I'm English and we do the fist to palm gesture. It shows that you understand what someone is saying or that you have given some thought into something and found a solution
I've seen these gestures in a book in Barnes and noble book seller store , very helpful to know and now watching your vids gives more info , good job 🖒
FYI, that fist to palm gesture in at least the Northeastern US usually goes with extending an index finger toward the person whose point you're acknowledging, usually with a nod of the head there at the same time. "I gotcha."
The guys in the video look perfectly normal doing those gestures, but if I tried to do some of them, japanese people would just look at me like I'm having a seizure 😂😂
wa But if we took everything to "face" value, there's also a 田, and I don't know what that is in Japanese, but I'm just going to assume it means dirt/field, and what would that be??? The field and yourself?? The field on your face? Haha, I'm just as clueless as the next person
Chelsea Zhao in ancient chinese 自 actually meant both self and nose, 畀 is added to distinguish the two because they were confusing, 畀comes from 田 and 丌, where as you pointed out 田 is field while 丌 is pronounced as 基 which represents foundation, basis. ancient chinese liked to view the body as a universe, 鼻 was seen as the starting point of a body, this concept is evident in many old literatures
Having subtitles on at 4:10 is hilarious. Instead of "Sumimasen, Sumimasen, Sumimasen" the subtitles thing Ryo is saying "see my sexy, my fancy, my family". 😂😂😂
OH MY goodness, I did the 'okay' sign so muchhhh in Japan when I was trying to say "yes, that's okay!" I had no idea it meant money...explains why I got this look o.o
The "okay" sign only means "money", when it's upside down and horizontal (so your palm is looking up). My Japanese friends use the "okay" sign just as we use it to signal okayness ^o^;
Well, to some people the hair doesn't seem to exist tho. We can see perfectly through them. That's why we didn't move it aside bcs we don't even realize it.
@@AnonymousEasternPotato I'm a american, and a dude, and I have some long ass hair. I remember when I was in like elementary school all the teachers were bothered by it because they thought it got in my eyes and distracted me from class, when in reality I never really noticed it. Brushing it is a pain tho, like actually if I forget to brush it for a few days I have to go through hell to fix it.
I stuck with that habit for about a year after I got back. I felt it was much more polite than showing your teech. 6 years on and I'm 100% western again.
ikemenmen bit late in commenting about this but there IS a reason for it!! Covering your mouth is about your teeth. To some cultures there's something a bit messed up/unpleasant about displaying your teeth because it's part of your skeleton and it makes people uncomfortable anyway I too hide my teeth but only because I have bad teeth and took bad care of them. But it's kinda the same principle as covering your mouth when you yawn so people don't look into your gaping mouth. It's interesting how different cultures treat our bodies and how we react to.seeing certain parts our other's bodies
cool! i did not know that one! is 'come here' palm up? because i think 'shoo shoo' is palm down and brushing away from you with your fingers. and an EMPHATIC 'shoo shoo' is with both hands at the same time.
I was so confused my fist couple days at work in Japan, my boss kept calling come here and making the shoo motion. I looked like a malfunctioning robot stepping back and forward trying to. Figure out what she meant 😅😂
So I bought batteries in 7-11 and asked if I could check if they fit my Chinese device and he did the OK sign and I said "yeah they're fine" and later I realized he meant "you should pay now." A bit embarrassing.
5:44 Yes, you're right. I'm from the USA, and here when I or other people use that gesture (hitting a fist into an open palm), it means "ah-ha!" / "I got it!" (like you got an idea / light bulb moment)
If I’m a tourist in Japan, can I do those gestures? I mean for example in restaurant Or maybe this is gonna be like “Em, white person, what are you doing?”
As a tourist doing this I received great feedback :) I think it shows respect and interest in their culture even though some gestures can be a little off.
Here in America: We count up using our index finger first, then end with the thumb. The fist in an upward-facing palm means "I got it" or "no problem." A fist in an open palm from the side (as demonstrated) is a gesture of violence. The thumb and index finger forming a circle with other fingers out is held up so as to be visible, it means "okay." To symbolize money, touch your thumb to your first two fingers, and rub them together. When walking through a crowd, we typically don't hold our hands or arms up. It's seen as being pushy. The drinking motion is pretty much the same, although we use the whole hand (to symbolize a bottle or cup), and tilting it is optional. The crossed arms still means "stop," but you will more commonly see someone simply hold their hand out, palm facing you with fingers together. To tell someone to approach you, you hold your hand upright with the palm facing you, and wave it toward yourself (you can also your your hand and arm vertically, and do the same motion). It means "come here" or "come with me." The motion resembles scooping water toward yourself. To tell someone to go away, do the same motion, but pushing away from yourself. You can also hold your palm facing them and push away in the air. To call someone such as a waiter over to you, it's best not to vocalize, as this is seen as disruptive or rude, like your time is more valuable. Instead, when you see them looking at you, perform the above motion, hold your hand up, or lightly wave. They will get to you when they can. Holding your hands over your eyes means to cry, while holding your hands over your nose and mouth can either mean crying, surprised, or speechless, depending on the context.
Yeah I can't bring myself to call "oiga" or similar, like the locals do (it would be really rude in Britain) so I always just make eye contact and do the hand sign for the bill while miming "la cuenta por favor" across the room to them when I'm in Spain 😅.
