イギリス英会話ブログ

I’ve been thinking recently about what I’ve learnt from my six and a half years in Japan. I’ve learnt a lot about the country and the people and some of my friends tease me by saying I have almost become Japanese. Living abroad is often a psychological catalyst for change and personal development, and I think that has been true of my time living here.

Perhaps the best starting point for considering Japan’s influence on me is ‘Zen’. By Zen I mean a calm fatalism in the face of life’s ups and downs, a belief in the unity of all things and a dislike of moral dogmatism. I think all Japanese possess these characteristics, though most would never make Zen a topic of conversation. Nor, usually, would I. But the sum total of all the little influences I have picked up in Japan points clearly in the direction of a Zen-like attitude to life and the world. I see it in people’s everyday interactions and also behind Japanese people’s careful recycling of rubbish and companies’ environmental awareness.

A bit of reverse-engineering might lead to some more instantly-recognizable characteristics of the Japanese. The road that has led me to adopt a somewhat Zen-like attitude (call it a Japanese attitude) has had a number of distinctive landmarks along it. But the most important by far is politeness. I am absolutely convinced (and I hope that no-one ever proves me wrong) that politeness in Japan and politeness in England are horses of a different colour. For sure, we English enjoy our politeness, too, but it is more of a show, more superficial and competitive. I have asked English people if they think so, and no-one has disagreed yet. My sense is that in Japan people are polite out of a genuine consideration for other people’s feelings - all those “よろしくお願いします”s and “お邪魔しました”s may seem like knee-jerk reactions for most people, but they have their base in a mutual respect and understanding.
For me behind Japanese politeness is a Zen-like mind, inspired by the unity of all existence, but with its feet firmly planted on the ground; it is the oil that keeps a heavily-regimented society moving smoothly. For most foreigners here, I am sure it is a soothing balm after the rough edges of our own societies.

You may have anticipated that I find it hard to separate the Japanese mind from the Zen mind. I can’t help feeling it would be dishonest to try to separate them - the Japanese have achieved a secular religiosity based on tradition and custom that has managed somehow not to lose its heart and soul. Perhaps this is because the Japanese are honest about their dislike of dogma, but are brought up to appreciate the value of their heritage; if asked, they would probably deny any explicit religious faith and it would be rude to press them. The Japanese religion could be said to be life itself, and the harmonious and ethical living of it.

I realize I am only scratching the surface of a deep topic here and there is much more to be said about, for example, the philosophical roots of Japanese ‘politeness’ which I have not even attempted to define. But what I have written here is, for all its simplicity, the perception I have come to over the last six and a half years of living and working with Japanese people and travelling around Japan and it is the basis of all the optimism I feel for this country’s future.