Japan’s

Intercultural
report
Contents o 一 General facts
o 二 Hofstede’s cultural dimensions
o 三 Society
o 四 Language
o 五 National holidays and celebrations
o 六 Co-cultures
o 七 Values, sayings, metaphors
o 八 Myths and urban legends
o 九 Religion
o 十 Government
o 十一 Social adjustments
o 十二 Business aspects
o 十三 Current events
General facts 日本 (Land of
the Rising Sun)

Northern regions: cold weather

Central regions: temperate climate East Asia
Southern islands: tropical climate

The rains are Ring of Fire

abundant everywhere
Summer: torrential Tokyo
rains and typhoons
6852 islands
47 prefectures
Symbols of Japan

Flag: Hinomaru Currency: Yen (¥) National bird:

Green pheasant

National butterfly: National fish: Koi National tree & flower:

Great purple emperor Cherry blossom
 Hofstede’s cultural dimensions
95
90 92 90 88

54 52
46
42 42

30
20

Power distance Individualism Masculinity Uncertainty Long term Indulgence

avoidance orientation

Japan Romania2
 Masculinity
At 95, Japan is one of the most
Masculine societies in the world: you
see a severe competition between
groups, you see motivated employees
and a drive for excellence and
perfection in their material
production, in material services and
presentation.
 Uncertainty avoidance

At 92, Japan is one of the most uncertainty avoiding

countries on earth. Japan is constantly threatened
by natural disasters, from earthquakes, tsunamis,
typhoons to volcano eruptions. Under these
circumstances Japanese learned to prepare
themselves for any uncertain situation, including
aspects of society.
 Society
A homogeneous society, 125.7 million
with a strong sense of 97.9% Japanese Japan has traditional
group and national expectations of gender
identity norms and divisions of
labour

High life expectancy

Divorce is uncommon
and low fertility rate
Same-sex marriage is
not legal
Family is a foundational
part of Japanese society
School in Japan
Academic calendar
School education chart
 Characteristics of Japanese schools
► Nearly all junior high schools require
their students to wear a school
uniform

► Students have school shoes and

outdoor shoes

► Students use the exact same school

bags provided by the school
Characteristics of Japanese schools
► There are no janitors, students do the
cleaning themselves

► Everyone eats the same meal for

lunch and students serve it

► Students and teachers eat together in

the classroom
Why are Japanese schools unique
► Morals is a separate subject complete
with textbook and allocated time

► Teachers do not send students out of

the classroom

► Students can’t fail a grade

► Students wishing to move up into junior

high schools, high schools, or
universities must pass grueling entrance
exams

► Morning and after-school club activities

Language and
writing system
Japan’s national language is
Japanese, which is separated
into several dialects.

The Japanese writing system

uses a combination of kanji and
syllabic kana.

Kanji: 桜
Hiragana: さくら
Katakana: サクラ
Romaji: sakura
National holidays
and celebrations
Ganjitsu - New Year’s day

January 1st
Kenkoku Kinen no Hi – National
Foundation Day

February 11th
Hina Matsuri – Girls’ Festival

March 3rd
Hanami – Cherry Blossom Festival

Between March and May

 Golden Week

April 29th – May 8th

 Obon

Around August 15th

 Co-culture and regional
differences
Japan is divided into 8 regions. It consists of four main
islands: Hokkaidō, Honshū, Shikoku, Kyūshū and Okinawa,
which is usually included in Kyūshū. The largest island,
Honshū, is divided into five regions.

Each region is geographically, historically and culturally

distinct. The local variations of climate have influenced
regional diversity in landscapes and material culture, such as
cuisine and clothing.
Hokkaidō: rare wildlife, cold
weather (-35°C in Winter), the
best sushi

Honshū: contains most of

Japan’s industry, the highly
urbanized part of Japan,
Mount Fuji and cities with
cultural history.

Shikoku: has 88 Buddhist

temples and a path known as
the Shikoku Junrei (1200 km).

Kyūshū: hot springs,

agricultural products (rice,
tea, soy, silk).
 Kyoto

Tokyo
Japanese sayings, official motto,
values and metaphors
 Values

thinking of
doing your
others
best and not
(respecting
giving up
your elders)

working in a knowing
group your role
 Japanese sayings
案ずるより産むが易しい。
(Anzuru yori umu ga yasashii)
Literal meaning: Giving birth to a baby is
easier than worrying about it.
Real meaning: Fear is greater than the
出る杭は打たれる。
danger.
(Deru kui wa utareru)
Literal meaning: The stake that sticks up gets
hammered down.
Real meaning: If you stand out, you will be
subject to criticism.
 Japanese sayings
知らぬが仏。
(Shiranu ga hotoke)
Literal meaning: Not knowing is Buddha.
Real meaning: What you don't know can't
hurt you. 見ぬが花。
(Minu ga hana)
Literal meaning: Not seeing is a flower.
Real meaning: Reality can't compete with
imagination.
 Metaphors
かおを かす。
Literal meaning: Lend me your face
Real meaning: To accompany someone somewhere
くちが うまい。
Literal meaning: One’s mouth is skilled/good
Real meaning: To be a really smooth talker
はらを わって はなす。
Literal meaning: Split open the stomach and speak
はらが くろい。 Real meaning: To speak openly and honestly
Literal meaning: One’s stomach is black
Real meaning: To be mean-spirited by nature
Japanese mythology
1. Japanese creation myth
2. The Sun, the Moon, and the Wind
3. Amaterasu and the Cave
4. Hare of Inaba
5. The Japanese Legend of
Emperor Jimmu
Japanese Urban Legends

Aka Manto (Red Cloak) Kuchisake-onna Teke Teke

(Slit-Mouthed Woman)

