The Japanese Mind

Understanding Contemporary Japanese Culture

By: Roger J. Davies, Osamu Ikeno

Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin

In The Japanese Mind, Roger Davies offers Westerners an invaluable key to the unique aspects of Japanese culture.

Listeners of this book will gain a clear understanding of what makes the Japanese, and their society, tick. Among the topics explored: aimai (ambiguity), amae (dependence upon others' benevolence), amakudari (the nation's descent from heaven), chinmoku (silence in communication), gambari (perseverance), giri (social obligation), haragei (literally, "belly art"; implicit, unspoken communication), kenkyo (the appearance of modesty), sempai-kohai (seniority), wabi-sabi (simplicity and elegance), and zoto (gift giving), as well as discussions of child-rearing, personal space, and the roles of women in Japanese society.

All in all, this book is an easy-to-use introduction to the distinguishing characteristics of Japanese society; an invaluable resource for anyone - business people, travelers, or students - perfect for course adoption, but also for anyone interested in Japanese culture.

©2002 Roger Davies and Osamu Ikeno (P)2019 Tantor

VERY INTERESTING

This book covers all aspects of Japanese culture.
I have been studying Japan for the past years and am planning my first trip in the fall.
Japan is a very interesting country, it’s history, literature, religion and architecture.
The tea ceremony, so connected to Zen Buddhism, is beautiful.
This was a free book for me, and I am grateful for the opportunity.
The narrator, mr. Eric Jason Martin, was a pleasure to listen to.
My thanks to all involved, JK.






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Excellent Picture into Japanese Customs

The systematic approach to looking at the roots of decision-making and practices in Japan from an anthropological, religious, and historical background is very insightful.

I enjoyed learning so much about Japanese traditions and though things have changed in the modern world, I expect to use much of my learning from this book in my business practices with Japanese clients.

Good to read while traveling Japan

The performance could be better- the citations mid-sentence are unnecessary in audio form. Otherwise, a very easy read.

Excellent Insight.

My grandparents were immigrants from Japan in the early 1900’s. I was born and raised here all my life. I was familiar with many of the customs. The book made me wonder if personality traits of the Japanese are a direct affect of what they do. I had never been to Japan but years ago I told my son he should go. His sarcastically said, “What for?” He finally went with a friend and when he came back, he said, “Now I know why we are the way we are”. It opened his eyes and he has been back 3 times. The book also made me wonder if there is a genetic component.

mispronunciations

Narrator was usually pretty good, but words like Kamakura were mispronounced. Still, worth a listen.

Very interesting, equally dry

This would be a great book to discuss for a class and I enjoyed it as a solo read. However if you only have a mild interest in japan you’ll burn out before you finish.

Very detailed overview of Japanese culture

This book surveys Japanese culture and values. Each chapter focuses on a different Japanese concept or set of related concepts and provides deep discussion with plentiful examples. Excellent throughout, although I have two minor criticisms. First, the inclusion of photographs with captions in the print edition would add another dimension to the commentary. Second, although the authors try to indicate when certain traditional cultural practices are fading away, one can’t be sure how much of the material that is discussed in the book would be apparent to a contemporary visitor in Japan. And would these cultural patterns be more noticeable in the countryside and smaller cities than in major metropolitan centers perhaps?

But putting these minor quips aside, this book is a jewel of cultural exploration and explication. Listening on Audible, I found the narrator’s straightforward reading of the text to be excellent. However, he did use Anglicized pronunciations of some of the many Japanese terms. Someone wishing to discuss a cultural concept with a Japanese acquaintance may wish to confirm the correct pronunciation of the term in another source, such a Google translate.

Muy buen libro para entender Japon

Muy buen libro para entender la cultura contemporanea de los Japoneses pero el libro es muy redundante

Very helpful

Great explanation for the lay person of the ins outs and history of the communal island culture and how it drove social norms

Interesting but terrible pronunciation

The essays in themselves are very insightful and interesting for anyone who wants to understand the Japanese culture and mindset better.
The narrator, however, pronounced everything with a strong American accent, not even bothering to search for the correct pronunciation, which is rather disrespectful and lazy, to say the least. I even struggled to recognise words I already knew.
Please stop choosing narrators unable to pronounce another language properly, this is really irritating.