🇬🇧 🎌 Culture · Everyday conversation, with effort (A2)

🎎 Explaining Japanese customs

🎯 Explain customs and the reasons behind them

Use the usual 50-minute plan: warm-up → key phrases → challenges → role-play → discussion → wrap-up. Share this page on Zoom so the student can see the phrases, but keep "Your card" to yourself.

💬 Warm-up questions

What Japanese custom surprises foreigners most?
Which custom do you like best?

🔑 Key phrases

In Japan, we usually…日本では普通〜します。
It's considered rude to…〜するのは失礼とされています。
The reason is that…その理由は〜です。
It's similar to… in your country.あなたの国の〜に似ています。
You don't have to, but it's polite.必須ではないですが、礼儀正しいです。
People do this to show respect.敬意を示すためにそうします。

📚 Useful words

bow — おじぎ
take off your shoes — 靴を脱ぐ
gift-giving — 贈り物の習慣
etiquette — マナー
tradition — 伝統
respect — 敬意

⚡ Speaking challenges

Explain bowing: when and how deep.
Explain omiyage culture.
Say 3 things that are rude in Japan.
Compare a Japanese custom with another country.

🎭 Role-play

A foreign coworker is visiting a Japanese home for the first time.

🧑‍🎓 Student's card

Explain what to do: shoes, gifts, saying itadakimasu, the bath, etc.

🧑‍🏫 Your card (tutor)

Be a confused visitor who keeps making small mistakes ('Can I wear shoes inside?').

🌀 Twist (halfway through): The visitor asks 'Why?' to every rule. The student must explain the reasons.

🗣️ Discussion questions

Which Japanese customs might disappear in the future?
Is there a foreign custom you'd like Japan to adopt?
What custom is hard to explain?

📌 Homework

Write a guide: 5 customs a visitor should know, with reasons訪日客が知るべき習慣5つを理由つきで書く