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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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.
ReplyDeleteAnd, 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.