The following is a brief list of common etiquette and customs that may be different from your home country. While it is certainly not required or even expected of you to do these things, it can help you build a good first impression. Your coworkers will appreciate the effort you put in, and it can be helpful in building your interpersonal relationships.
Greetings
Greetings of all kinds are very important in Japan. Energetically saying “ohaiyou gozaimasu” when you enter the staff room/office in the morning, and “Otsukaresama deshita” when you leave in the afternoon will leave a good impression and show that you are energetic and ready for the day.
In your first week, and anytime you meet someone new, be sure to say “Yoroshiku onegai shimasu” after introducing yourself. It literally means “please be kind” although the sentiment better resembles, “I look forward to working with you.”
Here are the common greetings:
- “Yoroshiku onegai shimasu” = “I look forward to working with you/knowing you”
- “Ohaiyou gozaimasu” = “good morning”
- “Otsukaresama desu” = an acknowledgement of the other person’s work. You will say this greeting often throughout the day to your coworkers.
- “Otsukaresama deshita” = the past tense of the previous greeting. Say this when you have finished a project with someone or a coworker is leaving for the day.
- “Osaki ni shitsurei shimasu” = “Excuse me for leaving early,” which you should say if you leave earlier than other coworkers or earlier than your designated end time for any reason.
Conduct in the staff room
There may be some stark differences between the staff room in Japan and your home country. Expect to see your coworkers brushing their teeth, clipping their nails, and gargling water in the staff room.
Headphone use is generally frowned upon. Even if you are doing work, wearing headphones or earbuds to listen to music is not done.
Sighing loudly is generally taken as a vocal sign of discontent, although this author has yet to curb his sighing habit. However, it should definitely be avoided when speaking with the students or coworkers, as they may perceive it as an expression of disappointment in their work. On that note, clicking your tongue should be avoided at all costs. It is a sign of anger/irritation in Japan and is not used ironically as it is in some countries.
Standing when you are approached at your desk by a fellow staff member and continuing to stand for the duration of the conversation, is basic manners in Japan. This is an important way to show respect for your coworkers, especially administrative staff and senior employees, even though many will wave you back into your seat.
Thanking and apologizing
Saying thank you is common sense, but it’s worth being mindful of, and in Japan it’s very hard to overdo it. Thank your coworkers after a lesson, meeting, or activity together, and if someone goes out of their way to help you, thanking them again later in the day is polite.
Making mistakes and communication errors is inevitable as a JET, however, a simple apology will go most of the way to repairing the situation. If you are worried you may have accidentally offended a coworker, do your best to apologize the same day. Otherwise, as soon as you can, the next day is best.
Cleaning time
Each school has a dedicated cleaning time each day for the students to clean their classrooms and the school building. You may not be asked directly to help, but participating without being asked is an excellent opportunity to show your willingness to contribute. Cleaning time is also a great time to interact with the students outside of class and get to know them better! (Although be aware that some schools enforce a silent cleaning time.)
Tattoos and piercings
For most JETs, covering your tattoos and taking out piercings is best practice until you can confirm with another coworker whether it’s okay for them to be visible. Each school/office will have a different attitude. However, for ALTs, even if your school allows your tattoos to be visible on a normal day, assume that you should cover them on days there will be parents visiting the school (such as sports day, the school festival, and PTA meetings).
Work attire
As employees at schools or government offices, JETs are considered government employees and professionals. So, we need to dress the part. Depending on your workplace, the expectations may vary. Best practice is to double check with a coworker what the expectations are, or watch your coworkers and match their styles.
We have also created a work attire guide to help give you an idea about what is generally acceptable attire. Click here to go to the Work Attire page.
Students
There are a number of laws and expectations in Japan that are designed to protect children. There are also guidelines in place in regards to teachers. They are designed to protect both students and teachers. Please be aware of and do not break these guidelines.
- You may not post or distribute images of students, even on a private account.
- Do not share or take home personal information about your students (names, grade levels, etc.).
- Never arrange to meet your students outside of school/school arranged events.
- Never follow or communicate with people under 18 (minors) on any kind of Social Media or messaging application.
- Don’t initiate physical contact with your students.