Set Phrases in Japan

Gentlemen bowing from Wikimedia Commons.

Man I feel terrible for not keeping this blog rolling! Things keep happening, making me think of things to write about, then it all flies out of my head the moment I sit down. Well not today!

Japan has a lot of standardized phrases, and many of these are the first things you learn in Japanese class. English has them too of course, but in Japan not only the phrases but also when to use them is standardized. And that's what I'm going to discuss this time around, because it's one of the things that I believe makes Japan feel like a really welcoming country, especially to foreigners.

いらっしゃいませ [irasshaimase]: One of the most common phrases in Japan is this one. It means 'welcome' and you hear it ALL THE TIME. When I walk into the convenience store, the people at the counter say it. When a worker randomly happens to walk by me as I shop, they say it. Yes, it's a standard basic greeting, and half the time the workers don't even look at you when they say it. But the fact that they say anything at all makes me actually feel welcome in the store. To be fair, I'm also perfectly fine if no one talks to me at all as I go about my business, but this little standard greeting just makes things a little nicer.

大変お待たせいたしました [taihen omataseitashimashita]: I hear this one when I go to check out at a store, and when I'm standing in line at McDonalds. It basically translates as 'I'm sorry you had to wait so long!' In America, you might here this if you were like, the tenth and final person in the line at a check out. Maybe. In Japan, I hear it when I'm the second person in line. I go to McDonalds, wait a few minutes as the person in front of me finishes their order, and when I move up in line I get this response from the cashier. Honestly, I wasn't waiting that long. It's fine, I don't mind waiting. But sometimes you can get a little antsy or annoyed when the person in front of you takes a while, and you may adopt a foul mood. But when the cashiers say this phrase, for some reason, I can't stay upset. They are acknowledging that you have had to wait and apologizing for it, even if it wasn't very long. It wasn't their fault or anything, but the phrase itself helps diffuse some potential anger.

お疲れ様です [otsukaresama desu]: This is the phrase I hear almost every day, because it's a work-place phrase. When I leave for the day, and when anyone else leaves, they say お先に失礼します [osaki ni shitsureishimasu], which basically means 'I'm sorry, but I'm leaving ahead of you.' As the ALT, I tend to be the first one to leave at the end of the work day so I tend to actually be leaving ahead of everyone else. But anyone who hears you utter this phrase will be obligated to reply with 'otsukaresama desu' which means 'Thank you for your hard work.' At the end of a long or stressful day, it's nice to hear this as you walk out the door. Heck, even when I've just been sitting at my desk all day because students are in exams, it's nice to hear this one. It makes you feel like you accomplished something during the day and people appreciate it (even if you actually did absolutely nothing).

お大事に [odaijini]: You'll hear this phrase often around this time of year, since everyone is getting sick. Of course in English we have our standard 'feel better soon' or 'get well' phrases that we say when we hear someone is sick, and it's the same in Japan. 'Odaijini' means 'take care of yourself,' but it's not when I hear it from coworkers or friends that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. It's when I hear it from the nurses at the doctor's office after I pick up my medicine. In America, I often went to the doctor and then went somewhere else to pick up a prescription. Now, I get my prescriptions from my doctor. When I go up to pay and the nurses give me my drugs, they say this phrase. I've never had a pharmacist in America tell me 'take care of yourself' or 'feel better soon'. I'm sure there are ones out there that do it, I just never had one. So I am always pleasantly surprised when these nurses, who know me only as a person on a medical record, seem to show concern for my well-being.

Those are my four big phrases, though there are plenty more. This is a basic part of Japanese culture, something that all Japanese people know and are exposed to every single day. As a foreigner, it was a surprise for me, and it still is even after a year. I like the customer service in Japan, I think they do it well and people are often smiling and helpful. Now, are these people actually being sincere when they smile and say these phrases? I have no idea, and to be honest I don't care. If it's an illusion that they've created, I say go on doing it, because even if it's fake, the positive feelings I get from hearing these phrases are real, and I think the same can be said for others too.