Japanese people are very serious and are sometimes said to be polite and like working ants from the world. In addition, it is sometimes said that it is difficult to understand what you are thinking because the expression is difficult to read. Today I would like to introduce you to such Japanese expressions.
Don’t say what you think, don’t show up, avoid conflicts! Is this a Japanese national character?
My colleague, a foreigner who worked with me, and a friend who was from a foreign country and lived in Japan, complained that the Japanese expression was confusing. So what was it complicated for him?
What Nepalese friends were saying
I introduce him because he from Nepal said that the facial expression of the Japanese was confusing. That was when a Japanese staff member at the same workplace broke a glass with a drink and apologized. He hurriedly started to pick up the debris, and at that time he said, “I ’m sorry” to the staff and the customers around us. However, the expression was laughing at the mouth, and he wondered why he laughed apologizing.
To be sure, we sometimes apologize with a little laugh. It may be a laugh that comes out of the thought that “I am glad if you laugh without anger.” I’m Japanese but I’m worried …
English friends were saying the same thing!
Also, a friend from England said about Japanese facial expressions, “Japanese people don’t change their faces. Because there are few reactions and reactions, they often don’t know what they are thinking.” “It’s difficult to read emotions from facial expressions.”
There are many foreigners who feel that it is difficult to read these Japanese expressions.
Our Japanese faces are confusing!?
If you say that, I think it may be a little difficult to understand, but it is like Japanese aesthetics that no matter how difficult it is to understand, it is better not to express a facial expression. In other words, it may be a Japanese-specific sensation that makes various expressions with one expression as much as it does not appear on the face. That’s why it’s no wonder that foreigners can’t understand and find it difficult to read and understand their facial expressions.
However, this difference in the meaning of facial expressions can lead to miscommunication in business situations, and can cause the other party to feel uncomfortable without knowing manners or courtesy. It is better to be aware that even the facial expressions that Japanese people have taken for granted are unique to us.
Then, what should we be aware of as “an uncomfortable expression” from the perspective of foreigners?
Why my expression is easier to be understood?
I am often told by foreigners that it is easy to speak. I didn’t feel anything at first, but not only one person but a foreign friend told me the reason, so I asked why.
Face and feeling match
In my case, when I smile, I feel positive, and when I look down, I feel negative, so it looks the same as what I think, so it seems easy to understand and talk.
It is said that it is childish in Japan …
The easy-to-understand facial expressions tend to give the impression that Japanese people seem childish and are not very popular, and I have often thought that I failed. However, when we looked at international communication, the “intelligibility of facial expressions” was “ease of communication”.
“Easy to understand facial expressions” leads to “ease of communication” even if the other party is foreigner, Japanese, male or female it might be?
Making expressions easier to be understood might take some time
Even if it is easy to understand facial expressions, it will reduce the passing of communication, but it is not easy to make facial expressions easy to understand immediately.
I only have practice while looking at the mirror!
The point is to continue to practice smiling every day in the mirror. It seems that we humans use 14 of the more than 40 types of muscles on the face to create a “smile” facial expression. Therefore, the daily expression of smiles becomes softer by practicing smiles.
Conclusion
It seems that the reason why foreigners think about changing jobs is because of the difficulty in communicating with Japanese staff. At work, contact, consultation, and reporting are necessary, but if you don’t trust each other, even basic communication will not work.
Smile smiles
There are few people who want to quit the workplace where they can smile naturally. I think the same can be said for both foreigners and Japanese. Why don’t you start by reviewing your expression?
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