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The Japanese Have a Word for It: The Complete Guide to Japanese Thought and Culture 1st Edition

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Boye Lafayette De Mente (Author)
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Boye Lafayette De Mente (Author)
3.8 out of 5 stars 21 customer reviews
ISBN-13: 978-0844283166
ISBN-10: 0844283169
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Frequently Bought Together

  • The Japanese Have a Word for It: The Complete Guide to Japanese Thought and Culture
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  • Japan's Cultural Code Words: 233 Key Terms That Explain the Attitudes and Behavior of the Japanese
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  • Kata: The Key to Understanding and Dealing with the Japanese!
Total price: $45.68
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 394 pages
  • Publisher: Passport Books; 1 edition (October 11, 1997)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0844283169
  • ISBN-13: 978-0844283166
  • Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 1 x 9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #783,419 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 starsInformative and Entertaining
By A Customer on September 30, 1998
Format: Paperback
He may not be Reischauer but Mr. De Mente packs enough cultural and historical background into this book to make it a worthy read for Japanese scholars or anyone with an interest in Japan. The author presents the reader with about 150 Japanese words and phrases that have special meaning for the Japanese. For example, he translates the word "kamatoto" into English as "The Dumb Blonde" i.e the Japanese propensity to feign innocence in order to gain the upper hand in a relationship or business deal. "Wa" or "harmony" is succinctly though brilliantly explained and would be something any foreign businessperson dealing with Japan should appreciate. I have read other books by Mr. De Mente but this is by far his most informative and well written. Recommended!
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4.0 out of 5 starsDense but impressive
By Michael K. Smith TOP 1000 REVIEWER on August 15, 2007
Format: Paperback
The Japanese have a much more complex, almost religious, relationship with their own language than speakers of European languages, and they tend to believe that no non-Japanese can learn it. (The fact that some do tends to upset them, as being out of the natural order.) There are many words and phrases in Japanese that encapsulate attitudes and built-in beliefs and the author selects 230 for investigation and explanation, relating them to attitudes and actions by Japanese-speakers and explaining how English-speakers can best deal with the situations they relate to. This includes numerous aspects of the Japanese dependence on form and formality, cultural control and conformity, group-think as opposed to individuality, group responsibility and social guaranty, reverence toward government, and other parts of the Japanese psyche that are difficult for foreigners to understand. In most cases, he also discusses the applications of a concept to business negotiations, but the possibility of the reader becoming enlightened about all things Japanese is much wider than that. This is a book you should take notes on.
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5.0 out of 5 starsExplains every situation I come up against
By David L. Walker on October 7, 2007
Format: Paperback
I bought this book last year in preparation for coming to Japan and enjoyed it greatly. Then, on arrival, I continued reading it and found it helpful in avoiding many of the pitfalls one experiences when trying to do business in Japan. Now, 10 months on, reading it again, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It's as if the author has been following me around and written about my daily experiences here. I have many books about Japan and the Japanese Way, but none express so succinctly or directly the day-to-day experience of working in a Japanese context. You must read this book if you are working or doing business in Japan.
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2.0 out of 5 starsVery dissapointing.
By Hinoeuma on November 21, 2010
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
As a language student, I looked forward to reading this book in hopes of learning new words and phrases describing some of the unique cultural elements of Japanese society. However, I found the book at first to be somewhat confusing, then quite disappointing.

I think the title should more appropriately be "Impressions of Japanese Tatemae (social face)". The writer's style gave the distinct impression that while he may have spent a great deal of time in Japan, he never developed any particular empathy for the people or the culture. The author seems to focus far too much on the Tokugawa Shogunate period, though I don't quite see how that is particularly relevant in a book that sells itself as a guide to (presumably current) Japanese thought and culture.

