I hope you had a nice week-end. Today we are going to discuss politeness.
Look at the picture on the left. There have been some very interesting manner posters in Japan. Click the link to see some interesting manner posters. Which poster do you think is most effective (最も効果的な) ?
Let's study some vocabulary.
Everyone thinks that their culture is the most polite. Canadians are very proud of their reputation for politeness. Japanese also take pride in their reputation for politeness. However, politeness is a culturally defined phenomenon. Behaviour that is considered polite in one culture may be considered eccentric or even rude in another culture. This makes politeness very difficult in international situations. To make matters worse, manners change over time, even within the same culture. For example, people of my parents' generation always wore hats outdoors, but it was considered bad manners for men to wear hats indoors. Now people don't wear hats so much, but when they do, they wear them where ever they please. Also, when I was a boy, I always had to stand when a woman entered the room. I always had to hold doors open for people too, especially women, but now women prefer to open doors themselves.
Can you think of ways manners have changed in Japan? Please post a comment below.
One more thing, I have made a study guide for you. The Final Exam will be Monday 12 November. Click the link to download your second semester study guide.
See you next week.
A few decades ago, people smoke in front of pubric.
ReplyDeleteBut recentry Japanese smoker mast smoke at specified area. Manner os tobacco is changing so rapidly in Japan!
I cant tell example of changing manners.
ReplyDeleteBut I think that whatever Japanese manners changed,it doesn't change bacic thought of respecting others of Japanese.
In Japan,when we come across someone on the street,we used to bow and greet 'konnichiwa'.
ReplyDeleteHowever these days, there are few people who greet each other.
more and more people call a teacher by his nickname. It was very impolite in Japan.
ReplyDeleteRecently,I learned that when we ride on bicycle we must be in roadway.
ReplyDeleteMr stout said that manners in trains have changed.
ReplyDeleteI think so ,too.
Including me, some younger people in Japan don`t know manners because their parents don`t know polite manners.
It is problem that people who don`t know manners become parents.
In Meiji, women didn't show their legs for other people. But now, most women show their legs. Me too. I think that isn't so wrong, but sometimes shameful. In the old days, a feeling of shyness was the most important thing for women. Now, that thought is lost. I'm little sad that.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI can think why manners have changed in Japan.
Because Japanese bacame more individualists.
Once they were more collectivist.
But they have own opinions now.
Japanese old people can Seiza.
ReplyDeleteBut many young people can't Seiza.
I think Seiza will disappear.
Once in Japan, It was very rude to greet casually and talk friendly to your parents, teachers, bosses. However, now in Japan it's often seen and fewer people think it's impolite.
ReplyDeleteI think Japanese people are going more casual than they were in few decades ago.
Whether it is bad manner or not to eat at public place,I said it depends on the one's way to eat.For example,in the train it is not uncomfortable if someone is eating politely,but it seems bad if someone is eating on the train's floor.So, I think it is ok unless oter people don't feel uncomfortable. How do you think my opinion Mr.Stout?
ReplyDeleteI think manners have changed in Japan.
ReplyDeleteFor example, we should eat meals with our families in the early 1990s, however, we don't have to do so now.
We can eat meals when we want to eat.
I think the manner of language have changed.
ReplyDeleteFor example, irasshaimase ,mataokosikudasaimase
is imformal.But,we naturally accept them.
I think that many japanese ways of manner have changed because a lot of foreign culutre have affected contemporary Japanese culuture, but there are also manners which we have used. I think especially `only Japanese` culture remaineed. For example, we must not make chop sticks standed ,which is done to dead people.And this action is only japanese culuture.
ReplyDeleteI think the way of communication manner has changed. For example,people communicate each other by phones a few decades ago. But recently, people usually communicate by using e-mail and verbal communication has rapidly decreased. This change occured not only in Japan but all over the world.
ReplyDeleteI can think ways of manners of Japanese has changed.
ReplyDeleteFor example,the way of using cellpohenes in public.
Foemer days, that is bad manner.
So few of Japanese used them in transport facilities.
But now almost of Japanese use.And we can sometimes see people walking and talking with them on the street.
Cellpohens may be too close and useful to stop using.
Alomst of the Japanese allowed that now.
We Japanese and our ways of manners have changed.
I think the traditional event have changed in Japan.
ReplyDeleteEspecially, Oshogatu(A new year) have changed.
The young people don't write Nengajou and send E-mail.
Furthermore, a lot of family don't eat Osechi
because making it is a troublesome job .
I hope the true Oshogatu come back.
