For tourists to foreigners, find out all about the Japanese culture and people. Take it a step farther with the exclusive Gaijin Toolkit which teaches how to NOT feel or act like a tourist while in Japan.
18. Phrases
Otsukarsama desu – You’re probably tired, and I think that’s
great
Yoroshiku onegai shimasu – I hope things go well, (even if
I’m not exactly sure what those things are)
Shikataganai - It can’t be helped.
35. Cause/Effect:
➔Working 6 days a week
consistently and commuting 2
hrs each way to a job
downtown.
◆ Pros
◆ Cons
Japanese
●collectivism
●respect & authority
●nationalism
●buddhist with shinto
●punctuality
●health & success
Japanese Culture and My Experience
Apostolic Christian Churches in Japan
What can you do?
Be engaged with understanding the Apostolic Church apart from American culture. Learn how to pray, to connect over technology, and to encourage them in America.
Why me?
This will be an abridged version to give a tad background:
I took Japanese in Bluffton’s middle and high school. I was able to go to Japan for a couple weeks and meet the people on a Sunday. Their small size in such a Godless place astounded me.
When Cassie Gerber and Bethany Gerber both helped out for a couple months, I learned there was still a need for people. And after the tsunami and earthquake I saw a need that I couldn’t fulfill as a nurse because of legal stipulations, but a relationship need. (When Helping Hurts) talk about the various kinds of poverty. financial poverty vs. poverty of relationship and poverty of self.
I then went to help and encourage the church as opportunity allowed. I’ve visited them four times, usually for a couple months at a time.
127 million people: 0.47% are evangelical christians, 1.6% professed christians total
Suicide is the leading cause of death in people under 30 (1 every 15 minutes)
Japan is the largest unevangelized nation completely open to missionaries.
About every 3 days, you can feel an earthquake in Tokyo.
Currently, about 50,000 people in Japan are over 100 years old.
The average delay for a Japanese train is 18 seconds.
Low birth rate and the ageing population are social and economic concerns.
The political system is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy.
Geisha women
Considered as art people. Only those who spend their lives becoming geisha’s through intense study of the arts: flower arranging, entertaining, music instruments, etc.
Sushi is a common but expensive food.
Ramen in Japan is much more delicious than the American version and is also more inexpensive than sushi.
Welcome to the country where examples of sweet desserts are: soybeans, corn, carrots, tomatoes, sweet potatoes...
Green tea is a staple within the culture and country. At a business meeting at our church lunch, green tea will usually be available. And for special occasions, the traditional matcha ceremony is also well promoted.
Tomato flavored water, what will the Japan think of next?
Sumo is also a professional sport in Japanese culture, like we consider pro basketball or football
Along with its own sumo museum in Tokyo
Apart from the editing, this view is relatively common. Whether a temple, shrine, historical house of a shogun or political leader, this type of architecture is classic in Japan.
Walking through downtown Kyoto
Although this is what samurai are now
Classic view of urban Tokyo at night with Rainbow Bridge
View of urban Tokyo from a boat tour
Aimai - Ambiguity concept
Amae - The concept of Japanese dependency
Shibui/Shibumi (渋味) Beautiful by being understated.
Otsukaresama desu – You’re probably tired, and I think that’s great
Hedataru to Najimu - Japanese personal space
Majime - reliable, responsible, and can simply get things done without causing drama or problems for others
Giri - Social obligations
Chinmoku - the importance of silence in communication
Ozappa-doesn’t really sweat the details, whether for better or worse
Yoroshiku onegai shimasu – I hope things go well, even if I’m not exactly sure what those things are
Wabi Sabi - the art of imperfection
Shikataganai - It can’t be helped.
Manga and Anime are considered art form and have created a craze over much of the world as well. Manga is comic book form whereas Anime is video form. Both are genres and need to be treated with caution. Many of them are harmless whereas sections of them are horribly violent or pornographic and offered in the same section of the library or bookstore.
A maid cafe, just like many other themed cafes where guys (and girls) can get treated like Kings and Queens by cute girls. It could probably be considered like a Hooters without the sports and with a spoiling mentality from the waitress.
