Ask Japanese – SoraNews24 —Japan News— https://soranews24.com Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today. Mon, 19 Sep 2016 14:00:04 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.4 https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/05/en_rocket_1024.png?w=32 Ask Japanese – SoraNews24 —Japan News— https://soranews24.com 32 32 176746664 Honne vs Tatemae: When do Japanese people lie and when do they reveal their true feelings? https://soranews24.com/2016/09/19/honne-vs-tatemae-when-do-japanese-people-lie-and-when-do-they-reveal-their-true-feelings/ https://soranews24.com/2016/09/19/honne-vs-tatemae-when-do-japanese-people-lie-and-when-do-they-reveal-their-true-feelings/#comments Mon, 19 Sep 2016 14:00:01 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=345723 
People on the street in Japan explain the reasons why they sometimes have to tell white lies in social situations.
YouTube channel Ask Japanese has produced a number of videos featuring people on the streets of Japan over the past year, asking them to reveal their thoughts on a number of curious topics, including ideal Japanese body types and what foreign tourists take photos of with their mobile phones. This time they’re tackling the complex issues of honne and tatemae, two main pillars of social etiquette which dictate the way people relate to each other in Japanese society, where harmony of the group is considered to be far more important then the desires of the individual.
▼ Take a look at some explanations of honne and tatemae in the video below.
Honne, which translates to “real intention” in Japanese, is mostly used with close family members and select friends and rarely revealed in formal social or professional settings, given that the true thoughts and desires of an individual person are far less important than the “wa”, or harmony of the group. This is particularly true if you’re not in a senior position, and it’s the reason why people refrain from voicing their opinions in meetings that can go on for hours, and why they ignore their personal desires to instead “ganbaru”, or persevere, with tough situations and requests despite not really having the time nor the inclination to do so.
Whereas honne relates to the feelings and actions you conceal when interacting in a group, tatemae, which translates to “face” or “public position”, relates to the things you say and do while interacting with others, in order to make people happy and create a good time for everyone involved.
Flattery and humility are vital components of tatemae, which explains why people are quick to heap praise on foreigners who can barely hold two chopsticks together, and why a master of a craft or skill will refuse to receive compliments, no matter how much immense talent they might possess.
While some people might look on these “white lies” as a form of dishonesty, for Japanese people, it’s simply a way to honour and respect the social standing of others while maintaining group equilibrium.
While the concepts of honne and tatemae might seem difficult at first to understand, this video does a good job of exploring the topic with the help of Japanese people, who admit that it can be difficult even for them to understand! To find out more about what people in Japan think about other interesting issues, check out the Ask Japanese YouTube channel for more videos!
Source: YouTube/Ask Japanese
Top Image: YouTube/Ask Japanese
Screenshots: YouTube/Ask Japanese
]]> https://soranews24.com/2016/09/19/honne-vs-tatemae-when-do-japanese-people-lie-and-when-do-they-reveal-their-true-feelings/feed/ 0 345723 screen-shot-2016-09-18-at-3-21-38-pm screen-shot-2016-09-18-at-3-21-38-pm screen-shot-2016-09-18-at-3-24-08-pm screen-shot-2016-09-18-at-3-22-08-pm screen-shot-2016-09-18-at-2-37-51-pm screen-shot-2016-09-18-at-3-22-56-pm Are Japanese people shy? Or is their politeness getting a little lost in translation?【Video】 https://soranews24.com/2016/09/02/are-japanese-people-shy-or-is-their-politeness-getting-a-little-lost-in-translation%e3%80%90video%e3%80%91/ https://soranews24.com/2016/09/02/are-japanese-people-shy-or-is-their-politeness-getting-a-little-lost-in-translation%e3%80%90video%e3%80%91/#comments Fri, 02 Sep 2016 10:00:52 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=342368 
The only way to find out is to ask a random sampling of travelers on the streets!
Some of the best ways to get some honest opinions is to ask a random stranger what they think. YouTube channel Ask Japanese has asked strangers on the street some pretty interesting questions like what they thought about Japanese men, and they just released a new video asking foreigners if they think Japanese people are shy or not.
It’s a little hard to get a definitive answer to the question given how little interaction some of the people seem to have had with Japanese people during their stay. But their responses may be a result of the way the question is asked leading to people answering in a certain way.
A lot of people point to the perceived language barrier as one possibility for why Japanese people have the stereotype of being shy. However, a lot of the people interviewed don’t feel that the stereotype is warranted. They believe it’s a by-product of the kindness and politeness that some Japanese people show.
While not mentioned in the video, perhaps one possibility is that the politeness is hiding the shyness of a lot of people. While a some may not feel confident when interacting with strangers or foreigners, the simple fact that it would be rude to ignore someone forces them to overcome their shy feelings.
