This is known as peace of mind. ct intro final View All Trips Pour your friend's drink After this long build-up, this is my point: When people live very close to each other, they absolutely have to get along. I always say "" to shop staff after a purchase. Keigo also makes an extra distinction as to who the speaker is talking about; this is the second grammatical distinction of politeness. (dou iu wake de) or (dou iu riyuu de) Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. How to ask 'how' and 'why' in Japanese - Japan Reference 1. Tokyo Office Arisa recently took to Twitter to vent her frustrations, posting a thread that began with this tweet. Then when the waiter comes over they will say to a way to acknowledge your wait for them. Tokyo is just a small slip of land with 9.2 million people living or staying there. This is the style used when speaking to someone significantly higher in rank. One of these cultural norms that youve likely heard of is the senpai/kohai culture. Why do they need to get along with each other? The American will simply say Yes, I am happy. The Japanese, on the other hand, would try to explain the answer based on his or her cultural norms. My layman's theory is, somewhat simplified, the following. Today, we're going to be learning about what makes Japanese people and society so polite! Obviously some people are rude. Japan is no better or worse than many other countries, but just like to play up the "polite status" as somehow representative of society at large - when in reality it's not. Japan scores particularly well in the following areas: One phrase that you will come across quite commonly is Japanese people are so nice and polite.. I wish youd given us more examples. 4.2k Views. Switch to the dark mode that's kinder on your eyes at night time. I totally feel for the cashier, but she has to realize that, when you work with people in either the tourism or generally emporium business, you're bound to have plenty of people that look at you as literally that - the cashier, the receptionist, the waiter, the maiden, and so on. With that, it's time to start learning grammar. Pre-School English Teacher for a new school in Osaka (Visa Support Available), Native (iOS/Android) Mobile Application Lead Engineer JLPT not necessary, Sales Consultant for Real Estate Business (No experience necessary), FT Native English Teacher Kobe & Akashi. In a sense, you can think that in communicating, your goal is to communicate how you relate to one another and while you are working and living in Japan, you learn to communicate your gratitude towards others. Odakyu line station staff are the rudest, most obnoxious people in Japan. Japan, no doubt, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. What is your explanation for this? When you wish to show respect to the person you are speaking to, you will switch into polite speech called teinego or (/ikimasu, /ikimashita, /itteimashita, etc.). Anything I've missed? followed by a "shitsurei shimashita" after the zombie doesn't even nod or anything. 3rd March 2022, 12:34 pm, by However, it is important to note that this is just one survey, and the percentage of happy people in Japan may vary depending on the methodology used and the time period in question. For me politeness should be less about appearances and more about considering the needs and feelings of someone else. Very meticulous the Japanese are, and my mom would later tell her friends how amazed she was by Japanese and how they get things done. But that doesnt give them a free pass to forget the fact that, at the end of the day,they and the person serving them are both really human beings with feelings. I know the majority are quite clean and tidy, but am just saying that there's a myth around that too. I work at the cash register, but you know what? Theres all kinds of rude of course too. Im the main author of Japan Truly. Japan =). Politeness and Formality in Japanese | Japanese Professor So just do your best and be as polite as you can! However, Im not sure I agree that the reason for Japanese peoples politeness is that they are squished together. As time went on, new classes grew powerful in Europe. Language of Deference | Japan Module How To Say Why In Japanese The first three words we will cover can all mean "why; how come; for what reason" but the first two are generally used in casual situations, whereas the third and final one is used in formal situations. anyway, at the end of the day, it doesn,t take much to be kind, to smile and say a simple "thank you". The Importance of Apologies in Japanese Culture - Commisceo Global And perhaps more obviously, there's usually room to make keigo even more excessively polite and move kudaketa speech towards being extremely casual, or just plain rude. Honorific language has a long history imbedded in hierarchal power dynamics, but to help understand the use of honorific language in the modern day, we should first consider differences in underlying mindsets in a conversation between America (and many European cultures) and Japan. In the remainder of this introduction as well as the Beginning Lessons, you'll learn the basics of teineigo, the polite style, and the rest you'll learn over the course of your studies. [emailprotected]. Go check it out if you don't believe me. Agree with NOMURAMAI san. What surprises me most about a country thats so polite on the surface is when I see young salarymen sitting on public transport whilst frail old women are made to stand for long periods of time. What Im trying to say is there are so many ways to be polite, aside from just saying thank you. Living in any large Japanese city is a great way to experience this systemic politeness. Ava Sato Learn how your comment data is processed. Then say you want chopsticks, so you ask them and as they hand you chopsticks, you accidentally drop them and quickly apologize by saying, to acknowledge the inconvenience youve caused them. What makes Japanese different from many other languages is that "politeness" or "formality" is explicitly coded into the grammar. Switch to the light mode that's kinder on your eyes at day time. Next is (kudaketa nihongo), or "casual language", which you can also call "informal". For the record, they're far better than any "educated westerner". When you have so many cultures at once, you must learn to communicate and share our thoughts with one another because of a lack in foundational culture to fall back on. The reason behind why Japanese people are so polite and courteous The results on a thread on Madame Riri asking for the "perfect words to describe Japanese people" were surprisingly positive. Arisas comments resonated with a large number of people in Japan, who supported her tale with comments like: Japanese people are kind to foreigners but strict with Japanese people., Elderly