Sorry, can't tell you
 

if you don't already know :p

Actually I did all those things
 

do you think I was too generous? ;)

Are bellhops common at the "luxury" Western chain hotels -- i.e., the Hiltons and Starwoods? And Western businessmen "know" not to tip them?

Bellhops are certainly more common at the "luxury" Western chain hotels in Japan than in most Western countries.... As for knowing not to tip, I don't know. I know not to tip, so I don't.

The starwood properties I stayed at certainly do, as for businesspeople knowing not to tip or not, I think depends on what basic knowledge the traveler had before going to japan for the first time, I would say yes most know not to tip, but that would just be a generalization because I don't know the figures of the number of businesstravelers who know or not know to tip.

I know not to, so I don't.

Ahh, but do you know that they know not to know. And when did you know that you knew it?

;)

JR

Some of the staff in these hotels are aware that some foreign guests don't know about not tipping. They might accept a tip, but they would surely be fired if they asked for one.

I've certainly had that feeling with room service (particularly at one hotel which employed American or European staff to deliver to the foreign guests' rooms).

I don't know if they knew the no no. :p lol

Well I'd say yeah, some are aware of the 'iie iie'.

At least the asian staff at a Western chain at NRT that I've been to have been. Although I've seen a couple of bellhops accept tips, the furtive, nervous, scanning glances are a real give away. They definitely didn't want management to spot them.

I think by tipping we may be putting them on the spot. They may not want to accept the tip, but may have difficulty refusing it (so as not to insult the giver, or perhaps seeing accepting the tip as the quicker and easier way out of an awkward situation).

Sure enough, I received an expensive gift by express mail from a parent of one of my students recently, now being only a few weeks before the final exam period. At first I had no idea who sent it, and spent several days going through all my contacts & meishi (after all, it is the Oseibo gift-giving season), student lists, etc. until I came across a likely candidate--a student with the same last name in danger of failing out of school. A check with the student affairs dept. of the school confirmed a match between the parent of this student and the sender of the gift.

What does this have to do with refusing a tip? Just that simply and quietly accepting the gift, (whether a tip or a possible bribe) though wrong in itself, is seen in Japan as an acceptable way out of an awkward situation, or so how the head of the student affairs dept explained and advised I handle this situation. In this way, the other party (giver) does not lose face for their "mistaken gesture" upon being refused.

BTW, what did I do? I sent it back with a polite letter.

^

You did the right thing - IMHO.

Also good to hear that there is actually some risk of not automatically "making the grade" at your school - notwithstanding my sympathy for those who don't.

Since when is tipping mandatory?

Not in this case (and I want to stress here that it wasn't me doing the tipping) as the recipients weren't Japanese. Asian, yes, but many, many miles to the West.
It seemed to me they very much wanted to accept the tips. Enough to take on any risks associated with accepting them.

But yes, I agree that by offering one you are putting people on the spot.


As for tips being mandatory in the US - they may not be, but, boy do they feel like they are. Being escorted to a hotel room by a bellhop in the US can turn into a horribly intimidating experience if you aren't prepared to give a donation. Sure, you don't have to tip, but the vibes quickly turn quite ugly if you don't.

Since I've been travelling
 

in the US, and you can argue the pros and cons of this until the cows come for late check-in, people in the service economy are underpaid in the expectation that they will make it up in tips.

Besides, maids in hotels really have to bust their asses to meet their room quota every day. And when a guest checks out and the room has to be completely set up for the next guest ..... holy mackeral!

Ever since I read Nickel and Dimed in America (I think that's the title), my sympathy for the working poor in this country skyrocketed. Trust me, after you read this book, you will look at waiters/waitresses and maids in a whole new light.

So basically yes, tip! Pass up tipping the barista if need be, maids work much harder for much less.