About Japan
- Japan is a country of over 126 million people, situated in northeastern asia between the North Pacific and the Sea of Japan
- It is 377, 873 square kilometers, consisting of four main islands surrounded by more than 4000 smaller islands
- Geographically, Japan contains a variety of scenery, ranging from volcanic mountains to dense urban landscapes
- The main religions are Shinto, Buddhism and Christianity
- Japanese is the only official language in Japan, however many people speak English as a second language - this is because English is taught in almost all Japanese standard high schools. (In an Education First study in 2011, Japan was ranked 14th of all countries in an 'English-as-a-second-language' competition)
- Ethnic groups: 98.5% Japanese, 0.5% Korean, 0.4% Chinese, 0.6% Other
Collectivism:
the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members.
Japan is a highly collective society, where group needs and harmony are valued more than the individual. Because of this, in communication, Japanese people will often agree, smile or nod to maintain this group harmony, but true meaning can be implicit or conveyed through other non-verbal communication. This can be confusing for people from a different culture - as Japanese people will often appear to say 'yes,' however really mean 'no.' Value is placed on family, cooperation/ teamwork, politeness and modesty, industriousness, and harmony.
High context society:
how meaning is transmitted through communication: either implicitly or explicitly
Japan is a largely high context culture, meaning communication is largely non-verbal, and messages often conveyed implicitly and indirectly. Communication is formal, and communicators are generally very modest and self-effacing in their transmission of meaning - this is due to Japan's collectivist culture where the group and collective harmony/ cohesion is valued much more than individual needs and identity.
Power Distance:
the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organisations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally.
Japan has a medium to high power distance, meaning that individuals are more likely to accept and respect power inequality, as well as acknowledging the power of others based on formal and hierarchal positions.
Uncertainty Avoidance:
The extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations
The Japanese culture has a very high uncertainty avoidance, where individuals feel threatened and uncomfortable in unstructured situations with a degree of unpredictability or ambiguity. For this reason there are very strict societal rituals and rules concerning what to do, wear, speak and how to behave in different situations.
Long vs. Short-term orientation
whether a culture values and focuses more on the present or future
Japan is a long-term oriented society, meaning individuals and communities are focused on the future and view things considering their long-term impact. The Japanese culture values persistence, perseverance, and is willing to compromise short-term hardship or conflict in lieu of a long-term vision/ impact.
- Japan is a country of over 126 million people, situated in northeastern asia between the North Pacific and the Sea of Japan
- It is 377, 873 square kilometers, consisting of four main islands surrounded by more than 4000 smaller islands
- Geographically, Japan contains a variety of scenery, ranging from volcanic mountains to dense urban landscapes
- The main religions are Shinto, Buddhism and Christianity
- Japanese is the only official language in Japan, however many people speak English as a second language - this is because English is taught in almost all Japanese standard high schools. (In an Education First study in 2011, Japan was ranked 14th of all countries in an 'English-as-a-second-language' competition)
- Ethnic groups: 98.5% Japanese, 0.5% Korean, 0.4% Chinese, 0.6% Other
Collectivism:
the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members.
Japan is a highly collective society, where group needs and harmony are valued more than the individual. Because of this, in communication, Japanese people will often agree, smile or nod to maintain this group harmony, but true meaning can be implicit or conveyed through other non-verbal communication. This can be confusing for people from a different culture - as Japanese people will often appear to say 'yes,' however really mean 'no.' Value is placed on family, cooperation/ teamwork, politeness and modesty, industriousness, and harmony.
High context society:
how meaning is transmitted through communication: either implicitly or explicitly
Japan is a largely high context culture, meaning communication is largely non-verbal, and messages often conveyed implicitly and indirectly. Communication is formal, and communicators are generally very modest and self-effacing in their transmission of meaning - this is due to Japan's collectivist culture where the group and collective harmony/ cohesion is valued much more than individual needs and identity.
Power Distance:
the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organisations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally.
Japan has a medium to high power distance, meaning that individuals are more likely to accept and respect power inequality, as well as acknowledging the power of others based on formal and hierarchal positions.
Uncertainty Avoidance:
The extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations
The Japanese culture has a very high uncertainty avoidance, where individuals feel threatened and uncomfortable in unstructured situations with a degree of unpredictability or ambiguity. For this reason there are very strict societal rituals and rules concerning what to do, wear, speak and how to behave in different situations.
Long vs. Short-term orientation
whether a culture values and focuses more on the present or future
Japan is a long-term oriented society, meaning individuals and communities are focused on the future and view things considering their long-term impact. The Japanese culture values persistence, perseverance, and is willing to compromise short-term hardship or conflict in lieu of a long-term vision/ impact.
Please note that Hofstede's rankings are only a basic guide, and as such cannot completely define such complex societal structures.