How many ways can you apologize in Japan? What is appropriate for various situations? Find out more about the delicate matter by watching this video!

MONOCLE magazine covers a Japanese capsule hotel that is elevating the function of this culturally Japanese category of accommodation with a screaming utilitarian and minimalist flare.

1 hour to shower, 7 hours to sleep and 1 hour to rest is the guest philosophy at 9 Hours in Kyoto. Although sleeping and rest seem redundant, there must be a lounge area in which you can de-pod and sit upright. Watch the movie below for a flavor of the hotel.

The interesting question the owner raises is if their concept would work in London or New York. What do you think?

Of course, there are capsule hotels in both of these cities, but how can the idea be more robustly attuned to the tastes and values of hotel-stayers outside Japan? This boils down to an analysis of the gaps between Japanese and Western values.

What would you add or take away from 9 Hours to make the experience more pleasant?

9 Hours does make an effort to provide all the materials one needs to cleanse, shower and rest (toothbrush, pajamas, towels, toiletries, etc.). I think this adds to the credibility of the concept for most cosmopolitan cities.

The elimination of all unnecessary space is probably the most challenging aspect of pod hotels for non-Japanese guests. Of course, this relates to the ratio of physical space to population density, which has played a profound role in shaping Japanese culture. I’m sure that Japanese who visit a typical hotel in the US are bewildered by the “capricious” use of space and furniture.

The sleeping pod is another sacrifice a Western audience may feel is bizarre, especially when hotels often provide single guests with queen and king size mattresses. However, I’d bet most would be surprised by the pod experience and would think about it’s value in a new way after having tried it out. The hotel may be put into a silo, e.g. for quick business trips / stopovers only. It could be a reliable alternative to hostels, too.

Would you try a pod hotel? As a leisure and/or budget traveler? As a business traveler?

Sean

RW3 CultureWizard

The Atlantic published an article questioning a trend in Japan where Prime Ministers decide to resign when their popularity wanes. In contrast to the US, where the President is expected to carry out a full term, the majority of Japanese citizens have come to expect PMs to leave office quickly when they no longer favor them.

According to Japanese cultural norms, individuals are loyal to the will and desire of the group or the whole. Members of a family make sacrifices for the well-being of the family unit, employees work hard to ensure group harmony is maintained and dissenters are quickly weeded out, as the Japanese proverb aptly puts it: “the nail that sticks out gets hammered down”. Does this strong orientation to the group inform to any degree the trend we see with Japanese leaders?

The Atlantic draws a connection between Arab and Japanese cultures to try and figure out how to best explain this trend in Japan when the same values ostensibly characterize Arab cultural values:

So why is Japan different? Why do its top officials — and this trend extends across senior government posts — resign office, seemingly at the drop of a hat? The theories are endless, most of them relying on oft-repeated but simplistic stereotypes about the supposed centrality of honor, saving face, and respect in Japanese culture. But if these traits really are so important to Japanese culture, then the same could be said of Arab culture. But, clearly, Arab political leaders feel no compunction to step down, even if they become so loathed that the country rises up by the millions to demand their exit.

What do you make of this? Arab culture is not similar enough to Japanese culture to make this kind of comparison (read an article I authored in MOBILITY on the topic for more information on Middle Eastern culture). What may look like corruption in the Arab world is not necessarily seen as such by Arab leaders. Fierce authoritarianism and a prideful, paternal culture would better explain the reasons why many Arab leaders refuse to step down. An aversion to change and a low tolerance for risk are also key values that prevent a regular shift of power.

In a general sense, it’s true that Japanese highly value rank in society and recognize the responsibilities of its leaders to conform to the nation’s needs. A loss of face, or a tarnished reputation because of low popularity ratings, would be hard to overcome in Japan, especially when highly visible. What is it about Japan that compels its leaders to so easily step out of office? Are there any Japan experts out there that can provide their insights?

