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Japanese Mind: Understanding Contemporary Japanese Culture
By Roger J. Davies and Osamu Ikeno
5/5 (4 ratings)
317 pages
8 hours
Contents
Davies RJ & Ikeno O (eds.) (2002) (08:48) Japanese Mind, The - Understanding Contemporary Japanese Culture
Japanese Chronology
Introduction
Acknowledgments
01. Aimai : Ambiguity and the Japanese
• The Origins of Aimai
• Examples of Ambiguity
• The Cross-Cultural Effects of Ambiguity
• Discussion Activities
• • Exploring Japanese Culture
• • Exploring Cross-Cultural Issues
02. Amae : The Concept of Japanese Dependence
• Discussion Activities
• • Exploring Japanese Culture
• • Exploring Cross-Cultural Issues
03. Amakudari : Descent from Heaven
• The Alliance between Government and Big Business
• Amakudari in Two Ministries
• Scandals: The Jūsen Debacle and Zenekon
• Repercussions for Japanese Society
• Solutions to the Problem
• Discussion Activities
• • Exploring Japanese Culture
• • Exploring Cross-Cultural Issues
04. Bigaku : The Japanese Sense of Beauty
• Discussion Activities
• • Exploring Japanese Culture
• • Exploring Cross-Cultural Issues
05. Bushidō : The Way of the Warrior
• The Origins of Bushidō: Zen Buddhism
• The Origins of Bushidō: Confucianism
• Loyalty
• Honor
• After the Collapse of the Samurai Class
• Bushidō in Modern Times
• Discussion Activities
• • Exploring Japanese Culture
• • Exploring Cross-Cultural Issues
06. Chinmoku : Silence in Japanese Communication
• The Underlying Causes of Chinmoku
• The Function of Chinmoku
• The Role of Chinmoku on Cross-Cultural Misunderstandings
• Discussion Activities
• • Exploring Japanese Culture
• • Exploring Cross-Cultural Issues
07. Danjyo Kankei : Male and Female Relationships in Japan
• Historical Perspectives
• Japanese Expressions
• The Changing Consciousness of Men and Women in Relationships
• Husband and Wife Relationships in Japan
• Conclusions
• Discussion Activities
• • Exploring Japanese Culture
• • Exploring Cross-Cultural Issues
08. The Dō Spirit of Japan
• The Origins of the Spirit of Dō: Taoism
• The Origins of the Spirit of Dō: Zen Buddhism
• Characteristics of the Traditional Japanese Arts
• Problems with the Spirit of Dō
• Discussion Activities
• • Exploring Japanese Culture
• • Exploring Cross-Cultural Issues
09. Gambari : Japanese Patience and Determination
• The Background of Gambari
• The Meaning of Gambari
• Different Ways of Thinking
• The Deeper Causes of Gambari
• Problems with Gambari
• Changing Attitudes toward Gambari
• Discussion Activities
• • Exploring Japanese Culture
• • Exploring Cross-Cultural Issues
10. Giri : Japanese Social Obligations
• Discussion Activities
• • Exploring Japanese Culture
• • Exploring Cross-Cultural Issues
11. Haragei : An Implicit Way of Communicating in Japan
• Discussion Activities
• • Exploring Japanese Culture
• • Exploring Cross-Cultural Issues
12. Hedataru to Najimu : Japanese Personal Space
• Discussion Activities
• • Exploring Japanese Culture
• • Exploring Cross-Cultural Issues
13. Honne to Tatemae : Private vs. Public Stance in Japan
• Discussion Activities
• • Exploring Japanese Culture
• • Exploring Cross-Cultural Issues
14. The Japanese Ie System
• The Foundations of Ie
• The System of Ie
• Ie and Class System
• Ie in Family Law
• Conclusion
15. Iitoko-Dori : Adopting Elements of Foreign Culture
• The Process of Iitoko-Dori
• The Consequences of Iitoko-Dori
• Conclusion
• Discussion Activities
• • Exploring Japanese Culture
• • Exploring Cross-Cultural Issues
16. Ikuji : Childrearing Practices in Japan
• Discussion Activities
• • Exploring Japanese Culture
• • Exploring Cross-Cultural Issues
17. Kenkyo : The Japanese Virtue of Modesty
