70 Japanese Gestures

Culture

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A word from the author:

In 2005, Japan became the world's pioneer in shrinking-population socioeconomics. It became the first large industrialized nation to experience a population decline as a result of natural causes. Continuing population growth has been an automatic assumption in economics for as long as anyone can remember, and the implications of population shrink-age are huge and far-reaching. Japan's economic and social systems-holdovers from an era of continuing population expansion - will become dysfunctional in the era of population shrinkage. The new demographic realities will force a thorough revamping of those systems.

70 Japanese Gestures, by Hamiru-aqui, covers the gamut of hand gestures and body language crucial to surviving your business trip to Japan. This book teaches readers to impress their Japanese counterparts with their cultural savvy, understand unspoken gestures in negotiation and everyday communication, and to avoid cultural faux pas.

One of the most common complaints about doing business with the Japanese is dealing with the language barrier. By learning to communicate without words, one gains the upper hand on competition by making the Japanese feel at ease doing business with you, because they understand you.

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Shrinking-Population Economics –
Lessons from Japan: What a Shrinking Population Really Means

Culture

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A word from the author:

In 2005, Japan became the world's pioneer in shrinking-population socioeconomics. It became the first large industrialized nation to experience a population decline as a result of natural causes. Continuing population growth has been an automatic assumption in economics for as long as anyone can remember, and the implications of population shrink-age are huge and far-reaching. Japan's economic and social systems-holdovers from an era of continuing population expansion - will become dysfunctional in the era of population shrinkage. The new demographic realities will force a thorough revamping of those systems.

The shift from population growth to population shrinkage is a transition of epochal proportions. Japan is entirely capable of coping with that transition, however, as long as it adopts sound policies.

I published this work in 2004 to air some policy proposals for Japan. Population shrinkage will also occur in Europe, in the Americas, and in Asian nations besides Japan in the years and decades ahead. Coping with the profound implications of demographic change will require a massive, long-term reworking of socioeconomic infrastructure. I hope that this work will be of value beyond Japan in shedding light on the issues at hand and in highlighting realistic policy options.

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Shutting out the Sun

Culture

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The world’s second-wealthiest country, Japan once seemed poised to overtake America. But its failure to recover from the economic collapse of the early 1990s was unprecedented, and today it confronts an array of disturbing social trends. Japan has the highest suicide rate and lowest birthrate of all industrialized countries, and a rising incidence of untreated cases of depression. Equally as troubling are the more than one million young men who shut themselves in their rooms, withdrawing from society, and the growing numbers of “parasite singles,” the name given to single women who refuse to leave home, marry, or bear children.

In Shutting Out the Sun, Michael Zielenziger argues that Japan’s rigid, tradition-steeped society, its aversion to change, and its distrust of individuality and the expression of self are stifling economic revival, political reform, and social evolution. Giving a human face to the country’s malaise, Zielenziger explains how these constraints have driven intelligent, creative young men to become modern-day hermits. At the same time, young women, better educated than their mothers and earning high salaries, are rejecting the traditional path to marriage and motherhood, preferring to spend their money on luxury goods and travel.

Smart, unconventional, and politically controversial, Shutting Out the Sun is a bold explanation of Japan’s stagnation and its implications for the rest of the world.

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Plastic Culture: How Japanese Toys Conquered the World

Culture

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Plastic Culture explores the world of toys: why we love them, what they represent, and why there is a growing market for "designer" and "art" toys aimed at adults.

In this book, British author Woodrow Phoenix takes a look at our relationship to toys in the twenty-first century, with particular reference to Japan—an exporter of both merchandise and ideas. Plastic toys based on Japanese comics, movies, and TV shows, from Astro Boy, Godzilla, and Gatchaman, to Power Rangers, Sailor Moon, and Pokémon have had a powerful effect on the imaginations and markets of the West, and have kick-started trends in design and pop culture that have crossed from Japan to the West and back East again.

