Japanese Gestures PDF Download

Born and raised in Japan on a US military base by a Japanese mother and Puerto Rican American father, Christy Coln Hasegawa, was fascinated and at times humored by how the gestures that her father used didn't always translate over when used with her Japanese side of the family. For example, in Japan, the innocent act of pretending to stealing a kid's nose won't get smiles and laughs from their onlooking mother; rather, it will be met with a look of disgust. That's because the motion of sticking the tip of the thumb between the index and middle finger in Japan is the gesture for "sex" and, in some regions, "clitoris." Don't get down on yourself if you've already done this. At least you now know why your Japanese host family keeps you away from their kids.Maido (my-dough, not to be confused with that childhood favorite, Play-Doh) describes several of the most common Japanese gestures and defines their meanings and the cultural contexts that surround them. The word "maido" is a slang term commonly used in the Kansai region of Japan (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe) and is short for "maido arigatou," which literally means, "thank you every time." People often use Maido as a greeting in business and sales, and as a send-off to a business's best customers as if to say, "come again" or "thank you." In this case, Maido is welcoming you to a world where you don't offend every single Japanese person you meet.In Maido, you'll see young fashionistas, salarymen, and insane fad starters such as lolitas, yankiis, gyarus and more, demonstrating Japanese gestures. Each photograph depicts the ideal form of a particular gesture and also captures the colorful and absolutely crazy characters running amok in Tokyo and Osaka. By learning a few simple gestures you can hopefully avoid making intercultural slip-ups and win the respect of locals. And who knows--maybe the next time you walk into the local izakaya (watering hole), you may be lucky enough to hear someone saying, "Maido! Maido!" to you.