• The Vertical Society
• The Function of Keigo
• The Expression of Humility
• Self-Effacement
• Conclusion
• Discussion Activities
• • Exploring Japanese Culture
• • Exploring Cross-Cultural Issues
18. Kisetsu : The Japanese Sense of the Seasons
• Lifestyles
• Annual Events
• Literature
• Conclusion
• Discussion Activities
• • Exploring Japanese Culture
• • Exploring Cross-Cultural Issues
19. Nemawashi : Laying the Groundwork in Japan
• Discussion Activities
• • Exploring Japanese Culture
• • Exploring Cross-Cultural Issues
20. Omiai : Arranged Marriage in Japan
• Discussion Activities
• • Exploring Japanese Culture
• • Exploring Cross-Cultural Issues
21. Otogibanashi : Folktales of Japan
• The Japanese Sense of Beauty
• The Concept of Nature
• The Ideal of Perfect Human Beings
• Conclusion
• Discussion Activities
• • Exploring Japanese Culture
• • Exploring Cross-Cultural Issues
22. Ryōsaikenbo—“Good Wives and Wise Mothers”: The Social Expectations of Women in Japan
• Historical Background
• Children's Socialization
• Woman's Magazines as Conveyors of Sex Roles
• Conclusions
• Discussion Activities
• • Exploring Japanese Culture
• • Exploring Cross-Cultural Issues
23. Sempai-Kōhai : Seniority Rules in Japanese Relations
• The History of Sempai-Kōhai
• Sempai-Kōhai and the Japanese Language
• The Current Style of Sempai-Kōhai
• Problems in Sempai-Kōhai System
• Discussion Activities
• • Exploring Japanese Culture
• • Exploring Cross-Cultural Issues
24. Shūdan Ishiki : Japanese Group Consciousness
• Discussion Activities
• • Exploring Japanese Culture
• • Exploring Cross-Cultural Issues
25. Sōshiki : Japanese Funerals
• Shinto
• Buddhism
• Modern Customs during the Funeral
• • Deciding on the Date of the Funeral
• • Matsugo no Mizu to Yukan: The Water of the Time of Death and Cleaning the Deceased
• • Kyōkatabira to Shini Geshō: Clothes and Makeup for the Deceased
• • Laying out the Dead Person
• • Sakasa Goto: Upside-down Things
• • Makura Kazari: Pillowside Decoration
• • Kaimyō: A Posthumous Name
• • Hitsugi: The Coffin
• • Tsuya: The Wake
• • Sōshiki: The Funeral
• • Sōretsu : The Funeral Procession
• • Kasō: Cremation
• Modern Customs after the Funeral
• • Shijūku Nichi Hōyū: A Buddhist Memorial Service Taking Place Forty-Nine Days After Death
• • Butsudan: The Family Buddhist Altar
• • Haka: The Grave
• • Kamidana Fūji: Closing the Household Shinto Altar
• • Kōden Gaeshi: Presents in Return for a Monetary Offering
• • Fuku Mo: Mourning
• • Nenki Hōyō: The Buddhist Memorial Services on the Anniversaries of Death
• • O-Bon: The Bon Festival
• • O-Higan: The Equinoctial Week
• Conclusion
• Notes
• Discussion Activities
• • Exploring Japanese Culture
• • Exploring Cross-Cultural Issues
26. Uchi to Soto : Dual Meanings in Japanese Human Relations
• Discussion Activities
• • Exploring Japanese Culture
• • Exploring Cross-Cultural Issues
27. Wabi-Sabi : Simplicity and Elegance as Japanese Ideals of Beauty
• The Etymology of Wabi-Sabi
• Zen Buddhism and the Development of Wabi-Sabi
• Wabi-Sabi in the Traditional Arts
• Wabi-Sabi in Modern Japan
• Notes
• Discussion Activities
• • Exploring Japanese Culture
• • Exploring Cross-Cultural Issues
28. Zōtō : The Japanese Custom of Gift Giving
• Seasonal Gifts
• Ceremonial Gifts
• Gifts for Other Occasions
• Continuity and Reciprocity
• Something for Daily Use—Practicality
• A Comparison with the West
• Discussion Activities
• • Exploring Japanese Culture
• • Exploring Cross-Cultural Issues
References
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Description
In The Japanese Mind, Roger Davies offers Westerners an invaluable key to the unique aspects of Japanese culture.