Brimming with lavish, full-color illustrations of cult and limited-edition toys, and with an in-depth look at the work of Japanese artists Takashi Murakami and Yoshitomo Nara, Hong Kong trendsetters Eric So and Michael Lau, and many other leading players in the world of designer toys, this is a book that will appeal to a wide range of readers: from those interested in the latest trends in contemporary art, to toy collectors, and to anyone with an interest in Japan's influence on contemporary pop culture.

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The Haiku Apprentice: Memoirs of Writing Poetry in Japan

Culture

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Abigail Friedman was an American diplomat in Tokyo, not a writer. A chance encounter leads her to a haiku group, where she discovers poetry that anyone can enjoy writing. Her teacher and fellow haiku group members instruct her in seasonal flora and fauna, and gradually she learns to describe the world in plain words, becoming one of the millions in Japan who lead a haiku life. This is the author's story of her literary and cultural voyage, and more: it is an invitation to readers to form their own neighborhood haiku groups and, like her, learn to see the world anew.

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The Japan Journals, 1947-2004

Culture

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The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Film

Culture

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The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Film offers a groundbreaking and gap-filling insight into the inner workings of the industry and the leading creative minds that have made Japan such a cinematic talking point. From the exuberant excesses of Takashi Miike, via the gangster cool of Takeshi Kitano and the atmospheric horror of Hideo Nakata, to the restrained humanism of Hirokazu Kore-eda, this brand new book shines a revealing light on the many fascinating aspects of Japanese film.

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The Way of Taiko

Culture

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Taiko drumming is an ancient sacred practice in Japan, originally used to drive away pests from rice fields and then to call to the gods in thanks at harvest time. Today taiko in Japan and North America has evolved into a form of mental, physical, and martial arts training that combines rhythm, harmony, and movement. Ensembles are experimenting with new forms, arrangements, and instruments, making taiko a dynamic, living bridge between ancient traditions and modern performance art.

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The Anatomy of Dependence

Culture

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A leading psychiatrist offers not only the most satisfying explanation of Japanese behavior yet written, but a key to a new understanding of all basic human needs. A classic study of the Japanese psyche, a starting point for a true understanding Japanese behavior...

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The Anatomy of Self: The Individual Versus Society

Culture

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Like Doi's renowned Anatomy of Dependence, The Anatomy of Self addresses the question of the Japanese individual and his or her integration into Japanese society. Its approach is based on an analysis of the Japanese perception of public and private. What kind of society is made up of individuals capable of a constant traversing between behavior based on two simultaneously held, mutually contradictory modes of perception?

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The Japanese Mind: Understanding Contemporary Japanese Culture

Culture

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Westerners who come to Japan for the first time know immediately that everything is different, but understanding how it is different is far more difficult. This book offers Westerners an invaluable key to understanding Japanese culture from the inside out. The book is a collection of twenty-eight essays that offer an informative, accessible look at the values, attitudes, behavior patterns, and communication styles of modern Japan from the unique perspective of the Japanese themselves.

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Japan Unmasked: The Character & Culture of the Japanese

Culture

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Despite the fact that Japan has had close relations with the West for over a hundred years, the amount of actual knowledge about Japan--as opposed to stereotypes or assumptions--is quite low. In Japan Unmasked, Boye Lafayette De Mente explores what it is that makes the Japanese "Japanese," and how Westerners can understand and deal with the fundamental differences in our ways of thinking and acting. Many of the points and issues brought up in the book will be interesting and enlightening even for the seasoned Japanophile, and is a good read for anyone wanting to increase their understanding of Japan and expand their cultural horizons.

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Japan's Cultural Code Words:
233 Key Terms That Explain the Attitudes and Behaviors of the Japanese

Culture, Language

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In the maze of Japanese formalities, polite language, and culturally sensitive issues, it's easy for Westerners to become lost and confused about what exactly is "going on," and what Japanese people really mean when they say certain things. Japan's Cultural Code Words is an excellent guide to the meaning and connotation of many Japanese words that could potentially elude even Japanese-speaking Westerners. With Boye Lafayette De Ments's engaging writing style, precise definitions, and connotational background, this book is indispensable for those hoping to "decipher" the Japanese cultural and linguistic code.

