New Japan: Debunking Seven Cultural Stereotypes

by David Matsumoto, Intercultural Press

The New Japan by David Matsumoto sets out to describe the anxiety and unrest that plague current Japanese society, the rift between the older, more traditional generations and the younger, more cosmopolitan and Westernized generations. The author draws upon a wealth pf Japanese and Western sources to compile a thourough exploration of both classis and contemporary views of Japanese culture.Citing academic studies and surveys, Matsumoto debunks seven common stereotypes of Japanese collectivism, consciousness of others, perceptions of self, emotionality, the salaryman, education and lifetime employment, and marriage. Matsumoto also explores the reasons behimnd tumultous upheavals, the meaning of the shifting cultural patterns in the workplace, education, sports, and everyday life.ContentsFigures and TablesAcknowledgmentsForeword1 Japanese Culture, Past and Present2 Seven Stereotypes about Japanese Culture and Their Reality3 Why Did Japanese Culture Change?4 The Meaning of Changing Japanese Culture in Everyday Life5 Visions of a New Japan in the FutureAppendixReferencesIndex

Genres: Japan, Nonfiction, Japanese Literature

236 pages, Hardcover

First published March 2, 2002

About the author

David Matsumoto (born August 2, 1959) is an author, psychologist and judoka. His areas of expertise include culture, emotion, facial expressions, nonverbal behavior and microexpressions. He has published over 400 articles, manuscripts, book chapters and books on these subjects. Matsumoto is a professor at San Francisco State University and also the director of Humintell - a company that provides "unique training in the fields of facial expression of emotion, nonverbal behavior, detecting deception and cultural adaptation." In addition, he is an 8th degree black belt in judo and the founder and program advisor of the East Bay Judo Institute in El Cerrito, California. He was most recently inducted into the 2021 United States Judo Federation (USJF) Hall of Fame which acknowledges outstanding judoka who have made significant contributions to the sport of judo.

Reviews

[Michael Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every social, business, and travel guide you read regarding Japan, and most of the fiction written in this country with a Japanese setting, perpetuates certain stereotypes about the Japanese people and their culture: They’re collectivist in their basic psychology, not individualistic, preferring consensus to majority rule and trying not to stand out in the crowd; they think of themselves as interdependent rather than independent, which has most of the same historical roots and social effects; they’re highly interpersonal, considering others before themselves in decision-making, again for the same reasons and with the same effects; they’re “inscrutable,” meaning they suppress their emotions in the company of others, smiling and maintaining an appearance of dignity even in the most uncomfortable circumstances; the Japanese “salaryman” expects lifetime employment by his company, giving absolute and enthusiastic loyalty in return, even to the point of almost never seeing his family because his social relationships even after working hours are all with his colleagues (this has an enormous effect on the educational system, too); and the man is the master in his marriage, expecting obedience and support from wife and children, while the wife runs the house and manages the finances (and divorce is to be avoided at all costs). And not only have these long been the key Japanese attributes as seen by outsiders, this is also how Japanese have seen themselves, and how they still prefer to.

Drawing on decades of social-psychology studies and scientific surveys, Matsumoto convincingly shows that, while these stereotypes were true in the past, even up into the economic boom days of the 1970s and even the 1980s, they are all absolutely inaccurate in describing Japan at the beginning of the 21st century. This is true to some extent all across society, but overwhelmingly so in the younger generations. Younger Japanese, especially, are more individualist and less collectivist than Americans. Employees are more in more in favor of pay and advancement based on ability, not merely seniority, and lifetime employment is very much a thing of the past. Young people no longer suppress their emotions and have rejected arranged marriages in favor of marriage-for-love. Because they are far more individualistic than previous generations, younger Japanese are also far more likely to commit violent crimes; the “shame culture” is also rapidly becoming a thing of the past. In other words, any outsider who lived in Japan even in 1990 would find a greatly changed country and culture if he returned there today. This book ought to be required reading for any novelist setting a story in Japan, for all writers of travel books, and for thoughtful Japanese themselves.