Male Behavior (Polite or Ideal)?

I'm not so sure this question has been asked quite like I need previously. As I know the Japanese culture is very polite, I wanted to ask people who know from experience. How should a man, aged 22 -25 behave on a daily basis to be respected and appreciated. I don't mean to sound vague, but I have no idea how to ask this question or even where to begin.

Politeness can be found in formal, codified behavior, or in behavior that reflects inner sincerity. Please don't worry so much, just behave with decency and common sense and your intentions will come across.

Most likely the same way you earn respects in your country. And if you are surrounded by the "right" kind of people, you will be appreciated for your good personality and judgement.

++Politeness can be found in formal, codified behavior, or in behavior that reflects inner sincerity.

This is Japan, you only need the former.

That is a very jaundiced view.

Actually in EVERY country politeness is what make human interactions smooth and pleasant and yes it doesn't require sincerity at all, only some people skills. Example: Whenever I go in a coffee shop or some other store I say hello to the staff, ask how they are,then after getting my order, thanks them. If there is nobody around we will chat about some small stuff. Some days I may have loads on my mind, feel grouchy etc. but I go through the routine because the staff deserve to be treated nicely no matter what. And being polite and making someone smile perk me up on a bad day. On the other hand my grandma never ever tell lies. So she will go in a store and say "good morning Mary, nice day isn't it? you look terrible today, can't you smile?" she is just being sincere and truthful but who need that!

Most of the same rules of politeness and common sense apply in Japan as anywhere else. If you inadvertently break some obscure rule of etiquette you are unlikely to offend anyone as foreigners are not expected to know things like exactly what angle you should bow at to whom, etc.

For eating etiquette and what to do in a Japanese house, that kind of information is to be found all over the internet- try a Google search on Japanese etiquette- there should also be some tips on this site.

If not be yourself!

Everyone worries so much about Japanese ettiquette (not that it's not important, because it is, very much so), but they forget that if there's no heart behind it, it's kind of useless.

Not everyone in Japan is perfectly well behaved, some people follow every proper code of conduct, some are delinquent and completely ignore most. Most people are in the middle.

Maybe this isn't very helpful, but I think that finding out the right way to behave is only to learn and find out. Obviously read all you can about Japanese conduct, but don't be surprised when you find that certain customs are regarded outdated when among certain people. For example, when I first met my host family and brought them omiage (the souvenirs), I said what my teacher told me to: "Tsumaranai mono desu ga" which transalates to a formal "Please accept this even though it is not much". My host dad laughed and said that I didn't need to be so overly polite. I was going to stay with them as family after all. This doesn't mean that my teacher was wrong, however. He was very much correct. My Japanese teacher is a man in his fifties and grew up during a very different era of Japan, where the code of ettiquette was perhaps a lot stricter.

What I'm trying to say, is it all depends on who you are, and who you're with, and it's something, you just have to learn on your own. It's not always textbook cut out (unless you're working in a company or something), but you just have to learn all you can, experiment, and then edit what you learn.