Sean

RW3 CultureWizard

So, have you ever heard this story? Three friends from a tiny hamlet (this story takes place during a time when one still used words like “hamlet”), one tall, one bearded and one bald, set off one day to see a holy man who was visiting a nearby village. Excitedly, the trio of friends walked for several hours, anxious for an opportunity to visit with a living saint who was said to bestow miracles just from being in his presence. Once in the village, they joined a lengthy line heading into a tent where the holy man was receiving seekers. One by one, the line of pilgrims shuffled in to the dimly lit tent and received a personal blessing from the holy man.

The three friends from the village were ecstatic. It’s not everyday that one gets to be in presence of one so wise and holy. For the hours long walk home that afternoon, the three longtime mates could hardly even bring themselves to speak.

Finally, said the tall friend, “Wasn’t that wonderful!? And by heaven, I was surprised by how tall the holy man was.”

“It was wonderful,” answered his bearded friend, “And did you see how long and fine his beard was?”

“I didn’t notice,” replied the final friend in the trio, “I was so surprised to see a bald saint that I don’t recall anything else.”

As the story points out, it’s surprising, yet hardly uncommon, how desire, both conscious and unconscious, shapes our experience. So much so that each of the three friends saw only in the holy man what was most like themselves, but did you know that what we see can even be shaped by our culture?

In a social/cultural experiment CNN covered, the above fish scene was shown to groups of Japanese and Americans. They were given a few seconds to study the photo before it was removed and they were then asked to describe the scene in detail.

What do you think they noticed most?

Well, the Americans, by a large majority, were most aware of the placement of the three large fish, while the Japanese paid far more attention to the overall environment. When asked to reproduce the picture, the Japanese could place the kelp and the small fish, but lost site of the three large fish, while for the Americans, it was just the opposite. How do we learn to recognize our own cultural biases?

Might you have an experience where what you saw was so shaped by your cultural bias that you saw something as tall, bearded and bald, when in actuality it was short, clean-shaven and with a full head of hair?

Adam

RW3 CultureWizard

After a callous remark from Tokyo’s governor, Shintaro Ishihara, we see a growing rift in Japanese cultural values that often does not bubble to the surface until, in this case, a destructive, powerful force of nature incites human nature to rationalize. Ishihara described the earthquake a “divine punishment” and said “We need to use the tsunami to wipe out egoism, which has attached itself like rust to the mentality of the Japanese people over a long period of time.”

The growth of individualism in Japan is something we’ve watched over the past decades, as technology and globalization have irreversibly influenced its youth. Exposure to a world of popular culture, greater opportunities to travel the world and more channels to pursue one’s interests have made the idea of being a unique individual, a hallmark of many Western cultures, a popular one among Japanese.

However, the individualistic tendencies of Japanese youth don’t look similar to what a Westerner is accustomed to seeing. Take cosplay for example, which is a kind of performance art popular in many parts of Japan where people dress in costume and congregate in a designated area of a city. The desire to emulate a fictional character that one connects with on a personal level is similar to the way one might idolize celebrities or other famous individuals, but cosplay is one unique, Japanese manifestation of the value.

Ian Buruma of the Wall Street Journal tells us the far right in Japan claim Japanese youth “have lost the old collective spirit of the obedient, disciplined Japanese, who supposedly always put the interests of the nation before their own.” However, the opposite has been true from what the media has shared about the greater reaction to disaster in Japan: a strongly collective effort to “remain calm and carry on” despite widespread physical and emotional misery.

Furthermore, many of us have noted the stoicism with which the Japanese have responded to the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster. The cerebral if not sublime expressions we see in photos of people in the affected regions tell a unique, cultural story of collective responsibility and attitudes towards expression. The Journal also reflects on this:

Foreign observers have remarked on the discipline and solidarity of Japanese in the face of their current circumstances…It comes from the social conformity that is imposed on all Japanese from an early age, as well as from the duty to take care of one’s own and the fear of causing trouble to strangers. But it is also the result of an awareness, instilled by centuries of living with disasters, that what comes down can be rebuilt.

