Recently I've spent some days in Beijing (China) and was completely surprised by the lack of similarities with Japan [i]. Of course I was prepared for the obvious differences but I didn’t expect an almost completely arbitrary social world. I was influenced by a typical misassumption. As soon as my expectancies have been disconfirmed I remembered myself to never underestimate the vast diversity of our world [ii]. People in general are used to stereotyped categorizations like ‘Asians’ and ‘Europeans’. The more you travel through this world the more you will learn about the absurdity of race-classifications.
China is also a more collectivistic society but not at all comparable with the Japanese value-based psychology. As far I as I can tell now, Chinese people are In comparison to Japan more direct and touchy. My unofficial Beijing guide for instance often grabbed my hand in order to show me the right way or not to get lost. On the other hand approximation between two strangers isn’t likely to happen in Japan. As an example for directness I have a little anecdote about the use of chopsticks. I can use the latter pretty well but I have not the right technique. In Japan I have heard several times the phrase “You are so good at using chopsticks”; in China however, the first comment I have witnessed was “You use your chopsticks wrong”.
I guess my surprise was influenced by my life in Japan. I have got really accustomed to the Japanese politeness; hence Chinese directness felt rude in the first place [iii]. Yet both countries are equally hospitable. In the service industries the costumer is king [iv]. Though in Japan this notion is taken as vital. Especially in restaurants I really feel like a king. Still, I merely encountered politeness through rituals, phrases, and undivided attention. After getting used to hearing typical phrases over and over again I couldn’t distinguish between shallow politeness and honest kindness any longer.
China is also a more collectivistic society but not at all comparable with the Japanese value-based psychology. As far I as I can tell now, Chinese people are In comparison to Japan more direct and touchy. My unofficial Beijing guide for instance often grabbed my hand in order to show me the right way or not to get lost. On the other hand approximation between two strangers isn’t likely to happen in Japan. As an example for directness I have a little anecdote about the use of chopsticks. I can use the latter pretty well but I have not the right technique. In Japan I have heard several times the phrase “You are so good at using chopsticks”; in China however, the first comment I have witnessed was “You use your chopsticks wrong”.
I guess my surprise was influenced by my life in Japan. I have got really accustomed to the Japanese politeness; hence Chinese directness felt rude in the first place [iii]. Yet both countries are equally hospitable. In the service industries the costumer is king [iv]. Though in Japan this notion is taken as vital. Especially in restaurants I really feel like a king. Still, I merely encountered politeness through rituals, phrases, and undivided attention. After getting used to hearing typical phrases over and over again I couldn’t distinguish between shallow politeness and honest kindness any longer.
Endnotes:
[i] Maybe my experience is not that authentic because I only have been to Beijing. As most metropolitan cities Beijing has its own culture and lifestyle. I experienced this also in Tokyo. The capital only slightly reflects Japanese society as a whole.
[ii] Not even to mention the many regional differences.
[iii] In Japan people maintain a social face (tatemae) and rather hide their true feelings/opinions (honne) in most public settings. This distinction is not so observable in China.
[iv] I guess that is universal (etic) but how costumers are treated varies culturally (emic). In Japan I even heard the phrase ‘Costumer is the most important thing’. Although I’m not fond of the formulation ‘thing’ I can comprehend it in this context.
[iv] I guess that is universal (etic) but how costumers are treated varies culturally (emic). In Japan I even heard the phrase ‘Costumer is the most important thing’. Although I’m not fond of the formulation ‘thing’ I can comprehend it in this context.
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