Japan’s Cultural Code Words: 233 Key Terms That Explain the Attitudes and Behavior of the Japanese

318 Pages·2004·2.01 MB·English

by  Boye Lafayette De Mente

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Japan s
Cultural
Code Words
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Etiquette Guide to Japan: Know the Rules...that Make the Difference
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Japanese Business Dictionary: English to Japanese
Japanese Etiquette & Ethics in Business
Japanese Influence on America: The Impact, Challenge and Opportunity
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Korean Etiquette & Ethics in Business
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Shopper’s Guide to Japan
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The Chinese Have a Word for It: The Complete Guide to Chinese Thought and Culture
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Instant Chinese (forthcoming)
Instant Korean (forthcoming)
Subway Guide to Tokyo: Hundreds of Key Destinations (forthcoming)
Survival Chinese (forthcoming)
Survival Korean (forthcoming)
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Japan s
Cultural
Code Words
233 Key Terms That Explain the
Attitudes and Behavior of the Japanese
Boyé Lafayette De Mente
TUTTLE PUBLISHING
Tokyo •Rutland,Vermont •Singapore
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Published by Tuttle Publishing, an imprint of Periplus Editions (HK)Ltd.
with editorial offices at 364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon,
VT 05759 USA and 61 Tai Seng Avenue, #02-12, Singapore 534167.
© 2004 Boyé Lafayette De Mente
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior
written permission from the publisher.
LCCCard No. 2003116861
ISBN 978-1-4629-0062-6
Printed in Singapore
Distributed by:
Japan
Tuttle Publishing
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5-4-12 Osaki, Shinagawa-ku
Tokyo 141-0032
Tel: [phone]; Fax:[phone]
Email: [email protected]
North America, Latin America &Europe
Tuttle Publishing
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North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436 USA
Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
www.tuttlepublishing.com
Asia Pacific
Berkeley Books Pte. Ltd.
61 Tai Seng Avenue, #02-12,
Singapore 534167
Tel: [phone]; Fax:[phone]
Email: [email protected]
www.periplus.com
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TUTTLE PUBLISHING®is a registered trademark of Tuttle Publishing,
a division of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd.
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CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION: The Two Faces of Japan 12
Ageashi / Tripping on Your Own Tongue 14
Age Tsurau / Finding Endless Fault 15
Aiso Warai / Beware of Fake Smiles 16
Aizuchi / Synchronizing Your Movements 18
Akanukeshita / The Power of Polished Manners 19
Akirame ga Warui / We Don’t Know How to Quit! 21
Akiramenai / Do or Die 22
Akujunkan / The Great Runaround 23
Amai / Amaku / Spreading on the Sugar 25
Ame to Muchi / Candy or the Whip 26
Anmoku no Ryokai / Unspoken Understanding 27
Anshinkan / Building Peace of Mind 28
Araizarai / Letting It All Out 30
Arasagashi / A Nation of Nitpickers 31
Arigata Meiwaku / Too Much of a Good Thing 32
Ashikiri / Cutting Off the Legs 33
Ashirau / The Diplomatic Brush-Off 35
Atarimae / It Goes Without Saying 36
