Holiday in Japan : How to become a Japanese

I have been in Hiroshima since Friday and today (Monday) I am going to Osaka. In Hiroshima, I visited the Atomic peace park and the memorial museum. Hiroshima was the first city in human history to b hit by an atomic bomb on 6 Aug 1945. After that there wasn`t much else to see in Hiroshima. On Sunday morning I did run along a river. It was a rather freezing run because I had forgotten to bring along gloves. There was only about 6 other runners which was not surprisingly as it was probaly 2 deg C.

I have been wondering how the sales and store staff in Japan become so polite and corteous. Last night I found out how this happens on at least one version of it I think. In a TV program, new staff at at a hair salon underwent training on how to greet and what to say to their customers. Each staff was given a a file containing a script on the appropriate sentences. A trainer (5o`s lady) was going through some exercises with them. It was serious stuff. Later she hung around the salon to observe the staff and their interaction with their customers. The final scene was the best. Training was completed and all of the salon staff stood outside, bowed, said their thanks and other stuff in Japanese. The lady thanks and other stuff in Japanese. The lady trainer left in a taxi. It was too much for one of the guys. He burst out in tears and cried his heart out.

The 2nd part was how taxi drivers were training on how to smile and say the right things to their passengers.

So that is how it is done in Japan.