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Japanese Change Trays

japantimes.co.jp

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Re: Japanese Change Trays

#61

Post by pyvpx »

tomjakubowski wrote: post #23

Phillipe the Original in downtown Los Angeles has used these as long as I can remember. Phillipe is an old school sandwich place (they claim to have invented the "French dip"), not a Japanese establishment. I wonder now why they're using them: I had mistakenly assumed it was some pre-WWII Western custom that they kept alive for that authentic vintage feel.

if you watch closely (or really, at all...) the person serving you food doesn't touch the money. the tray is to take your payment and change between you and the central cashier.

Re: Japanese Change Trays

#62

Post by digi_owl »

ZanderEarth32 wrote: post #16
devindotcom wrote: post #13

Is 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.

Customs have this odd thing about living on way beyond its practical use.

Re: Japanese Change Trays

#63

Post by digi_owl »

mml wrote: post #18

Department 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.

Various other places has used pneumatic tube systems.

Re: Japanese Change Trays

#64

Post by Flammy »

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #59
TorKlingberg wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Japan though, has almost no tipping culture.

But, every sushi bar has a tip jar? Or only in America

Tipping, in various situations, is definitely a cultural thing which easily changes - even from the US to Europe. Guidebooks almost universally will tell you about what is expected. Different places handle different situations differently as well, such as tipping in a restaurant, to a bellhop, or to a taxi.

Similarly bargaining is diverse as well. You may not think of it, but in the US you bargain back and forth for big ticket items (cars, houses) but not little things. In many east Asian countries it is the opposite, you bargain with street salesmen but not for a motorcycle or car.

Re: Japanese Change Trays

#65

Post by mjlee »

mml wrote: post #18

Department 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.

I've recently encountered a similar system in bars in Africa.

Re: Japanese Change Trays

#66

Post by TorKlingberg »

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #59
TorKlingberg wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Japan though, has almost no tipping culture.

But, every sushi bar has a tip jar? Or only in America

I cannot say I ever saw a tip jar at a sushi bar in Japan. Restaurants tend to adopt practices from the country they are in, even when the food is authentic. For example China does not have the concept of separate starters, main courses and desserts, but Chinese restaurants in the west often do.

Re: Japanese Change Trays

#67

Post by unsignedint »

timr wrote: post #45
pyre wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I knew of a couple that went to Japan where the gaijin (her white husband) spoke more Japanese than she did (100% Japanese Canadian). It apparently confused quite a number of people, because they all expect her to start speaking Japanese.

I've experienced the opposite -- if I go to Europe, I look like everyone else, and the most likely outcome when they discover that I don't speak their language is irritation. Whenever I go to Asia, I'm treated like a novelty if I speak even a few words.

The way I feel it works is, if their perception is that you are not one of them you basically get extra credit for that, but if they don't see you that way, then you basically get your points deducted for each of "mistakes" you make.

This really hurts me sometimes, because I know this and put so much effort try to fit in, but I basically get no praise for that, instead, I get nitpicked for noncompliances.

In a case of some individuals like hotel clerks, that I actually spent some time talking, seeing multiple times a day, they totally understand my situation and didn't give me hard time. (And it was tiny hotel, that didn't really caters to foreigner, so it not that the they were used to it -- funny side story is a few year after that -- perhaps when their son took over the business, they've completely changed to cater to foreigners instead :-) )

Re: Japanese Change Trays

#68

Post by littlepooghish »

TorKlingberg wrote: post #60
littlepooghish wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What makes people like you think it's a good idea to go and bother people in their home about your religious beliefs? Many people must find it frightening or just very annoying. Why subject people to that? It doesn't seem nice, let alone Christian.

This is too off topic.

So is religion on someone's doorstep.

Re: Japanese Change Trays

#69

Post by jambor3 »

There is a much older custom that seems so similar it is hard to imagine that it is not related. When passing an item to someone - say a cup to a house guest - one is traditionally never supposed to hand the item directly to the other person - i.e. never directly from hand to hand. Typically this meant placing the item on a tray (お盆) and offering the item on the tray to the person (or at least placing the item in front of the person for them to pick up). You can see examples of this today in, for example, formal Shinto ceremonies a ceremonial square tray is often used (折敷) or frankly at any fancy kaiseki restaurant.

I'm not sure about the origin of the custom, but perhaps the action of taking something out of someone's hand feels too close to taking it forcefully from them - i.e. for the same reason it is considered impolite for two people to hold the same piece of food by chopstick (for example, if passing food between people from chopstick to chopstick).

Re: Japanese Change Trays

#70

Post by byuu »

Genuinely curious now ... if the trays are meant to avoid hand contact, how do things work in drive-thrus there?

Fairly common to get some level of hand-contact there when passing around money, credit cards or food bags.

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