Cultural Differences Between Japan And The United States
The United States and Japan are two different cultures which reflects heavily through the way people from each of the cultures communicate. This may be in what is said, how it’s said, as well as verbal or physical cues. They way many cultures communicate stems from ancient beliefs and customs. For the Japanese much of their culture and traditions stem from this. Their culture has remained strong due to them being rather homogenous. On the other hand, America is relatively a new country that is more individual centered, due to an extensive combination of customs from being an immigrant society. Therefore, the way Americans communicate stems from a variety of combined cultures. There is always an underlying cultural within a country which dictates
…show more content…
People are either part of a group or not, they are taught to desire a sense of belonging, because of this a majority of their self-esteem comes from the opinions of others. In addition this has an impact on how and why they communicate the way they do. Communicating with directness, is often thought of as being clumsy or careless, if the issue is important they will use a messenger. Harmony is often strived for in the Japanese culture, conflict is often viewed as dangerous and many attempt to disarm it before it arises. In trying to avoid conflict they will often attempt to speak indirectly and hint at an issue, however this is not always or entirely done verbally. Verbal words are only one of many ways the Japanese communicate, as non-verbal cues, and mutual feelings are another. This is portrayed in the use of silence, facial expressions, pauses or actions that are often used. Communicating in this way is seen as a more direct expression than words alone. This is done with the traditional and unspoken societal rule set, which is presume that everyone knows and follows. In addition, this allows a mutual and general understanding of non-verbal communication. Humor is one subject of communication that can sometimes be dangerous and risky as many will take it as offensive. In Japanese culture, joking is best suited for close friends while sarcasm is often seen as a personal
People are either part of a group or not, they are taught to desire a sense of belonging, because of this a majority of their self-esteem comes from the opinions of others. In addition this has an impact on how and why they communicate the way they do. Communicating with directness, is often thought of as being clumsy or careless, if the issue is important they will use a messenger. Harmony is often strived for in the Japanese culture, conflict is often viewed as dangerous and many attempt to disarm it before it arises. In trying to avoid conflict they will often attempt to speak indirectly and hint at an issue, however this is not always or entirely done verbally. Verbal words are only one of many ways the Japanese communicate, as non-verbal cues, and mutual feelings are another. This is portrayed in the use of silence, facial expressions, pauses or actions that are often used. Communicating in this way is seen as a more direct expression than words alone. This is done with the traditional and unspoken societal rule set, which is presume that everyone knows and follows. In addition, this allows a mutual and general understanding of non-verbal communication. Humor is one subject of communication that can sometimes be dangerous and risky as many will take it as offensive. In Japanese culture, joking is best suited for close friends while sarcasm is often seen as a personal