Buddhism:
Charms, fortune telling, games, etc.
The red bibbed buddha statues are erected for “those who have left too early”, usually used for young kids, miscarriages, etc.
The royal family, Emperor, Empress and their children
Japanese like to make everything “cute”. And fruit is something considered as an expensive specialty.
For example, this mango is about $50. Look at all that packaging!
Goat cafes are one of the many animal cafes, appealing to the younger as a novelty. The Japanese younger people are often intrigued by novelty and animal themed cafes have begun with dogs and cats and slowly moved into the stranger animals: goats, owls, reptiles, etc.
Video clip from the dog cafe. Drinks are actually offered but you can help yourself to a glass of water.
Has anyone seen this kind of sign in the airport or anywhere else? Japanese toilets look usually like a porcelain hole in the floor. So for many that haven’t travelled or for the older population, they see American toilets as an elevated whole in the ground and take their typical stance for stooling procedures.
It makes sense to them.
Monkeys are frequently found throughout Japan. They have started created monkey parks. But in rural housing areas, they are often considered pests for gardens and require ceilings of nets over your precious vegetables and fruits.
Japan knows how to enjoy the outdoors and how to create relaxing ambience. Foot baths are just one example!
A video for what many people only hear about on a friday night in downtown tokyo.
A video of the packed trains, me included!
Children are encouraged at a young age to understand and use the train/bus system with ease. Tell story of the little girl in Shinjuku with her umbrella.
Individualism vs. collectivism
One of the striking features of American culture is the focus on independence and individualism. Family ties, while still present and maintained, are not as strong as in Japan. An average American kid is independent when he turns 18, but the same is not true in Japan: there is a lot more interdependence in the family unit. Elder relatives and family members tend to live in the same house or close by; family ties are maintained in a tight-knit manner. There is a social understanding that the kids will care for the elders as the elders cared for the kids, instead of relying on pensions or individual savings upon retirement.
Respect and authority
One of the core tenets of American culture is freedom of speech and the basic right to question authority. Japanese question, in comparison, is a lot more hierarchical. Elders command respect and their wisdom in the family or community is highly valued. Direct eye contact when speaking to someone who is elder or who has greater authority is frowned upon. When greeting one another, Japanese people will bow while saying “konichiwa”. The bow is a sign of respect and is common between strangers.
The role of nationalism
Japanese people are very nationalistic, but they tend not to be as political as Americans. The average American is very sensitive to hot button issues and attuned to partisan politics. The Japanese do however, maintain a lot of pride in their peaceful, post-imperialist culture. A majority of citizens currently oppose Shinzo Abe’s push to revitalize Japan’s military, which has largely been limited to a defensive capacity since its defeat in World War II.
Discipline and punctuality
The Japanese work ethic is absolutely remarkable. The vast majority of citizens are hard-working, driven, and highly punctual. In my ten years in Japan, I rarely saw a train arriving later than it was scheduled. When the triple disaster rocked Japan, you did not see looting and chaos in the streets-people lined up patiently to receive their food supplies and helped each other wherever possible.
Many Japanese are shinto when they are born, christian when they are married, and buddhist when they die.
High pressure to be physically healthy (noticeably) and successful. Although Japan has among the highest rates of anorexia.
What are the church people doing? What kinds of outreaches are there?
On Thursday we talked about how Jesus fed the 5000 with loaves and fishes. Anna creatively thought about using freeze dried fishes with peanuts as our snack! The fishes were eaten before the nuts.
The Christian message should be a force for the edification of any culture. It must challenge and redefine its social context and call for a change in the hearts and minds of people, for conversion and radical transformation, both individual and collective.
M.A.C. Warren quote...page 228,
...we remember that God has not left himself without witness in any nation at any time. When we approach the man of another faith than our own it will be in a spirit of expectancy to find how God has been speaking to him and what new understandings of the grace and love of God we may ourselves discover in this encounter. Our first task in approaching other people, another culture, another religion, is to take off our shoes, for the place we are approaching is holy. Else we may find ourselves treading on men’s dreams. More serious still, we may forget that God was here before our arrival.
