3 ms·
I'd say it's more cultural than linguistic. Pure politeness is as well present in French, but in Japan it's an aversion to openly and directly confront others.
by henearkr 5y ago
I'd say it's more cultural than linguistic.
Pure politeness is as well present in French, but in Japan it's an aversion to openly and directly confront others.
You don't have it in Osaka as much as in Tokyo or Kyoto (that's why I'd think it's not the language), and in Tokyo people are overly stressed by their work, commuting, and overpopulation in general, so they need to compensate it by an impressive spectrum of skills for passive agessivity (which is not really better).
Disclaimer of competing interests: I'm a French guy in Japan.
- Iv 5y agoYes, it is not about politeness, it is about conflict. In France, being frank is a quality, in Japan it is a mark of immaturity. Grown-ups are supposed to communicate their opinions implicitly. I stopped finding it "interesting and different" when I realized that it led to a LOT of miscommunications even among Japaneses and could end up ruin lives because of the unwillingness to point out even minor things. Happy to hear this is mostly a Tokyo thing (though it does extend to my coutryside in the Chiba peninsula)