What is Honne in Japanese culture?

 

In Japanese culture the interplay of a number of themes are important to understand in verbal communication styles and relationships.

Honne

This is seen to describe the individuals real self or natural self or what one feels in reality.

Tatemae

To follow and behaviour in an outward way toward a standard or rule, 

for example: being polite in society.

This can therefore be described as surface behaviour.

In summary, what a person might say and do at work versus at home maybe very different.

Overall, Japanese culture is tatemae oriented and foreigners must learn to tell the differences between the two concepts as a way to better communicate and build relationships

Source: Deciphering the Japanese Cultural Code,

International Marketing Review, Autumn 1986

#japanesecustomer #japan #culture #group #behaviour #rules #honne #tatemae #communication #relationships

"Japanese are "group-centric" their groups exclude everyone, including other Japanese from the in-group" (Nakane, 1972)

"Japanese are "group-centric" 

their groups exclude everyone, 

including other Japanese

from the in-group. 

This means establishing trust 

by consistently reciprocating

 favours (giri-ninjogiri-ninjo)" (Nakane, 1972)

Source: Deciphering the Japanese Cultural Code, 

International Marketing Review, Autumn 1986

#japanesecustomer #japan #culture #group #behaviour #rules

Japanese Saying #2

Picnic at Fireworks event in summer

Japanese Saying

前 お 見ながら 足元 わせれず




Mae o minagara ashimoto waserezu





"While looking ahead, don't forget your feet"

#japanesecustomer #japan #japanese #saying #culture #phrase #lifestyle #knowledge 

What are the ten best Japan souvenirs?

 

The top ten Japan souvenirs below!

1. Yatsuhashi

"Raw, unbaked Nama yatsuhashi (生八ツ橋) has a soft, mochi-like texture and is often eaten wrapped around red bean paste (餡, an). The unbaked yatsuhashi (Nama yatsuhashi) is cut into a square shape after being rolled very thin, and folded in half diagonally to make a triangle shape, with the red bean paste inside. Unbaked yatsuhashi may also come in a variety of different flavours.^[3] Popular flavours include cinnamon and matcha. Yatsutashi is also rolled into a rectangular shape and steamed. "

Source: Wikipedia

2. Toe socks

"Toe socks (also known as fingersocks, glove socks, 5-toe socks or digital socks) are socks that have been knitted so that each toe is individually encased the same way as fingers within a glove."

Source: Wikipedia

3. Daruma

"When purchased, the figure's eyes are both blank white. The owner selects a goal or wish and paints in the left eye of the figure's two eyes with Chinese or Japanese ink. Once the goal is achieved, the right eye is filled in."

Source: Wikipedia

4. Ground Black sesame

"Japan is the world's largest sesame importer. Sesame oil, particularly from roasted seed, is an important component of Japanese cooking and traditionally the principal use of the seed."

Source: Wikipedia

5. Japanese Style Keema Curry

"A popular variation of this dish is aloo keema (potatoes and minced meat).^[2] It is commonly cooked in North Indian and Pakistani households"

Source: Wikipedia

6. Ito En Green Tea

"Japanese green teas have a thin, needle-like shape and a rich, dark green colour. Unlike Chinese teas, most Japanese teas are produced by steaming rather than pan-firing. This produces their characteristic colour, and creates a sweeter, more grassy flavour."

Source: Wikipedia

7. Royal Milk Tea

"Royal Milk Tea is the nation’s favourite. It is a white tea with much more milk than usual which is usually made with a saucepan by boiling tea leaves with a bit of water and plenty of milk like chai tea."

Source: Hiro Miyoshi

8. Kaki Pi

"Kaki-pi are a common snack in Japan. The two elements of kaki-pi or kaki-no-tane (柿の種) are small crescent-shaped fragments of senbei (soy-flavored rice crisps), and peanuts. They are often consumed with beer and are sometimes a bar snack. Kaki-pi has several different types of flavors, such as wasabi, pepper, amongst others."