Toire no Hanako-san Okiku Doll The Red Room Curse

(Hanako-san of
the Toilet)
 Religion
According to the Government of Japan:

69% 66,7% 1,5% 6,2%

Shintō Buddhism Christianity Other

When asked which religion they personally believe in:

3% 31% 1% 62%

Shintō Buddhism Christianity None

 Torii gate & shrine

Buddhist temple
Government
Social adjustment
Greetings
The most common gesture when greeting
is a bow. The depth, length and style of
bow depends on the social context
When greeting someone, the Japanese
use honorific titles, which depend on age,
gender, social relationship:
~san – Mr./Mrs./Ms.
~kun – for boys
~chan – for girls
~sama – more formal, respectful
~sensei – teacher
~senpai – senior at school/work
~shachou - CEO
~shishou - mentor
~dono – formal official
The most
Respectful Casual
respectful
 Verbal communication
► The Japanese language has a thorough
grammatical system to express different levels
of politeness, respect and formality

► Japanese people often avoid direct refusals or

negative responses

► Interrupting someone who is talking is

generally considered impolite

► Interjections are very common in Japanese

communication, indicating active listening

► People politely deflect compliments. Excessive

complimenting may cause embarrassment
Non-verbal communication
► Minimal physical contact is preferred

► Where possible, people will maintain distance

from one another

► Indirect eye contact is the norm as direct eye

contact may be interpreted as intimidating

► It is common for people to nod during

conversation, to indicate that they are listening

► Displaying intense emotion is usually avoided in

Japanese communication
Gestures

“Me” “Come here” Asking for a favor

“No” “No, no” Asking for the bill

Or “not at all” “Check, please!”
 Etiquette
► An important concept that informs etiquette in Japan is
hospitality, the quality of being thoughtful and
considerate of others

► To indicate politeness, two common phrases used are

“Gomennasai” and “Sumimasen”

► Punctuality is extremely valued in Japan

► People usually walk on the left side of a path,

especially in busy areas

► Proper etiquette is to give and receive a gift with

both hands

► It is common in Japan for people to wear face mask

Etiquette when eating
► Traditionally, meals begin with the statement “Itadakimasu”, which
literally means “I humbly receive”

► Once a meal is complete, a common phrase stated is “Gochisousama

deshita”, which is generally understood as a statement of gratitude
for the effort and the expense of the meal.

► The most honoured guest or highest-ranked person eats first

► It is highly inappropriate to stick chopsticks into food, especially

into a bowl of rice

► Food is never passed directly from one person’s chopsticks to

another

► When drinking alcoholic beverages, people serve each other instead

of pouring their own drink
 Other considerations
► Various numbers hold superstitious connotations
in Japan

► Tattoos have a historical association with criminal

activity in Japan

► Cigarette smoking is a common habit in Japan, but

indoor smoking is unregulated

► Japanese women tend to be hyper-sexualised in

certain forms of pop culture and entertainment
Business meetings
► Everyone is expected to be on time for meetings and
appointments

► When meeting a business partner for the first time, it

is polite to use formal titles

► Business cards are usually offered when first

meeting someone

► It is respectful to greet everyone in the room

individually

► It is common for hosts to indicate to guests where to

sit

► It is common for the host to give a quick speech

greeting everyone before discussing the topic of
business.
 Making decisions

► Patience is critical during negotiations

► Consensus is foundational in Japanese business

culture

► The role of a manager or leader is often as a

facilitator of building consensus

► Hierarchy plays an important role in the consensus

building process. The leader is expected to have one-
on-one discussions with each member of the
decision making group

► In Japanese business culture, employees are

generally not expected to attempt to solve a problem
themselves. Rather, they follow the process
sometimes referred to as horenso
Other considerations
► Building and maintaining relationships are a
fundamental part of Japanese business culture.
People generally expect and desire long-lasting
partnerships

► Employees are often loyal to their organisations and

companies

► Japanese society often encourages a sense of light-

hearted competitiveness between groups

► Many Japanese employees will continue to work if

their colleagues are
 Covid situation: 5,000 people can enter Japan per
day for non-tourism purposes.

In the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Japan

shifts towards a more assertive foreign policy.

Current Tokyo has joined Europe and the United States in

events sanctioning Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

Celebrations and events:

13th - 27th March: Sumo Tournament (Osaka)
21st March: Spring Equinox Day
Late March – April: Cherry Blossoms.
 Bibliography
Country Comparison. (n.d.). Retrieved from Hofstede Insights:
https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-comparison/japan,romania/
Japan. (2022, March 13). Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan
Japanese Culture. (2022). Retrieved from Cultural Atlas: https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/japanese-culture
Japanese Holidays and Celebrations. (2021, September 1). Retrieved from Takelessons:
https://takelessons.com/blog/japanese-holidays-z05
Japanese Mythology: Ancient Myths and Legends. (2020, March 9). Retrieved from Takelessons:
https://takelessons.com/blog/japanese-mythology-z05
Japanese Urban Legends. (2021, October 12). Retrieved from Japantravel:
https://en.japantravel.com/article/japanese-urban-legends/67903
The regions of Japan and what makes each unique. (2018, October 3). Retrieved from Go! Go! Nihon:
https://gogonihon.com/en/blog/regions-of-japan-what-makes-each-unique/
Japanese Expressions That You Need to Know. (n.d.). Retrieved from FluentU:
https://www.fluentu.com/blog/japanese/japanese-expressions/
Interesting Facts about Japanese School System. (2015, March 11). Retrieved from Novak Djokovic
Foundation: https://novakdjokovicfoundation.org/interesting-facts-about-japanese-school-system/

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Verdeț Daria-Olivia
daria.verdet@student.upt.ro