I do the thing with the tears. I use my fist on my hand to signify a realization and acknowledge something I didn't know that another person will say. I cover my mouth when I laugh. I angle my hands and say, 'excuse me' when pushing through a crowd. I think a lot of westerners do similar things to the body language mentioned in this video, just slightly different.
@Sarcasm sings omg calm down theyre saying theyve seen the gestures in anime. Wich is a good thing bc they notice that some anime is following the way japanese ppl actually act
I had gone to a food court one time to eat my lunch and i was finishing up with my table, n it was really busy and crowded. This Chinese family of 3 (husband/wife/child) were lookig for a table to sit down and eat their own lunch. I offered them mine cause i was done and the father said something in Chinese, i assume thank you, and he bowed to me. Ive never had someone do that towards me in thanks. Because im not Chinese i felt a little awkward and kinda pleased at his gesture and just said your welcome and have a good day. It was the first time i had ever experienced this other type of gesture of thanks from some where else.....it was cool.😄👍
I'm just amazed how a very ancient culture developed its many ways of nonverbal language in a so concrete fashion and how it can make people's lives so much easier.
Funny thing with this counting. Many classical musicians in Poland do it Japanese way while counting rest bars during an orchestra rehearsal. It might be due to the fact that using fingers to count as an adult is a little bit embarrassing and doing it by simply folding the fingers is less visible to the rest of the world. Or maybe there is something about the movement of the fingers - when counting Japanese way your palm and wrist remains always relaxed and no extra tension is disturbing your train of thoughts. It is important in this kind of job, when keeping your attention span is crucial.
I would venture that the music industry counts the japanese way as a matter of timing, rather than units. Counting up on your fingers tallies off things you are adding up. Folding your fingers feels like a countdown. :)
That actually looks good. He looks good doing it. Dunno why I'm not feeling uncomfortable seeing him doing such thing but seeing other person doing such act, made me hate it hahaha.
That's weird... The one meaning "I'm listening" is used as "I got it" in anime and manga actually 😮 (and don't get me wrong, I know irl =/= anime and manga but there is the only place I've seen that expression and only as "I got it")
Even though I am not japanese, I often do the gesture used for going through crowds. It wasn't like I saw someone do it or something. When I was a child I disliked getting touched by other people with the exceptions being my family ( wasn't that major to be called a phobia, just mild disgust) so when going through crowds I always made this gesture with the intention of it being a barrier to not let anyone in my personal space. This became a habit and I still do it.
At 8:30 telling that not bowing properly will not be that of a big deal for a foreigner is followed by the guest scrubbing back of his head... made my day =^.^=
The “cutting through the crowd” thing works in America just as well. I learned it from my Japanese manager in America, and it doesn’t matter what country people are from, they usually stop moving when they see you coming through with your hand like that. Almost like it’s a javelin, plowing through their defenses, haha.
One of my friends was stationed somewhere in Japan when he was serving in the air force, and apparently there's many bars that didn't serve foreigners. He would walk in, they would cross their forearms, and he would walk out and go drink some where else.
I am actually happy I came across this video because I am going to Japan over the summer in the middle of June this year and I want to respect the culture so. Thank you for this video! Yay! xD
The going through a crowd gesture is so helpful. I’ve used it in the US since I’ve heard about it, and it just works. I think it’s like using a turn signal or something, it just conveys the message of what you’re trying to do and the exact direction of your motion so that people can accommodate you without having to make a big explanation.
I lived in Japan for a couple of years and subconsciously adopted most of these behaviors. Even now i still use them haha. A lot of these i didn’t realize were exclusively Japanese.
American hand shakes are focused on the grip to tell you if the person is strong willed, strong physically or if they respect you. We always try to shake right hand to right hand which has to do with most people being right dominant and the right hand being offered empty with friendly intent showing we do not have a weapon or mean harm. In some cases since the off hand is usually the rear wiping hand it can be seen as meaning offense. Which is why a hand shake leads a meeting in the US to show no ill intent, the grip is firm acknowledging your strength, and is usually done with the right hand. We also do one up then down and break shaking an Americans hand up and down repeatedly makes us more leery of you with each movement. Come in fingers together thumb up, lock thumbs firm (but not tight grip) once up once down, break. ladies may offer just the four fingers firmly grip once up and break. (Both usually offered with a common greeting, or complement) "Nice to meet you" "Nice place (house, business) you have here"
About pointing your nose to refer to oneself: the kanji for one's self (自 mizukara/ji) is actually derived from the larger character for 'nose' (鼻), so the gesture and the self are strongly linked.
I actually do the thing with putting your hand out in crowds naturally, it works, and it helps sow other where you're going and on which side of people you are going to pass.
Shaking across each other is just rude, no real other reason not to do it. Then again, in Texas if you don't shake firmly it's considered an insult. That's why it's going to be impossible when I visit Japan to keep from trying to shake hands, it's so ingrained in my entire existence.
Well, in my culture it's actually strange to shake hands. It's unusual, I know. Most older men typically want you to grip tightly, like who is stronger?
