precise, and were taught to children from infancy on. Deviations were not allowed. This homogenization of Japanese behavior had a fundamental impact on their mindset, making everyone extremely conscious of how people behaved, and determining many of the rules of etiquette that developed over the millennia.
The power of the kata in present-day Japan is much less than what it was until the 1970s and 80s, but it remains a force in society in general and especially in the work-place, where corporate cultures prescribe acceptable etiquette. There is no way foreigners can fully understand the Japanese without knowledge of the ongoing role of kata in the culture. [Read more about kata from my book—details on page xxi’s footnote.]
Making Things “Fit” for Japan
日本的 Nihon-teki (nee-hoan-tay-kee)
Japanese things have a distinctive look that clearly identifies them as “Japanese,” and is one of the facets of Japanese culture that is especially attractive—in a very sensual way—to most foreigners, especially Westerners.
This distinguishing element, which derives from the material things are made of and their design, is referred to in Japanese as Nihon-teki. Nihon means “Japan,” and teki means “suitable, fit, compatible, conforming to,” or “similar to.”
The workmanship and the design concepts that make a thing Nihon-teki go back some 1,500 years, and are a reflection of Shinto concepts of beauty and Zen concepts of refined simplicity.
The distinctive nature of things Japanese is so deeply embedded in the mindset of the people that they do not have to strive to create it. It comes naturally to them, without them having to think about it. When it is missing, as it is in most non-Japanese products, they recognize its absence instantly.
This is the reason why many foreign products have not been acceptable in Japan until they were “Japanized.” Foreign businesses proposing to introduce a new product in Japan should first give it the Nihon-teki test, to see if it is suitable, fit, and compatible with Japanese tastes.
All Japanese etiquette must also meet the same test. If it is not instantly recognized as Nihon-teki it smacks of something foreign. A few forms of foreign etiquette, like the hand-shake, have been incorporated into Japan’s culture, but the traditional お辞儀 O’jigi (oh-jee-ghee), or bow, continues to be a vital part of the etiquette of present-day Japanese in many formal situations and when groups or large numbers of people are involved.
The Japanese Do-or-Die Syndrome!
頑張る Gambaru! (gahn-bah-rue)
Gambaru is one of the most commonly used words in the Japanese vocabulary—in business, in sports, in any endeavor that is taxing in the least. It refers to what I call the “Japanese never-give-up never-say-die” syndrome. It means “stand fast, stand firm, hold out, never give up,” and is the term that the Japanese use when encouraging people to do their absolute best in whatever it is they are engaged in or are going to undertake.
The number of daily situations in which gambatte (gahn-bahn-tah) is used as a rallying cry are virtually uncountable. It is called out to people engaged in sports, when a business colleague departs for an overseas assignment, when someone starts a test of any kind, when anybody undertakes anything new, when a baby tries to stand up the first time, and on and on.
The cultural implications of gambatte are deep and abiding, and reflect the built-in drive that the Japanese have to succeed in whatever they set out to do and to do things better than anyone else can. Foreigners should make use of this word whenever an occasion arises because it indicates an intimate knowledge of Japanese culture.
Use of the term is such a spontaneous response that it has become an integral part of the national etiquette.
Japan’s Fabled Night-Time Trades
水商売 Mizu shōbai (mee-zoo shoh-bye)
Mizu shōbai is an old term that refers in particular to Japan’s huge and important night-time entertainment trades made up of hundreds of thousands of bars, cabarets and nightclubs and an impressive number of surviving geisha inns.
Alcoholic drinks have played a vital role in Japanese culture since the dawn of civilization—first used in Shintō rituals aimed at pleasing the various gods. Shrines often had their own fields for growing the rice to be turned into 酒 sake (sah-kay) mash, and as time passed into liquid sake.
From this stage drinking came to be used as a lubricant when socializing and especially to mark special occasions, including new business deals, and to develop and sustain relationships. Drinking then became an integral part of after-hours business (and political) negotiations because the only time it was possible to break the strict formal patterns of behavior that controlled their normal daytime behavior was when they were drinking.
Virtually all foreigners who do business in Japan are entertained in the mizu shōbai, and all should be familiar with its role in business and use it as the Japanese do. It is a vital part of the etiquette of doing business in Japan—and those foreigners who shy away from it because they don’t drink and/or don’t want to spend time in the evenings in bars or other clubs are foregoing one of the main elements in developing and nurturing relationships in Japan.
The role of the mizu shōbai in Japan is not likely to diminish significantly in the foreseeable future. It has thrived since the age of gods (among whom there were a number of famous party-goers!).
Keeping Your “Flattery Filter” Online
胡麻擂り Gomasuri (go-mah-suu-ree)
Japan’s social etiquette has traditionally been based on an extraordinary degree of formality and ritualistic ceremony that permeated the culture from top to bottom, making it essential that individuals spend a great deal of time learning and following the protocol that applied to virtually every aspect of their daily lives, and particularly so in all of their interactions with people of rank and in the need for maintaining harmonious relations with everyone.
This led to the profuse use of what came to be known as gomasuri, which literally means “grinding sesame seeds,” but in its present-day colloquial usage it means “flattery.”
In the old days sesame seeds were ground in earthenware mortars that would cause stray seeds to fly in all directions, clinging to the sides of the bowl “in a cringing way,” reminding the Japanese of the ingratiating behavior they had to assume to stay on the good side of the upper class, particularly arrogant samurai.
The use of flattery became so deeply embedded in the culture that it continues today to be a defining characteristic of the Japanese, especially where foreigners are concerned. They have found Westerners to be especially vulnerable to gomasuri and make great use of it to manipulate them in many ways—some that turn out to be fun and others that turn out to be seriously disadvantageous.
Westerners dealing with the Japanese should therefore have their flattery filter engaged at all times, and not lower their standards, expectations or requirements as a result of being smothered with gomasuri.
For a more detailed discourse on these terms, plus over 200 other key Japanese words, read the author’s book Japan’s Cultural Code Words—233 Key Terms that Explain the Attitudes and Behavior of the Japanese [Tuttle Publishing]. Also, read his book, Kata—The Key to Understanding & Dealing with the Japanese [Tuttle Publishing.]
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