Watch That Slurp!

Should the well-behaved diplomat belch after a good meal? Should he blow his nose? Such questions, Tokyo decided, might well agitate the 53 ladies & gentlemen of Japan who arrived in San Francisco last week. Result: the Japanese Foreign Office issued a special instruction booklet designed to keep delegates Emily Posted during their stay in the U.S. The booklet warned against:

P: Taking off shoes and wiggling toes in public.

P: Noisy gargling: "To make as much noise as a flock of ducks and surprise the people about them seems to be the peculiar ability of the Japanese. Such habits in a hotel . . . are sure to bring complaints."

P: Drunkenness: "From ancient times in Japan, it has not been considered shameful to drink liquor and become violent. But persons who drink and lose their restraint, changing from their ordinary characters, are not qualified to drink."

P: Unorthodox hat wearing: "It is unseemly to set the hat deeply on the head, squashing the ears."

P: Going into a corner to blow one's nose, thus attracting undue attention.

P: Slurping drinks: "This probably comes unconsciously from the custom when drinking Japanese tea, but it is surprising how many persons regarded as having considerable culture unthinkingly do this."

P: Belching: ". . . in some countries a belch is a gesture of thanks, which means the person has eaten so much he can't eat any more, but one must be careful of this."

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