One of the most important points to remember when visiting a foreign country is to consider its culture and traditions especially those which are unique to a particular country as well as those radically different to the ordinary customs that you have been exposed to.
A great example for this would be the idea of tipping in a Japanese society. For years, citizens of Japan are known to be zealous and passionate in their work or profession such that the idea of receiving additional benefits for a duty that they are supposed to do is simply incomprehensible. Japanese workers are already expected to give their best in performing their duties without expecting any additional financial aid in return. As one writer puts it, bad service just isn’t part of Japanese culture.
Tipping truly runs counter to the basic norms of Japanese society to the point that a recent news report disclosed how a product of a Japanese company became so infamous among netizens for even slightly suggesting the idea of giving tips.
Hi Mojimoji is a graphic design Japanese company that produces stationary products with unique designs as well as other novelty items. The company recently unveiled a new item called as the “Kimo Tip” which was in the form of a bank note or a check with the line: “Pay to the order with” and included messages of appreciation such as “It was really good” or “I really enjoyed your meal.”
The Kimo Tip earned the ire of social media users who were quick to shoot down the product and arguing that tipping is not customary in their society. Netizens came in left and right attacking the product claiming the same to be absurd and of no value other than a waste of resources. Online users even went so far as to trace the product back to the twitter account of Atsushi Matsuoka, one of the owners of Hi Mojimoji, who was then forced to lock up his account to avoid, among other things, the unpleasant comments of these social media users. Due to the backlash by the netizens, the product was quickly removed from the company’s online store.
References:
Launch of novelty stationery product sparks debate on tipping in Japan
Five reasons there’s no tipping at restaurants in Japan
Tipping Etiquette When Travelling in Japan
