Business Communication Language Migration

Are Japanese people liars?

Japanese people have a curious characteristic in their communication.

There is something I would like to share with those who are interested in Japan.

It is often said that Japanese people "don't know what they are thinking".

Let me tell you about the cause of that saying!

"Honne and Tatemae (本音と建前)"

In Japanese communication, there is such a thing as "Honne(本音)" and "Tatemae(建前)".

"Honne" are real thoughts and feelings.

"Tatemae" is a lie that you tell to avoid hurting the other person.

Let's take a few examples.

・When the clothes you tried on at the clothing store didn't fit you.

Japanese shopkeepers do not talk about the fact that the design of the clothes does not suit them.

"You look great in that clothe! But I also recommend this clothe!"

They will use these expressions to recommend different clothes.

It is considered rude to speak negatively to customers who are coming to the store to shop.

For this reason, they will avoid direct expressions and recommend other clothes.

・When proposing a contract to a business partner.

If the contract is not to opponent liking, this is what you will be told.
"It was great! We will consider it positively. If I wish to sign the contract, I will contact you later."

If you are told this, you will not be able to sign the contract.

There is a reason why they refuse to sign such contracts.

When a person from the other company comes to company to sign a contract, he or she is spending time and money to visit.

In such a case, it would be pitiful to explicitly refuse the contract, so we use abstract expressions.

These are "Honne" and "Tatemae".

The interesting thing about this method of expression is that all Japanese people use these expressions on a daily basis with the understanding that the other person is lying.

If someone uses the expression gave as an example, guess their "Honne" and buy different clothes or offer a contract to another business partner.

There are many other "Honne" and "Tatemae" in Japan.

Understanding these communications is very difficult, and in some communications, even Japanese people can misunderstand each other.

What if you can't express "Tatemae"?

If you can't use "Tatemae" in your daily life or in business situations in Japan, don't worry.

As I mentioned earlier, Japanese people communicate with the understanding that "Tatemae" is a lie.

It's only a lie to avoid hurting the other person, so it's okay to tell them exactly how you feel and what you think.
However, when it comes to business situations, you need to be aware of the possibility of making serious mistakes.

Also, if you cannot use "Tatemae" for elderly people over 70 years old, they may get angry with you.

Japan is an island nation and has not always had a lot of interaction with other ethnic groups.

Today, about 95% of the people living in Japan are Japanese.

In modern times, with the increase in overseas travel, Japanese people are interacting with people from all over the world. However, elderly people who have not had many opportunities to interact with foreigners may encounter problems because they do not understand the differences in communication between Japan and other countries.

But don't worry, in most cases, you don't need to worry about it at all.

Useful Japanese phrases

You can learn useful and basic Japanese.

●本音 [honne]

　Meaning : True opinion

●建前 [tatemae]
　Meaning : Tatemae (This is no corresponding English words.)
●嘘 [uso]

　Meaning : Lie
●契約 [keiyaku]

　Meaning : Contract
●お年寄り [otoshiyori]
　Meaning : Elderly people

If there's any other Japanese you'd like to know, just ask in the comments or on Twitter（@The_ROJ）!