Chris It's not really a contest of strength unless you get someone who is trying too hard to impress. It's more that a solid handshake means you're a firm and honest person. It's a strange culture, but oddly it doesn't extend to foreigners. We don't expect YOU to shake hands, but we feel odd if we don't offer it...if that makes sense?
3:44 - 3:55 The expression for closing your hands for "Itadakimasu (Let's Eat) and "Gochisosam Deshita (I'm done eating) also have several meanings. It can be: > Begging or convincing others to do a special favor. > Praying and Meditating. > Thailand way of greeting.
Omg! I do the pointing hand thing when walking through crowds! Only I use both hands like I’m praying and kinda use them to point which direction I intend on traveling. It’s just something I kinda came up with myself, I didn’t really get it from anywhere.
This was really helpful! I didn't know most of those but I think that asking for the bill gesture is going to help us the most on our visit because we are going to eat out most nights! Thank you both!
5:30 ahhhh! I have seen this so many times in manga or anime and always thought it means "let's do this" or "get started" kind of thing. Thank you very much!
I count on my fingers in binary. Maximum 2^10 - 1 or 1023. It gives the expression ‘I can count the number of something on my fingers’ a whole new meaning.
Ryo's English is so natural, I went to Kyoto University and none of my peers there spoke English this well. Man, I wish my Japanese was better. Some of these gestures were unfamiliar to me, like the mini x for paying, and the weird fist in palm. One gesture which you didn't mention, but that seems totes backwards in the beginning as a foreigner is the waving with one hand in front of you to call someone to you (as it means "bye" in many other countries). 🌸
I'm English and we do the fist to palm gesture. It shows that you understand what someone is saying or that you have given some thought into something and found a solution.
In North America, "come here" is the index finger up and curling repeatedly towards yourself; whereas in Japan, you put your hand out, palm down, and move your four fingers together, almost like you're waving to the ground.
Takashi Toyooka Wow that's weird. In my country (not Japan) if you call someone like that, it's like you're flirting so we call someone like the japanese way or like the way you do BUT with four fingers, not one. Haha
I love the Japanese and their culture! This wasn't in any books I read. Thank you so much for the insight. This will help me to be a better visitor. I've got Sumo in Japan on my bucket list! 💟🇯🇵💟🇯🇵💟🇯🇵💟🇯🇵💟🇯🇵💟🇯🇵💟
It was so freaking cute when she told Ryo that a lot of females in the comments section were saying how hot they thought he was and the way he blushed was just too freaking adorable. He was blushing so hard too, hahaha. Ryo is too sweet though. He's so shy too which is also adorable. But he is cute, I'll give him that. It just cracks me up how so many girls in the comments of every video always say how hot looking Ryo is and keep asking if he's single and shit, hahaha. I'm sorry but I just find that funny. Great video though. Thank you, this was very informative and if I ever get the chance to visit Japan like I hope to do someday, I will definitely remember these. Thank you.
Regarding the fingers - some places you count to ten on one hand. The thumb acts like a toggle. 1-4 on the fingers when counting up. 5 is all fingers and thumb, - but then you you lower your fingers through 6 - 9 with nine basically being a thumbs up and Ten a fist. I do this a lot and I see a lot of Chinese and Malaysians doing this.
It's not really a problem. When you're in a different culture, you simply adapt and do things their way. I really appreciate this video in that regard. It's informative. The only gesture that's a little bit counter-intuitive is the counting in my opinion. Again, it's not really an issue. If I were in Japan, I would simply gesture counts as they do, by folding fingers. But logically, let's say you wanted to demonstrate to a baby that never knew numbers how to count. A closed fist would be a 0, it even looks like a zero (round). Then you open each finger to count upwards - you may start either with your thumb or your little finger. It's up to you. Both ways seem logical. An open fist/hand is then showing the number 5. The Japanese way of counting by folding fingers on the other hand would mean that a closed fist means 5, and an open hand means 0? How can an open hand intuitively mean 0? I find that a bit weird.
I feel like a few of these gestures are used by people out of Japan that are just generally anxious around people I do the head scratch thing when I'm nervous, and I definitely use that arm in front to get through crowds. And I don't properly bow, but I do bow my head when I'm feeling intimidated or humbled.
Spontaneously booked flights to Japan last night and now I won't be able to sleep until I'm there.. Far too excited. I'll have fun embarrassing myself trying these out :P Is it insulting or good manners to try and say simply Japanese phrases: thank you, please etc or any of these gestures? I've found that a lot of cultures tend to find it insulting when tourists attempt the language (particularly in Italy). Cheers :) 29 days til Japan xD )
The Japanese LOVE it and appreciate it when you attempt to use their language. No matter how bad your pronunciation may be, it shows effort and respect for their language and culture. I'm making my 11th trip to Japan at the end of this month! :D
PolarOwlBear Yep, I noticed the same. A simple arigatou was sometimes enough to get an "Ah, nihongo!" in reply. I should have learned how to say "sorry, this is all the Japanese I can manage" .-)
just like that X dame one there is an O okay where you make a circle. there is also a half "sorry" that can also mean thank you, when you put one palm in front of your face but don't shake it. another gesture I started doing myself after I noticed it was the sign to "come here". you might wiggled your finger from the person towards yourself to tell them to come by ,or wiggle all 4 fingers, in japan I noticed they wiggle 4 finger but the palm is facing down.
i am autistic person and lerned social skills from anime so i adapted the neck/head scratching without noticing it is a typicall japanese thing to do i also adapted the pls thing i am such a wierdo
I do that crowd thing at festivals or just in very crowded areas to get through easier and to show where I’m going. My hands a little more extended outward though
At the minute 5:00 that gesture in Italy is "Are you crazy?" :) And we shake our hands for everything or even when you meet a collegue or a teacher.. I'm very curious to know all new things of japanese people :)...