Many non-Japanese have a hard time interpreting the typically inward expression of emotion, which applies to both positive and negative situations. Many interactions between Japanese are highly intuitive, and feelings are transmitted with only the slightest visible or audible expression. Homogeneous societies such as Japan’s tend to be extremely contextual, as nearly 100% of the population share a common history, lifestyle and upbringing, eliminating the need to communicate in explicit, direct or overt ways (to compare, think about the way one would communicate with a person on the street in New York City).

The Journal continues to trace a path to the root of where many in Japan derive their feelings towards calamitous acts of nature and how to overcome them, two very cultural topics.

The sense of danger from natural calamities has deep roots in Japanese culture. The country’s earliest native religion, Shinto…is composed of rituals to appease the forces of nature, which are held to be divine. Since nature can be angry as well as benevolent, these gods must be kept happy with offerings, ceremonies and sacrifices.

Although many buildings are no longer made of wood (which is too expensive and hard to maintain), Japanese cities still look a little jerry-built, rather like movie sets, as though in anticipation of impermanence…

Impermanence is also a central concept of Buddhism, embodied in the changing of the seasons, which are heavily marked in Japan by festivals and other holidays. A somewhat fatalistic attitude towards nature is embedded in the Japanese psyche.

How does the Japanese mentality relate to the mentality of people living near active volcanoes, for example, or tornado prone areas, where disaster is known to strike without warning?

Is this a chance for Japan to steel itself and emerge as an even stronger nation and economy?

We appreciate your comments and thoughts. Please leave them by clicking on the title of this post and then scrolling to the bottom to leave your thoughts in the comments field.

RW3 CultureWizard

The impossible-to-imagine three-pronged catastrophe hitting Japan right now is almost too much to take in. Yet, we do try to take it in; to make sense of it, and in some ways we share this global disaster on a human level. I lived in Japan; I have always lived in earthquake country and I’ve witnessed powerful quake damage in Los Angeles and San Francisco several times. It is scary as your home moves around you and the ground underneath you has tantrums of varying degrees throughout the days that follow. Add a devastating tsunami and the post traumatic stress of shared recollections of radiation and it really is too much to conceive.

Yet, watching the televised images of Japanese reacting to the disaster reminds me again how different cultures are as they express their grief, fear and trauma. In an unprecedented event, Emperor Akihito gave a televised speech in which he comforted his people and applauded their ability to remain calm and respectful of each other.

We are very interested in hearing your thoughts on what has happened and would especially value any accounts from individuals who have been in Japan or have heard stories from people in Japan. How would you react to the “keep calm and carry on” theme that many officials in Japan have exuded over the past few days? How is the stoic facade the Japanese have maintained connected to Japanese culture?

Click here to read a personal account of what’s happened from an intercultural consultant based in Tokyo, Japan.

Below are links to related articles:
Bangkok Post: “Stoic calm in the face of utter calamity“
Japan Times: A round-up of updates
Washington Post: “Emperor Akihito gives message of comfort in televised address“
Korea Herald: “Former ‘comfort women’ pray for Japan“

The folllowing quote is from this New York Times article on the state of immigration in Japan:

Despite facing an imminent labor shortage as its population ages, Japan has done little to open itself up to immigration. In fact, the government is doing the opposite, actively protecting tiny interest groups, (like) a local nursing association, afraid that an influx of foreign nurses would lower industry salaries.

One of the most interesting things we do at RW3 CultureWizard (in addition to preparing people to perform in global business by familiarizing them with culture and business protocols around the world), is to make people aware of their own personal culture. It’s crucial to know how culture, unconsciously, influences the ways we act, which can cause conflict when interacting with people accustomed to a different set of cultural norms.

