Comments on: KY and Ambiguity in Japan: It’s “Difficult”

By: CAT ヽ(*・ω・)ﾉ

CAT ヽ(*・ω・)ﾉ — Tue, 29 Oct 2013 18:36:00 +0000

As a Japanese-American, I find both extreme to be frustrating to deal with!

I can appreciate straightforward style of the American style of communication, but when it’s too excessive it can come off as rude and very careless. In the extreme, it seems like some people are so eager to have their voices/thoughts heard that they don’t take into account how their words may affect other people’s feelings, etc.

I can also appreciate the care/consideration that comes with Japanese style of communication, but when it’s too excessive it sort of seems like they are just trying too hard to save their own face to come off as a nice person, when really they might be keeping their darker/meaner/honest thoughts to themselves.

Of course, those are just the worst case scenarios! Most people are not that bad, and at the end of the day I think the right balance of both American style honesty and Japanese style tactfulness are needed for the best type of communication (^_^)

By: Tiferet

Tiferet — Thu, 19 Sep 2013 03:29:00 +0000

It’s actually easier sometimes to deal with Japanese body language than American. It makes more sense some how. I am pretty KY in life overall but I am less so among Japanese people than Americans. Maybe it’s because I expect Americans to say exactly what they mean because they so often do but I think actually it’s because they stare right at you and expect you to produce the desired response instead of creating the space for it to happen in.

By: Kim

Kim — Wed, 03 Jul 2013 18:35:00 +0000

Would really ambiguous people be called KY?

By: Ann

Ann — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 18:05:00 +0000

sorry, I mean “If I understand that someone is telling me he doesn’t like me…”

By: Ann

Ann — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 18:03:00 +0000

If I understand that someone is telling be something he doesn’t like me in a subtle way, I can assure you that my feelings will be hurt the same way as if somebody tells me directely. So, because the indirect person expects me to decode his words (“I can’t go, I’m washing my hair that day) into “I don’t like you”, I don’t see how that would be polite at all.

The way I see it, it’s just complicating everything with the side effect of making the subtle person think he’s being more polite or friendly (when he’s actually not).

By: Silent Agony

Silent Agony — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 01:54:00 +0000

I have a learning disability called non verbal learning disability I am extremely direct and though I am much better than some with it since I usually understand sarcasm some people with it cannot even grasp that. Does that mean going to Japan is out of the question for me? I am also curious what happens to people native to Japan who have it, since it is completely a neurological condition you are born with and therefore can affect people of all cultures.