The first few gestures were pretty basic and not that different from other places, but the later ones were VERY interesting, including the counting down one and the hand-palm slap
Check some extra gestures we haven't covered in the video over at our blog! => tinyurl.com/up-gestures
I'm English and we do the fist to palm gesture. It shows that you understand what someone is saying or that you have given some thought into something and found a solution
I've seen these gestures in a book in Barnes and noble book seller store , very helpful to know and now watching your vids gives more info , good job 🖒
FYI, that fist to palm gesture in at least the Northeastern US usually goes with extending an index finger toward the person whose point you're acknowledging, usually with a nod of the head there at the same time. "I gotcha."
こんいちわ & ありがと
The link is broken. :(
He got embarrassed by the counting thing and scratched the back of his head. lolz
+Chris Selig the lesson in action, lol
The guys in the video look perfectly normal doing those gestures, but if I tried to do some of them, japanese people would just look at me like I'm having a seizure 😂😂
I didn't notice hahaha
I actually played it back to watch it hahaha
nice catch :D
he's been doing that the whole video. he's just trying to fluff his hair up
First time I bowed to a japanese person, we accidentely hit e/o in the head xD
Headshot
Hahahahah
Oof
omg 😂😂
😂😂😂😂😂
It seems that Ryo is getting more confident and open with each episode. That's nice :)
Yeah, he's made for the screen :)
Yes Ryo more confidence...he was so shy in the last video hehe he is cute still
"Are you talking to me?" *puts finger in nose*
XD lol
Taxi Driver would not be the same.... again.
Well, not anymore
THIS COMMENT MADE MY DAMN MORNING!!! 💀🤣🤣🤣🤣
If you weren't, I wouldn't be able to converse with you
the pointing at yourself thing is interesting because the kanji for nose is 鼻, which contains the 自 ("oneself") kanji lol
interesting, I didn't realize that :)
wa But if we took everything to "face" value, there's also a 田, and I don't know what that is in Japanese, but I'm just going to assume it means dirt/field, and what would that be??? The field and yourself?? The field on your face? Haha, I'm just as clueless as the next person
oh shit, that's a really good point.
Chelsea Zhao in ancient chinese 自 actually meant both self and nose, 畀 is added to distinguish the two because they were confusing, 畀comes from 田 and 丌, where as you pointed out 田 is field while 丌 is pronounced as 基 which represents foundation, basis. ancient chinese liked to view the body as a universe, 鼻 was seen as the starting point of a body, this concept is evident in many old literatures
Oliver Eales I don't believe that's a healthy reaction.
Having subtitles on at 4:10 is hilarious. Instead of "Sumimasen, Sumimasen, Sumimasen" the subtitles thing Ryo is saying "see my sexy, my fancy, my family". 😂😂😂
My family??
well, the subtitles is a good observer 😂😂 if you understand what I mean 😂. It has a sexy detector and it seems it's functional 😂
Oh we see your sexy ryo
OH MY goodness, I did the 'okay' sign so muchhhh in Japan when I was trying to say "yes, that's okay!" I had no idea it meant money...explains why I got this look o.o
The "okay" sign only means "money", when it's upside down and horizontal (so your palm is looking up). My Japanese friends use the "okay" sign just as we use it to signal okayness ^o^;
Oh good! haha, thank you for that. I feel a little better! :D
If you ever go to Brazil never do the ok sign!! It's a pretty rude gesture!
Thank you for the heads up! ^^
Yeah it just looks like a hole... Who would go to Huehueland anyway?
The Ryo guy has anime hair... his hair is all over his face and in his eyes, but he doesn't seem to be bothered by it XD
That is super uncomfortable, that length of hair keeps poking the eyes
@@asit6947 My hair in a nutshell lol
Well, to some people the hair doesn't seem to exist tho. We can see perfectly through them. That's why we didn't move it aside bcs we don't even realize it.
Real samurais drink strawberry milk I think he looks cool
@@AnonymousEasternPotato I'm a american, and a dude, and I have some long ass hair. I remember when I was in like elementary school all the teachers were bothered by it because they thought it got in my eyes and distracted me from class, when in reality I never really noticed it. Brushing it is a pain tho, like actually if I forget to brush it for a few days I have to go through hell to fix it.
Surprised you didn't mention that japanese girls cover mouth with a hand while laughing. Almost every japanese girl does that.
Pat Thetic Oh i do that a lot and im english😂
Pat Thetic I do that alot too and I'm Arabice😅tho I have white nice teeth and a bright smile lol
I stuck with that habit for about a year after I got back. I felt it was much more polite than showing your teech. 6 years on and I'm 100% western again.
ikemenmen bit late in commenting about this but there IS a reason for it!!
