Self-portrait of the Japanese
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By Lee Hyon-soo
We, Koreans, have been interacting with the Japanese from the ancient times. So they are no strangers to us. But how well do we know them? What are the Japanese really like? There is an insightful book titled “Japan Unmasked” in which the author, Ichiro Kawasaki, gives a very candid portrayal of his people. The following passages are verbatim excerpts from Kawasaki’s well-known book:
From the 14th century to the beginning of the 17th, Japan was divided into the domains of war lords, and internecine civil warfare was the order of the day. This prolonged period of incessant fighting did much to mold the character of the Japanese. Though courteous on the surface, the Japanese are unable to really trust each other and are bent on undermining others whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Japanese children are told by their parents and teachers not to do this or that for fear that “others may laugh at you.” Indeed, this is one of the cardinal points of Japanese upbringing. Thus from the earliest youth the Japanese behave as unobtrusively as possible in public. They approach others with a courteous smile, but veil themselves in an atmosphere of secrecy, even when there is nothing to be hidden. In this way the Japanese’ spirit of independence is nipped in the bud.
The Japanese have been subject to all sorts of regimentations, both mental and otherwise, within their own family or community. Thus they are placed under constant mental restraint in order to conform to prescribed etiquette and behavior. But once outside the confines of their home or community, they feel they are “liberated” from all these restraints and start behaving as if they were entirely different persons. For instance, Japanese soldiers sent to Southeast Asia during the Pacific War were capable of committing unbelievable atrocities for they were “shame free” outside their home and country.
The Japanese, by virtue of their feudalistic upbringing, tend to harbor feelings of inferiority to those in higher brackets of social strata, and tend to cover up their inferiority complex with feelings of superiority toward those in the lower brackets. This peculiar trait also applies when they are dealing with foreigners. The Japanese harbor an inferiority complex toward Europeans and Americans, while they tend to treat Asians with a superiority complex.
The Japanese generally lack individual initiative and tend to act in mass psychology. They are also gregarious by nature and tend to keep to themselves while living in foreign countries.
The Japanese have been taught to remember indebtedness. If someone was kind to them at some time or other, the recipients of the kindness are expected not only to remember but to repay the kindness whenever possible.
The Japanese generally like to indulge in expressions of curious condescension. For instance, they will say, “Please come to the dining room now, although there is nothing to eat.” This is a very common Japanese expression, meaning that the food being offered is of no great value, although in actual fact the food is often very plentiful and sumptuous.
The Japanese are an extremely touchy people and are easily moved by emotionalism. When a Japanese athlete wins in some event in the Olympic Games, Japanese spectators almost always have tears in their eyes.
The Japanese smile when something is not particularly funny, or when they are not necessarily happy. They sometimes smile in order to gloss over an awkward situation. They also smile when they want to curry the favor of others. At an international conference they smile largely to make up for their silence and inactivity.
Is the foregoing self-portrait an overblown generalization? I can’t tell. I would just point out that it is the brainchild of a Japanese diplomat of impeccable repute and integrity.
The writer is a retired international banker who lives in Toronto, Canada. His other writings are posted on https://blog.daum.net/tom_hslee. Write to tomhslee@daum.net.