OP
Eric Sedletzky
Contributor
I honestly don't know much about Japanese tourists. In San Francisco there are quite a few Asian tourists that visit and I hear this and that from people (my daughter that used to live there when she was in college). However I don't know what the makeup is or percentages are of ones from China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, etc.I'm very surprised to read this. Japanese are the most considerate people as a group that I've come across in my travels. Those in my country even form volunteer groups to clean the beaches here.
Not tipping is a cultural thing, perhaps cultural ignorance. It is an insult to tip someone in Japan, its saying they won't do a good job unless you offer them money.
I have never had any direct dealings with any of them proffesionally. I live an hour north and am not in the service industry that deals with tourists. I did get shoved out of the way in Japan town once, and on Clement street a few times by them, but I just figured that's how they are in their countries and don't know any different.
The free-for-all I witnessed in Australia apparently was not a one-off event, this happens all the time according to the DM.
If there was just a few maybe it would have been different, but since there was a whole group that seemed to know each other like they were part of club or something could have made the difference.
They weren't nasty or anything, just inconsiderate and oblivious to everyone on the boat except their own group.
I would think that keeping your crap off the deck and put away like they said to during the briefing would just be a natural common courtesy.
As far as tipping, I always go with the custom of the country and find out what the locals do.
If I'm ever in Japan I'll know not to tip. If Japanese go to other countries where tipping is customary they should do their homework and think about tipping since it could make them look cheap and unthankful. Tipping in many places is part of how the crew gets payed.
And there was a tip jar on the lunch counter that had a sign on it saying "Tips for the crew are gladly appreciated", so that was a clue to me that they like tips in Australia.