Japanese Life Rules That Might Seem Foreign To Visitors

Pointing Is Considered Offensive In Japan

In the West, pointing out directions may not seem like a big deal, but in Japan, it is very rude. That's because pointing in Japan is seen as a threat. If you were to give out directions and mistakenly point at someone while doing so, you would be threatening them. So, you shouldn't point when you're attempting to show someone where to go or even when you're trying to get someone to look at something.

In Japanese culture, it's far nicer and more polite to use hand gestures to try to convey something or get someone's attention. This way, you're not threatening a random person.