Do Japanese facial expressions cause misunderstandings? - Specific examples of cultural differences in Non-verbal communication
今日は日本とアメリカの笑顔の違いについて見ていきましょう。日本とアメリカでは、人間関係の構築やビジネスを行う上で、表情をはじめとする非言語コミュニケーションに文化の違いがあり、誤解を生むことがあります。アメリカ人の表情は感情を表に出す傾向がありますが、日本人は控えめで、感情を自由に抑えるように訓練されています。集団主義や個人主義といった価値観など、文化的・環境的条件が表情や感情に影響を与え、異文化間の誤解の一因となっている。この記事では、これらの違いを理解することの重要性を強調しています。(English) Today, let's examine the differences between Japanese and American smiles. In Japan and the US, there are cultural differences in non-verbal communication, including facial expressions, that can lead to misunderstandings when building relationships or conducting business. American facial expressions tend to show emotions, while Japanese are more reserved and trained to suppress emotions freely. Cultural and environmental conditions, such as the values of collectivism and individualism, influence facial and emotional expressions and contribute to cross-cultural misunderstandings. This article highlights the importance of understanding these differences.
Do Japanese facial expressions cause misunderstandings? Specific examples of cultural differences in Non-verbal communication
//Summary//
A) In Japan and the US, there are cultural differences in non-verbal communication, including facial expressions, that can cause misunderstandings. These misunderstandings can occur when doing business or making friends across cultures. Therefore, understanding non-verbal communication can help build better relationships.
B) The US is a diverse country with many different types of Americans, and this article focuses on mainstream white Anglo-Saxons who are highly educated.
C) Facial expressions are essential in speeches and presentations and help convey emotions accurately. However, there are differences in facial expressions between Japan and the US, which can lead to misunderstandings. For example, the Japanese often smile even when sad or angry, which can convey a false message globally.
D) American facial expressions tend to show emotions, while Japanese facial expressions are more reserved and trained to suppress emotions freely. These differences can cause misunderstandings, with Americans perceiving the Japanese as numb and apathetic and perceiving Japanese Americans as childish and naive.
E) The difference in emotional expression between Japan and the US is due to cultural and geographical factors. For example, in Japan, collectivism and social harmony are valued in an overpopulated society. On the other hand, while the US is a big country, individualism is more common in a not-overpopulated country.
F) Social occasions also differ in the expression of joy. For example, Americans tend to restrain their joy in formal situations, while the Japanese are less restrained in expressing positive emotions like happiness and empathy.
G) Cultural and environmental conditions influence facial expressions and emotional expressions. This article provides a rough comparison but highlights that these differences play a significant role in cross-cultural misunderstandings.
***
A)
Did you know that Americans and Japanese have different facial expressions? Misunderstandings due to cultural differences are inevitable when doing business and making friends internationally.
Various factors cause these misunderstandings, but the main reason is a lack of understanding of non-verbal communication, such as facial expressions and gestures. In other words, if you can overcome this barrier, it will be easier to build a good relationship with your partner.
This time I would like to focus on cross-cultural misunderstandings caused by non-verbal communication, especially the differences in facial expressions between Japan and the United States, and explain why these misunderstandings occur and how to deal with them.
B)
The difficulty in discussing the differences between Japan and the United States is that the United States is very diverse and has many different types of Americans. The Americans I am referring to in this article are the so-called Mainstream white Anglo-Saxons who are highly educated.
C)
Misleading facial gestures that express subtle and complex emotions
Facial gestures and expressions are also crucial in speeches and presentations. To convey your message accurately and emotionally, your facial expressions must match the content of your words. Especially with the recent increase in online meetings, facial expressions are more persuasive than words.
However, the difference between Japan and the United States in this respect is not tiny. What the Japanese take for granted may be interpreted differently by Americans. For example, the nonsensical chuckle typical of the Japanese is called the Japanese smile and has become a hotbed of misunderstanding.
You smile all the time, contrary to your feelings, which Japanese people often do. Still, in order not to spoil the atmosphere of the place with a negative attitude, Japanese people keep smiling even when angry and disturb the harmony. So I try not to do that.
However, when you do this in a global setting, your true intentions and affection are not conveyed because your non-verbal and verbal messages do not match.
There are general differences, not just laughter, so let's examine them.
D)
Facial expressions: comparison between Japan and the USA
American facial expressions
Express your emotions freely and expressively. Whether it's a positive emotion, such as fun, happiness or empathy, or a negative emotion, such as sadness, express it equally. For example, in formal situations, politeness sometimes suppresses joy.
Japanese facial expressions
Although this has been changing rapidly recently, people are traditionally trained not to show their emotions from childhood. As a result, emotion, love and hate are consciously suppressed.
For example, a somewhat benevolent, neutral smile appears when discussing deep personal grief. However, many people give this neutral smile to any intense emotion. In particular, they tend to smile when angry, contemptuous, dissatisfied, disgusted or hated.
It is because suppressing emotional expression, predominantly negative emotional expression, is considered an adult, thoughtful and educated act for Japanese people.
The above differences lead to subsequent misunderstandings.
E)
Misunderstandings that arise
Japanese expressions of emotion as seen by Americans
Think of them as numb, apathetic and expressionless. Sometimes it feels like a strange contradiction. Misunderstood as lifeless and dull.
American expressions of emotion, as seen by the Japanese
He is childish, naive, misunderstood, poorly educated, and even looks vulgar.