In light of cultural awareness, we can readily see how many of the decisions a country or even a corporation makes are often in conflict with their own best interests. As this article illuminates, so often the very things that are a country’s greatest strengths are also a significant liability. While a powerful cultural attachment to hierarchy in addition to family and group well-being might keep Japan’s crime rate, homelessness and drug use low, these cultural beliefs also create an insularity, resistance and resentment towards immigration – even at the expense of its citizens’ well being. As the article points out, this is causing Japan some major concerns as their population ages and the demand for healthcare workers grows exponentially. It’s a labor force that Japan can’t meet internally, yet the country still makes it inordinately difficult for foreign nurses and doctors to practice.

Without getting too political or polemical, can you think of other instances where a particular culture bias led a country or corporation to make a decision that seemed to immediately contradict its own best interest?

Adam

RW3 CultureWizard

The subtitle caught our attention: “In Japan every year, leftovers are roughly the same as the world’s annual total of food aid.”

The Japan Times uncovers a subtle cultural issue that many of us can relate to: the decision to leave or take leftover food home from a restaurant.

Generally, our cultural background informs our philosophy on the matter. In the US, the term “doggy bag” may have been invented out of embarrassment, implying the leftover food was for the pet dog, and not for the person. The manner in which we leave our plates with or without food leads to another discussion over the significance we ascribe to these actions. Watch this classic video, which illustrates how in China, clearing one’s plate indicates one’s hunger, which allows the host to display his or her generosity (for an Anglo-Saxon, it signifies one’s satisfaction with the meal and a hearty aversion to waste).

Returning to Japan, the aptly named Doggy Bag Committee (DBC), a Tokyo-based non-profit organization, is campaigning to reduce the food restaurant-goers waste. DBC asks people to carry plastic, reusable doggy bags (pictured above) and encourages restaurants to allow customers to do so. It’s not clear from the article if eateries provide doggy bags. However, DBC has found that many restaurants are opposed to the use of doggy bags because of a fear that food will go bad and may make customer’s sick, thus hurting the restaurant’s reputation. One mother even tells her children, ” ‘If you are full, you have no choice but to leave the food,’ because most restaurants don’t let us take the leftovers home.”

In terms of embarrassment, would you be uncomfortable asking for a box to take your leftovers with you? Where does embarrassment come from and how does culture play a role?

According to a DBC survey, 90% of respondents were happy to take home leftover food, but how many will actually do so?

How does Japanese culture play a role in the reduction of wasted food through the use of doggy bags?

Sean

RW3 CultureWizard

+ Harmony is a key value in Japanese society. Harmony is the guiding philosophy in family, business and in society as a whole. However, younger generations are shifting to more individualistic norms.

+ The basic precept of harmony is that the individual alone is incomplete and can only be personally fulfilled by being part of a group. Most Japanese believe the needs of the society supersede personal desires.

+ Face is a mark of personal dignity and is used to maintain status with one’s peers. The Japanese avoid engaging in behavior that may cause a loss of face. To do so, do not openly criticize, insult, or put someone on the spot.

+ The Japanese are very conscious of age and status. In general, the elderly are treated with the highest regard.

+ The aesthetics of food, its presentation and eating are as integral to the culture as the Japanese language. More than simply a way to gain sustenance, food is presented and eaten in a stylized, elegant, artistic way, replete with protocol. It is important to understand this protocol in advance of a business lunch or dinner.

+ Japanese businessmen may have difficulty seeing a businesswoman as the final authority. In general, a businesswoman will be more successful if she establishes a relationship and strong credibility by forwarding a brief bio including her academic background, title, and professional accomplishments.

+ Japanese communication is somewhat vague and roundabout, placing emphasis on non-verbal cues and subtle nuances of tone and wording. The Japanese value a well-crafted message that is subtle and polite.

