Friday, August 2, 2013

Japanese people are not shy

One of the typical image of Japanese people is they are shy. I know the reason why are Japanese people seem to be like that. However, it's not true and Japanese people are not shy at all.

As for the reasons why many people think that Japanese people are shy, Japanese people don't express their opinion, they stay in their shell in trains with listening music and operating their mobile phone without communication to others. With these their behavior make foreigner think Japanese people are shy. In addition, there is the opinion that male characters in Japanese manga that are popular in the U.S recently are too much herbivorous and it makes U.S readers annoyed.

Meanwhile, American people say their opinion clearly, because people who don't say their opinion have no talent. Also, people who sit next to me in a bus or an air plane and a cashier at a supermarket chat with me casually.  Of course, American people are also aggressive in romance.

So, why I said that Japanese people are not shy?  To tell the truth, those Japanese behaviors are based on other philosophies, not because of shyness.

As Japanese people may know, there is the culture called "Enryo" ( consideration in English) in Japan and Japanese people tend to decline to express their opinion between others. It's an implicit assumption to decline to express their opinion especially to their bosses and elders. That's why even they don't agree with their boss's opinion, they try not to say anything in their meeting. Unfortunately, these kind of actions make American people think that Japanese people don't have their opinion and they don't say their opinion clearly.

Next, it's also common in Japan, but Japanese people divide people into "Uchi"(inside) and "Soto" (outside) clearly. They become close with their friends and family  members, but they tend to make a wall between others and hide themselves.  So, Japanese people never chat with strangers in a train. Meanwhile, there are some opinions from people who live in Japan for a longtime that "Once you make friend with Japanese people, they are really friendly"

Finally, the culture of Haji(shame) is important factor of Japanese people's behaviors. Japanese people feel shame when they are subjected to ridicule in front of people. I saw some Japanese students in English school who didn't speak, because they are afraid of making mistakes. However, it's not good idea to improve English. In addition, they also feel shame even when they get praised in front of people. By the way, American people don't care about making mistakes, because challenging is much important. Of course, if they get praise, it means being a hero! So, they can't understand why Japanese people feel shame.

With these things "Enryo(consideration)" "Uchi and Soto(Inside /outside)" "Haji(shame)" would make Japanese people's character introverted and modest. Then, many people think that Japanese people are shy and poor at asserting themselves. I think these things are difficult to understand for American people.

personally, I like the American people's open mind character such as chatting with strangers casually, but at the same time, I also like Japanese people's polite and considerations to others. Unfortunately, no one realize about Japanese people's original culture and people think that Japanese people are shy. Japanese government should introduce these kind of Japanese characters.

One good news that I'd like to introduce is one women fell down from a platform and she got stuck between the platform and the train at the station in Tokyo and other passengers corporate by pushing the train to make  space. This news spread all over the world. Yes, Japanese people can act of one mind at a critical moment. As for Japanese people who live in America like me, it would be happy to hear these kind of good Japanese behavior being introduced.

Written in Jul 31



日本人はシャイじゃない

典型的な日本人のイメージとしてシャイというのがあります。そう思われる理由はわかりますが、実際は誤解であり日本人は決してシャイではないと思います。

まずシャイと思われる理由ですが、自分の意見をはっきり言わないとか、電車の中では誰とも喋らず音楽を聴いたり、携帯いじったりして自分の世界に閉じこもっています。このような行動が日本人はシャイだと思われる理由だと思います。これに加えてアメリカで人気の日本のアニメに出てくる男達が草食系(シャイ)過ぎていらいらするといった意見もあります。

ちなみにアメリカでは自分の意見を言わない人は能無しと思われるので、はっきりと自分の意見を述べます。あとバスや飛行機などで隣に座った人やスーパーの店員などいろんな人から気軽に話しかけれます。もちろん恋愛についてもアグレッシブです。

ではなぜ日本人はシャイじゃないと言うのかという事ですが、これらの日本人特有の行動はシャイだからでなく別の価値観で行動しているからなのです。

日本人の方はご存知だと思いますが、日本には遠慮という文化があり他人同士に於いては特に自分の言動を控えます。特に年配の人、上司に対しては遠慮するというのが暗黙のマナーになっています。だから会議などでも上司の意見に反対だとしても遠慮して言わないという行動をとります。それがアメリカ人に取って日本人は自分の意見を持ってないとか意見をはっきり言わないという風に映るのでしょう。

次にこれも日本では常識ですが、日本人は人に対しての区別を無意識にはっきりと分けます。家族や友達には自分をさらけ出して密接な関係になるものの、外の人、いわゆる他人に対しては壁を作って自分を見せる事はありません。なので日本人は電車の中でいきなり他人に話しかけるなんて事はしないのです。一方で、日本に長く住んでいるアメリカ人などに聞くと「一旦友達になれば、日本人はとてもフレンドリーだよ」なんて意見もあるのです。

3つ目はやはり恥という文化でしょう。日本人は人前で嘲られたりすると恥を感じます。日本にいたときに行っていた英会話学校でも間違えるのが恥ずかしいので発言しないという生徒さんをたくさんみました。でもこれでは上達しませんね。あと、それだけでなく人前で褒められたりしても恥ずかしいと思う人種なのです。ちなみにアメリカだと間違えてもチャレンジした事の方が大事ですので恥でも何でもないし、ましては褒められたら,それはヒーローってことですから恥ずかしいなんてあり得ません。

これらの「遠慮」「内と外」「恥」という日本の文化が原因となり、控えめで内向的な性格が形成がされ、結果、自己主張が弱いシャイな日本人というオメージなってしまうのであろう。この感覚が外国人、特にアメリカ人には理解しづらいものなのでしょう。

個人的には他人でもフレンドリーに接してくれるアメリカの文化も好きですが他人を気遣いして遠慮する日本の礼儀正しい文化も大好きです。惜しむべくはこの日本独特の文化が全く伝わっていなくて、ただシャイだからと思われてるところです。もっと日本政府はこの日本人独特の性格的な文化も紹介して欲しい物です。

ただ先日起きた日本の駅でホームと電車に挟まった人を乗客全員で電車を押して救出した事件は日本人のすばらしい文化として世界中で紹介されました。そうなんです、いくら他人であろうといざというときは一致団結して協力して行動出来るのです。アメリカに住んでいてこのような日本人のすばらしい文化が紹介されるのは嬉しい物ですね。