Now, to continue on “face saving “:

This saving of face may be literally translated into simple terms: You must never place the other guy in a position which would put him up for scorn or ridicule with his associates. At all costs even to the point of self sacrifice you must never be a part of a situation that makes anyone look stupid or ridiculous. You will not have to worry too much about your own face as there will usually be someone around to save your face just like you may be saving some one else’s.

This is kind of a “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” way of thinking. The fact that the other chap may be entirely wrong at the time makes absolutely no difference as he will seldom try to save his own face but more-or-less depend on some one like you to save it for him.

While on the subject of “face-saving “, I might as well break you into its relative “wave-making”.

Now, I bet you, this baffles you quite a bit. What makes “face-saving” relative to “wave-making”?

Here’s how.

Very closely connected with the practice of face-saving is the “Don’t Make Waves” policy which must be observed by everyone in Japan. Allow me to stroll extra miles to get to the heart of this practice.

I’m sure you know the islands of Japan are of volcanic origin. As a result, they have a large percentage of mountainous areas as well as a certain percentage of lowlands situated adjacent to the bodies of water that completely surround Japan, which is not much above the sea level. In fact, many people have stated that you have to go up to go to hell from Japan. I am sure they were not referring to the geographical condition alone. Nevertheless, during the typhoon and tidal wave seasons there are many areas which are in great danger and many times complete evacuations must be carried out in order to protect the people in the fishing villages and those who live along the shores of rivers, canals, and oceans.

If you have studied a smattering of geography you will know that islands created by volcanic action often disappear into the ocean as fast as they appeared. I believe this was the fate of the long lost society of Atlantis.

Now, that’s too much of extra miles.

What I’m trying to drive at is: the land is small, space limited and too many social rules to live by – and of course too many faces to save all around.

In such an environment, one must learn to live with as little friction as possible. Uncalled-for frictions only by produce unnecessary heat.

Speaking of heat, image a public bath (Oh, this is another charming feature in Japan I’ll talk about later in the series) with a huge central bath heated at, say, 43 degrees centigrade (hot enough to drive most away). Picture an old man, who happens to love hot bath, already soaking, barely, himself near the tap humming a tune or two. (Near the tap because he wouldn’t let anyone let in cold water to “cool off” the good and hot water). There comes a young bather, another hot-bath maniac, and, noting the old man comfortably soaked in, also barely manages to slip in and soaks himself neck deep. The young man talks to the old man: “Quite a bath, uh?” The old man relies, “Don’t talk. You ‘re making waves”.

Both are taking a test of lifetime battling the unbearable heat.

Making waves amounts to disturbing peace in Japanese life. Just as you save not your own face but others’ and they yours, we are constantly conscious of not making waves lest others, and therefore you yourself, should bear extra heat.

So, there you are. You are half way in your journey to the heart of Japanese life. Another talk on the uniqueness of Japan’s culture awaits in my next installment.

Bye