Returning Japanese
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Some Lessons from Another CultureJames Patrick Holding
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This inspiration for this article happened almost by accident. On a TheologyWeb
discussion thread I wanted to illustrate to a debate partner how honor was
valued in the ancient Biblical world. Knowing that honor was likewise valued in
modern Japanese culture the same way (in contrast to how it is viewed in modern
American culture) I searched for and found an invaluable article apparently by
one Phil VanAuken at Baylor University. For proper credit the article in full
may be found here.
In looking over VanAuken's work I realized that some of the explanations he
gave of Japanese custom and culture match very closely the sort we have given
here in explaining Biblical passages. Since certain known personages from the
world of Skeptics seem inclined to imply that we just make up all of this
stuff, and that social studies scholars of the Bible (the Context Group) are
just humming their harmonicas, VanAuken's article looked to be something I
could use profitably to draw some parallels and maybe put some sense in some
Skeptical heads, or at least make them look more foolish than usual when they
issue denials. (You'll also find a lot of it which we don't use fascinating. As
a fan of the Iron Chef television program, and of Japanese animated programs, I
found much that corresponded with my observations. I also found a lot of stuff
that is interesting and trivial, such as that in Japan it's all right to bring
KFC or McDonald's into a movie theater. We need to get more
Japanese in that respect, I think!)
Of course the two cultures are far from exact on every point and in every
practice, so we will only be commenting on the similiarities on key points that
have been at issue here. Hereafter VanAuken's words will be in normal type, and
my comments shall be in bold and italics hereafter.
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VanAuken starts with an overview of Japanese culture. Here are some elements
that correspond with what we have said about Biblical culture.
1. Japanese culture is structured around black and white norms for acceptable
(harmony-producing) group behavior. People who don't function by these norms
are viewed as outsiders who lack legitimate status. Black and white
expectations of behavior produce equally clear cut conformity, resulting in
high harmony and certainty of outcome. Trust is earned through continuous
conformity. This is a match for elements of Biblical behavior we have noted:
the placement of group expectations over individual behavior. It also is
similar to a concept we have noted of "black and white" attitudes in such
passages as Luke 14:26. Extremity of language and extremity of action.
2. Harmony is the number one priority in Japanese interpersonal and social
behavior taking priority over frankness and honesty. The same may be said in
the Biblical world. The demands of honor -- more on this below -- mean that
harmony of this sort is a priority, even to the point of sometimes committing
an "honorable lie" to preserve order.
4. Behavioral skills in the workplace are more important to success than
analytical skills. Correct etiquette (processes) is more important than
personal performance. The Japanese react far more than they proact, like
pinballs bouncing off the bumpers. Adaptation is of supreme importance to
success. Etiquette is the principle of behavior rather than philosophy or
religion. Accountability is to the group, not the individual. The big picture
is the only picture. Conformity produces harmony, the supreme value. A reader
pointd out that this matches with the Hebraic notion of knowledge as entailing
action, and accountability to a group for church discipline. "The big picture
is the only picture," including the Biblical emphasis on the corporate body of
Christ. "Conformity produces harmony"; ditto with the admonishments to live
peacefully with all.
5. The Japanese strive to meet the expectations of others, especially those in
power. Doing something in the right (role model) way is more important than
achieving a favorable outcome. A glorious defeat is better than victory
achieved with the wrong (nonconforming) attitude. Behavioral models save the
Japanese worker from embarrassment. Unstructured social situations are
therefore to be avoided at all costs. Trust is essential in Japanese
relationships, but the trust is based on predictability of behavior rather than
emotional rapport or intimate friendship. This is a match for the emphasis in
the Biblical world on pistis and the value of proper behavior and honor over
achieving a result. VanAuken goes on to note how this process is enacted in
Japan, via modern mentor-employee relationships. Now pay attention to this one:
6. If all the Japanese in Japan were lined up and asked to describe Americans
and other Westerners in one word, the majority would probably come up with
�selfish.� The reason for this is simple enough. The Japanese were
conditioned for centuries to look upon independent, individualistic
behavior�the hallmark of Americans and many other Westerners�as selfish,
confrontational and disruptive. Outsiders are perceived as barbarians because
they don't conform to cultural mandates and because no loyalty is owed to them.
