Handbook of Everyday Etiquette

What is the deadline for submitting a "move-in notification" (tennyū todoke) to the municipality you're moving into?

1. Within 14 days of the move
2. Within 1 month
3. Within 3 months
4. There is no deadline

What is the correct timing for submitting a "move-out notification" (tenshutsu todoke)?

1. From 14 days before the planned move date up to the day of the move
2. Within 14 days after the move
3. Up to 1 month before the move
4. Any time is fine

If you don't complete the move-in notification within the deadline, what effect can it have on your My Number Card?

1. It may become invalid (and you must also complete the electronic certificate renewal procedure within 90 days of moving in)
2. There is no particular effect
3. The reissue fee is cut in half
4. It is immediately suspended from use

After moving, what should you do about the address on your driver's license?

1. You have a legal obligation to update it promptly, and neglecting to do so can be a violation of the Road Traffic Act
2. It's not an obligation, just optional
3. You can update it all at once when you renew
4. No address change is needed

If you file a "change of address notification" (tenkyo todoke) at the post office (the mail forwarding service), what happens to mail addressed to your old address?

1. It is forwarded to your new address for free for 1 year from the date of filing
2. It continues to be forwarded indefinitely
3. It is forwarded for a fee for only 3 months
4. You are free to shorten the forwarding period as you like

When moving across municipalities, what condition lets you receive child allowance (jidō teate) without a gap in payments?

1. If you apply at your new municipality within 15 days of the day after your planned move-out date, payment is applied retroactively even if the actual application slips into the following month
2. It continues automatically without doing anything
3. As long as you apply within 1 month, it's treated the same regardless of timing
4. In principle, child allowance is temporarily suspended after a move

What is the deadline for the National Health Insurance change-of-status notification (for moving in or relocating)?

1. Within 14 days of the move-in or relocation date
2. Within 1 month
3. Within 3 months
4. There is no particular deadline

When circling "attending" (go-shusseki) on a wedding invitation reply card, what is the correct etiquette?

1. Cross out the honorific character "go" with a double line (and likewise cross out "go-hō" in "go-hōmei")
2. Leave the honorific character "go" as is
3. Just circle the whole phrase "go-shusseki"
4. You should not mark up the reply card at all

On an invitation reply card, how should you correct the character "gyō" (行, meaning "to") in "[Name] gyō"?

1. Cross it out with a double line and rewrite it as "sama" (様)
2. Leave it as is
3. Draw a flower doodle over the character "gyō"
4. Circle the character "gyō"

What is the difference between the "Kanto style" and "Kansai style" in how the yuinō (formal betrothal gift exchange) proceeds?

1. In the Kanto style, the go-between travels between the two families one and a half round trips; in the Kansai style, only one round trip
2. There is no difference in meaning between the Kanto style and Kansai style
3. The Kansai style generally involves more gift items
4. The Kanto style does not use a go-between

What is the original difference between the "wake" (o-tsuya) and the "funeral service" (kokubetsu-shiki)?

1. The wake is centered on close relatives who watch over the deceased's spirit "through the night," while the funeral service is a "ceremony to bid farewell" that anyone can attend
2. Both are the same ceremony with just a different name
3. The funeral service is more for close relatives
4. The wake is a term used only in Buddhist ceremonies

How many full years after death is the "third memorial service" (san-kaiki) held?

1. The 2nd full year (calculated as the memorial number minus 1 year; only the first anniversary is an exception)
2. The 3rd full year
3. The 1st full year
4. The 6th full year

In Buddhism, what is the custom known as "toi-age"?

1. The custom of regarding the 33rd memorial service as the point when the deceased "joins the ranks of the ancestors," and ending individual memorial services at that point
2. The custom of ending memorial services after the seventh-day service
3. The custom of always ending memorial services at the first anniversary
4. The idea that memorial services have no end

In a Shinto-style funeral (shinsōsai), what practice corresponds to the Buddhist practice of "shōkō" (incense offering)?

