Just saw the new White Paper -- exceedingly well put, and very much in accordance with my experiences in Japan.
The funny thing is, if one spoke no Japanese whatsoever, or just kindergarten grade Japanese (couple of years of it in College, or the equivalent), the Japanese tend to be very forgiving about your breach of Japanese etiquette. However, as one gains proficiency, the expectation of one’s understanding of etiquette increases exponentially, far faster than almost anyone can be expected to learn it. The truth is, as one becomes effective in comunicating in the Japanese language, the Japanese will begin to assimilate you in their minds and see you as a part of their society. And one might not necessarily enjoy the place the Japanese would assign one in that society. Especially since, by and large, the Japanese society is so much more heirarchical than almost any Western society I have had contact with. For someone who grew up in the States, the very knowledge that he has come to be considered a tiny insignificant part of a huge machine is often unbearable. To know that he is placed very low on the totem pole can also be a source of emotional distress for someone who’s very used to the equal and inalienable rights of every human being as the Western world sees it.
The cyclical nature of culture shock for non-Japanese moving to Japan in Japan is studied by a great many people, with great frequency. It is generally agreed on that it is cyclical. I believe that it is actually activated by the learning curve of the person in question; that is to say, as the person learns more Japanese, they are faced with new things until they cannot catch up with it, and they take some time to adjust to that, continue learning, and the cycle repeats. As one learns more of the language, one not only becomes privy to more of the culture, but is is having culture shoved down his throat by the handful.
To be fully communicative in Japanese but having a temperament that runs counter to, or being ignorant of the etiquette that is expected must be a tremendously painful experience. Personally, I think many of the Japanese expats we see are such people who, if they had to live in Japan, would suffer endlessly. I believe that this concept of escaping the rigidity of Japanese social norms contributes considerably to the Japanese fascination with things non-Japanese.
A Random Comment from June 14, 2002
Just saw the new White Paper -- exceedingly well put, and very much in accordance with my experiences in Japan.
The funny thing is, if one spoke no Japanese whatsoever, or just kindergarten grade Japanese (couple of years of it in College, or the equivalent), the Japanese tend to be very forgiving about your breach of Japanese etiquette. However, as one gains proficiency, the expectation of one’s understanding of etiquette increases exponentially, far faster than almost anyone can be expected to learn it. The truth is, as one becomes effective in comunicating in the Japanese language, the Japanese will begin to assimilate you in their minds and see you as a part of their society. And one might not necessarily enjoy the place the Japanese would assign one in that society. Especially since, by and large, the Japanese society is so much more heirarchical than almost any Western society I have had contact with. For someone who grew up in the States, the very knowledge that he has come to be considered a tiny insignificant part of a huge machine is often unbearable. To know that he is placed very low on the totem pole can also be a source of emotional distress for someone who’s very used to the equal and inalienable rights of every human being as the Western world sees it.
The cyclical nature of culture shock for non-Japanese moving to Japan in Japan is studied by a great many people, with great frequency. It is generally agreed on that it is cyclical. I believe that it is actually activated by the learning curve of the person in question; that is to say, as the person learns more Japanese, they are faced with new things until they cannot catch up with it, and they take some time to adjust to that, continue learning, and the cycle repeats. As one learns more of the language, one not only becomes privy to more of the culture, but is is having culture shoved down his throat by the handful.
To be fully communicative in Japanese but having a temperament that runs counter to, or being ignorant of the etiquette that is expected must be a tremendously painful experience. Personally, I think many of the Japanese expats we see are such people who, if they had to live in Japan, would suffer endlessly. I believe that this concept of escaping the rigidity of Japanese social norms contributes considerably to the Japanese fascination with things non-Japanese.