Today, you are invited to a brief but intensive talk on Japanese mentality. I intend to dissect this obviously far-reaching subject to suit your need, to sizes you can easily swallow to your own advantage in understanding Japan and mingling with Japanese friends. So, here we go.

We Japanese value modesty above all social virtues. That’s why we tend to speak less, react with reservations, and move about “after you”. We feel it’s vice to insist on your points of view. That’s why Japanese conferences take time to conclude. We feel it’s risky to state your points ahead of others for fear of ending up at the wrong side of the argument. This leads to the sense of embarrassment or face-saving.

Visit the Japanese Diet and hear the way deliberations progresses. All questions are preset; all answers duly prepared. Our parliamentarians only read out questions and answers. Why? Just to save each other’s face.

Face-saving is an art of wisdom in Japanese life. It comes in handy for you in associating with your Japanese contacts.

A few words are due here about that mystic smile of the Japanese. Mona Lisa is not alone in marketing smile. I’ve been long abroad and know how my own countrymen baffle people smiling in un-ordinary way at strange moments. Well, you are lucky ‘cause you are about to learn why.

You see, smile or laughter is a language by itself in Japan, even a gesture of hospitality. Good Heavens, hospitality! But, it is.

The Japanese seem, to you westerners, to laugh at anything and everything, anywhere, anytime, and at a moment’s notice. In fact, when the Japanese can think of nothing better to do, they laugh or giggle. This looks awkward, it sure does. You’ll be interested to know this is our way of tiding over moments of total silence. It’s a well-thought-of piece of language. Never thought of it this way, have you?

That’s not all. Here in my home country, smile is generally a gesture of wordless agreement. When your Japanese partner breaks a mild smile, you can count on him/her being in agreement with you. Well, that goes true in your countries, you might argue.

Argue you may, but things are little different here, mind you. Remember, the Japanese are not as talkative as you are. We(me, excluded) ‘ve been taught to save on our use of words. When we express agreement without stating reasons why, we either smile or nod. So do we, you might say. Sure you do, but not in the way we do, I bet you.

When in full agreement, we nod in succession – twice, thrice in quick succession. That means, right you are, that’s what I meant to say. If you do this with a broad smile, it’s just as good as saying three-minute worth of statement by word.

Now, we turn the page and talk about much-talked-about Japanese style introductions. This should come a fresh surprise to you and come in handy for you while in Japan.

Now, the aim of the normal Japanese-style introductions is to conceal the identity of the parties being introduced as subtlely as possible without hurting anyone’s feelings by revealing their actual name or position. It is most important that you should not pronounce anybody’s name in a way that they other party may be able to catch it. To do so would not only insult your Japanese friends, but also expose you as the “idiot foreigner,” and after your rather complete brainwashing you certainly do patriots to mumble this phrase under their breath. Your initial inability to remember, or to pronounce, Japanese names will be a sound guarantee that you may accomplish this feat without too much effort.

I’ll elaborate on this subject in the next installment.

Bye.