Also, statements pertaining to the social customs of recent periods of Japan's history tend to be very negative (the reticence to accept foreigners into society is referred to as `built-in discrimination') or judgmental. For example, one section states that "Westerners opted for guidelines (of human conduct) based on absolute principals derived from universal concepts, with right and wrong behavior clearly spelled out... in Japan and much of the rest of Asia, however, the guidelines for human conduct were based on circumstances; on rules or laws established by those in power, and designed by them to sustain and extend their power." I find such statements to be inaccurate, condescending and to show a lack of understanding of Western history, let alone Japanese culture.

There *is* a great deal of good information in this book. Unfortunately, it is largely buried in the `Great White Expert' commentary.Read more ›
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5.0 out of 5 starsVery informative.
By Jiseri on September 13, 2008
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
If you ever wondered why the Japanese are so polite, or why they escort you out the door till you are gone; then you will enjoy the explanations in this book. It has in depth explanations to every little Japanese saying, and why they believe that. After reading this I had a better understanding of there culture.
I regularly visit a Japanese home, and never understood why they did this or that. Or why they insist on doing something. Making oneself feel ackward, but after reading this book I felt relief and more comfortable around them. If you are around Japanese people, or planning to, this is a must read.
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5.0 out of 5 starsGreat Guide into Japanes Culture
By Daquan Wright on September 28, 2008
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
This is a great book, comparable to a mini encyclopedia. What it does is take many important aspects of Japanese culture and it compresses it into a brief and enjoyable format. Very entertaining but also very informative and you really get insight into why and how the Japanese act, feel, behave, and how it all came about. If you are wanting to learn about the culture in general, get this. It also has many good tips for when you conduct business with Japanese business owners and that their aesthetic sense overrides outlines and rational on a first meeting.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 starsInteresting read, easy to pick up and put down casually.

This book is an interesting compilation of some unique Japanese words and phrases, and is setup in an almost encyclopedic format. Read more

Published 2 months ago by The Craftsman
2.0 out of 5 starsMore of a buisiness frame of mind then anything else.

Although the book cover says "guide to thought and culture", you can't read more than 2 pages without it mentioning the business world. Read more

Published 9 months ago by DrStevePhD
3.0 out of 5 starsEntertaining but real life can be a bit different.

Very interesting and entertaining book on Japanese thought and culture. Still reference it from time to time. Enjoy but your experience (in Japan) may differ.

Published on November 30, 2013 by Unknown
3.0 out of 5 starsA good basic guide

... but a little dated for 2013. Also repetitive; less text for repeating concepts introduced early on and more explanation of current cultural trends would be useful.

Published on February 19, 2013 by D. N. Stewart
4.0 out of 5 starsinside a word !

Boye de Mente clearly expresses his deep knowledge of Japanese culture, by making it understandable to anyone. Read more

Published on December 26, 2012 by Filippo Zizzo
2.0 out of 5 starsIt’s a bit dry.

This book reads very much like a college sociology or anthropology book. I bought it to broaden my understanding of marshal arts customs, tradition and culture and so far have... Read more

Published on December 12, 2012 by Deidre Hopkins
3.0 out of 5 starsInformative but repetitious

For those interested in Japanese culture, De Mente offers the insight of Westerner who has spent most of his career in Japan. Read more

Published on February 1, 2011 by Jonathan D. Kaunitz
2.0 out of 5 starsBoring

As a serious language learner I thought it would be about phrases that are uniquely Japanese. Instead it was a collection of trite stereotypes that have been repeated over and over... Read more

Published on November 27, 2010 by Francine
4.0 out of 5 starsInformative, Though Organized in a Tedious Format

On the whole, The Japanese Have a Word For It provides an interesting, if now dated, view of Japanese culture. Read more

Published on August 3, 2010 by S. Wilson
5.0 out of 5 starsSome wonderful content for a language learner

I'm going to use a game metaphor; in certain MMORPG games (Such as World of Warcraft), once your character hits the level cap and you no longer have to run the level treadmill, you... Read more

Published on June 25, 2009 by James D.

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