Covering your mouth is about your teeth. To some cultures there's something a bit messed up/unpleasant about displaying your teeth because it's part of your skeleton and it makes people uncomfortable
anyway I too hide my teeth but only because I have bad teeth and took bad care of them. But it's kinda the same principle as covering your mouth when you yawn so people don't look into your gaping mouth. It's interesting how different cultures treat our bodies and how we react to.seeing certain parts our other's bodies
I was also expecting that. Ryo actually did it himself here!
another gesture I noticed was the Japanese "come here" looks a lot like the western "go away" which was confusing for a while!
Yes, it definitely got me for years.
Yes! I got into this habit in Japan, and now I sometimes do it accidentally in America and people think I’m shooing them. 😞
cool! i did not know that one! is 'come here' palm up? because i think 'shoo shoo' is palm down and brushing away from you with your fingers. and an EMPHATIC 'shoo shoo' is with both hands at the same time.
I was so confused my fist couple days at work in Japan, my boss kept calling come here and making the shoo motion. I looked like a malfunctioning robot stepping back and forward trying to. Figure out what she meant 😅😂
StarLight I saw Itachi doing that with Sasuke all the time.
So I bought batteries in 7-11 and asked if I could check if they fit my Chinese device and he did the OK sign and I said "yeah they're fine" and later I realized he meant "you should pay now." A bit embarrassing.
Some Guy On You Tube bet you scratched your head pretty hard on that one.lol.
I'm not sure. It could be either. Many Japanese use OK sign now.
It's the position thing. Two signs are different.
Who's swooning over this Ryo?
ummm...everyone?
you're probably right :)
TheUwagaPies they're both cute Xd what's ryo's Instagram please Xd I wanna follow him
TheUwagaPies they're both cute Xd what's ryo's Instagram please Xd I wanna follow him
ALL THEM GIRLSSSS
“Yeah... i could be japanese!”
“Despite your weirdly good english, you’re japanese”
This got me 😂😂😂
Why tf does everyone has fucking darling in their pfp
@@THEBIGDROPP because she's a darling
I thought he was Japanese though
5:44 Yes, you're right. I'm from the USA, and here when I or other people use that gesture (hitting a fist into an open palm), it means "ah-ha!" / "I got it!" (like you got an idea / light bulb moment)
_Well, I don't bow with my whole body but I bow my head often actually_
If I’m a tourist in Japan, can I do those gestures? I mean for example in restaurant
Or maybe this is gonna be like “Em, white person, what are you doing?”
In a lot of restaurants and fast foods you need to push the button for order.
I think you should give them a try!
As a tourist doing this I received great feedback :) I think it shows respect and interest in their culture even though some gestures can be a little off.
As I am a waitress It sometimes made me confused their hand sigh is money? or okay? or even they are mad saying axxhole thing. 🤷🏻♀️
For some reason, I read "tourist" as "terrorist" 😂😂😂
Here in America:
We count up using our index finger first, then end with the thumb.
The fist in an upward-facing palm means "I got it" or "no problem." A fist in an open palm from the side (as demonstrated) is a gesture of violence.
The thumb and index finger forming a circle with other fingers out is held up so as to be visible, it means "okay." To symbolize money, touch your thumb to your first two fingers, and rub them together.
When walking through a crowd, we typically don't hold our hands or arms up. It's seen as being pushy.
The drinking motion is pretty much the same, although we use the whole hand (to symbolize a bottle or cup), and tilting it is optional.
The crossed arms still means "stop," but you will more commonly see someone simply hold their hand out, palm facing you with fingers together.
To tell someone to approach you, you hold your hand upright with the palm facing you, and wave it toward yourself (you can also your your hand and arm vertically, and do the same motion). It means "come here" or "come with me." The motion resembles scooping water toward yourself. To tell someone to go away, do the same motion, but pushing away from yourself. You can also hold your palm facing them and push away in the air.
To call someone such as a waiter over to you, it's best not to vocalize, as this is seen as disruptive or rude, like your time is more valuable. Instead, when you see them looking at you, perform the above motion, hold your hand up, or lightly wave. They will get to you when they can.
Holding your hands over your eyes means to cry, while holding your hands over your nose and mouth can either mean crying, surprised, or speechless, depending on the context.
In Spain is not really impolite to call the waitress outloud... but we practically speak shouting so...
anyway great video guys! Subscribed!
Marina :3 Same in Mexico.
I went to Granada and they were so loud
Yes it's awesome, in Argentina there is nothing wrong about calling the waiter, but in Chile people don't, nobody ever calls the waiter, it's stupid.
Yeah I can't bring myself to call "oiga" or similar, like the locals do (it would be really rude in Britain) so I always just make eye contact and do the hand sign for the bill while miming "la cuenta por favor" across the room to them when I'm in Spain 😅.
yes the rest of the world knows (... hears)
A good number of these i thought were just the norm, but maybe i grew up watching too much anime......
Rinoa Leonhart LOL, same! I have a bunch of these habits and for the longest time I thought they were normal!
Rinoa Leonhart same here...
same here lol
I do the thing with the tears. I use my fist on my hand to signify a realization and acknowledge something I didn't know that another person will say. I cover my mouth when I laugh. I angle my hands and say, 'excuse me' when pushing through a crowd. I think a lot of westerners do similar things to the body language mentioned in this video, just slightly different.
