Influence of Culture on Communication Practices – Japanese Culture 

Influence of Culture on Communication Practices – Japanese Culture 

Underlying cultural values influence the communication patterns and practices of different cultures. These cultural patterns result from shared values, norms, beliefs, and social practices that remain constant over time. People from specific cultures have unique cultural identities and are expected to behave in a certain way to be accepted in their culture. Notably, these communication patterns are also aligned with Hofstede’s six cultural dimensions, including power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism/collectivism, masculinity/femininity, long-term/short-term orientation, and indulgence/restraint. Since these values are deeply engrained in people, it may lead to assumptions that the problem is the individual one is communicating with, a recipe for potential conflict. It is crucial to understand cross-cultural communication typologies to ensure seamless and effective intercultural communication.

Humility, Politeness, and Formality in Japanese Communication

The traditional Shinto religion, the oldest religion in Japan, is one of the biggest influences on communication patterns in Japan. Due to Shinto’s longevity, it has become interwoven into the Japanese culture. The underlying religious doctrines that have shaped Japanese culture and communication include purity, harmony, respect for family, and subordination of the individual before a group (Hara, 2003). These doctrines shape Japanese culture, and individuals are expected to align with its doctrines even if they do not profess the religion.

Shinto’s emphasis on harmony makes the Japanese avoid confrontational words while communicating and instead resort to indirect language and non-verbal communication cues (Hara, 2003). The Japanese believe they can live a good life by creating good relationships with others. In the same breath, the religion’s formality principle has influenced the Japanese people to observe etiquette while communicating. For instance, a Japanese will use titles like Mr. and Mrs. even in non-formal situations to show respect.

Consistently, Buddhism, introduced from China, influences Japan’s cultural communication aesthetics. Buddhism emphasizes humility, especially for older people and authoritative figures (Ghimire, 2022). As a result, communication practices such as bowing while addressing older people or apologizing are common among the Japanese. Also, Buddhism encourages mindfulness and presence, influencing the way the Japanese communicate with one another. For example, nodding while listening to others is practiced by the Japanese to show that they are listening to others.

The Preference for Silence as Communication

Silence, as a communicative feature, is common among the Japanese. For the Japanese, silence is not just the absence of sound but a culturally grounded communication feature. In most cases, the Japanese use silence to affirm something that may appear rude if said explicitly (Fuki, 2002). For instance, if someone asks a Japanese if they are angry, one may remain silent to affirm the statement. This practice is aligned with the traditional Japanese belief that truth is in the implicit rather than in the stated. Whereas other cultures, like Americans, like expressing lengthy words, the Japanese prefer silence. This practice can be attributed to the Japanese need to create harmony by avoiding confrontations.

Use of Hesitation and Pause

Pause and hesitation are also common communication features in Japanese culture. Pauses and hesitations occur in between one’s speech and conversations. One of the reasons why the Japanese hesitate while communicating is the need to focus on the current conversation (Fuki, 2002). Besides, when the topic of discussion shifts, it is common for Japanese speakers to pause in an attempt to verbalize new ideas (Fuki, 2002). These pauses and hesitations come in various forms, including lengthened continual sounds, complete silence, and the use of hesitation fillers. Common hesitation fillers used by the Japanese include a, ja, sa, ano, somo, and eto, among others.

The use of hesitation, as highlighted above, demonstrates politeness between a speaker and an interlocutor. Hesitation and pauses are commonly used by speakers when addressing senior individuals and those in authority, and this demonstrates the hierarchical nature of the Japanese culture due to high power distance as per Hofstede’s cultural dimensions (Fuki, 2002). For example, in a conversation between a teacher and a student, the student will hesitate to express respect to the teacher, who is their senior, as per the hierarchical structure.

Use of Laughter

Laughter is notable in conversations involving Japanese speakers. This communication feature involves regular laughs or smiles in between conversations, mostly coming before or after one completes a statement. One of the reasons the Japanese laugh often is to alleviate tension and create a positive impression (Fuki, 2002). In the same breath, the Japanese may use laughter to alleviate the shame characterized by certain social situations. For instance, a Japanese with limited English language abilities may laugh often before and after expressing an idea to control the shame accompanying limited English-speaking abilities. This communication practice is historic and deeply engrained in Japanese culture to the extent that most Japanese have adopted it as a custom that helps them alleviate tension.

One of the cultural reasons why the Japanese employ laughter in conversations often is because they attach too much importance to the sense of shame. Speakers employ laughter, wary of the shame that may occur if a listener interprets a message in a particular way (Nadiger et al., 2024). It goes a long way to express the fear of feeling awkward for having expressed themselves in a perceived awkward way. In most conversations, the Japanese use laughter to reduce embarrassment and as a self-defense mechanism.

Reading the Air

According to Kimura (2014), “reading the air” is a subtle communication practice deeply rooted in Japanese culture. It is a listening skill that helps the Japanese shape conversations based on their perception of those around them. It implies paying attention to the going-on-ins in the environment and discerning how to behave even when in unfamiliar situations. It is a highly respected communication skill in the culture because it indicates a sense of selflessness, courtesy, and maturity. “Reading the air” is mostly applicable to group settings. For example, if an individual makes proposals to a group but is met with silence, it is wise to abandon discussing the idea and involve smaller groups instead. This practice aligns with collectivism, a fundamental cultural practice according to Hofstede’s cultural insights into Japanese culture.

Conclusion

In summary, the history, values, and beliefs of a culture influence its communication patterns and practices. As shown above, the Japanese way of communication is deeply ingrained in its cultural practices, beliefs, and history. As indicated, Buddhism and the Shinto religious beliefs greatly influence Japanese communication patterns such as politeness, formality, and humility. Also, silence, a common communication practice among the Japanese, helps in avoiding confrontation, which is part of the Japanese culture. Further, pauses and hesitations during conversations and speeches are due to the high power distance in Japanese culture. On the other hand, laughter is used to ease tension since the Japanese attach a sense of importance to shame. Finally, “reading the air” aligns with collectivist values, and it is a sign of selflessness and mindfulness. Understanding communication practices rooted in culture is crucial since it can facilitate intercultural communication and alleviate conflicts.

References

Fuki, N. (2002). The role of cultural influences in Japanese communication: A literature review on social and situational factors and Japanese indirectness. https://www.kandagaigo.ac.jp/memorial/history/archive/post/files/pdf/14_06.pdf

Ghimire, H. L. (2022). Buddhist influences on Japanese culture and heritage. Journal of Japanese Studies: Exploring Multidisciplinarity, 1(2). https://doi.org/10.55156/jjsem.jul2210

Hara, K. (2003). Aspects of Shinto in Japanese communication. https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/file/05-Kazuya-Hara.pdf

Kimura, T. (2014, September 5). Keitai, blog, and Kuuki-wo-yomu (Read the atmosphere): Communicative ecology in Japanese society. In Ethnographic Praxis in Industry Conference Proceedings 2010, 199–215. https://www.epicpeople.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Ethnographic-Praxis-2010-KIMURA.pdf

Nadiger, A. S., Kumawat, S., Jindal, A., Mehta, R., Jain, N., & Jain, C. R. (2024). Subtle cues to explicit expressions: A cross-cultural examination of communication in Japan and the United States. International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, 5(3), 6064–6074. https://doi.org/10.55248/gengpi.5.0324.0910

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Japanese Culture

write a 1,000-1,250-word paper that connects specific cultural communication patterns or practices to the history, values, and beliefs of that culture. I attached my proposal with some citations feel free to use your own. Also attached the rubric