Title: Japanese body language and gestures - Lingualift
Headings: Japanese body language and gestures
Japanese body language and gestures
The basics of not offending or frightening people
Counting backwards and beckoning someone to go away
Looking at your shoes
Saying what’s not said

Content: If you look someone in the eye, they look away. Direct eye contact is considered rude or intrusive. It’s alright to make brief eye contact, but for the bulk of the conversation you should look somewhere else. If you’re a person dumbfounded by the standoffishness of the Japanese you meet, it could be because they think you’re staring them down. Posture is extremely important. Good posture tells the other person that you’re respectful and attentive. It’s bad to sit slumped over like a teenager at McDonalds and people don’t usually lean casually against walls. Sitting with arms or legs outspread is a serious sin in Japan – you’re taking up space. This causes irritation but it’s also a sign of confidence, which many Japanese interpret as over-confidence or arrogance. Don’t point.