😂Me too
I've seen a lot of those gestures in anime! :D
lol weeb jk
True
Oh crap it’s hisoka
@Sarcasm sings omg calm down theyre saying theyve seen the gestures in anime. Wich is a good thing bc they notice that some anime is following the way japanese ppl actually act
Hisoka * ^ *
I had gone to a food court one time to eat my lunch and i was finishing up with my table, n it was really busy and crowded. This Chinese family of 3 (husband/wife/child) were lookig for a table to sit down and eat their own lunch. I offered them mine cause i was done and the father said something in Chinese, i assume thank you, and he bowed to me. Ive never had someone do that towards me in thanks. Because im not Chinese i felt a little awkward and kinda pleased at his gesture and just said your welcome and have a good day. It was the first time i had ever experienced this other type of gesture of thanks from some where else.....it was cool.😄👍
The fist slammed into the palm of your hand gesture in parts of Australia (mainly eastern) is known as "that's gold" and it means excellent.
I'm just amazed how a very ancient culture developed its many ways of nonverbal language in a so concrete fashion and how it can make people's lives so much easier.
Funny thing with this counting. Many classical musicians in Poland do it Japanese way while counting rest bars during an orchestra rehearsal. It might be due to the fact that using fingers to count as an adult is a little bit embarrassing and doing it by simply folding the fingers is less visible to the rest of the world. Or maybe there is something about the movement of the fingers - when counting Japanese way your palm and wrist remains always relaxed and no extra tension is disturbing your train of thoughts. It is important in this kind of job, when keeping your attention span is crucial.
+hania pawlicka that's really interesting
I would venture that the music industry counts the japanese way as a matter of timing, rather than units. Counting up on your fingers tallies off things you are adding up. Folding your fingers feels like a countdown. :)
I do too many of these gestures for someone who has never been to Japan
Undead Panda same... I never even noticed
Let Ryo make one episode of Kris' daily vlog! :O He's so awesome!
Omg Yesss do it
I BELIVE THAT WOULD BE INTERESTING! oops sorry caps :(
Michał Kantorek yeah, it's way easier to write "sorry caps" instead of just correcting the previous part of the sentence 🤔
I LIKE MY MOM
ryo messing his hair sometimes. may i do it for him?
I noticed to why RYO do that gustures too
That actually looks good. He looks good doing it. Dunno why I'm not feeling uncomfortable seeing him doing such thing but seeing other person doing such act, made me hate it hahaha.
My Japanese classmate does that a lot too😂
Jesus Christ Ryo gets more handsome every time they upload.
I am lovestruck...
That's weird... The one meaning "I'm listening" is used as "I got it" in anime and manga actually 😮 (and don't get me wrong, I know irl =/= anime and manga but there is the only place I've seen that expression and only as "I got it")
But are you sure you weren't misenterpating it?
Even though I am not japanese, I often do the gesture used for going through crowds. It wasn't like I saw someone do it or something. When I was a child I disliked getting touched by other people with the exceptions being my family ( wasn't that major to be called a phobia, just mild disgust) so when going through crowds I always made this gesture with the intention of it being a barrier to not let anyone in my personal space. This became a habit and I still do it.
At 8:30 telling that not bowing properly will not be that of a big deal for a foreigner is followed by the guest scrubbing back of his head... made my day =^.^=
The “cutting through the crowd” thing works in America just as well. I learned it from my Japanese manager in America, and it doesn’t matter what country people are from, they usually stop moving when they see you coming through with your hand like that. Almost like it’s a javelin, plowing through their defenses, haha.
One of my friends was stationed somewhere in Japan when he was serving in the air force, and apparently there's many bars that didn't serve foreigners. He would walk in, they would cross their forearms, and he would walk out and go drink some where else.
The editing is really hilarious in this video 😂
*I used to bow on the telephone!* Hard habit to break. xp
Anyone watching this with English subtitles on and cant help but smile at the subtitles? Just me? Okay
1:56
4:09
6:29
7:07
9:58
I am actually happy I came across this video because I am going to Japan over the summer in the middle of June this year and I want to respect the culture so. Thank you for this video! Yay! xD
I love how there's so much body language in Japan. Such an interesting way of communicating.
The hand in open palm is like a sign of determination in America
and when doing it to talk of violence. the determination to smash your enemy.
I remember I went to the Japan Festival. Then, I and the Japanese guy both of us were confused to handshake or bow first 😂😂 We bowed in the end *haha*
wooohoooo. how I missed the uwaga pies! ryo is a cool guy.
The going through a crowd gesture is so helpful. I’ve used it in the US since I’ve heard about it, and it just works. I think it’s like using a turn signal or something, it just conveys the message of what you’re trying to do and the exact direction of your motion so that people can accommodate you without having to make a big explanation.
What about the Japanese "come here" hand sign which is significantly different to the English speaking country version?
Vlogs with Ryo are so much fun! Great job guys!
Very informative, i really like this video. I'm going to watch this lots of times to really take it in and learn.
Thanks guys
Glad you found it useful!
#3, #5 gesture are also used here in the Phil. It's just happy to hear that there are other culture who does the same thing as you.
2:37 *long silence*
"Am I talking to me?"
