Japanese Style Out of Home Services Admired by Non-Japanese

Japan Watching | 外国人が称賛する日本流留守対応サービス

Japanese Style Out of Home Services Admired by Non-Japanese

One of the services non-Japanese residents in Japan admire is express home delivery. With Japanese express home delivery, items are not just picked up at your home, but it’s also possible to pay by cash on delivery and designate an arrival time. In addition, if the expected package does not arrive on schedule, you will be able to find out where it is by phoning the delivery company. The other day I had an opportunity to talk with Marco, a young man who came from South America to Japan, and our conversation turned to this topic. “My country, too, has home delivery service, but I’m impressed by the Japanese service,” he said. And he continued, “Recently, a package was delivered when I was out of the house, and an absent contact notice was put in my postbox.” I said, “Surely they do this in all countries?” Then Marco said, “Yes, but there isn’t a service that redelivers at a time to suit me when I call the telephone number written down.” I was surprised that he is impressed by a service which is regarded by Japanese as something to be expected. Sometime later, I got a message from Marco on my answerphone saying “Call me back please.” Thinking that something had happened to Marco, I called him at once. He had this to say. “I subscribe to a Japanese newspaper for my Japanese studies, but recently went for a one week long trip. When I told a friend about this, he said, ‘The newspapers will pile up in your postbox and it’ll be easy to tell you’re away; you’ll be a target for thieves.’ Taking his advice, I instructed the newspaper delivery company to stop delivery during my trip.” Then, he continued to explain excitedly. “On the day I returned from my trip, a bag containing the newspapers from that interval was hanging on the entrance doorknob. On the bag was written, ‘Welcome home. We kept your newspapers. Thank you for reading.’” I told Marco, “I understand you were touched by Japanese out of home services, but you should know that when the person you want to speak to is out, in Japan it is good manners to call again.” (From February issue, 2014 / 2014年2月号より)

