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Japanese Values and Marketing Page 1

See Japanese Values and Marketing Page 2

First we describe Japanese values that are also found in other East Asian cultures and that are frequently recognized in marketing and advertising: harmony with fellow human beings and harmony with nature. They are characteristic of the com­bination of long-term orientation and collectivism and, although here explained for Japanese culture, are applicable to many other East Asian cultures.

Harmony. One of the most important basic Japanese values is harmony (wdj: walk together, think together, dine together. Related is empathy (understand and antici­pate the feelings of others), respect for age, and honesty. Honesty cannot be related to the Western concept of truth. The Japanese concept of honesty is linked to respect. For example, government should not treat us as children, but as grown-ups.

Nature. When the Japanese speak of the providence of nature, they refer to a nat­ural order that they believe to be the fountainhead of all existence. In the Christian world, God is the fountainhead of all existence, and humans seek comfort from God. In Japan, human beings seek comfort by attempting to immerse themselves in nature. Another explanation of the reverence for nature is that the Japanese turn to nature because there is something unsatisfying in the way they deal with human relations, where the surface is always glossed over and conflict is kept in the shad­ows. Living with the strong distinction between dealing with people in one's inner circle and one's outer circle can be very complicated and stressful. Nature does not have this distinction and can therefore be trusted completely.23 Relating to nature is not as confusing as relating to human beings. Thus, nature has a relaxing function.

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