I lived in Japan for a couple of years and subconsciously adopted most of these behaviors. Even now i still use them haha. A lot of these i didn’t realize were exclusively Japanese.
The cross arm X is so easily to understand by anyone and everyone that just simply means no no no
American hand shakes are focused on the grip to tell you if the person is strong willed, strong physically or if they respect you. We always try to shake right hand to right hand which has to do with most people being right dominant and the right hand being offered empty with friendly intent showing we do not have a weapon or mean harm. In some cases since the off hand is usually the rear wiping hand it can be seen as meaning offense. Which is why a hand shake leads a meeting in the US to show no ill intent, the grip is firm acknowledging your strength, and is usually done with the right hand. We also do one up then down and break shaking an Americans hand up and down repeatedly makes us more leery of you with each movement.
Come in fingers together thumb up, lock thumbs firm (but not tight grip) once up once down, break. ladies may offer just the four fingers firmly grip once up and break. (Both usually offered with a common greeting, or complement)
"Nice to meet you"
"Nice place (house, business) you have here"
We wanna see Ryo in vlogs :D
In South Asia you can also count from the pinky. The thumb points at the pinky for one, at the ring finger for two, at the middle finger for three etc
So happy I found your Channel!
About pointing your nose to refer to oneself: the kanji for one's self (自 mizukara/ji) is actually derived from the larger character for 'nose' (鼻), so the gesture and the self are strongly linked.
When you're in Japan and someone does🙅 to you... And you don't know what you did wrong....
Guess i'll stop breathing
I came back after 2 years, it's wakanda salute
I actually do the thing with putting your hand out in crowds naturally, it works, and it helps sow other where you're going and on which side of people you are going to pass.
Shaking across each other is just rude, no real other reason not to do it. Then again, in Texas if you don't shake firmly it's considered an insult. That's why it's going to be impossible when I visit Japan to keep from trying to shake hands, it's so ingrained in my entire existence.
Well, in my culture it's actually strange to shake hands. It's unusual, I know. Most older men typically want you to grip tightly, like who is stronger?
Chris It's not really a contest of strength unless you get someone who is trying too hard to impress. It's more that a solid handshake means you're a firm and honest person. It's a strange culture, but oddly it doesn't extend to foreigners. We don't expect YOU to shake hands, but we feel odd if we don't offer it...if that makes sense?
3:44 - 3:55 The expression for closing your hands for "Itadakimasu (Let's Eat) and "Gochisosam Deshita (I'm done eating) also have several meanings. It can be:
> Begging or convincing others to do a special favor.
> Praying and Meditating.
> Thailand way of greeting.
That counting with fingers-stuff is going to keep me up whole night. Shiiiiiet.
Omg! I do the pointing hand thing when walking through crowds! Only I use both hands like I’m praying and kinda use them to point which direction I intend on traveling. It’s just something I kinda came up with myself, I didn’t really get it from anywhere.
Ryo is so god damn handsome and funny !
This was really helpful! I didn't know most of those but I think that asking for the bill gesture is going to help us the most on our visit because we are going to eat out most nights! Thank you both!
It's an extremely helpful one. I use it all the time
Ryo is sooo cute ^_^
5:30 ahhhh! I have seen this so many times in manga or anime and always thought it means "let's do this" or "get started" kind of thing. Thank you very much!
Ah i didn't know the check one - that's super helpful! Thank you!
I noticed right away that Kris started counting with his thumb, care of Inglorious Basterds
I count on my fingers in binary. Maximum 2^10 - 1 or 1023. It gives the expression ‘I can count the number of something on my fingers’ a whole new meaning.
I'll take that Japanese beauty on the left. Thanks.
Ryo's English is so natural, I went to Kyoto University and none of my peers there spoke English this well. Man, I wish my Japanese was better. Some of these gestures were unfamiliar to me, like the mini x for paying, and the weird fist in palm. One gesture which you didn't mention, but that seems totes backwards in the beginning as a foreigner is the waving with one hand in front of you to call someone to you (as it means "bye" in many other countries). 🌸
When the gestures you see in Anime make sense now.👌🏾
I'm English and we do the fist to palm gesture. It shows that you understand what someone is saying or that you have given some thought into something and found a solution.
I think because Ive watched so much anime I'm already good at this
I've watched videos with Ryo, Kasia and Kris. I really like the videos and all 3 hosts.
Oh, and I am enamoured with Kasia. But all 3 rock!
In North America, "come here" is the index finger up and curling repeatedly towards yourself; whereas in Japan, you put your hand out, palm down, and move your four fingers together, almost like you're waving to the ground.
+Takashi Toyooka yes, the Japanese way seems more polite
I think I agree!
I notice Chinese people do that too 😂
Takashi Toyooka
Wow that's weird. In my country (not Japan) if you call someone like that, it's like you're flirting so we call someone like the japanese way or like the way you do BUT with four fingers, not one. Haha
4:00 i didn't know this was a japanese thing, i naturally do this (unless I'm behind someone) lol, it works aight
czy Ryo widzi cokolwiek przez te włosy?
himbeertee lmao
Piękne sąąą 😍
jestem pewien, że tak XD
W końcu jakiś polski komentarz.
