Saturday, September 13, 2014

REAL Face to Face Communication?? WHAT??

One of the things I love best about Japanese culture is the importance of social interaction. I’m accustomed to people sitting at dinner tables and staring at their smart phones instead of looking at each other, even in restaurants. Here, the thought of doing so is unfathomable. My dear teacher friend, the lady with whom I have been spending most of my free time, told me about how important it is to Japanese women to go out together to chat and bond. 

Just getting in my bonding time

In school, greetings are of paramount importance, and you never walk past another person without a nod at the very least, though it is usually a “hello” or “good morning” or comparable saying. In my last job, we all just sat around in a freezing cold room staring at a computer screen for 8 hours straight and barely talking. Explaining this to my Japanese friend caused her to gasp in astonishment, demonstrating how incredulous she found this cultural difference.  I guess a society in which there is minimal person-to-person interaction that still occurs is pretty bizarre, we just have adapted to it in the United States at least.

Americans' idea of social interaction


The depth of the relationships that I have already developed with some of my coworkers in such a short amount of time amazes me, especially considering the language barrier. They have accepted me and embraced me and everyday they make me feel like family. All it takes is a little smile or a seemingly small act of kindness. I think Americans could learn a substantial amount from the Japanese, as far as personal communication and the treatment of others goes.

1 comment:

  1. Japan is interesting because there is an extent to which social interaction is very important. But, on the other hand there are people in this country who are so reclusive that they NEVER leave their rooms and live on their computers. It's a social phenomenon.
    And, I am not sure about it being unfathomable to be on your phone when you are out with friends, or on a date. It's something that I see quite frequently, and have been seeing a lot more since smart phones became the norm to have here. I have been saddened to see people who are quite obviously out on a date in a restaurant staring down at their phones and not talking to each other at all, for extended periods of time,
    I think that you are very lucky to be at a school where the teachers have welcomed you so warmly. It has taken me two years to build the relationships that I have with some of my colleagues, and I have heard from other teachers that it takes much more time for others.

    ReplyDelete

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