I have never been there
. Sounds like a magical place:)
Omotenashi is a way of life in Japan, which is often translated “Japanese hospitality”. In practice, it combines exquisite politeness with a desire to maintain harmony and avoid conflict.
People with colds wear surgical masks to avoid infecting others. Neighbours deliver gift-wrapped boxes of washing powder before beginning building work – a gesture to help clean your clothes from the dust that will inevitably fly about.
Staff in shops and restaurants greet you with a bow and a hearty irasshaimase (welcome). They put one hand under yours when giving you your change, to avoid dropping any coins.
But omotenashi goes far beyond being nice to visitors; it permeates every level of daily life and is learned from a young age.
In Japanese culture, the farther outside one’s own group someone is, the greater the politeness shown to that person – which is why foreigners (gaijin – literally, “outside people”) are invariably astounded to find themselves accorded such lavish courtesies. “It still surprises me after nine years here,” said Spanish teacher Carmen Lagasca. “People bow when they sit next to you on the bus, then again when they get up. I’m always noticing something new
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