日本にほん
Nihon
Japan
にいる
ni iru
in
外国人がいこくじん居住者きょじゅうしゃ
gaikokujin’kyojuusha ga
non-Japanese residents
称賛しょうさんする
shousan suru
admire
サービスさーびす
sa-bisu
(the) services
no
of
ひとつに、
hitotsu ni,
one
宅配便たくはいびん
takuhaibin ga
(express) home delivery
あります。
arimasu.
is
日本にほん
Nihon no
(with) Japanese
宅配便たくはいびんは、
takuhaibin wa/ha,
express home delivery
荷物にもつ
nimotsu o/wo
items <package>
自宅じたく
jitaku
(your) home
ni
at
りに
tori ni kuru
picked up
だけでなく、
dake de naku,
are not just ~ but
着払ちゃくばら
chakubarai
to pay (by cash) on delivery
ya
and
到着とうちゃく時間じかん
touchaku’jikan no
(an) arrival time
指定してい
shitei
designate
mo
also
できます。
dekimasu.
(it)’s possible
また、
Mata,
in addition (the expected)
荷物にもつ
nimotsu ga
package
予定よていどおりに
yotei’doori ni
on schedule
とどかない
todokanai
does not arrive
場合ばあい
baai,
if
宅配たくはい会社がいしゃ
takuhai’gaisha ni
(the) delivery company
電話でんわする
denwa suru
phoning
と、
to,
by
荷物にもつ
nimotsu ga
it <package>
どこにあるか
doko ni aru ka
where is
確認かくにん
kakunin
to find out
できます。
dekimasu.
(you) will be able
先日せんじつ
Senjitsu,
the other day
南米なんべい
Nanbei
South America
から
kara
from (who)
来日らいにちした
rainichi shita
came to (Japan)
若者わかもの
wakamono,
(a) young man
マルコまるこ
Maruko
Marco
to
with
はな
hanasu
to talk
機会きかい
kikai ga
(an) opportunity
あり、
ari,
(I) had and
この
kono
this topic
話題わだい
wadai
(our) conversation
ni
to
なりました。
narimashita.
turned
わたしくに
“Watashi no kuni
my country
にも
ni mo
too
宅配たくはいサービスさーびす
takuhai sa-bisu ga
home delivery service
あります
arimasu
has
が、
ga,
but
日本にほんサービスさーびす
Nihon no sa-bisu
(the) Japanese service
には
niwa/ha
by
感動かんどうしますよ」
kandou shimasu yo”
(I)’m impressed
to
[that]
かれ
kare wa/ha
he
いました。
iimashita.
said
そして、
Soshite,
and
最近さいきん
“Saikin,
recently
わたし
Watashi ga
I
留守るすにしていた
rusu ni shite ita
was out of (the) house
ときに
toki ni
when
荷物にもつ
nimotsu ga
(a) package
とどけられ、
todokerare,
was delivered and
ポストぽすと
posuto
(my) postbox
ni
in
不在ふざい連絡れんらくひょう
fuzai renraku’hyou ga
(an) absent contact notice
はいっていたんですよ」
haitte ita n desu yo”
was put
to
[that]
つづけました。
tsuzu/dukemashita.
(he) continued
わたし
Watashi wa/ha
I
「それは、
“Sore wa/ha,
this
どこのくに
doko no kuni
all countries
でも
demo
in
していることじゃないの?」
shite iru koto ja nai no?”
surely (they) do
to
[that]
いました。
iimashita.
said
すると、
Suruto,
then
マルコまるこ
Maruko wa/ha
Marco
「そうです
“Sou desu
yes
が、
ga,
but
そこに
soko ni
[there]
かれている
kakarete iru
written down
電話でんわ番号ばんごう
denwa bangou
(the) telephone number
にかける
ni kakeru
(I) call
と、
to,
when
わたし都合つごうのいい
watashi no tsugou no ii
to suit me
時間じかん
jikan
(a) time
ni
at
再度さいどってきてくれる
saido mottekite kureru
(that) redelivers
サービスさーびすなんて、
sa-bisu nante,
(a) service
ないですよ」
nai desu yo”
there isn’t
to
[that]
いました。
iimashita.
said
わたしは、
Watashi wa/ha,
I
日本人にほんじんには
Nihonjin niwa/ha
by Japanese
たりあま
atarimae no
(which) is regarded as something to be expected
サービスさーびす
sa-bisu
(a) service
ni
by
かれ
kare ga
he
感動かんどうする
kandou suru
is impressed
ことに
koto ni
that
おどろきました。
odorokimashita.
was surprised
それからしばらくして、
Sore kara shibaraku shite,
sometime later
わたし
watashi no
my
留守番るすばん電話でんわ
rusuban denwa
answerphone
ni
on
電話でんわください」
“Denwa o/wo kudasai”
call me back please
という
to iu
saying
マルコまるこ
Maruko
Marco
からの
kara no
from
メッセージめっせーじ
messe-ji ga
(a) message
はいっていました。
haitte imashita.
(I) got
わたし
Watashi wa/ha
I
マルコまるこ
Maruko
Marco
ni
to
なに
nani ka
something
きたのか
okita no ka
had happened
to
that
おも
omoi
thinking
すぐに
suguni
at once
電話でんわをしました。
denwa o/wo shimashita.
called (him)
かれ
Kare wa/ha
he
こう
kou
this
いました。
iimashita.
had ~ to say
わたし
“Watashi wa/ha
I
日本語にほんご勉強べんきょう
Nihongo no benkyou
(my) Japanese studies
のために
no tame ni
for
日本にほん新聞しんぶん
Nihon no shinbun o/wo
(a) Japanese newspaper
っています
totte imasu
subscribe to
が、
ga,
but
最近さいきん
saikin
recently
1いっ週間しゅうかん
i/1 sshuukan no
(a) one week
なが
nagai
long
旅行りょこう
ryokou
trip
ni
for
かけました。
dekakemashita.
went
そのことを
Sono koto o/wo
about this
友達ともだち
tomodachi ni
(a) friend
つたえる
tsutaeru
(I) told
と、
to,
when
新聞しんぶん
‘Shinbun ga
(the) newspapers
ポストぽすと
posuto
(your) postbox
ni
in
まって
tamatte
will pile up
留守るすだと
rusu da to
and (you)’re away
わかるので、
wakaru node,
(it)’ll be easy to tell
泥棒どろぼう
dorobou ni
for thieves
ねらわれやすい』
neraware yasui’
(you)’ll be (a) target
to
[that]
われました」。
iwaremashita”.
(he) said
かれ
Kare no
his
アドバイスあどばいす
adobaisu
advice
で、
de,
taking
わたし
Watashi wa/ha
I
旅行りょこうちゅう
ryokou’chuu no
during (my) trip
配達はいたつ
haitatsu o/wo
delivery
めるように
tomeru you ni
to stop
新聞店しんぶんてん
shinbun’ten ni
(the) newspaper delivery company
つたえました」。
tsutaemashita.”
instructed
そして、
Soshite,
then
かれ
kare wa/ha
he
興奮こうふん気味ぎみ
koufun’gimi ni
excitedly
こう
kou
to explain <like this>
つづけました。
tsuzu/dukemashita.
continued
旅行りょこう
“Ryokou
(my) trip
から
kara
from
もどった
modotta
(I) returned
そのに、
sono hi ni,
on the day
そのかん
sono kan no
(from) that interval
新聞しんぶん
shinbun ga
(the) newspapers
はいった
haitta
containing
ふくろ
fukuro ga
(a) bag
玄関げんかん
genkan no
entrance
ドアノブどあのぶ
doa’nobu
(the) doorknob
ni
on
るしてあったんです。
tsurushite atta n desu.
was hanging
そのふくろ
Sono fukuro
the bag
には、
niwa/ha,
on
『おかえりなさい。
‘Okaerinasai.
welcome home
新聞しんぶん
Shinbun o/wo
(your) newspapers
保管ほかんしておりました。
hokan shite orimashita.
(we) kept
愛読あいどく
Goaidoku
reading
ありがとうございます』
arigatou gozaimasu’
thank you (for)
to
[that]
いてあったんです」。
kaite atta n desu.”
was the written
わたし
Watashi wa/ha
I
マルコまるこ
“Maruko ga
you <Marco>
日本にほん
Nihon no
Japanese
留守るすちゅうサービスさーびす
rusu’chuu no sa-bisu
out of home services
ni
by
感心かんしんするのは
kanshin suru nowa/ha
were touched
わかる
wakaru
(I) understand
けど、
kedo,
but
自分じぶん
jibun ga
you
はなしたい
hanashitai
(you) want to speak
ひと
hito ga
to (the) person
留守るす
rusu no
(is) out
ときには、
toki niwa/ha,
when
電話でんわをかけなおすのが
denwa o/wo kakenaosu no ga
to call again
日本にほん
Nihon no
in Japan
マナーまなー
mana-
(good) manners
だよ」
da yo”
(you should know that it)is
to
[that]
おしえました。
oshiemashita.
told (Marco)

More from Hiragana Times

Learn anytime, anywhere and experience more on app

Explore Japanese culture with Hiragana Times

Subscribe
00:00 / 00:00