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The Japanese Negotiator:
Subtlety and Strategy Beyond Western Logic

Culture, Business

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Even between two groups that share a culture and language, the negotiating table can be fraught with misunderstanding and difficulty - so how much more perilous are the negotiations of Japanese and Americans, with all the cultural and linguistic differences that reign between them? In The Japanese Negotiator, consultant and educator Robert M. March explains negotiating tactics among the Japanese and provides case studies and practical advice that can give American executives and edge at the negotiating table. This book not only looks at the Dos but also the Don'ts of negotiating with the Japanese. He highlights the cultural differences that often give way to misunderstandings, provides insight into overcoming problems, and offers helpful examples from the history of negotiations with Japan. As must-have for anyone involved in business with Japan, or those who simply wish to more deeply understand the way Japanese think and act as a people.

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Building Bridges Between the USA and Japan Workbook

Culture, Business

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For the first time ever, Pacific Dreams is making the workbook from its highly effective cross-cultural business workshop entitled "Building Bridges Between the USA and Japan" available to people who are unable to attend the workshop itself. The workbook is designed for Americans interested in learning the intricacies of business etiquette, protocol and effective cross-cultural communication techniques when conducting business with the Japanese. By employing the tips and techniques offered, readers dramatically increase their odds of having a more comfortable and successful business experience with the Japanese.

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Working Effectively with Japanese Colleagues: Cross-cultural Training for American Employees of Japanese Companies

Culture, Business

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This unique book directly addresses the needs of Americans employed by Japanese firms, explaining why Japanese behave the way they do and how to improve your communications and working relationships. Those who have recently joined a Japanese company as well as veterans will find this book invaluable.

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The Rice-Paper Ceiling: Breaking Through Japanese Corporate Culture

Culture, Business

What can the non-Japanese employee of a Japanese company do to advance his or her career prospects? In this book, management consultant Rochelle Kopp presents a readable and detailed analysis of the "rice-paper ceiling" and "break through" strategies for overcoming it.

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Going to Japan on Business: Protocol, Strategies and Language for the Corporate Traveler

Culture, Business

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In this completely updated edition are tips for first-time and seasoned business travelers, all in a handy form for quick reference and on-the-spot use. Includes information on preparing for your trip, getting around, making introductions, conducting business meetings, socializing, sounding good in Japanese, and much more.

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A Practical Guide to Living in Japan: Everything You Need to Know to Successfully Settle In

Culture

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Are you planning on living in Japan? Or have you just moved to Japan? Are you going to enroll in a Japanese school, work for a Japanese company, or explore the Japanese lifestyle and support yourself by teaching English? Regardless of why you're in Japan, here’s just the book you'll need to happily establish yourself in your new home. You’ll get the facts on banking, immigration, and insurance, plus daily-life tips on renting an apartment, utilities, transportation, using the post office, and shopping for furniture. You’ll also get insider advice on how to find a job, learn Japanese, and make new friends, as well as basic information on etiquette and customs. Packed with strategies, charts, and simple how-to instructions.

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The Book of Five Rings

Culture

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Setting down his thoughts on swordplay, on winning, and on spirituality, legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi intended this modest work as a guide for his immediate disciples and future generations of samurai. He had little idea he was penning a masterpiece that would be eagerly devoured by people in all walks of life centuries after his death....

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Bushido: The Soul of Japan

Culture

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Kodansha America

BUSHIDO:The soul of Japan is an amazing book in many respects. Written in English and published in the United States in 1900, within a few years it had been translated into Japanese and seven other languages. It became an international best-seller, and found such favor with President Theodore Roosevelt that he gave copies to friends to read. It proved so popular that this tenth, revised and enlarged edition was published in 1905.

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America and the Four Japans: Friend, Foe, Model, Mirror

Culture, Business

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A wide-ranging analysis that brings readers quickly up to speed on the single most important relationship affecting America's economic and technological future. James Fallows says it "offers fresh, subtle, and often funny insights and provides valuable ideas about how and where the United States might apply lessons from Japan."

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