One interesting aspect of living in Japan is learning to read the unique body language of people around you, which is generally not something taught in Japanese textbooks. There are quite a few communicative gestures the Japanese make which are significantly different from what we’d use in the West, from the famous “waving hand” gesture that Lucky Cat does (which could easily be interpreted as “get away from me” if you didn’t know it) to the childish akkanbeh! insult some characters do. A raised pinky is the universal gesture meaning “I’ve got a hot date tonight,” while embarrassment in social situations will be communicated by toying with your forefingers (if female) or rubbing the back of your head (if male). Expressing “no” without giving offense can be quite involved in Japanese; you can do it non-verbally by waving your hand in front of your face, and “that is not allowed” can be indicated by making a little “X” with your fingers. Finally, the concept of “brown-nosing” someone in a position of authority is called goma-suri, literally grinding up sesame seeds, and indicating a weasely coworker while grinding imaginary sesame seeds in your fist is the accepted gesture for “ass-kisser.”
Body language in Japan can be hard to read when you first arrive in Japan.
