Advertisement

Pointing Is Considered Offensive In Japan

Pointing out directions may seem harmless in the West, but doing the same in Japan is considered highly offensive. That's because the gesture of pointing in Japan is considered a threat. So, if you were to point out directions and accidentally point at someone while doing so, you'd basically be threatening them. As such, it's not advised that you point when trying to show someone where to go or even when directing someone's attention to something.

Wikipedia

Instead, it's much better and more acceptable in Japanese culture to use hand gestures to try and describe something or direct someone's attention somewhere; this way you're not threatening a random bystander.