Do cultural characteristics follow the Japanese?

[yukio_michael]

This seems like an obvious question, we know that cultural charactersitcs do follow Japanese who live outside of Japan. When visiting Japanese friends outside of Japan, lets say they live outside of Asia, its commn to take off your shoes at their homes, equally common to abide by or take heed of other characteristics of Japanese.

At a language meeting once, someone handed me a business card, it was hand printed with a stick tape correction on it. Someone else regarded that we should all treat such meishi special, and with respect... ignoring the fact that the person handing out the meishi was neither Japanese, nor did they have the same respect in its design (something quite important for meishi), or distribution. My thought was, why? This observance is completely out of context, out of cultural boundaries, and unwarented.

It seems like when Japanese visit a western country, people go out of their way to observe the visiting Japanese traditions, to their abilities.

Westerners who visit Japan are simply expected to be culturally ignorant of Japanese traditions. Though we should think that, with a little open dialogue, something like onsen would be understood by foreigners, but I don't expect education of foreigners on Japanese cultural traditions is high on the list of the nation's priorities.

Of course, my experiences are with Japanese who have moved from Japan, not second generation--- still, for whatever reason, there is no impetus for Japanese to adhere to any specific cultural tradition outside of Japan, despite the antithesis of this for foreigners in Japan.

What are your feelings on this, do you agree that this is a common occurance?

I think those who may agree, might state--- Oh well, we don't have any traditions (I don't agree on this---), none at least that are so tied to politeness as the Japanese do, so it's impossible for them to follow anything similar. Still, why must we indulge an imported level of politeness?

[gaijinalways]

Interesting question, and one you have somewhat answered already. A lot of people when they emigrate to a new counry adopt some of the new customs but not all of their new host country's. Often newer immigrants retain some of their original cusoms through language, eating habits, etc.

Many countries' residents are more relaxed about certain customs than the Japanese are, but then again, some countries are more particular with religious customs affecting what you can eat, who you can speak to, etc..


So, whether one tries to meet another culture's half way (customwise) or adopt their own personal customs is up to the individual.

[misa.j]

I think a lot of Japanese who live outside Japan as a permanent resident try to adopt their lifestyle to where they are accordingly. Some changes are made simply just as evolution without the person's intention.

The culture they grew up in gets diluted as they live outside of it for a while, especially insignificant habits such as showing a respect for a business card or bowing while talking on the phone become eliminated.

I can see how the Japanese, who are overseas temporarily for a business trip with their entire family and their interactions with the locals are limited, stick with their ways about small things because it's their comfort zone.

[ArmandV]

I think it is natural that people still adhere to their homeland customs where they are. I've known a lot of Japanese-Americans whose parents or grandparents came from Japan and raised their kids in the "Japanese way." It seems likely that a lot of old customs would be taught to subsequent generations. Since I've worked for and with Japanese-Americans, I've gotten used to a lot of their ways. So it was easy for me to feel comfortable while in Japan as I saw very little difference between them.

[yukio_michael]

I think another interesting aspect is especially non-Japanese who follow certain Japanese traditions (for example, the meishi incident above), or taking off shoes inside the house--- When I lived in Japan we had no table persay, just a kotatsu table, ---so we sat on sabuton, and generally lived, slept, ate on the floor...

Out of context, taking your shoes off seems to make sense, you're not tracking in any dirt from outside--- but still, non Japanese practitioners conciously adhering to Japanese tradition out of context gives it a bit of an affected twee feeling.

Thanks for all your comments on what was arguably a little scatterbrained 'off-point' topic. ;)