male customers tend to be the worst. These values help us be happy and content with the lives we have instead of wanting something more. When I went through the surveys and reports given in the World Happiness Index, as well as other western-centric surveys, I realized that most of these questions and parameters were designed from only the Western perspective. The threat of being called out by someone stops them dropping the tiniest item in busy city streets, but when they feel sure there's no one around, that's a different story. Anyone who has started studying Japanese or likes to watch a lot of anime has noticed Japanese communication styles are quite different. Ask me if I want a bag. Japanese people are extremely polite; they follow discipline and everything was neat and organised, especially when waiting for the trains or going on the escalators. In return, the CEO would expect absolute loyalty and lifelong hard work. Im American with parents from El Salvador and Guatemala. The psychological phenomenon known as groupthink further contributes to this. Its a problem of the whole country, that it is small. I have heard many people studying Japanese claim honorific speech is too complicated and they will never bother to learn it, but I think this is a bad mindset to have if you wish to live for an extended period of time in a Japanese community. Likewise, if you are worried about how you can communicate or when you should be polite or informal, you can ask your friends and coworkers for their opinion. For example, if you are at a restaurant and want to call a waiter over, youd call out to get the waiters attention. #1. If you visit Japan and live with the locals, you will realize that every single person is extremely dedicated and they have a sense of perseverance. And it's always interesting watching the faces of the other customers. also agree with elderly men being the rudest and most entitled. Elections everywhere -- but I think more so in Japan with so much focus on talento and entertainment-ization of society -- tend to be more about who's more popular, not who has the skills to be an effective leader to address the issues. As a Canadian/Ecuadorian, I was found Japanese in general to be very well mannered. Difference in the Concept of Happiness Between Nationalities. She says its a stressful job, as she has to deal with people being rude to her day in and day out, and to top it all off, theres nothing she can say or do about it, as her role in the customer service industry requires her to be courteous while smiling and bowing politely to them regardless. So how do we make speech more polite, anyway? People are different in different time, different case, different occasion (everything is in a change), but please do not forget, they are all human beings and as such not different. As the traveler goes further on, the stores disappear and instead he finds himself in a small neighborhood. So there you have it! This basically means that as per the survey, the people of Japan are not really happy and content with their life. Then you have what is called sonkeigo or () which is honorific form and kennjougo or () which is humble form. Why are Japanese people so apathetic toward politics? Drive between major towns on a slightly slower route, avoiding expressway tolls, and you will see absolutely huge piles of household trash of all types dumped over the side of guard railings, on embankments below the level of the road. I've had to endure power harassment at the Japanese company I previously worked at, and I've seen Japanese superiors being rude to their subordinates regularly. Best movie scenes. The purpose of the honorific system is a method of communicating to your older friend that you appreciate what they have to offer you. What gets me is sniffly "conbini" clerks wanting to put their hand on mine when I'm receiving the change. Join the leaders of English Education for Children in Japan! Politeness is a given in Japan. So its a type of superficial politeness thats socially constructed to keep the harmony. Do not hand me my goods in the bag first, then attempt to give me change on top of a receipt to move the bills to my wallet and my change to another location while holding the bag of goods. Id still much prefer this superficiality to my home country of Australia where basic manners in everyday situations are often thrown out the window and theres no respect for others at all! I usually do not for single items. (Welcome!) theres a person with feelings. As in every case, there are exceptions to this rule, even in Japan. (dang, I dont mean it to sound so much like a dystopia.) If you make a mistake, it is ok. You are showing respect and gratitude just by trying and that is enough. 5 Reasons Why The Japanese Are So Polite xReasons 16.8K subscribers Subscribe 15K Share 2M views 6 years ago Politeness is a typical characteristic of the Japanese that other people. By Lisa Hong Mar 29, 2015 You are not alone in thinking its confusing, but I will explain more later. Downplaying Your Foreign Language Ability, Groovy Osaka: Tips On Buying Electronics In Japan. Sometimes people are blatantly rude but dont realize it eg: telling foreigners your nose is so big! The story about Japanese being so clean and never dropping trash anywhere in public is completewell, trash, too. In the 1700s and 1800s, the latter classes grew more powerful than the landed gentry and seized political power. This sort of naming confusion is common when trying to translate culture-specific terminology. But many things seem to fall in that grey area, though, where it really depends on the country, person, and situation. . The Japanese find themselves to be very happy because they are supported by their family, friends, and colleagues. Note: I've heard teineigo referred to as "formal" and keigo as "polite", but this is unnecessarily confusing seeing as how we use those words interchangeably otherwise. This lesson is a brief introduction to an important cultural issue that pervades all of Japanese speech: that of politeness and formality. Study Abroad agency hiring for Administration role- apply now! If you are visiting Japan for the first time and you have lost your way, you can simply stop a local person and ask them for their help. (nan no tame ni) 4. Additionally, there are many different factors that can contribute to happiness, so it is difficult to say definitively how happy Japanese people are as a whole. Answer (1 of 6): Chinese culture is quite different from Japanese! This leads to a singular culture that informs the way they communicate and interact with one another. In short, honorific language is the method of showing respect when speaking. There's also a dirty little secret as to why Japanese learners are taught formal language first: its verb conjugation is the easiest.