Japan, Land of the Rising Sun
The picture above is Observatory Deck in Tokyo. Visitors can enjoy 360 degree panoramic view of the city of the Tokyo in relaxing atmosphere (Nishi, 2012).
For the second culture reporter blog, I have decided to focus on dialectical approach to understand Japanese culture and communication. Dialectical approach is an approach to intercultural communication that integrates three approaches; functionalist, interpretive, and critical in understanding culture and communication (Martin & Nakayama, 2012, p. 71). Currently, I am taking a Japanese class in UNL. Every day, students learn how to read and write different Japanese characters; hiragana, katakana, and kanji in the class. At the same time, I have been participating and observing several Japanese elements in the class for weeks.
Different styles of Japanese writings.
The learning environment in the Japanese class is totally different from my other classes in UNL. My sensei (lecturer) will greet us at the beginning of the class every day. She says, "Konichiwa (Good afternoon)" and all students will reply, "Konichiwa" too (Nurul Norman, observational data, October 11th, 2012). At the same time, we will bow towards each other as a symbol of respect. Bowing is an important etiquette among Japanese to convey appreciation, gratitude, salutation, respect, and apology. If you’re higher up in society from another person, you’ll notice that they talk more politely to you (to a greater extent than what we do in America / Western cultures), bow more deeply, and even perhaps order the same food as you at a restaurant (Koichi, 2012). Due to globalization, many Japanese nowadays do not really practice a deep bowing (90 degree bow) when they are communicating with each other. Light bow (picture below) is the most common bowing in today's Japanese society. With regard to the processual nature of intercultural communication, it is important to remember that cultures change, as do individuals (Martin & Nakayama, 2012, p. 71).
Standard bow in Japanese culture.
My sensei always uses suffixes or honorifics when she would like to address us. Honorifics situate people within the Japanese social hierarchy, by showing respect, affection, and humility (Koichi, 2012). She once told us that Japanese never use "you" in their daily conservation because it is very rude to call someone by using the word "you." Instead of using "you," they prefer to call other people by names in their conversation. For example, my sensei addresses me as Norman-san in the class (Nurul Norman, observational data, October 17th, 2012). Usually, Japanese will address foreigners by calling the surname. In Japan, seniority and manner are very important. It might be appropriate to address American lecturers without using honorifics but it is very inconvenient to address Japanese lecturers by calling their names without putting the suffix -sensei. A dialectical perspective emphasizes the relational aspect of intercultural communication study (Martin & Nakayama, 2012, p. 71).
Common suffixes used by Japanese:
-san さん: equivalent of Mr. and Ms.
-sensei せんせい : to address teachers, polices, and doctors.
-chan ちゃん: to address children, female family members, animals, lovers, and intimate friends.
-sama さま : to address king, queens, presidents, and sometimes it is also used in business.
-kun くん : to address younger males.
A video lesson about how to use san, sensei, chan, sama, and kun properly.
References
Koichi. (2012). Bowing in Japan [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.tofugu.com/2010/07/12/bowing-in-japan-japanese-etiquette/
Martin, J.N., & Nakayama, T.K. (2012). Intercultural communication in contexts (6th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw Hill.
Nishi, Y. (2012, October). Visit Japan international. (2012). Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=394722960600123&set=a.233100593429028.56028.211783385560749&type=1&theater
U.S Department of State. (2012). Background note: Japan. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.