Whether or not foreigners feel that the shy stereotype is warranted, each individual Japanese person should be judged on their own. Like any group of people, every person is going to bring their own personal flavor. What about your experiences? Would you consider the Japanese people you have talked to or met to be shy? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to check out more interesting videos from Ask Japanese on their YouTube page.
Source & images: YouTube/Ask Japanese
]]> https://soranews24.com/2016/09/02/are-japanese-people-shy-or-is-their-politeness-getting-a-little-lost-in-translation%e3%80%90video%e3%80%91/feed/ 0 342368 shy 4 shy 4 shy 2 shy 3 Foreigners reveal photos they take of Japan on their phones while on holiday https://soranews24.com/2016/06/27/foreigners-reveal-photos-they-take-of-japan-on-their-phones-while-on-holiday/ https://soranews24.com/2016/06/27/foreigners-reveal-photos-they-take-of-japan-on-their-phones-while-on-holiday/#comments Mon, 27 Jun 2016 05:00:52 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=328955 
From whacky, head-scratching sights to mysterious places of exotic beauty, this video clip reveals Japan through the eyes of travelling foreigners.
When it comes to finding out more about life in Japan, online webcaster Wao!Ryu, whose name translates to “Wow!Trend”, has been entertaining English-speaking audiences with a number of YouTube channels devoted to Japanese subcultures, addressing everything from games to makeup and anime. Their “Ask Japanese” channel is dedicated to the word on the street, as passers-by in Tokyo are asked to give their opinions on all sorts of topics like women’s ideal body types and what kind of women Japanese men go for. Now, they’re asking foreigners to reveal fun photos they’ve taken of Japan with their mobile phones, and the pictures, along with the stories that accompany them, reveal some of the things that can catch the eye on a visit to the country.
▼ One traveller revealed a serene picture of a cat sitting by a shrine.
▼ While another shared a picture from a trip to Miyajima and the famous red torii gate on a rainy day.
▼ And then there are these visitors, who visited a cute and crazy shop with “naked Barbies all across the back wall…”
Whether it’s a well-known tourist spot or a tiny detail on a shop shelf, these visitors and their tales of adventure in Japan make us want to set out and see everything the country has to offer! To see more pictures of Japan taken by foreigners, check out the full video below.
Source: PR Times
Top Image: YouTube/Ask Japanese
Screenshots: YouTube/Ask Japanese
]]> https://soranews24.com/2016/06/27/foreigners-reveal-photos-they-take-of-japan-on-their-phones-while-on-holiday/feed/ 0 328955 Screen Shot 2016-06-25 at 4.39.29 PM Screen Shot 2016-06-25 at 4.39.29 PM Screen Shot 2016-06-25 at 4.45.05 PM Screen Shot 2016-06-25 at 4.38.53 PM Screen Shot 2016-06-25 at 4.54.55 PM Screen Shot 2016-06-25 at 4.40.51 PM Foreign tourists share their impressions of Japanese men【Video】 https://soranews24.com/2016/04/13/foreign-tourists-in-japan-share-their-impressions-of-japanese-men%e3%80%90video%e3%80%91/ https://soranews24.com/2016/04/13/foreign-tourists-in-japan-share-their-impressions-of-japanese-men%e3%80%90video%e3%80%91/#comments Wed, 13 Apr 2016 13:00:26 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=314783 
YouTube channel Ask Japanese is flipping the script and asking foreigners what they think about the men they see around them. Find out if you agree with their observations!
We all love to hear what Japanese people have to say when they’re asked candid questions, and Ask Japanese has already addressed issues such as women’s ideal body types and what kind of women Japanese men go for. But this time around, the street interview experts are focusing on a different pool of people as they ask foreigners in Japan what they think about the Japanese men they see around them.
Since they appear to be in a pretty metropolitan area (it looks like Shibuya), a lot of Japanese men are dressed for work and the multitude of suited men is not lost on a lot of people.
However, one thing is very clear: the sense of style and class that Japanese men and boys have is something foreigners have definitely picked up on.
Although their hairstyles were getting both positive and negative comments.
Plenty of respondents also remarked on the fact that men in Japan always appear to be in a rush, but are still very gentlemanly and kind.
One person even noted that Japanese men seemed more “peaceful”, in that he felt they go about their daily business quietly and without making a fuss, which was different from in his home country.
Did these opinions match up with the way you see Japanese men? Those of you who have visited the country might have been nodding your head throughout the video, but surprisingly, even if your only frame of reference is through TV dramas or anime and manga, you’d still see a lot men just like the ones they were describing.
Be sure to check out more of Ask Japanese’s candid videos with Japanese and foreigner responses over on their YouTube channel.
Source & screenshots: YouTube/Ask Japanese
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