Smiling at Strangers

I will be visiting my boyfriend in Japan around August, and I have been trying to learn as much about the culture as I can.

Is it alright to smile at strangers? As an American, I usually smile or give a nod at a stanger just out of kindness, but I don't want to look creepy or anything if it is unusual in Japan.

Naturally, being a foreigner, you will receive quite a few stares and odd looks from strangers. A small smile or nod will help ease the tension. (A nod in passing is similar to a small bow, so it's polite to do so.) It certainly isn't rude or strange to smile or nod. I wouldn't worry about that, you're going to be seen as 'strange' because you're foreign anyway :-D

I think smiling at strangers is fine if you have some minor social interaction with them, like holding open an elevator for them, passing through doorways at the same time or buying from shop staff etc.
I think this would be regarded as slightly unusual for japan but charming and friendly.
But smiling at strangers with which you have no social interaction like someone sitting opposite you on a train or passing on the street...I think that is very creepy, in both Japan and other countries like UK.
Parents with children being the exception , people often smile at parents and their young kids, I don't for fear of freaking out the parents but old ladies seem to get away with it quite often.

As an American who has been to and enjoyed Japan numerous times, I find it very difficult to adjust to the lack of casual smiles, in the US nearly everyone smiles all the time, especially while shopping, traveling etc. This is not the case in Japan. You will be acutely aware that it is not the norm to exchange pleasant casual smiles.

ChelseaAnne,

It's as others have suggested. Say you're walking down a quiet street and a stranger comes walking from the other way. In southern California, you'd expect yourselves to exchange smiles and therefore would look at the person coming towards your direction. Here in Japan it is not the case (with the exception of when you're hiking in the mountains).

In Japan, if a person you don't know looks at you and smiles at you out of the blue, it's more natural to think, "Do I know this person? Or is this a come on?"

On the other hand, of course, if you notice someone already staring at you for no reason you can think of, a slight questioning smile might ease the atmosphere.

Hope you have a nice time in Japan. Smiles :)

Just to defend the non-regular smilers, we aren't all as cold hearted as it may appear.
My feeling is that the UK is quite similar to Japan in regards to public smiling. We don't think smiles should just be used freely.
To smile at everyone may give the impression of falseness and in some ways I think devalues the power of a smile.
In my experience living in the UK and Japan, in the rare occasion that a stranger smiles at you during some minor interaction then you feel a real sense of warmth, that the smile is genuine, special and intended for you. The smile feels somehow more valuable than if it was something dealt out for anyone who happens to be walking by.

It is not just in Japan and the UK...in many countries in Europe it isn't the custom to smile to a total stranger..
We may give a (small) smile to a store employee as they approach us but we wouldn't dream of smiling broadly to someone that is walking down the street or is in the bus near us ...this is creepy

When I first came to Canada I found all these smiling strangers very disconcerting! they looked like androids...at times I kept wondering if we had met before and I just couldn't remember their face.....so annoying

Nowadays I do smile to strangers, but only at good looking guys ...

Well, I'd say it's okay to smile when you're in the more isolated spots such as the woods or when hiking and you happen to notice someone coming, you'd smile and even say 'hiya' to them here. People find that to be nice. At least, that's what we do in the UK; unfortunately, when I was in Japan, I was in the city all the time and didn't smile at all.

You don't smile at others in populated areas like town or city areas; however, you DO smile at little babies when they're staring at you. Babies are quite different to grown adults and are eased with a smile, so if they think you look unusual as a foreigner or stranger, you smile at the baby and it usually helps them relax!

So I guess it'd be the same in Japan: don't smile at people where there's many of them, smile and maybe greet them when you're in the forest, hiking etc, and smile at babies to appear less threatening.

Maybe this'll help! Maybe not, but that's what I go with.

There is a tendency in large cities for people to be less likely to engage with strangers because there's so many people that it's not entirely practical to say hi to everyone you meet.
That said I think it's important to note that this doesn't mean that they won't appreciate it if you engage with them.
I'm from the UK and, although people may not smile at you when you're and about, I always got a positive reaction when I smiled at someone else. No-one reacted like I was a crazy person, in fact most people seemed genuinely happy that someone acknowledged, instead of ignored them.
I found Japan the same, crushed onto a train in the evening I can't help but smile at the poor person who's stoically jammed up against me.
I think it's worth remembering that most people are actually pretty nice, and appreciate someone being nice to them, no matter where they're from.

I'm an American here in Japan, and I smile at everyone. Well, not everyone, but if I happen to pass s/one on a warm, sunny day in the street, I usually smile. I usually give the good, ol' head bow with it. I find that it is not customary in Japan for people to smile, but they take kindly to strangers that do. I usually get a warm response, and more times than not, they smile back. Sometimes I catch people off guard, and they act like they don't see me. It's quite funny. I think those individuals are usually quite shy, especially with a foreigner.

I had a conversation about this very topic with a Japanese friend of mine. She says that she thinks most Americans are so nice because they smile all the time. I think that's the general attitude, but not all people here may feel that way, just because they're not used to smiling at a complete stranger.

I usually smile at mothers and their children, or old people. I probably won't even make eye contact with a businessman (or businesswoman) that seems too busy to notice or half asleep on the train.

So, I say, go for it! Smile away if the time seems appropriate. Say "good afternoon" if you pass by close enough. It can't hurt. Who wouldn't take a smile over grumpy looking face?! :)

Be yourself. Smiling is fine even though it is not customary in Japan. But don't overly do.
On the other hand don't expect direct eye to eye contact even if you are talking to a person and don't get offended.