Facial Expressions


1. "Me?" ("Boku?" or "Watashi?")
A combination hand and facial expression used in the same way as Westerners pointing to their chest and asking "Me?", except the Japanese point to the tip of their nose. This is a very common sign and is also accompanied with signs of astonishment, false or genuine surprise, indifference, or joy, depending on the situation.


2. Head frozen, using the eyes.
When a teacher moves about the room often students will look straight ahead, avoiding the eyes of the teacher. They may use their eyes to signal to other students or to express anxiety, amusement, curiosity, etc. Not looking into the eyes of a superior is appropriate behavior, as is listening while facing in a different direction than the speaker, particularly in confrontational or emotional situations. The Western importance of looking into the eyes is not usually understood and difficult to do for many Japanese students.

Ko-omote
Noh's 'young woman' mask

3. The Uses of the Smile
A smile can be used in the following situations;
• Positive Smile: liking or agreeing with something.
• Negative smile: when used immediately after a statement may signal a light denial or joke.
• "No comment" smile: Used when someone does not want to respond to a question.
• Stoic smile: Used when someone is disappointed but unable for various reasons to express this in words.
• Apology smile: Used to gently ask for forgiveness.
• Confirmation smile: Used to ask what the other person may think of your ideas or opinion. 1



4. "Something smells" (Kusai-zo)
Used as a euphemism for 'I suspect something secret is behind all this.' Sniffing the air, sometimes in front of the person suspected of having a secret, can be friendly or not depending on the situation.
I have enjoyed when student's have used this as a response to my evasive answers to a personal question.



5. "That's difficult to believe"
When someone tells you a rather unbelievable story, begin applying saliva to the eyebrow to suggest that you can't be fooled easily. This too is used to challenge humorously a persons evasiveness in personal matters (see #4).


6. "Let's not discuss that here"
The index finger pressed against the lips is a silent suggestion to stop talking, for someone may overhear us. Most often used by one student to warn another that I have entered the class, or occasionally by students who are aware that I understand Japanese to students indiscriminate chatting.
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1 Japan Travel Bureau. "Salaryman" in Japan, Japan, JTB Japan Travel Bureau 1990.