Source: Wikipedia

9. Green Tea Kit Kat

"Kit Kats in Japan are produced at Nestlé-owned factories in Himeji and Kasumigaura. The milk chocolate used for Kit Kats is made from whole-milk powder and Nestlé buys most of its cacao beans from West Africa"

Source: Wikipedia

10. Nama Chocolate Green Tea

"nama chocolate", a form of ganache made with melted cacao and fresh cream, and dusted with fine cocoa powder.^[1]

Source: Wikipedia

#japanesecustomer #souvenirs #unique #gift #food #japan #item #toesock #greentea #macha #topten #best 

Audio Book: 🎧 There is no such thing as a an Easy Job by Kikuko Tsumura

Review by JapaneseCustomer.com:

"Kikuko has created an amazing insight from the worker's view of a range of temporary jobs she shares with us. For example: A bus company, a rice cracker company, and a hut in a park perforating tickets for an event. 

What stood out when I listened was the holistic detail provided by the employee at each job, for example: how she got the job from the temporary recruitment agency, how it was sold by the recruiter, why she was put forward, her initial impression, her first day, her bosses and co-workers, what the role entailed, the highs and lows of the role, the psychological impact, the relationships, the silence, how she thought of the job when away from the office, boss relationship and what type of person they were (could they be trusted, etc), co-workers were they real or fake and was the relationship tainted by the nature of her role, the role itself and her relationship with the boss. 

Plus you also get the complexity of the culture in language, body language, rituals, customs, etc. It feels like you are actually in the job. 

You are seeing, hearing, and feeling the whole job. On audiobook, this is magnified by the voice of the narrator which adds a whole new level of depth to the stories and your overall experience of the topic. 

A very insightful and powerful story of temporary work from the worker's holistic view, wow!

 Buy the Audio Book here 

#japanesecustomer #author #audiobook #kikukotsumura #novel #japan #japaneseliterature #english #review🎧

 

Ten Japanese words you must know when you engage with Japanese customers 🌸

1. Sumimasen - Excuse me

2. Gomen Nasai - Sorry, my apologies

3. Arigatou Gozaimasu - Thank You (Polite)

4. Doumou - Thank you (casual)

5. Honto ni - Really

6. Mou ikai yukkuri kudasai - Could you please repeat that

7. Wakarimashita - I understand

8. Choudou ii - perfect, just right

9. Hai - yes, ok, I am listening

10. Iie - No

#japanesecustomers #japan #business #language #phrases #polite #essential #words #tips #japanese

What is Giri- Ninjo in Japanese culture?

 

Picture: Making sushi rice at home

"Giri-ninjo is viewed as obligation in return for a favour... Giri-ninjo operates in nearly all interpersonal relationships. Because parents lavish amae on children, children must repay their parents by taking care of them in their old age" 

Amae = the unconscious desire found in Japanese cultures to depend on others to do things for them

Source: Deciphering the Japanese cultural code by Rosenbergh L and Thompson, G

#japanesecustomer #japan #japaneseculture #quote #picture #business #relationships #dependence #girininjo

Why do Japanese send postcards in Autumn and Summer?

"The middle of July in Japan is called Risshū (立秋), which is

the start of Autumn (usually around the 7th or 8th of August),

during this time many people send friends, customers and 

acquaintances, what is known as a Shochū Mimai (暑中見舞

い) or a Midsummer greeting card.







Postcards which are sent after Risshū are called 

Zansho Mimai (残暑見舞い), which is a late summer greeting.

These can be sent until mid-September.




When writing a postcard during these times it is customary to

include greeting phrases such as

暑中見舞い・Shochū Mimai

残暑見舞い申し上げます

(shochū mimai / zansho mimai moushi agemasu)

at the beginning of the letter"

Source: Friends of Japan newsletter







#japanesecustomer #postcard #autumn #summer #greetings #communication #relationships #japaneseculture

Video: Tokyo Rainy Night Walk in Shinjuku

 

Video: Tokyo Rainy Night Walk in Shinjuku 

Source: Virtual Japan You Tube  

#japanesecustomer #tokyo #rain #night #walk #places #destination #video #4k #japan

 

Bizu are one of the most popular bands in Japan you have never heard of!

https://youtu.be/FwP0I7-jEw0

Source: You Tube

" B'z (ビーズ, pronounced Bīzu) is a Japanese rock duo consisting of guitarist, composer and producer Takahiro "Tak" Matsumoto and vocalist and lyricist Koshi Inaba, known for their energetic hard rock tracks and pop rock ballads.

