come on, this is common in EU..Germany etc, too
Where have you seen this? I've lived in Berlin for six years and I have literally never encountered anything like it.
Japanese Change Trays
11–20 of 175 posts
Re: Japanese Change Trays
#12Was just in Japan and encountered these everywhere. We knew to use them from our research prior to the trip. Initially I was under the impression it was to prevent the spread of germs, but that didn't really line up because the money comes into contact with the cashier's hand regardless if the tray is used or not. I guess it could help reduce the amount of small hand-to-hand contact that is sometimes experienced when…
Also, it's visual in the sense that both parties can easily verify that it is the correct amount and avoids any "…but I thought I gave you five quarters…".
Re: Japanese Change Trays
#13Is it possible that it could be related to change needing to be weighed to be determined legitimate, or simply as a way of measuring the amount? (like paying with gold dust in the Yukon or what have you)
Beyond that I can see it being a result of extreme cultural stratification, as the article touches on - that it would be seen as demeaning for a higher-class person to put money directly into the lower-class person's hand.
It's quite interesting that no one has any clear idea! I love little mysteries like this.
Re: Japanese Change Trays
#14Pro tip: if you want to review the correct pronunciation of the word "gai-jin," skip the tray and hand your cash directly to the clerk.
This comment only makes sense if you know what "gaijin" means, it appears to mean roughly "foreigner" (or more literally "outside person").
"alien" more correctly captures the connotation. "gaijin" is very much a derogatory word. "gaikokujin" (person from a different country) is more neutral.
Re: Japanese Change Trays
#15Re: Japanese Change Trays
#16Is it possible that it could be related to change needing to be weighed to be determined legitimate, or simply as a way of measuring the amount? (like paying with gold dust in the Yukon or what have you) Beyond that I can see it being a result of extreme cultural stratification, as the article touches on - that it would be seen as demeaning for a higher-class person to put money directly into the lower-class person's…
Weighed as in with a scale? Possibly historically this might have been a concern or a mechanism to check for counterfeits, but currently the change and bills are placed in the same, non-measured, tray. It's just a generic plastic tray, and it varies from shop to shop.
Re: Japanese Change Trays
#17Restaurants in the US use small trays to confer bills and money all the time. What makes this Japan-specific?
Yeah, it's common in German shops and take-away places, too.
I like the elevated trays in a lot of the German supermarkets and department stores that have the built-in scoop for holding change. Wish I could find a picture of it.
Re: Japanese Change Trays
#18Department stores in the U.S. (At least in Minneapolis) used to ferry payment via baskets on wires from the clerk up to an accounting room where the money was counted, change made, and delivered back to the customer via the same contraption.
Re: Japanese Change Trays
#19This makes me think I should pick one of these up for my daughter to carry around. She can't rotate her hands to a palm-up position, which causes no end of hassle and confusion when getting change from retail transactions.
Re: Japanese Change Trays
#20come on, this is common in EU..Germany etc, too
Actually I can't even imagine handing cash directly to someone - this kind of seems rude to me. It would be even worse if the note was folded. Doing this also might involve hand contact (which again might make someone uncomfortable). (I'm from Northern Europe).