http://www.thejapanfaq.com/FAQ-Primer.html
Culture Shock 101
NO!! This is not another site on Japanese Zen and rock gardens, nor fantasizing about pretty geisha, samurai, ninja, and Japanese comics. This site is to familiarize you with a few basic characteristics of Japanese culture and behavior that the westerner will encounter. There are many reactions and attitudes that Japanese will give off -- many of them the typical westerner would ordinarily not pick up on. But if you come to Japan and want to have better relations, as well as a better understanding of how many Japanese people think and perceive you, there are a lot of key items you should be aware of. Some you may like and others you may not. That, of course, is fine--you're entitled to your own views, no matter what anybody else says. But you will have to deal with some of the cultural and behavioral aspects whether you like it or not. Those that can recognize and deal with the differences in Japanese attitudes will adapt faster, get better jobs, and have a more positive experience living in Japan. Do not feel that you will ever have to completely understand the Japanese, since the Japanese don't completely understand themselves either.
*Important*: Japan has a lot of positive traits, and a lot of negative ones also. You'll find Japan captivating, bewildering, enchanting, enraging, humorous, frustrating, loose, uptight, accomodating, and anal-retentive--sometimes all at the same time. However, the contents of this site center more on the negative aspects than the positive ones since these are what make life for westerners more difficult here. They are meant to show more of what culture shock is experienced and are *NOT* to be taken as an accounting of the number of good traits vs. the bad.
Some subjects to study
- Uchi-Soto -- Us and Them
The Gaijin Complex
Honne and Tatemae -- The Real Mind & The Veneer
Osekkai! -- Mind Your Own Business!
"Goatism" -- Giseisha and Urami -- On Scapegoats, Victims, and Envy
Amae -- Dependency
Tate-shakai -- The Vertical Society
Shikata ga Nai and Gaman -- You Can't Fight City Hall
Nihonjinron and Kokusaika -- We Japanese & Internationalization
The Iron Triangle and the Empty Center
The Complete Guide to Working, Visiting, and Living in Japan
http://thejapanfaq.cjb.net/
"Do you have any tips?"
*Learn as much Japanese as you can before you come. Anything you learn will make your stay here easier. Very few Japanese can speak English with ease. If you get lost, try writing your question on paper and giving it to someone young. Use simple words. Probably they can point you in the right direction.
*Bringing a number of inexpensive gifts with you is also a good idea, to give them to those who show you a big kindness. Nothing extravagant is necessary -- even a video of MTV would do wonders, or some item of Americana or that represents where you're from. Cassettes of top-40 radio (Japanese radio is horrible), small picture books or calendars, posters, ashtrays, chocolates, pure maple or berry syrups, t-shirts or pens/pencils with famous animation characters (except Disney or Snoopy, which they have in abundance), liquor, caps, coasters, nice soap or shampoos, lotions, cosmetics, etc. would be great. Be aware though that in Japan 4 and 9 are "unlucky" numbers, and especially older Japanese tend to be superstitious, so avoid giving sets of 4 or 9.
*If you still don't know how many litres there are in a gallon, how hot 37 degrees Centigrade is, how heavy 32kg is, or how far 1 km is, then join the rest of the world and get on the metric system. Everything here is metric, and if you're not, you'll be lost very quickly.
*If you know where you'll be, getting some business cards before you come may be a good idea. However, while getting them in Japan is far more expensive, in Japan they can be printed in Japanese, or with English on one side. You will also receive many of them. They are exchanged to show who is superior to whom in this vertically-structured society. Do not play Frisbee with them , or stick them in your back pocket and sit on them when you meet someone.
* In Japan there is a 5% consumption tax. It is placed on every product you buy and every service (except public transportation), and more increases are expected in the years ahead.
* This is obvious, but NEVER SURRENDER YOUR PASSPORT TO ANYONE except the legal government authorities. Many people have been blackmailed to stay in their jobs by shady types who took them "for safekeeping". If they ask why, tell them the truth -- that you trust them about as far as you can throw--, well, maybe not that. But say that it's not even your property to give them -- it's your government's, which is also true. Stay away from such places -- you wouldn't be working there long anyway.
