The Japanese Way : Aspects of Behavior, Attitudes, and Customs of the Japanese

by Noriko Takada, Rita L. Lampkin

A handy guide to understanding how people from every corner of Japan think, do business, and act in their daily lives

Organized alphabetically for east of use, "The Japanese Way" is an indispensable reference to the common as well as the divergent cultural traits of the Japanese. Included are 89 key traits, representing the values of a people who have been described as "enigmatic," "mysterious," "inscrutable," and even "unknowable." "The Japanese Way" provides an explanation of the varied ways in which these people celebrated holidays, interact with one another, resolve daily problems, view and deal with the outside world---as welll as illuminating the rich and varied historical traditions that have shaped the modern culture of Asia's most progressive nation.

Complete with a bibliography and index, "The Japanese Way"provides keen insights into the rich variety of customs and attitudes found among the Japanese people. Whether you are interested in Japan as a student, tourist or business traveler, this book will help you break the culture barrier--and appreciate the Japanese way.

Genres: Nonfiction, Japan, Travel, Reference, Business

112 pages, Paperback

First published November 11, 1996

Reviews

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice little reference book for the traveler to Japan. It contains many brief tips on Japanese customs, lifestyle, and language. It also covers what is considered good manners in Japan.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read and re-read this book because it is short, sweet, and has a lot of good tidbits. While is only contains particular facts (the reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5), it's useful for things that most people wouldn't think of and is good for travel because it's small. I'm now rereading it for the third time, and I'm still coming across things I would forget which are really handy. :)

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the book my company gave us to read before we came here. It was full of useful information, but definitely gave me the impression that all Japanese people were the same. I think they would have been better off to give the culture a more well-rounded description.

[Nathalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book before I went to Japan. I don't believe that just one book can sum up a whole culture, but it gives one an insight in a whole different culture. I found it interesting, amusing and it was very easy to follow. I really liked this book and I do recommend it!

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

A freebie from the new job and a basic introduction to Japanese culture. Interesting, but too short.

[Sofie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining and informative

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Succinct and easy to absorb. Lots of information that is both useful if you're traveling to Japan, and interesting if you're just interested in knowing more about Japan.

I particularly liked that the book was divided by topic with numbered headers, and each topic was just a paragraph or two. This made it very easy to digest, and also easy to read as a pocket book for when I have a few minutes of time here and there but not enough time to sit and commit prolonged attention. It also made it easy to go back and find something again.

Feels somewhat dated but it IS a 30-year-old book so that's to be expected. Much of it is still very relevant and correct according to my own experience traveling to Japan, while it seems a few aspects may have evolved a bit in the several decades since publication.

[Patricia English · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good introduction into what you need to know if you were to go to Japan. Customs, flags, parks, flowers, etiquette,Holidays, measurements and so much more.Really great book, oh and of course the general pronunciations of the language.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a nice book to read.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many bites of info. Quick read