2009年2月23日月曜日

What are Japanese people like?








I am Japanese.



I was born in Japan and have been living for 21 years in Japan. But I don't think I understand Japanese people well because I often can't read other's mind and sometimes feel difficult and reluctant to communicate with Japanese. At the same time however, I love Japanese people, and I'm happy being Japanese people.

So, this time, let me write one good point of Japanese people and one Bad point of Japanese people as one of Japanese people.


One of the good points of Japanese people is, I think, to try to assimilate to others. Of course, every Japanese people have different thinking, but when people gather, even if they don't know each other, first thing they do is to make atmosphere peaceful, enjoyable and sociable. To do so, for example, at drinking party, sometimes people work very hard as moriageyaku.


I think, thanks to this custom, people take care of what are other thinking, wants, or how should I behave at this situation. So we can avoid vain fightings.


One of the bad points of Japanese people is "tatemae". I personally really hate tatemae. ( this is my understanding of tatemae; temae is to say some thing safe or noncommittal to varnish over this situation) Japanese people often say tatemae. As the example of tatemae, when you bought new clothes you really like it, and go to class wearing them, I'm sure 99% of Japanese people say "kawaii~~~'' or "niatteru~~". Even if they don't think these clothes good, but they would say so (especially girls!)

I experienced these kind of tatemae a lot, and every time, I got hurt because I know they are saying tatemae, and think if it is tatemae, I don't want to hear any more. I think at this situation, people need honest opinions.



These are my thinking for Japanese people. I am Japanese. So, living in and communicationg with Japanese are very natural thing. If foreigners experience Japan, they may have many different but unteresting opinions!



let me know~!



The drinking party picture came from http://photozou.jp/photo/show/1/10191



The jyosi kousei picture came from http://www.sanspo.com/geino/news/080608/gnj0806080336001-n1.htm



If you go following web site, you can know more about Japanese honnne to tatemae

http://search.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/search/search.php?flg=3&p=%

7 件のコメント:

  1. Where are your own pictures?

    I think rather than trying to generalize about all Japanese people it would be best to focus on specific case studies.

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  2. at least you should be glad that you country isnt bombing other countries with fake products ! our country is constantly bombarded with chinese mobiles which really suck !

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  3. konichiwa,
    watashiwa mutant desu.
    douzoyoroshiku^

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  4. このコメントは投稿者によって削除されました。

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  5. i am still learning about japanese people, i live in tokyo, japan. And i speak japanese well. I am part of the japanese people, too.

    so let me know if you and i can exchange our thought about japan and japanese people to learn more about them better and live here with much better understanding. !! I want to understand japanese people better.

    seacrewsea@gmail.com

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  6. Do you mean when other says "tatemae", it looks like mocking others ?

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  7. There is definitely a place for tatemae. Japanese aren't a straight out people, they don't want to offend anyone, so instead of something like 'oh, did you buy your shoes at the swap meet, or oh that dress makes you look like a cow, or those shorts make your legs look huge, Japanese people will avoid those direct comments and instead say something like, oh, how cute, i wanna pair of those, or those shoes are cool, or whatever. Would you foreigners really say such a direct and sad comment to someone?

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