Job Discussion Forums

Hoser · Joined: 19 Mar 2005 Posts: 694 Location: Toronto, Canada

I'm interested in checking out some books which will help me better understand what makes Japanese people think the way they think. I found a copy of "Japanese Culture and Behaviour" at my school library but most of the essays come from the early 60's with data pulled from the late 50's so it's a little out of date and a little too technical for my tastes. I want to know more about social obligation, gift giving, suicide, group mentality, senpai/kouhai, and all that other crazy stuff. Can anybody give me some good recommendations?

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

What exactly do you want to know about such things? The origins? The older the reference, the better.

markle · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 1316 Location: Out of Japan

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 5:16 pm Post subject:

Re-markle-able comeback! Laughing

NCTBA

fluffyhamster · Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 6:24 pm Post subject:

Not sure if these will throw enough light for you on all that "crazy stuff", but you could do worse than Donald Richie's Japanese Portraits: Pictures of Different People, and how about those "traditional Japan par-excellence" books on martial arts, such as Dave Lowry's Autumn Lightning, or C.W.Nicol's Moving Zen; then there is Masao Miyamoto's Straightjacket Japan. Those, and more, mentioned here:
http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?p=696583#696583

Tim Trowbridge · Joined: 31 Dec 2007 Posts: 15

I think this is the book you're looking for:

http://www.amazon.com/Anatomy-Dependence-Takeo-Doi/dp/4770028008/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233518170&sr=8-1

Suwon23 · Joined: 06 Nov 2008 Posts: 50

[quote="Hoser"]I want to know more about...[/i]

...social obligation, gift giving...
The word for this is giri. From a Western perspective, all you have to remember is to keep your wits about you; keep track of what favors people are doing for you. If someone does something nice for you, and you have no intention of reciprocating, it might make your relationship awkward later, without it being clear why (from a Western point of view).

...suicide...
Not likely to come up. People get on the news for jumping onto railroad tracks, but I doubt you'll ever have to talk someone down from a bridge.

...group mentality...
Karin Muller once asked an American living in Japan about her plan to backpack through the country for a year with hardly any money, to learn the local culture and "become Japanese." He asked her "what do your friends think?" She said that they unanimously thought it was a terrible idea. "Are you doing it anyway?" He asked. "Hell yes" she responded. "You," the man said, "are not Japanese."

...senpai/kouhai...
Relative age is just a more important part of your social role in Japan. In America, it's your gender, race, and class, in that order. Age and place of birth are conspicuously absent. Other societies organize themselves differently.

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 8:16 pm Post subject:

Until folk from overseas understand "Sasuru"...and they never will...as it's never explicitly taught to Japanese themselves, Japanese will always be perceived as "inscrutable". What is it, 17 or 18 ways that Japanese can say "No" without saying "No"? I've been married for 16 years and I still don't fully understand the missus! Embarassed

NCTBA

Never Ceased To Be Amazed

[quote="Suwon23"]

Never Ceased To Be Amazed

[quote="Suwon23"]

fluffyhamster · Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 8:36 pm Post subject:

NCBTA, perhaps you could enlighten us as to what 'sasuru' means (or are you also one of those "folks from overseas who will never understand it"? It's hard to tell exactly where you yourself fit into even your own posts).

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 9:20 pm Post subject:

fluffyhamster · Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 10:54 pm Post subject:

I did a few searches for 'sasuru' online and didn't find anything obviously related to what you seemed to be going on about. I had to resort to paper dictionaries to realize that you probably meant to type 'sassuru' instead (i.e. with sokuon indicating gemination/doubling of the consonant). I guess even with all your qualifications and experience you can't always know exactly what you're talking about, or make irritating (time-consuming, for me) mistakes. Anyway, 'sassuru' or something like it surely isn't a uniquely Japanese phenomenon, but perhaps they are the ones who take it to "extremes" real or imagined.

Hoser · Joined: 19 Mar 2005 Posts: 694 Location: Toronto, Canada

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Actually, Hoser, I would have preferred "other stuff". Yes, you sometimes can't say just anything on forums. Nobody can read your mind, and it's hard to fully understand one's feelings just by what you write.

No harm done, though, in the end. At least this isn't GP or Let's Japan!