During my time in Japan, I came across a lot of entertaining hand gesture signs beckoning me into some spaces and imploring me not to enter others. Are these just for tourists who can’t read the language or is there something more going on here? Many of our meals were presented with Vanna White arms, people use the peace sign like a smile, and when we drove away from hotels, personnel would give us a big cartoonish customary wave until we couldn’t see them anymore.
After some Googling, I found more interesting hand gestures and discourse on the subject. Writer and historian Kato Shuichi says, “a strong distrust develops between Japanese if they try to express everything through words.” Body language, including the ever-present bow, is considered more profound and sincere. As an added bonus, this seems to work well for cities that are increasingly international. As more and more signs and city service materials need to be translated into multiple languages, a world of universal symbols and diagrams will become increasingly important. It’s like we’re coming full circle and returning to our caveman roots… Yay for pictograms!
