Cultural "Self" awareness & Self-Introductions

Inviting Guests in Japan & the World

During today's class I had the opportunity to speak to my classmates and I realised that we have totally different habits when it comes to inviting guests into our home. In my opinion, Asian and European countries are totally different on that point. 

I learned the French concept of "RSVP" (Répondez s'il vous plaît) in class. It means that when you send an invitation to someone, you expect a response. It is very important for me because I love to find some time to see my friends but if they don't reply to me, I'll just lose my time.  

Regarding punctuality, I always try to be on time because I think it is rude to be late and I think that it is the same in Japan. However, there is a cliché about being always late in France and it's kinda true. I talked to my Latin American friends and they told me that arriving late is not a problem and considered as polite. I also love bringing a little gift when I go to a friend's house and I think it is something important in France when you are invited in someone's house to eat. 

The thing that has made the biggest impression on me since I arrived in Japan is the "Shoes on/off" culture. For example, I don't care about having my shoes on in my apartment in France. But here it is so different and very strict. My Japanese friend told me it was just a manner and for hygiene. 

To conclude, today's class helped me better understand the importance of cultural other awareness. Talking with classmates from different countries made me realise that habits we consider "normal" can be very different depending on the culture. Learning about these differences, such as punctuality, hospitality, or the shoes on/off culture, allows us to become more respectful and open-minded towards others.