Arigato is the word we used most often in Japan. Sumimasen comes in second place. You cannot thank someone (arigato) often enough and the same applies to sumimasen (I’m sorry).
This already struck me on my first trip to Japan in 2008. It would even have been odd if it hadn’t: Japanese politeness. In 2008, I sometimes found it exaggerated to excuse yourself and thank everyone for everything, but after seven weeks among the Japanese, I’ve got quite used to it. The first weeks after getting home, I had to get used to the ‘impoliteness’ of the Dutch. And I miss the polite bow on meeting someone – in Holland, if you’re unlucky, you get three sticky kisses. Alright, I’m exaggerating of course, but even so ... The first thing that struck me in Holland was the rude and coarse behaviour of the Dutch. In the train, in the shops, in the street ...
By now, I find the latter not so bad after all. One gets used to everything, apparently.
Soemimasen...
