Freedom and Speech

A Japanese client asked me to design a Dutch house for a location in Tokyo. When the first sketches showed a clearly non-Japanese house it became a learning experience. The design could stand out too much in the neighbourhood. Neighbours might start complaining. On the normally suitable Dutch question "So what?" a magnificent reply came:" In Japan we care a lot about other people."

It is tempting to think at such an answer that we westerners are apparently considered anti social barbarians. But that is certainly not the case. The underlying theme is the fear of an other's opinion.

Maybe that is why the Japanese are always so polite and apologize for everything. It takes them no effort to do so. An apology is easily made. Where a westerner cannot overcome his pride, the Japanese steps aside skillfully. It is a deep rooted mechanism. For centuries everything that stood out was squashed. To do something outside the rule of law was punished relentlessly and it was pure survival to make apologies even before anything had happened. The punishing has gone long ago but apprently the habit is still inside.

Openly critisizing is therefore very uncommon amongst Japanese. A meeting Dutch style is gently said not done. The Dutch bring the topics to the meeting to discuss them extensively. It is the purpose to find out snags and resolve them. In a Japanese meeting pointing out a snag might be risky already. Implicitely you might offend somebody. Therefore most issues are dealt with outside the meeting and the meeting is mainly used to formalize everything. It is allowed for superiors to indicate that things are not worked out sufficiently yet. But it is a no no for a minor to openly dispute the input of a superior. There is a risk when a spuerior does not understand something and the minor is trying to explain it again. Then how is communication possible? In private. Between the two many things can be said. Even to a hot shot. Therefore lobbying is the way to manage things.

So "In Japan we care a lot about other people" has a certain taste. To care about others can come from compassion. Or...fear.


P.S. The design of the Dutch house in Tokyo can be seen on http://eiichinouchi.blogspot.com/