1. Tamagushi hōten (offering a sacred sakaki branch)
2. Sange (scattering lotus petals)
3. Flower offering only
4. Shinto funerals use the same term, "shōkō"

What is the correct form for the tamagushi hōten offering at a Shinto funeral?

1. Bow twice, then clap twice silently ("shinobi-de"), before offering the tamagushi
2. Clap twice loudly (kashiwade)
3. Bow once only, with no clapping
4. Simply bow deeply three times

What happens if you use the phrase "Gomeifuku o o-inori shimasu" ("I pray for the repose of their soul") at a Shinto or Christian funeral?

1. Since it originates from Buddhism, it is best avoided at Shinto and Christian funerals
2. It is a universal expression that can be used without issue for any religion
3. It is not limited to Buddhism and is also standard at Shinto funerals
4. It is specialized terminology used only in Christian funerals

What is the action known as "watashi-bashi" ("bridging chopsticks")?

1. Laying your chopsticks across the top of a bowl (regarded as a sign that you "no longer need them")
2. Stabbing food with your chopsticks
3. Hesitating over which dish to eat with your chopsticks
4. Licking food off your chopsticks

Which of the following correctly pairs "sashi-bashi" and "mayoi-bashi"?

1. Sashi-bashi = stabbing food with your chopsticks to eat it; mayoi-bashi = hovering your chopsticks over the dishes while hesitating over what to eat
2. Sashi-bashi = setting your chopsticks down; mayoi-bashi = letting broth drip from your chopsticks
3. Sashi-bashi = licking your chopsticks; mayoi-bashi = pulling a dish closer with your chopsticks
4. Both terms refer to the same action

What do "nebiri-bashi," "yose-bashi," and "namida-bashi" have in common?

1. They are all considered chopstick taboos to be avoided
2. They are all accepted forms of etiquette today
3. They are recommended practices in some regions
4. They are manners specific to Western cuisine only

In Japanese cuisine, what is the correct way to eat from a palm-sized bowl?

1. Lift the bowl to eat from it (eating with the bowl left on the table, "oki-gui," is a breach of manners)
2. Always eat with the bowl left on the table
3. Only a person of higher status is allowed to lift the bowl
4. The etiquette is the same regardless of the bowl's size

What is the correct way to open the lid of a soup bowl (shiruwan)?

1. Open it quietly by tracing the shape of the character "no" with your wrist
2. Open it briskly all at once
3. Drink through the gap without removing the lid
4. Lift it straight up with both hands

For "kaiseki ryōri" (tea-ceremony kaiseki) and "kaiseki ryōri" (banquet kaiseki), what is the difference in the order dishes are served?

1. Tea-ceremony kaiseki serves soup and rice first, while banquet kaiseki serves rice last (the order is reversed)
2. Both are served in the same order
3. Both types serve rice first
4. They are just different names for the same thing

When you place your knife and fork on the plate in a "V" shape partway through a meal, what does this signal?

1. A signal that you are still continuing your meal
2. A signal that you have finished eating
3. A signal that you want a refill
4. A signal that you would like the check

At a standing buffet-style reception, what is the correct etiquette when getting more food?

1. Switch to a new plate (stacking food on the same plate or reusing it is not acceptable)
2. Keep piling more food onto the same plate
3. Secure a large number of plates all at once
4. Skip plates and take food directly by hand

What is one reason given for why you shouldn't step on the border (heri) of tatami mats?

1. Family crests were once woven into the borders, so "stepping on the border" meant "stepping on the family crest," which was considered disrespectful
2. Stepping on the border makes the tatami warp
3. It's purely a practical matter of the border's color fading easily
4. It is a rule set by Buddhist precepts

There is also a security-related theory for why you shouldn't step on tatami edges. What does it say?

1. During the Sengoku through Edo periods, there was a danger of assassins thrusting swords or spears up through the gaps beneath the tatami or its borders
2. Stepping on the border made the floor beneath the tatami more likely to give way
3. There was a custom of hiding gold coins in the position of the border
4. Stepping on the border was believed to cause fires

When offered a zabuton cushion, what is the correct etiquette?

