ibunka-manuel-complet-01-09 (1)

6 In a Shop

One Step Further ACTIVITIES

Here are some more responses from the Ibunka Survey RQ WKH WRSLF RI LQWURGXFLQJ RQHVHOI :H FDQ VHH WKDW most responses fall into two basic patterns:

)25 7($&+(56

92&$%8/$5<

SURVEY

LOOKING FOR PATTERNS

CULTURAL PATTERN A: &XVWRPHU DQG 6WD΍ RQ (TXDO )RRWLQJ ΖQ VRPH FXOWXUHV VKRS VWD΍ DQG FXVWRPHUV communicate on a rather equal footing. The tone is UDWKHU IULHQGO\ DQG ZDUP

CULTURAL PATTERN B: Customer as Royalty In other cultures, the customer is treated as “royalty”, DQG VWD΍ JHQHUDOO\ XVH SROLWH LPSHUVRQDO ODQJXDJH and behavior toward them.

Read through the Ibunka Survey responses below. They contain impressions of foreigners who have had experiences of clubs at Japanese schools or universities, either as students, teachers or parents. Highlight in one color the words and phrases that hint at &XOWXUDO 3DWWHUQ $ &XVWRPHU DQG 6WD΍ RQ (TXDO )RRWLQJ , and in another color the parts that show Cultural Pattern B: Customer as Royalty. You can work and discuss this in pairs or small groups.

In Japan, where I grew up and where I live, the shop staff greet and thank customers [JW^ UTQNYJQ^ 9MJNW GJMF[NTW NX TKYJS impersonal 8TRJYNRJX NY X so polite and commercial that I feel it’s XZUJWƳHNFQ -T\J[JW NS WZWFQ FWJFX YMJWJ NX RTWJ MZRFS HTRRZSNHFYNTS In France, where I've lived, shop staff are not always polite nor pleasant, but as a rule there is some eye contact and some “human contact” . KJJQ YMFY NYX [JW^ \FWR 9MJWJ FWJ FQ\F^X LWJJYNSLX FSI thanks from both sides, and that's pleasant -DSDQHVH IHPDOH LQWHUSUHWHU KDV OLYHG LQ )UDQFH 1 In Japan, many foreigners face the confusion TK )T . WJUQ^ YT NWFXXMFNRFXJ$ .S RTXY TK our own home countries there’s a kind of obligation to reply to staff greetings, but in Japan, \MJWJ XMTU XYFKK FWJ XT [JW^ KWNJSIQ^ FSI MJQUKZQ \J FWJ STY WJVZNWJI YT WJXUTSI 9MTZLM . spent some time in Japan, I always made a point of acknowledging the staff who took the YNRJ YT LWJJY RJ FX . JSYJWJI YMJNW XYTWJ TW XJHYNTS

LPSHUVRQDO VXSHUȴFLDO IURP ERWK VLGHV SOHDVDQW

FRQIXVLRQ D QRG RZH a DV PXFK a

DQHFGRWH EUDJ

UHYHUVH FXOWXUH VKRFN XSRQ UHWXUQLQJ UROOHG KHU H\HV DV WKRXJK VPDUW DOHFN

Ʉ One step Further ɄΖɄ8QLW Ʉ I ɄΖQ D 6KRS 82