2.4 Verbal Communication
The historical japanese culture strongly advocates harmony. With this trait in mind, the common man will aim to be as unoffending as possible towards one another during conversations.
In the business world, it is even more vital that one gains a deep understanding of the communication standards so as to avoid ‘traps’ or ‘embarrassment’. For example, if person A is meeting person B for business discussions, it is often common that person A would assume that person B knows all the general background information of the discussion topic. It may not be the case as person B might not have adequate resources on hand to find out certain aspects. Thus, if he does not know how to deal with such situations tactfully, this mis-match in communications could result in an embarrassing one with person B end up looking insincere and incompetent. Another likely result would be him leaving the conversation with many question marks in his mind.
Another point to take note of would be that the Japanese tend to give a lot of respect to others while also expecting the same in return. It is thus important not to use speak too crudely as it will ‘downgrade’ one’s own image. The Japanese enjoy building business relationships based on trust so such crude arrogance will only put off others and harm potential business deals.
On a personal level, it is in their culture to ask typical questions that seem a bit too direct for some. For example, they may ask the value of your house, your annual income level, etc. One should always bear in mind that they are merely trying to get to know one another better, without malice.
With reference to the above points, one should remember to be gracious when deflecting personal questions so as...
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...e as you are”, it is always better to be safe and dress formally.
For Men, dark suits are worn in preferably navy or black with shoes that are easy to put on and remove. Wearing bright coloured suits should be avoided as it will give a wrong negative impression of being part of the Japanese mafia known as the Yakuza. Similarly, women should wear dark suits. However, women should not wear heels to prevent “towering” over men. Subsequently, do not wear pants in a business setting as it comes off as offensive to the Japanese. Revealing clothing are to be avoided and it is recommended to wear flats that are easy to put on and remove as you will likely be doing it often.
Quality of the clothing material also plays a vital factor when it comes to dressing in Japan. It is recommended to have a suit of top quality and tailored to your size to prevent looking sloppy.
Japan lasted from 1185-1603. During that time Japan had emperors, shoguns, daimyos, samurai, and peasants who were all apart of a social class, and all together it was called the Samurai Society. The emperor was just a figurehead for the shogun. The shogun was a powerful military leader that ruled in the emperor’s name. Daimyo were powerful landlords. The daimyo often led armies of samurai. These samurai were trained professional warriors who served daimyo and shoguns. The samurai had to follow a certain code of rules for samurai called Bushido. One of their rules included to always have self-discipline to become a good samurai. The samurai warriors wore light armor, helmets (usually shaped like an animal), and had two swords around their waist. Their armor had a lot of detail and color to it, like their unique helmets. After the samurai comes the peasants, which included farmers and fishermen. They usually always work, then pay takes to the shogun. They usually gave the shogun what they earned from working like food or crops. What made their jobs a bit difficult was their topography. Japan’s topography included many mountains, undersea volcanoes, and barely any flat land to farm on. The Japanese didn’t only work they also practiced their religion. For example, they practiced Confucianism, Buddhism (...
Japanese tend to feel stressful and nervous “with a lot of eye contact during the conversation” (Hattori 1987, 111). In addition, “Japanese children are taught by their parents that looking into other people's eyes is immodest.” (Hattori 1987, 112) It is because Japan is a “hierarchical and collective society”, in which individuals “at relatively lower social status” should show respect and obedience to people “at higher social status” by avoiding the direct eye contact (Hattori 1987, 111). In terms of its national character, Barnlund (1975) claims that Japanese have a small “public self”, who likes to show themselves to others; yet, they have a big “private self”, who prefers to be silent and hold on own ideas. LePape (1980) concludes this point as well “by analyzing Yasujiro Ozu's movies,” in which people talk to each other “side by side”, but “rarely hold mutual gaze” (Hattori 1987, 111). Japan was a traditional monarchy country, in which hierarchy shaped Japanese social values; hence, Japanese avoid the direct eye contact in order to display modesty and
Since my cultural experience was on the Japanese culture, I decided I would continue on with that interest and write my paper about the Japanese culture therefor giving me a chance to do more research about the culture. The Japanese culture is really rich and diverse, there is a particular hierarchy or structure to the Japanese culture, Denison (2002) stated that “Japanese culture is structured around black and white norms for acceptable group behavior. People who do not function by there norms are viewed as outsiders who lack legitimate status. Black and white expectations of behavior produce equally clear cut conformity, resulting in high harmony and certainly of outcome, trust is early through continuous conformity”.This is a huge and really important aspect of their culture because it governs their social standing, interacting with others and the way they are seen, and when it comes to your social standing in the culture, the way you are seen and respected by those around you is very important.
