Also saying “no” in Japan is extremely impolite, so be careful if you ask a question to give an option to avoid saying “no” directly.

For example:

Don’t ask “Can I borrow 5,000 Yen?”

Instead “How do you feel about lending money?”

The answer would be something like:

“I prefer not lending or borrowing money”

You then know not to ask to borrow 5,000 Yen.