Ato Aji / A Foreign Aftertaste 38
Aun no Kokyu / The Japanese Sixth Sense 39
Ban Kisha / The Way of the Japanese Press 40
Batting / Driving Prices Down 42
Bosai Pakku / Preparing for Survival 43
Bukkyo / The Wellspring of Japaneseness 44
Bunshu / The Country Divided 45
Bushido / The Fighting Knight Way 47
Byodo / Japanese-Style Fairness 49
Chusei Shin / Loyal to the Last 50
Daikan / Mind Over Matter 51
Dango / Dividing up the Spoils 53
Danryokuteki Un’ei / Run it up the Pole 54
Danson Johi / Men Over Women 55
Dantai / The Three Musketeers Syndrome 57
Donburi Kanjo / Calculations in a Bucket 58
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En / Jyo / A Wet Japanese Thing 59
Endaka - Doruyasu / High Yen, Low Dollar 61
En Maku wo Haru / Laying Smoke Screens 62
Enman / The Perils of Harmony 64
Fundoshi wo Shimeru / Tightening Your Loincloth 65
Furita / The Day of the Oddballs 66
Furusato / Longing for a Spiritual Home 67
Gaijin Kusai / Smelling like a Foreigner 69
Gai Ju Nai Go / Soft Outside, Hard Inside 70
Gairaigo / Words from the Outside 71
Gaman Kurabe / A Test of Wills 73
Gamanzuyoi / Suffering the Unbearable 74
Gengo / Keeping Track of the Years 75
Gijiroku / Keeping Things Flexible 77
Gohjo / Gojoh / Cooperating and Compromising 78
Gotobi / Picking the Best Days 79
Gyaku Yunyu / Reverse Importing 80
Hada ga Au / Our Skins Meet 82
Hagemasu Kai / Encouragement Parties 83
Hajirai / The Shyness Syndrome 84
Hanamochi Naranai / Looking Down on Foreigners 86
Hanamoku / Debauchery on Thursday Nights 87
Hansei / I Won’t Do It Again! 88
Happo Bijin / Keeping Your Slate Clean 90
Hara no Mushi / A Worm Told Me 91
Heso wo Mageru / Bending the Bellybutton 92
Higaisha Ishiki / The Victim Mentality 93
Hinkaku / The Mark of a Gentleman 95
Hiru Andon / No Light in the Eyes 96
Homegoroshi / Praising to Death 97
Hosho / Who is Your Guarantor? 99
Ichigen no Kyaku / Turning a Blind Eye 100
Ihyo wo Tsuku / Springing Surprises 101
Ii Toko Tori / Taking Only the Good 103
Ikki-Nomi / Playing to Your Peers 104
Ippiki Ookami / Japan’s Lone Wolves 105
Ippo Machigau To / One False Step and . . .the Sword! 106
Iroke / The Sensuality of Japanese Women 108
Isshokenmei / Putting One’s Life on the Line 109
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Itadakimasu / Gochisoh Sama
/ Thanks for the Hospitality 110
Itami Wake / Sharing the Pain 111
Iwakan / Allergic to Foreigners 112
Jijo Henko / The Only Constant is Change 114
Jiko ni Naru / Trying to Feel Good 115
Jikoryu / Doing it Your Way 116
Jiyu Gakuen / A New Kind of Freedom 118
Juken Jigoku / Going Through Hell 119
Juku / Yobiko / Knowledge-Cramming Schools 120
Juku Nen / The Prime Years 121
Kakaku Hakai / The Great Price Fall 123
Kakushi Aji / A Secret Ingredient 124
Kamaseru / Sharing the Spoils 125
Kanban / What’s in a Name? 126
Kandan Kai / Let’s Have a Little Chat 128
Kangeiko / Discipline the Japanese Way 129
Kankon Sosai / Doing Things with a Flourish 130
Kansai / Kanto / East and West of the Barrier 132
Kanson Minpi / Bowing Before Officials 133
Kao ga Hiroi / Having a Wide Face 134
Kao wo Dasu / Showing Your True Face 136
Karada de Oboeru / Matter Over Mind 137
Kato Kyoso / Compete or Die 138
Kei-Haku-Tan-Sho / Light, Slim, Short, Small 139
Kejime / Drawing a Line 141
Kenbei / Dislike of America 142
Kenshu / Having Fun at Company Expense 143
Ki / May the Force be with You 144
Kikkake / Seme / Putting on an Act 146