Independence is a social stigma; interdependence brings identity, acceptance,
security, and a sense of purpose. Bingo. Think of how many times we have seen
Skeptics violate this one with their selfish demands that the Biblical text
conform to THEIR wishes. Think how "selfish, confrontational and disruptive"
applies to certain "fundamentalist atheists" we know. Now note this:
7. All behaviors must focus on concern for the other person�s mental harmony
and face (wah). Behaviors lacking wah are relationship damaging: Criticizing
in public; blame-placing; singling out others for praise; dominating
conversations or interrupting others; pointing out mistakes or errors.
Employee motivation is a balance of internal and external forces, coming from
strong role expectations and the strong desire to maintain personal identity
through meeting these expectations. Cultural behavioral expectations + peer
pressure = strong pressure to conform and perform. Just like in the Biblical
world. Match "wah" with personal honor, and match "concern for the other
person" with agape. Note how identity is met via meeting external expectations,
just like in the Biblical world.
8. Cultural behavior is based on mutual interdependencies that create both
power and weakness. This is a key source of stress in Japanese society, because
there is no closure of interpersonal and social obligations. Independence is
never attained. The Japanese kaisha ("guy-shah") is held together by networks
of hierarchical relationships from which individual employees receive their
identity and status. To lose ones standing and legitimacy in the kaisha is to
lose one�s identity. Permanent employment is therefore the expectation and
tradition. Japan�s news media often report that well over half of all Japanese
are so seriously afflicted by stress that it is a problem of epidemic
proportions. Part of this affliction results from the intense pressure on
people to work harder and produce more than other people. Stress also results
from crowded living conditions, and from worry about financial security during
old age. Much of the stress experienced by the Japanese derives from
conforming to the demands of their traditional social system�part of which is
a tendency to be compulsive about things.Overall, the same is absolutely true
of the Biblical world. The relationships between clients and patrons match
exactly with the description of hierarchical relationships. The lack of closure
of personal obligations matches with the never-ending circle dance of grace.
(Yes, Calvinists could stand to learn from this, too.) A big difference lies
in the econimic reality. In the ancient world you were never "unemployed"
because you always found it necessary to look for sustenance. Worry about old
age and security could be had, but the ancients were less able to do something
about it. Note nevertheless in this respect Jesus' admonition not to worry
about such things.
15. Traditional Japanese have tried to maintain and balance two worlds. One
consisted of reality or hone (hone-nay)�their true thoughts and intentions�and
the other of a facade or tatemae (�tah-tay-my)�a screen created to maintain the
appearance of harmony and serve as a ploy until the other party revealed their
own position. The Japanese reaction to new relations was that they could not be
established because no relations existed. There had to be some kind of
recognized outside connection bringing the two parties together�a go-between or
some other third party. Most traditional Japanese go to great lengths to avoid
confrontations with others. They are quick to apologize and accept personal
responsibility in case something might be wrong or possibly go wrong. Superiors
may often accept personal blame for the failures of subordinates in a project
or for their breach of etiquette or failure to live up to expectations. There
is a perfectly good word for �no� in the Japanese language,
but it is seldom used. �Yes,� on the other hand, is heard all the time. This
does not mean, however, that the Japanese do not say �no.� They say it often,
even if what they have said sounds like �yes� to the uninitiated. For many
generations the Japanese were conditioned to avoid blunt responses,
confrontations or friction of any kind. Since �no� is often confrontational
and can cause disappointment and ill will of one kind or another, the Japanese
do not like to come right out and say it. As a result, �yes� gradually came to
by synonymous with �Yes, I heard you,� or �Yes, I am listening.� It ceased to
mean �Yes, I agree� or �Yes, I will.� The main reason for this development was
the overriding need to maintain harmony, and the importance of
self-preservation. There is no direct parallel here, but there is an indirect
one I want to bring to attention: All the talk we hear from a certain quarter
about the Bible "not meaning what it clearly says" is clearly a product of a
modern and Wsestern bias. High context societies often mean more than they
say; as Rihbany noted in The Syrian Christ, Westerners wil be frustrated by the
Easterner's tendency to not "say what he means". He says what he means -- we're
just too low-context to get it. Take the lesson to heart the next time some
Skeptic makes a fuss about the Bible "clearly" saying something and of the need
to inform ourselves with relevant background knowledge. A reader noted that
this also matches the ANE practice of equivocation (noted above) and the
Messianic secret motif.