Japan and America each have their own value system that draws comparable interest for how it shapes society and patterns of interaction. Even though there are similarities between the two-value systems, it is essential to understand the fundamental differences that deal with equality, respect, and communication style. Understanding the motivations behind behaviors will lead to successful intercultural interactions.
“Although this group consciousness has contributed greatly to the economic development of Japan, the need for strong emotional unity has also resulted in an inability to criticize others openly.” Pg 11
The world, as of the 21st century, is increasingly becoming an interconnected, interrelated social place in which avoidance of human interaction is near impossible. From telephone calls to advertising billboards, communication is ubiquitous. Communication essentially refers to the generation and receiving of messages across a variety of contexts, channels, media, and cultures. This complex interaction is composed of both verbal and non-verbal interactions. Verbal language is defined as the use of sounds and language to communicate a message and thus accents, dialects, and languages all fall under this “verbal code.” Its counterpart, non-verbal language, is communication through a host of nonlinguistic methods, including physical appearance, kinesics, and olfactics.
This helps to understand our social standing within our culture. In China, they value respect and use the group memberships we assume to help aid our communication with one another. Non-verbal communication styles are also just as important, if not more important, when communicating with someone from a different culture. It is best to always make eye contact and pay attention to the other person.
The Japanese culture is based on its long rich history and change is not welcome, things are done the way they were hundreds of years ago. People also don’t tend to voice their opinions like we do here in the States. Anyone who speaks out usually isn’t given much attention and they fall back into their place and a majority of the population is fine with that. Everyone is fine with fitting in and personal opinion is not voiced out loud most of the time. There are multiple practices that are part of the Japanese culture that are not found in American culture. A few of these are bowing instead of handshake when you address someone, slurping or loud noises are viewed as polite and that you’re enjoying your food, and tipping is viewed as an insult. These practices are somewhat opposite in the American culture, we are much more different than some people tend to realize.
The difference between American and Japanese ways of speaking can cause us some bad experiences at first; however, once we get accustomed to the direct speech of Americans, it is more convenient than the Japanese way. First, we can say what we want. Second, we do not have to hesitate to tell the truth in order to be polite. Finally, it frees us from unnecessary misunderstandings. The third point makes us happy because it makes us feel we have adjusted ourselves to American society at last. Compared to Americans trying to learn the Japanese way of speech, we are supposed to have much less difficulty learning the American way. At first, it might seem to be difficult, but in a few months, we will find ourselves comfortable in the direct speech of the Americans and may be in trouble when speaking with newcomers from Japan.
In America, differences of age and status do not affect the relationship between people as they do in Japan. Students can talk to professors in very casual ways. A freshman and a senior in college can be good friends. In Japan, however, when Japanese people get together, their behaviors are influenced by an awareness of the order and rank of each person within the group according to age and social status. Respect to seniors is a social obligation that cannot be neglected. Nothing more clearly describes this hierarchal nature of Japanese society that the Japanese word "senpai," meaning a senior or superior in any academic or corporate organization in our society. The attitude toward one's 'senpai' is characterized by formality, obedience, and trust.
The Japanese mind is very pragmatic. They emphasize on immediate experience as opposed to the westernized analytical thinking. We see this through the character of Ryuji when he proposed to Fusako as he told her very bluntly without giving extra thought. We also see this through Noboru as he reacts to the actions of Ryuji very impulsively through his charges. We also establish that the Japanese are very introverted which is depicted through the characters of Ryuji, Noboru and Fusako as they keep very isolated and to themselves.
...verestimate etiquette! Although your Japanese business partners may look dead serious (and Japanese people usually take work dead-serious...), they also are human and know to laugh... Here is a famous story (not sure it's a true story though...) demonstrating what can happen with exaggerated cultural adaptation:
An examination of Japanese culture, and where it stands on Kluckholn and Strodbeck’s Value Orientation, Hall’s cultural dimensions, and what America needs to know in order to communicate properly with Japan.
Communication is one of the most important factors in our lives. It dictates the relationships formed with the individuals in personal and professional lives. Effective communication provides a foundation for trust and respect to grow. It also helps better understand a person and the context of the conversation. Individuals often believe that their communication skills are much better than what they actually are. Communication appears effortless; however, much of what two people discuss gets misunderstood, thus leading to conflicts and distress. To communicate effectively, one must understand the emotion behind the information being said. Knowing how to communicate effectively can improve relationships one has at home, work and in social affairs. Understanding communication skills such as; listening, non-verbal communication and managing stress can help better the relationships one has with others.
Japan is a fascinating multifaceted culture, on one hand it is filled with many traditions dating back thousands of years and yet is a society with continually changing fads,