10/...-of-japan.html

[giles]

Your comments on the 'kun' honorific have resolved a twenty year old confusion for me! I spent six months seconded to a large Japanese company just outside Yokosuka and thought I got on well there with my boss, but he referred to me as "Giles kun". I realised this was diminutive but hadn't realised it could be complimentary. No harm done at the time as I was too busy bumbling through various other social crises, but nice to know the background.

And the photographs are a fantastic addition.

[pboylan]

Giles,

I had similar problems figuring out what a couple of bosses were trying to say when they called me "Peter Kun." I eventually figured it out, but it took me over a year to figure this one out.

[mkrueger]

Does it make any sense? I would like to get some stuff out there to combat the "More Japanese than thou" garbage I see too much of.

Yes it does and you do a good job of explaining it. I too would really like to see more material and sources to combat the "More Japanese than thou" drivel that I've observed in some schools.

One small typo in the second to last paragraph. The sentence: [Call you teacher “Sensei.”] should be [Call your teacher "Sensei."]

Reminded me of the time I unintentionally and unknowingly used gangster-speak with my boss. That's what I get for learning new vocabulary through television. He was thankfully good-humoured and laughed it off while correcting me.

[pboylan]

Reminded me of the time I unintentionally and unknowingly used gangster-speak with my boss. That's what I get for learning new vocabulary through television. He was thankfully good-humoured and laughed it off while correcting me.

Thanks. It's good to hear I hit my target. Also thank you for the tip on the typo. I try to proofread, but stuff always slips through.

I haven't used gangster speak, but I spent my first 2 years in Japan teaching junior high school. I had an incredible chugakusei accent for years!

[DustyMars]

Very nice blog. I read this one form time to time: http://www.shinseidokandojo.blogspot.com/ Really neat one and it appears to be similar to yours.

[cxt]

Good article.

Thanks for posting it.

[pboylan]

Very nice blog. I read this one form time to time: http://www.shinseidokandojo.blogspot.com/ Really neat one and it appears to be similar to yours.

Jeff, thanks for the pointer. I hadn't seen this before, but I like it.