17. Many Westerners, particularly Americans, have been conditioned to view time
as something like a train speeding down a straight track. The train never
slows down or stops, and they have a compulsive, deep-seated need to be on it,
moving toward specific goals. Japanese, on the other hand, have traditionally
viewed the time track as a circle, with the train moving slowly and repeatedly
passing the same place over a period of time. One of the most common and
important time factors in Japanese negotiations or discussions about serious
matters was�and still is�the use of time gaps or breaks. The people involved
simply stop talking. They may just sit and remain silent (often with their
eyes closed), get up and leave the room for short periods, or hold low-voiced
side conversations with their colleagues. Japanese negotiators and others
develop varying degrees of skill in using these time gaps to their own
advantage. I'll draw another indirect parallel here to something I have noted
in a couple of places: Our thinking is linear, but thinking and reasoning in
the Biblical world was often more like a circle. Never make the mistake, as
many critics do, of assuming that you can read the Bible with a linear mindset.
I noted that the rhetoric of 1 John is in this pattern, and that the agruments
in Job are constructed along the pattern of one unrolling a garden hose. A
reader added that this fits in with the Biblical notion of history as a spiral
and the use of typology in the New Testament which sees God as repeating
significant patterns in history.
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In his next section VanAuken discusses specific terms and concepts from
Japanese culture.
3. Aota Gai (�Ah-oh-tah Guy�) Plucking the school virgins: Most Japanese
companies are still not comfortable with non-virgin Japanese employees. �Pure�
company employees resent outsiders coming in and taking up managerial or
executive slots the old-timers feel belong to them. Newcomers entering a
larger, long-established firm find it difficult or impossible to win full
acceptance by company groups. Many say that even after twenty or more years
they still feel like interlopers. I find a loose parallel here to the Biblical
concept of ritual purity, but it is much closer to the Biblical world's idea of
ingroup-outgroup relations. Here is another example:
5. Ato Aji (�Ah-toe Ah-jee�) Leaving an aftertaste: Foreign things have a
different �taste� that Japanese may or may not find palatable. Among those
things that are acceptable are apparel, accessories, foods and other consumer
tangibles, as well as movies, athletic studios, and music. Those that will
leave an undesirable ato aji or �aftertaste� include people from any other race
or ethnic group, and their unstructured, unpredictable behavior. The country
is no longer in a position to close its borders, leaving the Japanese with no
choice but to develop a tolerance and appreciation for other people who �taste�
different. Look carefully and you will see a parallel to the idea of clean and
unclean foods and objects. "Ato aji" may as well be "ritual purity" though
there are undoubtedly differences in purpose and scope.
7. Batsu ("Baht-sue") Keeping the team together (literally �political
factions�): In ancient Japan, people possessed no legal rights--only
obligations to political rulers. Thus, joining groups brought security and
acceptance in the absence of legal rights, but also peer pressure to conform.
Group members take care of their own, providing a measure of protection from
the outside world, as well as social standing and power. A more or less
precise match for the Biblical idea of a collective, and of loyalty to the
group, and of collective responsibility. People in the Biblical world had no
legal rights -- only obligations to their rulers.
