Introduction

When communicating with people with different cultural background, whether it is for business or more of personal character, there is always a danger for misunderstanding. Even if both parties speak fluent English or other common language, the cultural background and native tongue of the speakers will in most cases shine through and influence their way of speaking and understanding.

This report will focus on some sources which might lead to misunderstanding when communicating with Japanese people in English language. After presenting some general sources for misunderstanding as a base, I will focus on different uses of "yes" in the Japanese language. Sometimes this appears to be very confusing for non-Japanese. Sometimes it is not clear if the "yes" really means a "yes" as standard English predicts. And then secondly I will present the confusion that may arise when a foreigner ask a Japanese person a leading question phrased in negative. The answer may not be as expected...

Same words, different meanings or the information which disappeared

Many people assume that, as long as the English used is literally translated there will be little or no loss of information transmitted during conversations or discussions. This assumption, however disregards the cultural weight of many words and the possible difference in the way these words are perceived in the actual country - in this case Japan. A classic example is the expression "We will consider the matter in a forward-looking way" ("Mae-muki ni kentoo shimasu"). If you translate literally, the expression sounds positive to most listeners in English However, it often means "probably not" in Japanese. Also if you during a negotiation with a Japanese receive the answer, which you literally translate into "a little difficult", in most cases you should not go on and ask why, because most likely it is the same as "it is impossible".

Different use of yes

Due to interference from their native tongue, Japanese people might use the English "yes" the same way as they use "hai" in Japanese.The meaning of "hai" can be divided into six:

1. Expressing that you listen carefully to what the other person says.

2. "Thank you for asking me".

3. "You're welcome" .

4. Expressing willingness to help or obey.

5. "That is clear now", "I understand".

6. You agree with what the other person is telling you.

The last meaning is the same as in standard English. Japanese, however, may use "yes" just in the same ways as they use "hai". For example: During your first train ride with Shinkansen from Tokyo to Osaka you get really disappointed when you not can see Mt. Fuji from the train as expected due to smog. (All the nice and colourful information pamphlets in English from Japan Rail shows a beautiful photo of Shinkansen with Mt. Fuji in the background). As an environmentalist you cannot keep yourself from complaining to your Japanese travelling companion, and decide to give her/him a lecture about how to deal with the smog-problem. Your Japanese travelling companion will most likely say "yes" to each one of your statements, even though she/he most likely doesn't agree with all of your arguments. What she/he want to express is that "I am listening to what you are saying".

Interpreting which "yes" a Japanese intends to express in an actual situation is of great importance to avoid misunderstandings. Very often the context will give you important information about which "yes" that are being used. For example: You are explaining your Japanese friend about something that happened to you when you climbed Mt. Fuji. If she or he during the conversation continuously says yes, it is clear that it is not the meaning of the standard English "yes" he wants to express. For example:

• -Climbing Mt. Fuji last weekend was a really funny experience.
• -Yes?.
• -It was in the middle of the night...
• -yes
• -... even it was very hot during the day...
• -yes
• -...it was really cold. Most people even were gloves, and...
• -yes
• ...

When Japanese people are telling you a story, and you don't use these "yes", they might stop, and repeat. This might happen especially if you are talking on the phone. This use of yes in a way help keep the conversation going. The person who tells the story knows that the listener really listen and understand what he or she is telling..

Asking leading questions in the negative

Again, the source of misunderstanding arise from the difference between Japanese and English. To better understand this, a short lecture in Japanese will be clarifying. In Japanese they use "yes" and "no" ("hai" and "iie") in a different way than in English. When a Japanese answer "hai" to a negative question he wants to express that she/he agree with the content of the sentence. She/he confirms the content.