Reading the Japanese Mind: The Realities Behind Their Thoughts and Actions
Author: Robert M. March
List Price: $25.00
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ISBN: 4770020449
Publisher: Kodansha International (August, 1996)
Sales Rank: 183,381
Average Customer Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Customer Reviews
Rating: 3 out of 5
Computing Japan Magazine Book Review (Nov 98)
With a title that will scare away the politically correct, this book attempts to explain the Japanese id. With chapters like "Yes May Mean No," "Paddling Ducks and Tranquil Ducks," and "The Japanese Tao of Status," this book attempts to tie all the pieces of the Japanese psyche together. March previously taught international business at Aoyama Gakuin University, and wrote several other books on his favorite subject, including 'The Japanese Negotiator.'
Rating: 4 out of 5
A good survey of the Japanese sensibility
Popular media, stereotypes, etc. have made great strides in misinforming the West about Japan. Japan is much more complex than sushi, martial arts, and electronics; and the people are more realistic than kamikaze businessmen and geisha girls. The Japanese have a very highly evolved social structure, and anyone who is interested in dealing with or studying Japan should read books like this one. Dr. March explains the Japanese pysche in a way that Westerners can understand. He doesn't dramatize their thinking as a sort of sage wisdom, nor does he go out of his way to discredit the Japanese. There are a few instances, however, in which March places too much emphasis on his personal experiences when drawing conclusions about the Japanese. It cannot be stressed enough that although Japan is a group-oriented society, the people are still individuals. One or two experiences certainly cannot be taken as a definition of the culture.
One must also understand that Japan is changing rapidly. Even the concept of being Japanese is not the same as it was a few decades ago. Conservative people will always be around, but they do not necessarily represent today's Japan.
All in all though, Reading the Japanese Mind is a good guide to the Japanese mindset.
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