9. Chochin wo Tsukeru (�Choe-cheen oh T�sue-kay-rue) Following the leader:
Centuries of conformity, even though now recognized as a roadblock to economic
progress, still causes most Japanese employees to be unwilling to exercise
individual entrepreneurial initiative within Japanese companies. Instead
Japanese employees have a strong tendency to imitate the behavior of successful
people, including their boss. In this attitude I would suggest a parallel to
responses that when it comes to answers that object to the death of "innocents"
in the Conquest, for example, it is clear that in a world like this, there are
no "innocents" among the adult population.
11. Chugen (�Chu-gane�) Giving until it hurts: Gift-giving in present-day
Japan has grown into one of the largest and most important commercial segments
of the economy. There are two great gift-giving periods in today�s Japan: the
first is Chugen and the second is Seibo (Say-e-bow). Chugen, which literally
means central origin or central source, refers to Japan�s famous mid-summer
Obon (Oh-bone) religious festival commemorating the dead, but gift-giving
during this period (mid-July) is now totally secularized. Seibo refers to the
end of the year, and the gift-giving period runs from around December 21 to
December 28. On both of these occasions, the primary purpose of giving gifts
follows the historical pattern of repaying favors and acknowledging
obligations; it serves as insurance to help guarantee continued goodwill or
patronage and as a way to build up obligation for when favors might be needed
in the future. This is an exact match for the client-patron relationship in the
Biblical world, and again, the circle-dance of gift-giving. It is what made
Christianity's "free gift" of salvation so suspicious.
12. Dami Oshi ("Dah-may Oh-she") Making doubly sure: Mistakes, especially in
business, bring personal shame, so the Japanese seek out large volumes of
information to reduce the odds of error. They also ask the same or similar
questions multiple times to different people in different business settings to
�make doubly sure.� No direct parallel here, but consider the lengths the
Japanese go to in order to avoid personal shame. That translates into the
Biblical world as well.
14. Enryo ("Inn-rio") Holding back or being reserved: This negotiating practice
of �holding back� is used as a way to get a bargaining advantage over others by
revealing a limited amount of information about your position, or about your
feelings in the matter. It is akin to the mind set of playing poker. See in
this a parallel to the Biblical world's idea that only your "ingroup" was
entitled to complete information. Those who object to Jesus apparently lying
(see above) should instead see an example of Biblical Enryo.
16. Gaijin ("Guy-jeen") Hairy barbarians: In 1543, a group of Portuguese
traders were the first Westerners to make a visible impact on Japan. These
sailors were large, bearded, uncultured, and reeked of poor hygiene, so the
Japanese naturally referred to them as hairy barbarians. These Westerners were
thought to be the embodiment of the ancient Japanese myth of Tengu
("tane-guu"), a creature like bigfoot. Gaijin is an insulting term for
non-Asian outsiders. A slightly more polite form is gaikoku no kata
("guy-koe-kuu no kah-tah"). See in this a parallel to the Biblical world's
tendency to stereotype -- as Epiminides does, as Paul quotes him in Titus. A
reader in Japan adds: "That really is just western political correctness being
imposed on the Japanese language. I have friends who call me 'gaijin', and it
doesn't bother me a bit."
17. Giri ("Ghee-ree") Living with unending obligations: The strict, elaborate
behavior etiquette system was traditionally enforced through shaming violators.
This was made even tougher by transferring the shame to include the violator�s
parents and family. Today giri largely concerns the etiquette of minor social
responsibilities such as gift-giving and respectful attendance of weddings and
funerals. ...Giri can be accumulated and built up through doing unsolicited
favors in your network of mutual obligations. You incur giri by accepting
favors that you don�t immediately return. This is once again much like the
client-patron relationship -- substitute "grace" for "giri" -- and note as well
the extension of the shame to the parents and family. Think of this in terms of
Achan's sin and the extermination of his family and possessions with him. We'd
say it isn't fair, but they would expect it.
