The Difference Between Japanese and Westerners

Posted by Bill Belew on January 21st, 2008 in Japan | Comments Off

I enjoy reading the Japanese news sites, writing about them, summarizing them, just sharing what tidbits I think are important ….or not.

But, like most bloggers/writers, I want to share something original, something I know or have experienced.

I have a series – 101 Questions Needing Answers Before Going to Japan to Teach ESL.

I know something about this. I ran an ESL language school in Japan for 15 some years. I want to share the things I know, the things I learned, the mistakes I made. I am on number 61.

Question # 61 -Are there any incentives to work overtime/extra when teaching ESL in Japan?

I haven't stopped. I already have the other 40 questions selected. I just need some time.

Yeah, writer's moods change, too.

I have another series going on now – Learn Japanese from Me.

I don't know everything about Japanese. But, I started a company, grew it, planted branches here and there, trained Japanese workers how to do business in their own country in their own language. I am beyond functional, beyond competent.

Others know much more than I do about Japanese and my hat is off to them. But, in this series, I want to share what I know, what I used and what difference it made.

I am about to embark on yet another series – the differences between Japanese and Westerners, as I see it. 

I watched a movie once – Mr. Baseball – that I thought was very well done. Not a great movie, but it articulated well the differences in Japanese cultures. I listed up 100+ differences that struck me from that movie, some significant and many not.

I want to write about them here and invite readers to tell me when I am right and when I am wrong, when they see things the same way and when they don't.

I have other insights into Japanese character that I want to write about in the hopes that there is a good understanding between the find people of Japan and their Western counterparts. I also get to write about something I know, something I think. I will enjoy that.  And, I hope you do, too.

There are differences between the Japanese and we Westerners. The series will be about how I see them.

Please weigh in whenever you like.


 

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