- from RW3 CultureWizard’s™ Country Profiles

rw-3.com

In its efforts to expand globally and compete with brands like H&M, Fast Retailing, owner of Japanese clothing brand Uniqlo, is establishing stronger international roots. Recently, the firm has opened stores in new cities including Paris, Moscow and Shanghai. The intercultural challenges and implications of these moves are plentiful, but the brand has already begun to tackle one obvious issue: in order to appeal to culturally distinct audiences, Uniqlo designers are collaborating with Jil Sander, a German fashion designer. In relation to this collaboration, The Economist writes

it will have to manage a multicultural, multilingual workforce—an area where Japanese firms often trip up. And merchandise will need to be tailored to national tastes, so scale will be harder to achieve.

In addition to the cross-cultural hurdles the project will present, founder Tadashi Yanai

is also unable to delegate, say Fast Retailing executives. He controls all decisions, down to approving samples and colours. Mr Yanai defends his meddling. ‘A good business manager’, he says, must ‘pay attention to the details.’

His behavior has influenced the departure of executives at Fast Retailing, which has made it hard for the company to name a successor, which is traditionally fulfilled through primogeniture. Nevertheless, micromanagement is a trait of hierarchical cultures, and Mr. Yanai’s intensive, “hands-on” approach fits the cultural tendency. Strong hierarchy is an important dimension of Japanese culture, and it is even built into the Japanese language. Modifiers and special words exists to differentiate between people of lower and higher status and age. In fact, according to RW3′s Country Profile on Japan,

these rules are taught at school where children learn to address other students as senior to them or junior to them. The more senior students are spoken to with respect and reverence. This carries into business. If two people from the same school work in the same organization, the more senior person is expected to mentor the more junior.

Do you think Uniqlo’s line of clothing has the potential to be successful around the world? What is your take on Mr. Yanai’s management style?

Sean

RW3 CultureWizard

What is culturally distinctive about Akio Toyoda’s apology to US Congress? Why does he mention himself in relation to the damaged Toyota cars? During his apology, he said, “All the Toyota vehicles bear my name. For me, when the cars are damaged, it is as though I am as well. I, more than anyone, wish for Toyota’s cars to be safe, and for our customers to feel safe when they use our vehicles.”

Read more about Toyoda’s apology.

Grayson

RW3 CultureWizard

In the Wall Street Journal, an article highlights the “secretive” culture of Toyota in relation to a series of recalls.

“Toyota is still very much run by its Japan headquarters, despite being active in the U.S. since 1957. Top leadership doesn’t include U.S. executives. The Toyota officials who run the recall process are in Japan.”

Because of this, Toyota’s US operations have not been able to react swiftly to safety issues that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified.

According to a person familiar with the matter, “what has really happened is a breakdown in communications within Toyota” between its D.C. office and Japan headquarters. “The Washington office didn’t have the information it needed to provide to the government.”

Why is this? While many of the facts are missing, a comment about cultural norms would shed some light on this issue. Communication in Japanese culture is quite indirect, and very hierarchical, which creates an obvious gap in understanding, e.g. when an American team is working remotely with a Japanese team. Certain information may be only for privileged executives, thus leaving a foreign team of less senior individuals out of the loop. Mistakes are viewed in a more negative light by collectivistic or group-oriented cultures, as in Japan, thus people will strive to avoid giving bad news or making direct confrontations to save face and to maintain harmony.

It will be interesting to see where exactly communication broke down for Toyota. Where do you think is may have occurred?

Click here to jump to the article.

Josh

RW-3.com

Although there are many professional Japanese baseball players, Hideki Matsui has certainly made baseball more than just an American sport. One sentence in a recent New York Times article caught our “cultural” eyes:

“In a oft-repeated story, a young Matsui switched to left-handed pitching and hitting so that youths playing against him would have more of a chance.”

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

In any adversarial game, people from individualistic cultures (e.g. Australia or US) would find this confusing. In collectivist or group-oriented cultures, as in Japan, the well-being of the group is highly important. Another related example is in the concept of giving and saving “face,” or the idea that one’s reputation is built upon the actions of the larger group. For Matsui, he was exhibiting his cultural preference to help his peers succeed rather than stand out as an extremely unique and talented player.

Click here to jump to the article.

Valerie

RW-3.com