19. Gomasuri (�Goh-mah-suu-ree�) Flattery makes the world go around: Arrogant
samurai warriors of the past gave rise to a tradition of demanding exaggerated
respect from Japanese commoners. In later Japanese history, this evolved into
a social custom designed to influence powerful people through ritualized
flattery, such as calling a lay person �professor� to imply how intelligent
they are, or danna (master). No direct parallel here; simply consider how
formalized etiquette came into place to manage custom. We see an example in the
Bible with Jesus' words to Pilate, "You have said so" -- a "yes" that modern
Skeptics take as equivocation or falsehood because they read it with a Western
bias.
20. Haji ("Hah-jee") Anything but shame: Haji (shame) is incurred if someone is
openly criticized in public. In feudal Japan, if someone was shamed in public,
the only way to shed the shame was to seek revenge against the one who shamed
you. Note again an emphasis on shame. Note as well that VanAuken has yet to
speak of guilt.
23. Ippai Kutta (� Eep-pie Kuut-tah�) Softening up the other party: The
Japanese are masters at using hospitality as part of their negotiating process.
This creates a sense of debt in the guest that might be repaid in future
bargaining concessions. Ippai kutta literally means �I�ve eaten my full� (of
Japanese hospitality), which puts the foreign guest in passive position when it
comes to talking business. Partial parallel here to the elaborate rituals of
hospitality we see in the Bible, as when the man in Judges asks his guest
several times to stay. Pointless to us, important to them.
28. Kao (�Kah-oh�) Maintaining personal face (literally �keeping your face
intact�): Over years of tradition, the Japanese came to regard any error on
their part or any �immoral� behavior toward them by someone else as a blemish
on their kao (kah-oh), or �face.� In addition to exercising extreme caution in
their behavior that is, conforming as precisely as possible to the demands of
their detailed rules of etiquette, it also became characteristic for them to
avoid risking error by not taking the lead in things by remaining noncommittal,
by speaking in vague terms, and so on Once again a parallel for honor and shame
in the Biblical world.
33. Keikom (Ike bana): (�kee-come Ekay-bahna�) Flower arranging art: Ikebana
is the exquisite art of Japanese flower arranging, a disciplined art form in
which the arrangement is a living sculpture in which nature and humanity are
brought together. In contrast to the purely decorative form of flower
arranging popular in Western countries, the art of ike bana, or Japanese flower
arrangement, seeks to create a harmony of linear construction, rhythm, and
color. While Westerners tend to emphasize the quantity and colors of the
flowers, devoting their attention mainly to the beauty of the blossoms, the
Japanese emphasize the linear aspects of the arrangement and have developed the
art to include the vase, stems, leaves, and branches, as well as the flowers.
The entire structure of a Japanese flower arrangement is based on three main
lines that symbolize heaven, earth, and humankind. Consider this again as a
parallel to notions of ritual purity, of things being in the right place and in
the right way. It's a more trivial version but it is much the same in concept.
35. Kokoro Zukai (�Koe-koe-roe Zoo-kie�) The Ideal human being: If all the
Japanese in Japan were lined up and asked to describe Americans and other
Westerners in one word, the majority would probably come up with �selfish.�
The reason for this is simple enough. The Japanese were conditioned for
centuries to look upon independent, individualistic behavior�the hallmark of
Americans and many other Westerners�as selfish, confrontational and disruptive.
The ethos of traditional Japan was that the individual should sacrifice his or
her own interests�and often his or her life as well--for the benefit of the
group. And Japanese history and folklore is filled with accounts of men and
women who were inspiring examples of this ideal. Most Japanese born after 1970
have learned to equate personal freedom and individuality with selfishness, and
their greatest ambition is to fulfill their own personal aspirations, not
sacrifice their lives for others. This would seem to portend the death
knell of the kokoro zukai concept in Japan. Note the parallel in the earlier
behavior to the Biblical ethos of giving up your life for your friends.
