Maido: A Gaijin’s Guide to Japanese Gestures and Culture

Maido (my-dough, not to be confused with that childhood favorite, Play-Doh) describes the most common Japanese gestures and defines their meanings and the cultural contexts that surround them. Japanese gestures are a world of their own, much the way the language and country are. In the Kansai region of Japan, people often use the term Maido as a greeting in business and sales, and as a send-off to a business’s best customers as if to say, “come again” or “thank you.” In this case, Maido is welcoming you to a world in which you don’t offend every Japanese person you meet. By learning a few simple gestures you can avoid making intercultural slip-ups and win the respect of locals. And who knows—maybe the next time you walk into the local izakaya (watering hole), you may be lucky enough to hear someone saying, “Maido! Maido!” to you.