Intercultural misunderstandings can occur when people do not share or learn the 'rules' of a particular culture. It is important that you show respect to the country that you are visiting while on exchange, by becoming aware of the country's body language, gestures and expected behaviour - these may be different to that of your culture's. Below are a list of appropriate gestures you can use while staying in Japan, as well as Australian communication traits and gestures that could be misinterpreted or offensive in Japan.
Japanese Communication
- Silence is more integrated in their customs as a form of communication compared to Australian culture. This is reflective of a high context culture (where meaning is largely transmitted implicitly and using non-verbal communication.)
- Eye Contact - making eye contact is considered rude, leads to an uncomfortable situation and can be taken as a sign of aggression. When speaking to a Japanese individual, make very brief eye contact to signal the individual, but then maintain an appropriate eye level (e.g. the neck)
- Pointing with the index finger is rude in Japanese culture, so instead when pointing at something use an open hand.
- Motioning someone to come to you with your index finger is highly offensive, so instead use an open hand with palm facing up.
Intercultural Misunderstandings
A strong value in Japanese culture is ‘respect’, where children are taught to respect others and themselves from a young age. This ideology is embedded into Japan's culture where it is expected that individuals should strive for higher goals and challenge themselves. This also enforces the principle that excellence must be achieved otherwise the individual would shame their family. Therefore, when foreigners visit Japan and do not show the same level of respect as the Japanese culture encourages, they are seen as disrespecting Japan’s culture and lacking in self-respect as well. So when you are greeting people in Japan, always bow, smile and do not keep direct eye contact (refer to gestures above). For example, when purchasing something from a store/supermarket, the shop assistant will give you the change in a tray and will count it out for you. A common cultural misunderstanding is that tourists will take the change out of the tray before the counting is over which is emphasising the lack of understanding for the Japanese culture. Instead, to show respect, wait patiently and once the shop assistant is finished, bow your head while saying “Arigatō” then take the change.
Another value which differs between Australian and Japanese cultures is the idea of ‘privacy’. In Japanese culture, privacy is less restrictive compared to Australian culture, where in the micro world, friends are expected to share personal information among one another such as blood type, horoscope and birthday. Even within the meso world, a boss may ask his employees about their family, health and hobbies. This may be seen as an invasion of privacy within Australian culture and may offend individuals. An example of differing perspectives on the concept of privacy is the public bath houses in Japan (onsen). In order to enter either the male or female onsen baths, you must first strip naked, then wash yourself at one of cleaning stations with soap and cold water, before entering the onsen baths (temperatures vary but average 45ºC). These baths are either used for relaxation or as the daily washing service especially in small rural towns. The idea of bathing naked with other people in the same bath can embarrass tourists, and it is highly disrespectful to not follow the strict rules before entering the onsens. |