1. Do not sit on it yourself until invited to. Once invited, shuffle onto it sideways
2. You may sit directly on top of it the moment it is set out
3. Formally, you should step on the zabuton before sitting on it
4. Not sitting on the zabuton and setting it aside is the modest way to behave

When setting out a zabuton cushion for a guest, what is the correct way to do it?

1. Carry it folded in half with the fold facing the guest, and unfold it in front of the guest
2. Have it already unfolded and placed in the corner of the room beforehand
3. Hand it over still folded and let the guest unfold it themselves
4. Set it down however happens to be convenient, without worrying about front or back

In a Japanese-style room, why is the area in front of the tokonoma alcove considered the "seat of honor" (kamiza)?

1. It derives from the status system of the Muromachi period, a remnant of seating people of high status in the "jōdan-no-ma," a room with a raised floor
2. Because a household Shinto altar was always enshrined in the tokonoma
3. Because the tokonoma is located near the heating equipment
4. Simply because it is far from the room's entrance

What is the correct etiquette when removing your shoes at the entryway?

1. Remove them while still facing forward, without turning your back to the host
2. Turning your back and removing them quickly is smart
3. Turn around right after removing your shoes to line them up
4. There's no particular etiquette; whatever is easiest is fine

What is the correct direction and position for lining up shoes you've removed?

1. Arrange them with the toes pointing outward (toward the entrance door), on the lower-ranked side of the entryway
2. Arrange them with the toes pointing into the house, in the center
3. The direction doesn't matter, as long as they're neatly lined up
4. Line them up straight on the upper-ranked side

What is the correct formal etiquette for opening a fusuma sliding door?

1. First open it about 5cm using the finger pull, then run your hand along the frame (oyabone) and open it further without making a sound
2. Opening it all the way in one motion is the polite approach
3. You must never speak before opening it
4. Pushing it open gently with your foot is proper etiquette

Which pairing correctly matches bow angles with their uses?

1. Eshaku (15 degrees) for a passing greeting, keirei (30 degrees) for a first meeting or seeing someone off, saikeirei (45 to 90 degrees) for an apology or deep gratitude
2. Eshaku (45 degrees) for a passing greeting, saikeirei (15 degrees) for an apology
3. There is no particular distinction based on angle
4. Using the same angle for everything is the formal approach

When multiple people exchange business cards, who is it basic etiquette to offer their card first?

1. The person of lower standing (the visiting party) offers first; when multiple people are present, they proceed from the person with the highest position
2. The person with the highest position offers first
3. The youngest person offers first
4. There is no particular rule on order

What is the correct way to hold a business card when handing it over?

1. Hold it with both hands and offer it at chest height, toward the other person's card case
2. Handing it over quickly with one hand is smart
3. Skip the card case and hand it over straight from your pocket
4. It's fine even if your fingers cover the text

After being seated for a business meeting, where is it basic etiquette to place a business card you've received?

1. Place it on your left as you see it (when there are multiple people, line them up in seating order)
2. Put it away immediately in your pocket or bag
3. Stack it on top of your own card case
4. Place it face down so the other person can't see it

When handing over a gift, what is the formal way to treat the paper bag or furoshiki wrapping cloth it came in?

1. Take the item out before handing it over (the bag serves as "dust protection")
2. Hand it over still in the bag
3. Don't hand over the bag at all; bring only the contents
4. Have the recipient keep the bag along with the gift

What formal etiquette is described for the orientation of an item when handing it over?

1. First set it down facing yourself, then rotate it 180 degrees clockwise so it faces the other person before offering it
2. Set it down facing the other person from the very start
3. Handing it over upside down is a show of humility
4. The orientation doesn't particularly matter

When visiting someone's home, what is the general timing for handing over a gift?

1. After being shown into the room and completing the formal greetings
2. Right away at the entryway, before anything else
3. On your way out, when leaving
4. There is no set timing