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Review focus: Japan, business relationships, human relations, Aisa Warai, business associates, business in Japan, networks, cultural differences, American, European, Westerners
Asian Business Code Words Index NTC/Contemporary Publishing Company Asian Business Strategy & Street Intelligence Ezine
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One of the denigrating stories that Westerners used to tell about the Japanese, and about other Asians as well, was that they had so little respect for human life that when a member of their family or someone else close to them suffered tragedy or died, they would laugh instead of cry. In reality, when faces with tragedy and death, the Japanese suffered the pangs of sorrow just as much as anyone else, but they had been conditioned by their culture to repress their emotions in public in order not to upset or embarrass other people. The smile that they showed to the outside world was their way of both hiding their own feelings and protecting others. The cultural conditioning responsible for this traditional behavior has virtually disappeared from Japanese society. The display of strong emotions in public is no longer taboo and is seen often. Older Japanese who respond to sad events with stoicism are no different from their counterparts in other cultures. There are occasions, however, when an aiso warai (aye-so wah-rye), or "fake smile", is an important aspect of contemporary Japanese behavior, and aiso warai provides a lesson in how serious many Japanese businessmen are about creating a positive atmosphere for their customers. Most Western visitors to Japan are struck and deeply impressed by the attitude and behavior of employees in department stores and other large places of business catering to the general public. There are few in any dour expressions, and as a rule, the employees act friendly and are eager to help customers. Their smiling, friendly expressions are not always natural ones, however, and wearing a pleasant demeanor is not left up to the discretion of employees. Japanese operators of public service businesses such as hotels, restaurants, cabarets, and retail outlets have traditionally instructed their employees in the are of making their customers feel good by keeping happy, grateful look on their faces. In the employee instructional materials of some companies, the right kind of facial expressions is described in specific detail, pointing out that employees should continuously strive to maintain a look that expresses love for their customers and gratitude for their patronage. This aspect of human relations has been developed to a high art in Japan's nighttime entertainment trades, particularly in cabarets and other drinking places that feature the company of hostesses. Here, where customers come specifically to enjoy themselves and to forget their problems or worries, making the customer feel good is the first priority of the entire staff. The most successful hostesses (successful in terms of how much their customers spend and how long the hostesses survive in the highly competitive atmosphere of the cabaret world) invariably include those who have good-natured, smiling faces and who are expert at combining this with a sensual, tantalizing behavior that keeps attracting regular customers. Hostesses who do not naturally have these personality traits must depend instead upon a well-practiced aiso warai manner, often combined with sexual availability, to keep them in the business. Because the traditional role of aiso warai in Japan, the Japanese recognize an artificial smile when they see one; nevertheless, an unnatural smile has value in Japan if it is used in a traditionally accepted manner and place. Under these circumstances, aiso warai is recognized as a legitimate type of role-playing that not only contributes to better business, but also to the emotional well-being of all concerned. Foreign businessmen and politicians should be wary of going too far with an aiso warai approach to their Japanese counterparts. Typical Western behavior often strikes the Japanese as being too shallow and insincere in the first place. In formal situations, overdoing a warm, smiling, joking manner is a decidedly negative reaction from the Japanese.
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Boye Lafayette de Mente is one of our regular monthly columnists at the 
| This month's column is excerpted from NTC's Dictionary of Japan's Business Code Words, by Boye Lafayette De Mente available from NTC/Contemporary Publishing Company |
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