Ryo's laughter gives me life 😍😍
4:10 bro, Ryo fluffed his hair up and it stayed
I love the Japanese and their culture! This wasn't in any books I read. Thank you so much for the insight. This will help me to be a better visitor. I've got Sumo in Japan on my bucket list! 💟🇯🇵💟🇯🇵💟🇯🇵💟🇯🇵💟🇯🇵💟🇯🇵💟
It was so freaking cute when she told Ryo that a lot of females in the comments section were saying how hot they thought he was and the way he blushed was just too freaking adorable. He was blushing so hard too, hahaha. Ryo is too sweet though. He's so shy too which is also adorable. But he is cute, I'll give him that. It just cracks me up how so many girls in the comments of every video always say how hot looking Ryo is and keep asking if he's single and shit, hahaha. I'm sorry but I just find that funny. Great video though. Thank you, this was very informative and if I ever get the chance to visit Japan like I hope to do someday, I will definitely remember these. Thank you.
Regarding the fingers - some places you count to ten on one hand. The thumb acts like a toggle. 1-4 on the fingers when counting up. 5 is all fingers and thumb, - but then you you lower your fingers through 6 - 9 with nine basically being a thumbs up and Ten a fist. I do this a lot and I see a lot of Chinese and Malaysians doing this.
I'm from Poland and I wasn't aware of the shaking hands thing lol
It's not really a problem. When you're in a different culture, you simply adapt and do things their way. I really appreciate this video in that regard. It's informative.
The only gesture that's a little bit counter-intuitive is the counting in my opinion. Again, it's not really an issue. If I were in Japan, I would simply gesture counts as they do, by folding fingers.
But logically, let's say you wanted to demonstrate to a baby that never knew numbers how to count. A closed fist would be a 0, it even looks like a zero (round). Then you open each finger to count upwards - you may start either with your thumb or your little finger. It's up to you. Both ways seem logical. An open fist/hand is then showing the number 5.
The Japanese way of counting by folding fingers on the other hand would mean that a closed fist means 5, and an open hand means 0? How can an open hand intuitively mean 0? I find that a bit weird.
Reklama Gonciarza przed filmem Gonciarza... GOŃCIEPCJA
I feel like a few of these gestures are used by people out of Japan that are just generally anxious around people
I do the head scratch thing when I'm nervous, and I definitely use that arm in front to get through crowds. And I don't properly bow, but I do bow my head when I'm feeling intimidated or humbled.
Spontaneously booked flights to Japan last night and now I won't be able to sleep until I'm there.. Far too excited. I'll have fun embarrassing myself trying these out :P
Is it insulting or good manners to try and say simply Japanese phrases: thank you, please etc or any of these gestures? I've found that a lot of cultures tend to find it insulting when tourists attempt the language (particularly in Italy). Cheers :)
29 days til Japan xD )
Paula Fox counting as well, 28 days till Japan :D
Japanese are quite happy when you try
The Japanese LOVE it and appreciate it when you attempt to use their language. No matter how bad your pronunciation may be, it shows effort and respect for their language and culture. I'm making my 11th trip to Japan at the end of this month! :D
Excellent! thanks for your helps :)
PolarOwlBear Yep, I noticed the same. A simple arigatou was sometimes enough to get an "Ah, nihongo!" in reply. I should have learned how to say "sorry, this is all the Japanese I can manage" .-)
i've seen that fist-palm gesture in The Sims 2, including the "Oh" plus the pointing hand XD
4:30 It's almost like we live in a society
just like that X dame one there is an O okay where you make a circle.
there is also a half "sorry" that can also mean thank you, when you put one palm in front of your face but don't shake it. another gesture I started doing myself after I noticed it was the sign to "come here". you might wiggled your finger from the person towards yourself to tell them to come by ,or wiggle all 4 fingers, in japan I noticed they wiggle 4 finger but the palm is facing down.
Ryo
Da fuq you doing here sarada?
i am autistic person and lerned social skills from anime so i adapted the neck/head scratching
without noticing it is a typicall japanese thing to do
i also adapted the pls thing
i am such a wierdo
I have autism too!!! :D
Hmm... Tym razem Kasia chyba była za kamerą 😉
Krzysiu bardzo fajnie mówisz po angielsku 😊
Kasia jest ze Stanów, więc to chyba żaden problem dla niej XD
iCompton stać za kamerą?
Och XD Przeoczyłem i przeczytałem, że Kasia mowi ładnie po angielsku. Mój błąd
tak, mówi bardzo dobrze po angielsku ^-^
I do that crowd thing at festivals or just in very crowded areas to get through easier and to show where I’m going. My hands a little more extended outward though
Waving hand in front of your face
John Cena: YOU CAN'T SEE MEE
Silver hahahaha
At the minute 5:00 that gesture in Italy is "Are you crazy?" :) And we shake our hands for everything or even when you meet a collegue or a teacher..
I'm very curious to know all new things of japanese people :)...
That money sign. Is so next level meme.
The first few gestures were pretty basic and not that different from other places, but the later ones were VERY interesting, including the counting down one and the hand-palm slap
These gestures are very useful. I’d like for us, here in America, to adopt many of these.
Start introducing them!
I love learning about these gestures and for some of them, I'm already doing it but didn't know it came from Japan.