45. Ojigi ("Oh-jee-ghee") From kowtowing to bowing: The obligation to kowtow
(a prostrate bow with forehead touching the ground) was traditionally used as a
sign of profound deference to a political leader, such as a shogun. Even
though the shogunate system ended in 1868, the ojigi was sometimes practiced as
late as 1945. It is sometimes still used in conjunction with Shintai ukagai
(sheen-tie uu-kah-guy), when a government or corporate official takes personal
blame for the failure or disgrace of his organization. In most Japanese social
situations, three levels of standing bows are used: light (small bow for
informal occasions); medium (for most formal occasions); deep bows are
occasionally used for unusual displays of respect, sincerity, gratitude, or
sorrow. Note the parallel of "personal blame" with that of corporate
responsibility in the Hebrew Bible. The leader assumes resposibility for the
mistakes of those made under him -- and in the Bible, those under the leader
suffer
consequences of the leader's decisions.
49. Seki Ji (�Say-kee Jee�) Sitting in the right place (literally �seating
order�): In Japanese meeting there is invariably someone who is responsible
for seeing that the attendees are properly seated. Regular attendees who know
everyone else�s rank sort themselves out and take appropriate seats. Newcomers
or guests are guided to seats chosen for them. Foreign guests, regardless of
their rank, are often honored by being seated at or near the head table or head
of the room. VanAuken goes on to describe the elaborate etiquette involved,
but it's enough to see a parallel to the Biblical practices of seating referred
to by Jesus in his parables.
53. Shibui (�She-bu-ee�) Refined beauty: One of the most conspicuous and
positive aspects of Japanese culture is the extraordinary role of aesthetics.
Shibui refers to a restrained, highly refined beauty that epitomizes classic
simplicity. Foreigners immediately recognize the special quality of beauty
that makes traditional Japanese products outstanding. Once again, think a
modern form of ritual purity.
54. Shikata (�Shee-kata�) is the right way (form/process) for doing things:
entertaining, making decisions, greeting others, gift-wrapping/presentation,
eating, reading, dressing, etc. Correct form and etiquette are essential and
imperative for interpersonal situations. The correct behavior of the employee
(kohai, "ko-hee") comes from following the well-defined model of a senior
mentor (sempai, "sim-pie") in the workplace. Ditto.
55. Shimatsu Sho ("She-maht-suu Show") I�m sorry, sorry, sorry: This refers to
the overwhelming sense of duty and loyalty the Japanese have traditionally
maintained towards those in authority whom they serve. For example, the
samurai ritual of suicide (seppuku, "sape-puu-kuu") was a custom used among the
ancient samurai class to maintain the image of blind loyalty to the mission and
to superiors. The warrior would indicate penitence for failure by
ritualistically making cuts in his abdominal wall until death ensued--the more
cuts made before death, the greater the penitence offered. This form of
self-inflicted pain and punishment demonstrated courage in the face of defeat,
the will to succeed no matter what, and was also used as a warning to others of
the fate that awaited them if they broke with etiquette and traditions. In
regular Japanese life, shimatsu sho has evolved into ritual forms of apology
such as profuse letters of apology for any breach of social etiquette, including
violations of bureaucratic rules, traffic violations, improperly executed
commercial paper work, etc. The violator takes full responsibility in the
letter for the infraction, which normally cancels out any official penalty. It
is in turn a serious breach of etiquette to reject a letter of apology. When a
serious breach of etiquette of duty is made, even unintentionally, that would
dishonor a department or even the entire company, the �I�m sorry� process used
is shintai ukago ("sheen-tie Uu-Kah-guy"), which means, �pleading guilty (or
resigning) in advance." This enables the organization unit or company to avoid
responsibility for the mistake and the resulting sense of shame. Most
traditional Japanese go to great lengths to avoid confrontations with others.
They are quick to apologize and accept personal responsibility in case
something might be wrong or possibly go wrong. Superiors may often accept
personal blame for the failures of subordinates in a project or for their breach
of etiquette or failure to live up to expectations. This extended entry speaks
for itself. It tells us that Biblical peoples were not alone in not making life
their foremost value. (You can hear the "argument by outrage" over the ritual
suicide practices now!) It tells us that our "no big deal" approach to sin
isn't universal and it isn't anything but a product of our indiividualistic
culture.
