Davies Roger J., Ikeno Osamu (ed.) The Japanese Mind: Understanding Contemporary Japanese Culture

Tuttle, 2002. — vii, 204 p. — ISBN: 0-8048-3295-1.In The Japanese Mind, Roger Davies offers Westerners an invaluable key to the unique aspects of Japanese culture.Readers of this book will gain a clear understanding of what makes the Japanese, and their society, tick. Among the topics explored: aimai (ambiguity), amae (dependence upon others' benevolence), amakudari (the nation's descent from heaven), chinmoku(silence in communication), gambari (perseverance), giri (social obligation), haragei(literally, "belly art"; implicit, unspoken communication), kenkyo (the appearance of modesty), sempai-kohai (seniority), wabi-sabi (simplicity and elegance), and zoto (gift giving), as well as discussions of child-rearing, personal space, and the roles of women in Japanese society. It includes discussion topics and questions after each chapter.All in all, this book is an easy-to-use introduction to the distinguishing characteristics of Japanese society; an invaluable resource for anyone — business people, travelers, or students — perfect for course adoption, but also for anyone interested in Japanese culture.Aimai: Ambiguity and the Japanese
Amae: The Concept of Japanese Dependence
Amakudari: Descent from Heaven
Bigaku: The Japanese Sense of Beauty
Bushidō: The Way of the Warrior
Chinmoku: Silence in Japanese Communication
Danjyo Kankei : Male and Female Relationships in Japan
The Dō Spirit of Japan
Gambari: Japanese Patience and Determination
Giri: Japanese Social Obligations
Haragei: An Implicit Way of Communicating in Japan
Hedataru to Najimu : Japanese Personal Space
Honne to Tatemae : Private vs. Public Stance in Japan
The Japanese Ie System
Iitoko-Dori: Adopting Elements of Foreign Culture
Ikuji: Childrearing Practices in Japan
Kenkyo: The Japanese Virtue of Modesty
Kisetsu: The Japanese Sense of the Seasons
Nemawashi: Laying the Groundwork in Japan
Omiai: Arranged Marriage in Japan
Otogibanashi: Folktales of Japan
Ryōsaikenbo — “Good Wives and Wise Mothers”: The Social Expectations of Women in Japan
Sempai-Kōhai: Seniority Rules in Japanese Relations
Shūdan Ishiki : Japanese Group Consciousness
Sōshiki: Japanese Funerals
Uchi to Soto : Dual Meanings in Japanese Human Relations
Wabi-Sabi: Simplicity and Elegance as Japanese Ideals of Beauty
Zōtō: The Japanese Custom of Gift Giving