Kikoku Shijo / Strangers in a Strange Land 147
Kikubari / Making Everybody Feel Good 149
Kimochi / Doing Things for Feeling 150
Kinbensei / The Diligence Syndrome 151
Kin’en Ken / Nonsmokers’ Rights 153
Kirei Goto / Making Pretty Talk 154
Kisei Rasshu / The Homeward Rush 155
Ki wo Yurusu / Letting Your Guard Down 156
Kojinmari / As Snug as a Bug in a Rug 157
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Kokorogamae / Attitude is Everything 159
Kokusaika / Becoming Less Japanese 160
Komawari ga Kiku / Bypassing the Bureaucracy 161
Komon / The Indispensable Go-Betweens 163
Komyunikeshon Gyappu
/ The Communication Gap 164
Kondan Kai / Personalizing the Business Process 165
Kone / The Importance of Connections 167
Konran / Keeping Things Under Control 168
Kopi Shokuhin / Imitation Food 169
Korisho / Dealing with Perfection 170
Koshikake / Watching Out for Chairs 171
Kosho / Coming Out Fighting 173
Kuchi-Komi / By Word of Mouth 174
Kuroko / The Men in Black 175
Kuroto / Professionalism in Japan 177
Kuuki / The Japanese Atmosphere 178
Kyoso / The Ultimate Competitors 179
Kyoso to Kyocho / Doing Business with Enemies 181
Kyuyo / Getting Away from it All 182
Mekiki / Made to Please the Eye 183
Memeshii / Who’s a Wimp? 185
Menmoku Maru Tsubure / Losing One’s Face 186
Mikomi Hatchuu / Anticipating Customer Needs 187
Misogi / Wiping the Slate Clean 189
Miuchi / Insider Logic 190
Miyabi / Elegance in Things Japanese 192
Mon / Wearing Company Colors 193
Mono no Dori / Something New in Japan 194
Moretsu Shain / Working with Violence 195
Muda, Mura, Muri / Waste Not, Want Not 197
Naitei / Hitting the Glass Ceiling 198
Nakama / The Personal Relations Room 199
Nigiritsubusu / Crushing People’s Projects 201
Nihonjinron / Psyching Out the Japanese 202
Nihonteki / Being Japanese-Like 203
No Misu / Second Best isn’t Good Enough 205
Noriki / A Japanese Ingredient 206
Nyushashiki / The New Corporate Baptism 207
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Oburoshiki / The Big-Mouth Syndrome 209
Odateru / Applying Soft Soap 210
Odawara Hyojo / A Delaying Tactic 211
Ohigan / Keeping in Tune 213
Omiai / Love Takes a Backseat 214
Omiyage / Creating Obligations 215
Omoiyari / Japanese-Style Sympathy 216
Omote / Ura / Telling the Front from the Back 218
On / On Gaeshi / Covering with Obligation 219
O’tokui San / Mr Honored Customer 220
Otsukare Sama / Above and Beyond the Call 221
Renchishin / Avoiding Shame 223
Ryuko / Fashions and Fads 224
Sabetsu Go / Taboo Language 225
Sabisu / More than Service 226
Saguru / Probing Your Partners 228
Saigai / Land of Disasters 229
Saiku / The Small-is-Cute Syndrome 230
Sakari Ba / The Business of Having Fun 232
Sakura Zensen / The Cherry Blossom Culture 233
Sangyo Supai / Industrial Espionage 234
San Ma no I / The Three Doors to Success 236
Sappari / Sawayaka / That Oh-So-Sexy Feeling 237
Sarakin / The Loan Shark Business 238
Sasen / Moving Down a Step 239
Satori / Seeing the Light 240
Seishun / The Trials of Youth 241
Seiza / Sitting Correctly 243
Seken Shirazu / Babes in the Woods 244
Seken Zure Shita / Too Wise for the World 245
Sensei / Polishing the Apple 247
Setsuyaku / The Saving Syndrome 248
Sha Chiku / A Nation of Corporate Sheep 249
Shakkei / Creating Japaneseness 250
Shibutosa / Fight to the Death 252
Shido / A Word from Big Brother 253
Shikitari / The Herd Instinct 254
Shikomu / The Spiritual Dimension of Work 256
Shimei / Picking Your Bed Partner 257