Maido: A Gaijin’s Guide to Japanese Gestures and Culture by Christy Colon Hasegawa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Have you ever read manga and wondered what it meant when a character pulled down their lower eye lid, and stuck out their tongue? This book has the answer. Have you wondered what some of the gestures in Japanese movies mean, that seem to make no sense? This book probably has the answer. Have you just wondered how people in different countries use hand gestures, then this book is also for you.
There are things that make sense being only seen in Japan such as the gesture that means that someone has a big nose, which means they are arrogant. It can either be based on a Tengu, which had a big nose, or on Westerners from the Edo period, or after WWII, whom the Japanese considered to have large noses, and were arrogant.
The book is full of pictures of a lots of different Japanese doing these gestures, as well as an explanation for each one. It is written in a light, breezy style. Below is an example about the expression for Hooray: Banzai
If you ever wanted proof of how definitively we have put our samurai warrior past behind us, this gesture should be enough. We’ve taken of the most fearsome expressions in the language and turned it into something to shout at parties. That’s progress.
And the expression with the eye and the extended tongue? That is giving someone the evil eye.
Highly recommend this book to those who have an interest in gesture, in Japan, in anything Japanese, or are just curious as to what gestures are like in other countries. A fun quick read.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.