When asked by a reporter about why the U.S. didn't share their Iran war plans with Japan, President Donald Trump said it was necessary for the element of surprise. The president followed this with a joke, saying, "Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Ok, why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor?"

“Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Ok, why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor?”

“You believe in surprise, much more so than us.”

  • tigeruppercut@lemmy.zipEnglish
    3·
    2 days ago

    Yeah, talking cultures broadly I agree, but the phrasing of how respect permeates “all aspects of daily life” sticks in my craw.

    There is a literal physical language and ettiquette to showing the proper amount of respect: If you do a very deep bow for something that only calls for a minor one, you’re basicslly acting like a kiss-ass, being overly dramatic. If you do a minor bow for a situation that calls for a deep bow, you’re being flippant, insulting, not taking things seriously.

    This isn’t really unique to Japan, except maybe for the fact that it manifests itself as a bow. If you owe someone a really big apology and you say “Yeah, oops” you’ll come off as flippant. If you minorly inconvenience someone and you say “I’m so deeply sorry for the grave harm I’ve done to you!” you sound insincere.

    • sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      2·
      2 days ago

      I mean, my point in saying its a literal physical form of etiquette that is systemitized is to … differentiate it from many other cultures, where its mostly just linguistic.

      Not too many other cultures have a whole system of physical manuevers that also comprise part of how respect is culturally conveyed.

      Microexpressions? Nah, this is a macroexpression.

      Tons of broader Japanese culture also has systemitized, physical rituals… essentially, complex dances, that either accompany or just literally are an actual ancient tradition.

      There is an extreme amount of emphasis on physical control of your own body, compared to other cultures I have interacted with, have studied.

      Of course, not everyone takes all of that so seriously, is so formal… culture changes over time and is never totally homogenous… Japan is also rather famous for its extremely expressive and distinctive fashion/lifestyle sub cultures.

      There is differentiation, but its… its sort of like the Overton window for etiquette is in a significantly different position as for many other cultures, if that makes sense.