They are one of the best-selling music artists in the world and the best-selling in their native Japan, having released 49 consecutive No. 1 singles, 25 No. 1 albums, and 3 No. 1 EPs on the Oricon music charts, and have sold more than 100 million records worldwide."

One of there top selling singles is 

"Even if Love is Selfish, You're the Only One I Won't Hurt" (Japanese) 

                                      https://youtu.be/FwP0I7-jEw0

Source: Wikipedia

Japanese customers love coffee making them worlds 3rd largest consumers

 

Picture: Japanese pre-made coffee in a bottle - amazing!

"Japan drinks a lot of coffee. You may think it’s a tea-drinking country, but coffee consumption is off the charts. In 2021, Japan consumed 433 million tons of coffee and “only” 100 thousand tons of tea! Japan is the third largest coffee market in the world after the United States and Germany."

Source:

The supreme bean: How 'konbini' coffee conquered Japan, By Adam Douglas

https://japantoday.com/category/features/food/the-supreme-bean-how-%27konbini%27-coffee-conquered-japan

Photo: Japanese Aisunomi Ice Cream made in Hokkaido Custard Vanilla

 

Photo: 

Japanese Aisunomi Ice Cream 

made in Hokkaido (Custard Vanilla)

Video: A typical Japanese evening meal

 Video: A typical Japanese evening meal

7,152 Japanese supermarket products are going to rise by up to 18 percent higher between from January 2023

"Prices for a total of 7,152 items are expected to climb from January to April, and be priced 18 percent higher on average from the current level, up from the 14 percent gain from last year to this year, according to Teikoku Databank Ltd data."

Source: Prices set to rise in Japan for over 7,000 food items on cost hike

Japan Today

December 26th, 2022

New Japanese Movies "Drive My Car""

Trailer: Drive My Car

"Two years after his wife’s death, Yusuke receives an offer to direct a production of Uncle Vanya at a theater festival. As tensions mount amongst the cast and crew, Yusuke is forced to confront painful truths raised from his past with the help of Misaki, a young woman assigned to chauffeur him. #DriveMyCar. Written and Directed by #RyusukeHamaguchi adapted from a short story by #HarukiMurakami. Starring Hidetoshi Nishijima, Toko Miura, and Reika Kirishima"

Source: MadMan Films

It is a fun movie that slowly builds by sharing the quirks of each character. You get a deep dive into Japanese culture communication, hierarchy, men's world, women's world, relationships, work, lifestyle, and use of time.

#new #japanese #films #drivemycar #japan #trailer #release #movie #entertainment

Japanese etiquette important with credit cards

 

Picture: Japanese customers shopping

“credit cards must be returned to customers Japanese-style, with two hands and full eye contact”  Uniqlo Training…Japan is the worlds most competitive retail market..To be No 1 in Japan means….customer service”  

Shoichi Miyasaki, CEO, Uniqlo Australia.

Source: Heir Apparel by Georgina Safe, Good Weekend Magazine, The Age newspaper, Saturday January 31^st, 2015, page 24.

japan, japanese, customer, consumer, etiquette, credit, cards, style, rules, retail, quote, news, picture, culture, www.japanesecustomer, #japan, #japanese, #customer, @jcustomers

Predictability an important component of Japanese life

Picture: Japanese High Speed Train

“Predictability in social and public life makes Japanese cities the safest on earth” Taggart Murphy


Source: Ours is not to reason why, The Economist, Review of book “Japan and the shackles of the past by Taggart Murphy”, Oxford University Press, The Australian Financial Review Newspaper, Thursday January 15th, 2015, page 35.

japan, japanese, consumer, customer, culture, lifestyle, behaviour, trends, wwww.japanesecustomer.com, news, picture, quote #japan, #japanesecustomer  #consumer