I think a lot of manners have changed in Japan. For example, ways we communicate have changed dramatically. When we contact with other people, we rarely write letters. We can become to contact easily by e-mail.
ReplyDeleteRecently, I often see girls and women making up their faces on the train.
ReplyDeleteI talked about this to my mother, she said that there was nobody who did so 30 years ago.
I think this behavior is so rude that they should be more moderate in their behavior.
The way of communication manner has changed.
ReplyDeleteFor example,in family.
A decade ago, in the family, the father was an absolute existence.
However, the present age is not so.
It is not violation of manners to take a meal ahead of a father.
I think the reason is not power of men's dignity weak, women's strong.
Thus,there are many manner which was changed by a woman's advance in society.
Taking in western cultures, Japanese became more casual than before. However, almost elderly people don't agree with these casual manners. So, we young people have been taught to behave more politely. Thanks to these education, I hate casual manner in public spaces. We have a long way to go before casual manners have gained a lot of popularity.
ReplyDeleteI think ways of manners have changed in Japan.
ReplyDeleteI think the present time is more freedom than the past.
For example, we can tell our opinions to elder person.
But the custom we respect elder persons remains now.
So I think one of manners in Japan have changed.
Once if you don't put on a tie during work, people think you are untidy.
ReplyDeleteBut now, cool biz is permitted.
It's change.
In the past, it was rude to use e-mail in business situation.
ReplyDeleteBut now, using e-mail is becoming as popular way as telephone or visiting
because you can read the message anytime you want.
This is the change of manner in Japan.
It was thought usual to eat and be seated.
ReplyDeleteBut since fast food came to Japan, we see people who eat and walk.
Recently,such a scene is usual.
Recently,I think manner of using cellphone has changed in Japan.
ReplyDeleteMany young people use their cellphones in trains, hospitals and so on.
I think ways of manners have changed in Japan.
ReplyDeleteFor example ,people who communicate with others by e-mail increased ,compared to those who communicate with others directly.
I'm afraid that people will be more and more reluctant to communicate directly in the future.
I think it's important to communicate with others face to face.
About twenty years ago, it was the bubble economy, Japanese people think there was no doubt that they would have been rich in money and humanities. In that time, many Japanese people thought that money linked with humanities. Japanese woman chose richer man to marry. The best condition of marrying was called 3KOU, tall, rich and with high education. The humanities didn’t think so much because they thought money represented it.
ReplyDeleteBut now, the concept of 3KOU is disappeared. (However, woman’s thought cannot be understood by man. It has been and would be a mystery…)
When I take a bus or trains. I sometimes see people talking with their cell phone in loud voice.
ReplyDeletesurprisinly, many of them are high school students or young people.
so.manner is becoming bad after spreading cell phone users.
I think many manners have changed in Japan.
ReplyDeleteFor example,we write nenngazyou in syougatu.
But in these days,many people send e-mails each other.
I think manners have changed and culture have also changed.
I think that the manners of wording have changed in Japan.
ReplyDeleteLanguage is always keeping on changing.
We were taught to use the honorific expression to elders or superiors.
However, if we use traditional honorific words,
it sounds very strange and exaggerated, so our superiors look us dubiously.
Like that, manners, especially everyday used, are fickle
and change their form as people can operate them easily.
I think Japanese culture have changed.
ReplyDeleteFor example "OBON" have decreased.
Old people still continued it,but young people don't do it.
I think Japanese special culture gradually declines.
There were the times when a man was more advantageous than a woman in old days.
ReplyDeleteFather sits down at the head of the dining table and takes a bath first, and so on.
There was times that a woman falls one step and follows a man, but it is a gender equality now.
In Japan, we usually act as other people do.
ReplyDeleteIt represents respect for other people.
But today, we tempt to act the way we like because we begin to respect ourselves.
Some years ago, it was a social problem that people use their cell phones in the train.
ReplyDeleteElectric wave do harm to people's health, so everyone had to turn off their cell phone.
But now, most people use cell phone in the train.
Although some manners has changed in Japan, there are manners which is not changed. When you eat Japanese food, you should put up your dishes and hold your head high. If you doesn't do this, you will be thought ill-mannered person.
ReplyDeleteRecently some parents in elementary school say "We pay the cost of school meals so our children are supposed no to say ITADAKIMASU"
ReplyDeleteFrom this argument, today some elementary school doesn't make children to say ITADAKIMASU.
Previously,there`s many contacts with neighbors.
ReplyDeleteFor example,when we made too much foods, we went their houses to give.
But now mainly in big cities, contacts is decreaseing.
I think it is important because we can help each other.
I`m afraid of no contacts.