58. Tatemae/Honne (�Tah-tay-my/Hone-nay�) Facade vs. reality: Traditional
Japanese have tried to maintain and balance two worlds. One consisted of
reality or hone (hone-nay)�their true thoughts and intentions�and the other of
a facade or tatemae (�tah-tay-my)�a screen created to maintain the appearance
of harmony and serve as a ploy until the other party revealed their own
position. The tatemae/honne system often becomes a crucial factor in
encounters between Japanese businessmen and politicians and their Western
counterparts because there is a natural tendency for Westerners to immediately
lay all of their cards on the table not only as a goodwill gesture but also
because they believe it is the best way to reach a fair, speedy agreement.
Westerners should not regard the tatemae/honne factor as a minor cultural quirk
that the Japanese can easily dispense with when they are given the incentive to
do so, or as something that can be easily overcome by the force of logic and
persuasive powers. Generally speaking, logic and forceful persuasion are not
effective in Japan because they are regarded as cold, calculating and
self-serving. Since the Western side cannot expect their Japanese counterparts
to completely change their cultural stripes on notice for the Westerner�s
benefit, the best that Westerners can do is to adapt their own strategy and
tactics to contend with the reality of the situation and proceed point by
point, going from tatemae to honne in each case. We have already noted the
relevance of this to honor and shame above, but note as well about logic and
persuasion. Modern Skeptics who object to the lack of "logic" in Biblical texts
and teachings need to get a grip on their Western biases.
61. Wa ("Wah") Holy harmony: Harmony is the number one priority in Japanese
interpersonal and social behavior�taking priority over frankness and honesty.
Examples of wah-oriented behaviors include: copious exchange of information
to avoid unpleasant surprises; frequent face-to-face meetings to build a sense
of common commitment and behavior; doing personal favors for key members of
your network; conspicuous presence of cultural ceremony; careful attention to
work choice, tone of voice, and facial expressions. The Japanese wince at the
frequent bluntness of Western language: �I guarantee you�; �Take my word for
it�; �You must understand�; �I�m absolutely sure that�� Parallel once again to
the way we often find Biblical language so difficult to swallow, and criticisms
of the Bible not being "clear" or "not meaning what it clearly says".
---------------------------------
VanAuken next offers a section advising how to "do business with the Japanese".
Interested readers may wish to note all the precautions VanAuken gives.
Skeptics of the crowd we have in mind might wish to consider how our behavior
would also have to be different, "doing business with the people of the Bible."
Here are some relevant highlights on behavior, religion, and other topics:
8. They are a high context culture that emphasizes personal loyalty as much as
possible rather than scientific and technological impersonal management.
Despite a certain Skeptic's proclamations, high and low context have
applications.
3. Shinto has become completely assimilated into day-to-day Japanese custom and
tradition. Its rituals are nearly indistinguishable from everyday life. A new
construction project, for instance, is unlikely to begin without a formal
offering and ritual prayer ceremony overseen by a Shinto official at the site.
Skeptics call it superstition. We call it ritual observance.
2. When a visitor enters a Shinto shrine, he or she is regarded as having left
the world of finite things and entered the realm of the infinite and
immeasurable, where the powerful kami (divine spirits) may be invoked for the
purpose of the ceremony at hand. The idea of boudaries, paralleled as well in
ritual purity.
C. The affirmation of physical cleanliness. Shinto requires not merely
symbolic or ritual cleanliness, but the real thing. One must be absolutely
clean when one encounters the spirits, and so must one�s surroundings! Ditto.
---------------------------------
This concludes our parallels from VanAuken's look at Japanese culture. I think
in summation it may be said that any critic who thinks the world of the Bible
was like ours, or implicitly assumes that it was like ours when they argue,
needs serious lessons in cultural diversity. And in closing: If any Skeptic out
there thinks that I just make this stuff up, then you may as well accuse
VanAuken of doing the same.
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