Understanding Japanese etiquette

Two concepts that have governed Japanese society and social behaviour are those of tatemae an honne. Roughly translated, tatemae refers to “the face you present to the world”, while honne espouses being “true to one’s feelings”.

Although Japanese people are known for their straightforwardness and frankness, they consider the concept of tatemae to be the more important of the two in maintaining a harmonious society. The simplest illustration of this would be the practice of using variations on language depending on who is being spoken to. Several levels of politeness could be observed in the Japanese Language: a common or colloquial, a polite, a very polite, and keigo, a respectful or honorific level. Keigo is commonly used when conversing with people of much higher social status, elders or superiors, while humble or common expressions are often used when referring to yourself.