Custom also appears in non-contact greetings like bowing. This “sence of distance” or “consideration for distance” with other people is actually quite important for Japanese people.

“The sense of distance” mentioned here is not conceptual, but rather a physical distance. How much distance you take also shows how much respect and familiarity you have with the other person. Of course, there are also subconscious ones. But that’s an important form of communication too, isn’t it? We personally are not very hostile, but it may also be said that it is the Japanese temperament not to get aggressive from the beginning. In other words, there is no feeling of oppression or intimidation. But, to put it negatively, it’s very passive … It is not a black or white issue. The image of the Japanese that may first come to mind is a wry smile that you don’t quite understand with a slight bow of the head.

But we think “a sense of distance” with the other person is something anyone feels. However, for Japanese people, how you take the distance with the other person is an indication of how much consideration you have and is regarded as a virtue in our culture. We hope you understand our cultural values a little more here.