Readers of this book will gain a clear understanding of what makes the Japanese, and their society, tick. Among the topics explored: aimai (ambiguity), amae (dependence upon others' benevolence), amakudari (the nation's descent from heaven), chinmoku (silence in communication), gambari (perseverance), giri (social obligation), haragei (literally, "belly art"; implicit, unspoken communication), kenkyo (the appearance of modesty), sempai-kohai (seniority), wabi-sabi (simplicity and elegance), and zoto (gift giving), as well as discussions of child-rearing, personal space, and the roles of women in Japanese society. It includes discussion topics and questions after each chapter.
All in all, this book is an easy-to-use introduction to the distinguishing characteristics of Japanese society; an invaluable resource for anyone--business people, travelers, or students--perfect for course adoption, but also for anyone interested in Japanese culture.
Next in this series:
Now available separately,
Japanese Culture: The Religious and Philosophical Foundations
is a fascinating journey through Japan's rich cultural history.
Business
Asia
Ethnic Studies
Anthropology
Asia
Ethnic Studies
Anthropology
The Japanese Mind: Understanding Contemporary Japanese Culture
by Roger J. Davies (Editor), Osamu Ikeno (Editor)
3.73 · Rating details · 1,291 ratings · 105 reviews
In The Japanese Mind, Roger Davies offers Westerners an invaluable key to the unique aspects of Japanese culture. Readers of this book will gain a clear understanding of what really makes the Japanese, and their society, tick. Among the topics explored: aimai (ambiguity), amae (dependence upon others' benevolence), amakudari (the nation's descent from heaven), chinmoku (silence in communication), gambari (perseverence), giri (social obligation), haragei (literally, "belly art"; implicit, unspoken communication), kenkyo (the appearance of modesty), sempai-kohai (seniority), wabi-sabi (simplicity and elegance), and zoto (gift giving), as well as discussions of childrearing, personal space, and the roles of women in Japanese society. Includes discussion topics and questions after each chapter. (less)
Average rating3.73 · Rating details · 1,291 ratings · 105 reviews
Victor Finn
Oct 12, 2017Victor Finn rated it it was ok
This was a nice little introductory book to the functions of Japanese society. The questions formulated at the end of each chapter are particularly good for sparking interesting thoughts and conversations.
However, I had a few problems with it. The author projects the moral biases of the liberal west onto Japan and constantly criticizes them for not being egalitarian and globalized enough. I think the authors should have thought about these criticisms more critically and evaluated the hierarchical nature of Japanese society better. But then again, I guess the work of evaluating whether an idea is right or wrong is not the objective of a cultural anthropologist, but rather of a philosopher. So what I'm really saying is that the author should have just stayed within his bounds. Instead of criticizing 4,000+ year old Japanese social norms according to the standards of egalitarian social norms (which are maybe a few hundred years old, at best), he should just keep trying to describe Japan neutrally and objectively. (less)
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Louise
Jul 21, 2019Louise rated it really liked it
Shelves: japan
This collection of 28 essays can serve as a text in cross-cultural communication. The writers are senior seminar students at Ehime University in Matsuyama, Japan in a cross-cultural class.
Each essay covers a different theme and is named by the Japanese word for the custom or cultural value. The word is explained with context and examples; Research is cited. All essays are followed by discussion questions. Some essays have case studies and some present topics for further exploration.
Harmony is shown to be an important value in Japanese life. It infuses almost all of the customs in these essays from the value of silence to seniority in personal and business relationships. Some of the essays define communication and customs that are universal, such as gift giving, showing how they play out in Japan. The longest chapter is on funerary customs which is very detailed (as are the customs themselves). Most of the essays speak to a diminished standing of the custom in modern Japan.
As with any collection of essays some are of more interest than others. I found the essays on Aimai (ambiguity) and Amae (dependence) most helpful. The description of Wabi-Sabi was very good for helping to understand the simplicity and elegance in Japanese art.
While this book is of interest to those who travel to Japan or work with Japanese people, its better use is as a text for cross-cultural studies. (less)
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Sara
Jul 03, 2019Sara rated it liked it
While somewhat dry and academic I found all of these essays quite enjoyable, especially as an accompaniment / insight to all the Japanese literature I've been reading lately. It says in the introduction that this collection was developed for two audiences: university students participating in Japanese studies programs and Japanese students of English who wish to explain and discuss their culture - but I assure you it applies to more / anyone with a deeper than surface level interest in Japan.
