EMH-005
The two most important differences of the behavior between Japanese and American are the way they explain themselves and their approach to problem solving.
For example, Japanese prefer to use circumstantial backgrounding to explain themselves, while Americans generally relies on pointing out the facts and giving examples to explain themselves. This difference leads to a lot of misunderstanding between the two different cultures. For example, Japanese normally don’t directly say what they think unless they are being asked to do so. On the other hand, it is very common for Americans to express themselves without being prompted. This difference can make Japanese feel that the Americans are being too straightforward and Americans misinterpret the Japanese for not speaking up to them and keeping their thoughts to themselves. When the Americans keep asking the Japanese to explain their thought, the Japanese feel irritated because they feel that they are being treated like children and the Americans feel impatient because they don’t understand why the Japanese doesn’t speak up unless they are told to do so.
Here is another example in concerning of the differences in the way they approach solving problems. Japanese prefer to have a consensus in their thought and will try to see everyone's interests and opinion to find out the most suitable solution for everybody. Americans, on the other hand, prefers to take decisions by voting and get the majority of the opinions to make decisions. This is because Japanese culture stresses on group harmony and equality that leads Japanese peoples to take the consensus approach to problem solving. Americans, on the other hand, prefers to have the people decide on their own and it is natural for them to take the vote approach to solving problems. This differences brings about a lot of unnecessary tension between the two cultures. For example, when the Japanese approach something with consensus, the Americans believe that the Japanese are wasting their time on unnecessary things, and the Japanese believes that Americans are not doing their rational thinking but rather more like making snap decisions.
At the end of the day, both cultures do not deserve to be judged here, as both of them have their own ways of doing things and it is very important for them to be mindful of their differences and try to grasp their different cultures when they are doing something together.
2020年5月17日
英語字幕
中国語字幕
日本語字幕
フランス語字幕
