Writing the above paragraph reminded of one more thing about Japanese culture that I mustn t forget to mention: humility. Even before I came to Japan, I had heard that Japanese people are polite and humble. My first day in Japan started out with an experience that taught me just how different Japanese humility is from American confidence. Within hours after arriving in Tokyo in June of 1969, I ventured out on my own to explore Japan and buy a couple of things. The first thing that I purchased in Japan was a pack of Japanese cigarettes. At the time I was quite a heavy smoker and I wanted to see if Japanese cigarettes tasted different from American cigarettes. I found a small Japanese tobacco shop and proceeded to buy a pack of Ikoi cigarettes, a non-filter brand. Just as I was handing over money to pay for the cigarettes, a Japanese boy about the same age as me, walked up to the counter and asked for a pack of the same brand of cigarettes, Ikoi. Having grown up in South Dakota, where the population density is so low that any chance encounter is valued, I decided to speak to the boy. I said, Excuse me. Do you understand English? He answered, No. But wait. He had understood my question, and he had also answered in English, so he must understand English. I asked another question. Are you a student? and he answered, Yes. Although his English wasn t perfect, we were able to carry on a conversation, so why had he answered no when asked if he understood English. I now realize that it s because of Japanese humility.
When you ask an American if he/she can play golf, he/she will probably say, Yes, even if he/she has actually only been out on a course two or three times. After all, I can swing a club, and I
know the rules. The American would only be expressing confidence, not boasting. A Japanese person who is asked the same question would probably answer, No, even if they have been golfing for several years and hold lifetime memberships at several golf resorts. If 10 means nearly perfect, then a Japanese person who is quite good, possibly an 8 or a 9, will still answer,
No, when asked directly about golf ability. A friend of mine, Akira Shigeyama, has been practicing Kyogen acting since he was a small child. The Shigeyama family is the traditional Kyogen family; all the boys born into the Shigeyama family become Kyogen actors. Akira related an episode about his uncle that epitomizes the Japanese sense of humility. Akira s uncle, Sen-no- jo Sensei, is more than seventy years old, and is now the highest ranking of the Shigeyama school of Kyogen acting. In an interview about Kyogen, Sen-no-jo Sensei said that he is finally able to understand Kyogen a little. If the person who is the best in his field is only a little bit good, where does that leave Akira, who has been practicing Kyogen for more than fifty years. Japanese humility suggests that there is always a higher level of achievement, so no one should think that they can do it, that they have it made.
I have been living in Japan for more than thirty-five years. I have become a cultural marginal, comfortable with both my American and my Japanese identities. However, my Japanese sense of humility makes me feel reluctant to say that I m any kind of expert when it comes to Japan, the people, the language, or the culture. Let us just say that I have made an attempt to sort out my experience in Japan using the format of an academic essay. There are many more things that I might say about Japan, but I have done my best. I know only a little about Japan, but I still have time to learn more, and the next time I sit in front of my computer and start moving my fingers over the keyboard, I hope that I can do a better job of communicating the complexities of Japan.
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