If an American gives a speech or presentation to a Japanese person, the Japanese person may appear rough, rude, childish or ridiculous.
Conversely, if a Japanese person gives a speech or presentation to an American, the American will mistakenly think that the person lacks energy and has a low energy level. You might be perceived as cool-headed if you're talking about numbers matter-of-factly. However, depending on the content, it may be perceived as irresponsible remarks that lack enthusiasm, is someone else's business, and are inconsistent.
F)
What is the cultural and geographical background?
Why do the Japanese suppress their emotions?
The behaviour of Japanese people who are reserved, modest and less assertive (of course, there are individual differences but in general) is as follows.
The Japanese are very emotional people.
Overpopulated societies force collectivism.
Society as a whole values harmony between people above all else.
It may be a natural consequence of social and cultural aspects.
The Americans, on the other hand, are:
A large country with few people
have the luxury of individualism
As a result, social harmony can naturally be maintained without much self-control.
It is believed that such a difference in the background leads to a difference in methods of facial expression.
Although it cannot be denied that the above is a rather rough classification, I feel that the influence of these geographical and environmental conditions is excellent.
G)
Differences in parties and social occasions
In addition, I would like to turn my attention to social occasions that express joy, referring to "Comparative Culture of Gestures: A Comparison of Gestures in Japan and England" by Reija Brosnahan.
In general, Americans try to restrain their joy as a matter of courtesy in situations perceived as formal. However, the Japanese are often less restrained than Americans regarding positive emotions such as fun, happiness and empathy.
According to Brosnahan, "the Japanese believe that there is no such thing as too good to be true when it comes to expressing these feelings in public", and at least "in any formal situation, the expression of joy exceeds the standards of the English".
There is a misunderstanding here on both sides.
Japanese saw by Americans.
From beginning to end, he seems to be giggling. I think it's because I'm irritated, tense and stressed.
The Japanese saw Americans.
It seems like I'm suppressing myself because I'm not laughing anymore. I interpret it as something unsatisfactory and unhappy.
When I think about these differences, a scene suddenly comes to mind. It's a reception party after a big meeting or something. Japanese people tend to make a lot of noise, but Americans tend to chat quietly. There are individual differences, of course, but I think many people share the general impression.
To avoid misunderstandings between the two parties, it would be good if the Japanese could explain to the Americans that "we are just adding some excitement to the fun that is appropriate for such a place".
I also think it would be good for Americans to tell the Japanese that they don't feel unsatisfied. Japanese people suspect that Americans don't have fun when they're together and that "the English people's expression of satisfaction doesn't meet Japanese standards under the circumstances".
H)
Speech and presentation preparation
The above explanations vary from person to person and tend to be stereotyped, so be careful. However, if you don't have much information about the other person or are meeting them for the first time, it will be helpful as a way of looking at them and as an index.
(1)When a Japanese gives a presentation to an American, provide the cultural and geographical context and explain why.
(2) Happiness is joy, sadness is sadness, and practice expressing it honestly on your face. It's OK if you think it's a bit exaggerated.
For (1), it is good to create such an opportunity deliberately or for the moderator to explain on occasion.
For (2), it is essential to rehearse before the presentation. Habits built up over the years are not easily cured. It takes a lot of effort.
I still do it myself when I let my guard down for the so-called "Japanese smile". Smile even when you're sad or angry. I've realised this myself recently, but when I first came to the United States, I wondered, "Why is this person laughing when he talks about disasters? There were many times when I let myself be hugged.
When an American gives a presentation to a Japanese
Japanese interpretation results from many years of experience, so I sometimes feel that American speeches are rude, even if I understand them. Therefore, it would be a good idea to openly communicate the difference in perception between Japan and the United States to Americans and Japanese in advance. The moderator can explain the difference before the meeting begins, or you can define the difference in advance by sharing your own experience of failure before the presentation.
When the Japanese moderator or the American speaker introduces himself, he says, "You may be mistaken for being childish, superficial and poorly educated, but in truth, I (he) am never that kind of person. There is no such thing. If you exaggerate it a little, it can be a kind of joke that lightens the atmosphere so that it can be a surprisingly good idea.
Japanese facial expressions cause misunderstandings? ! Specific examples of cultural differences in Non-verbal communication
https://natsuyo-speech.media/cultural-differences/facialexpressiondifference/
*<|:-) ← What does this emoticon mean? Christmas hint.
https://www.kk-bestsellers.com/articles/-/9899/1/
Have you ever heard the words "low context" and "high context"?
https://wordwise.co.jp/topics/high-context-culture-vs-low-context-culture
When we talk about a high-context culture, we are talking about a culture with common concepts that everyone understands without having to say so. On the other hand, a low-context culture is "a culture in which people have so little shared knowledge and experience that even things that seem obvious cannot be understood without explicit explanation".
In "high-context," the listener does not talk about things in conversation that are (or should be) understood, even if they do not need to be said. In "low-context," on the other hand, the conversation tends to be extended because it is assumed that the listener does not know anything except what the speaker does not say. The "You don't have to say it, do you?" that works in high-context societies doesn't work at all in low-context ones.
Typical examples of high-context cultures are Japan, Korea, China, the Arab world, Italy, Greece and Russia. On the other hand, the USA, Germany, Switzerland and Scandinavia (e.g. Iceland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark) are considered low-context cultures. Low-context cultures are characterised by the coexistence of many people from different backgrounds, while high-context cultures tend to be mono-ethnic.