Ashamed aide to Japan's PM apologizes after putting hands in his pockets while in U.S. (video)

Originally published at: Ashamed aide to Japan's PM apologizes after putting hands in his pockets while in U.S. (video) | Boing Boing

3 Likes

…read this on a few other venues and those didn’t educate this clueless old blob either: What the deuce is wrong with putting your hands in your pockets(eses)!?? do it all the time when me mits is cold (what Emily Post am i thereby violating?)

11 Likes

At least he wasn’t wearing a tan suit.

13 Likes

Japan is a fascinating country, but I really don’t think I would do well with all the social rules there. I think I’d be constantly apologizing for faux pas.

12 Likes

Doesn’t he know that in the Capitol, the etiquette is for politicians to have their hands in other people’s pockets.

51 Likes

It’s okay…you’re gaijin. You’re not expected to know.

8 Likes

Clearly in Japanese eyes it shows blatant disrespect for others there, including the guy’s boss, the PM. And shows up Japan at the same time.

4 Likes

I was thinking the same thing. Sometimes it’s easy to get lost in mocking my own country, what with flag lapel pins and tan suits apparently being controversies, but then there’s this. So maybe it’s not as singularly silly here as I think.

Hah, nah, our talking heads are still really dumb.

4 Likes

I don’t know about Japan but I do know that hands-in-pockets is commonly interpreted here in the US as nervous behavior or a sign that the person concealing their hands is trying to hide something else.

Occasionally, perhaps. But not commonly. It’s just comfortable. The old crossing the arms thing is the same.

1 Like

I’ll keep that in mind when watching anime.

8 Likes

I have a tee shirt, from a Japanese online store, that says in Kanji on the front ‘Baka Gaijin’, I’ve seen cute Japanese tourists giggling when they saw me wearing it. As it translates as ‘Stupid Foreigner’, so I look forward to having enough money to one day go to Japan so I can wear it their.

10 Likes

You underestimate my ability to accidentally offend people.

7 Likes

I’ve been told that hands in pockets such that the suit jacket is held back behind the arms(as in the stock photo of this post) is super bad; but hands in pockets over suit jacket such that it could still be fastened at the front(if it isn’t already) is fine.

1 Like

my wife is Japanese, which means that people don’t complain to me about my behavour, they complain to her instead…

5 Likes

In the Land of the Free, people may put their hands in their pockets.

Though the preferred method is to put one hand in a pocket, while using the other hand to flick a cigarette, give a peace sign, or hail a taxi cab.

8 Likes

It is really dangerous to have your hands in your pockets while walking.

3 Likes

It was so cold out the lawyers had their hands in their own pockets.

4 Likes

It looked great, like “I’m just macking around here with my new PM and the stretchiest wool on the planet, putting winter on notice.”

4 Likes

This topic was automatically closed after 5 days. New replies are no longer allowed.