My favorite was definitely the essay on Wabi-Sabi and I promise you'll start seeing this everywhere soon enough. This aesthetic is going to be the new hygge of interior design.
And to counter all the reviews that claim that these essays are some crusty old white man's interpretation of Japan - the intro also says that all the essays were written by Japanese students studying in the English department at the Ehime University: "all of the student-authors who contributed to this book were enrolled in programs in cross-cultural communication and/or English second language education, and the readings are the result of a multiyear writing program that culminated in a senior seminar in cross-cultural communication, where these essays were written." (less)
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Rebecca
Mar 24, 2014Rebecca added it
Shelves: social-studies-and-history, japan
This book is actually impossible to rate - it is a set of essays on different Japanese expressions and key-words. First of all, it is impossible to be equally interested in all of them, but that is not the main issue. The issue is that the quality is very, very uneven. Some of the essays reads as something a bored student has handed in, written the night before without any afterthought at all. And some of them are really great (I would especially like to mention the chapters Gambari, Hedataru no Najimu, Chinmoku and Soushiki).
So if you are interested in social studies focused on Japan it is well worth picking up - but you might want to skip some of the chapters. (less)
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Tara
Jan 30, 2016Tara rated it liked it
I picked this up out of curiosity after seeing it in a pile of books at a friends house. I suppose I could have done a little more research into similar books on the market as in the end I'm not quite the target audience of the book. It has several very short chapters on different topics that do provide interesting insights but I think 50% of the book is discussion topics and without anyone to discuss with I felt it fall a bit flat based on my own isolated knowledge, since the discussions were where the essay information would have really come alive.
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Kat
May 06, 2018Kat rated it really liked it
Read this while in Japan, and it was illuminating. American and Japanese culture are extremely different, so having aspects of Japanese worldview explained felt necessary. As a Korean-American, I found aspects of Japanese culture that resonated with my parents' and grandparents' ways and worldviews as well.
If I were Japanese, I'd probably raise more of an eyebrow, but on the whole I found this hugely helpful in understanding the culture. I recommend reading it before, during, or after a trip to Japan. (less)
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Kaori
Jun 30, 2021Kaori rated it it was ok
Sometimes repetitive, lack of information.
I was expecting more. Good introduction to Japanese culture but the people who want to dig more into the culture and history this is not for you.
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Rebecca
Sep 19, 2021Rebecca rated it liked it
I think this book is a wonderful introduction into Japanese culture, religious beliefs and philosophies, but I was looking for a book with more depth on the subject. You only really get snippets of these major topics, which is great for people first reading about Japan and it’s culture, but not the deep dive I was looking for. I was hoping (since the title mentioned contemporary) that we would get more of the practices in Japanese daily life, like house altars, Kamidana, Obon, memorial observances of death, ie the everyday customs. Unfortunately it’s really only briefly touched on in the last chapter, and more in the broad strokes of Japanese culture rather than nuanced details. (less)
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Chant
Dec 15, 2017Chant rated it it was ok
Maybe I have read too many journals on East Asian culture because this felt extremely disappointing which is a shame. Ironically the place it was written (students) is not that far away (Matsuyama) from where I live (Takamatsu).
The majority of the book is split into various topics of modern Japan that gloss over finer points and for the most point give such a superficial description of Japanese culture it leaves the reader wanting more.
I have issue with Tuttle books in general because I know that it’s geared towards the general public but a lot of it presupposes that you have absolutely zero knowledge of Japan and for me that is extremely frustrating. (less)
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Laura Tomas Avellana
Jun 06, 2018Laura Tomas Avellana rated it really liked it
Good introduction to Japanese culture and society.
flag2 likes · Like · comment · see review
Teo 2050
Nov 11, 2020Teo 2050 rated it liked it
Shelves: values-motivation, _audio, _contents, y20q4, _nonfiction, rated-3, y20, anthropology
2020.11.08–2020.11.11
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Anna Provost
Jul 20, 2021Anna Provost rated it really liked it · review of another edition
very interesting
Highly recommend for any westerners living / working in Japan. gives a great overview of some of the cultural oddities and intricacies that you may notice along the way, but never understood.
Thank you for opening my eyes to some of these interesting points :)
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