The most interesting features of the country of Japan. Features of Japan

Territory - 372 thousand square meters. km.

Population - 127 million people. (2000).

The capital is Tokyo.

Geographical location, general information

Japan is an archipelago country located on four large and almost four thousand small islands, stretching in an arc of 3.5 thousand km. from northeast to southwest along the east coast of Asia. The largest islands are Honshu, Hokaido, Kyushu and Shikoku. The shores of the archipelago are heavily indented and form many bays and bays. The seas and oceans surrounding Japan are of exceptional importance for the country as a source of biological, mineral and energy resources.

The economic and geographical position of Japan is determined primarily by the fact that it is located in the center of the Asia-Pacific region, this contributes to active participation countries in the international geographical division of labor.

In what is now Japan, the oldest human traces found date back to the Paleolithic period. In the 3rd - 4th centuries BC, proto-Japanese tribes came from southeastern China. In the 5th century BC, the Japanese borrowed hieroglyphic writing, adopted Buddhism in the 6th century.

IN feudal period Japan was isolated from other countries. After the incomplete bourgeois revolution of 1867-1868, it embarked on the path of rapid capitalist development. On turn of the 19th century- In the 20th century, it became one of the imperialist powers. In the 20th century, Japan entered and participated in three major wars(Russian-Japanese and two world). After the end of World War II, the armed forces were disbanded and reforms were carried out. In 1947, the emperor lost his powers (according to the constitution); Japan is now a constitutional monarchy. The highest body of state power and the only legislative body is parliament.

Natural conditions and resources

The geological basis of the archipelago is underwater mountain ranges. About 80% of the territory is occupied by mountains and hills with highly dissected relief with an average height of 1600 - 1700 m. There are about 200 volcanoes, 90 active, including the highest peak - the Fudei volcano (3,776 m). Frequent volcanoes also have a significant impact on the Japanese economy. earthquakes and tsunamis.

The country is poor in mineral resources, but coal, lead and zinc ores, oil, sulfur, and limestone are mined. The resources of its own deposits are small, so Japan is the largest importer of raw materials.

Despite the small area, the length of the country in the meridional direction determined the existence of a unique complex on its territory natural conditions: Hokkaido Island and northern Honshu have a temperate maritime climate, the rest of Honshu, Shikoku and Yushu Islands have a humid subtropical climate, and Ryukyu Island has a tropical climate. Japan is located in an active monsoon zone. The average annual precipitation ranges from 2 - 4 thousand mm.

The soils of Japan are mainly slightly podzolic and peaty, as well as brown forest and red soils. Approximately 2/3 of the territory, mainly mountainous areas, is covered with forests (more than half of the forests are artificial plantations). In northern Hokkaido they predominate coniferous forests, in central Honshu and southern Hokkaido - mixed, and in the south - subtropical monsoon forests.

Japan has many rivers, deep, fast and rapids, unsuitable for navigation, but a source for hydropower and irrigation.

Abundance of rivers. lakes and groundwater have a beneficial effect on the development of industry and agriculture.

IN post-war period on Japanese islands environmental problems have worsened. The adoption and implementation of a number of environmental protection laws reduces the level of environmental pollution.

Population

Japan is one of the top ten countries in the world in terms of population. Japan became the first Asian country to move from the second to the first type of population reproduction. Now the birth rate is 12 ppm, the mortality rate is 8 ppm. Life expectancy in the country is the highest in the world (76 years for men and 82 years for women).

The population is nationally homogeneous, about 99% are Japanese. Of other nationalities, the Koreans and Chinese are significant in number. The most common religions are Shintoism and Buddhism. The population is distributed unevenly across the area. Average density - 330 people. per 1 sq. m. but coastal areas Pacific Ocean are among the most densely populated in the world.

About 80% of the population lives in cities. 11 cities have millionaires. The largest urban agglomerations of Keihin, Hanshin and Chuke merge into the Tokyo metropolis (Takaido) with a population of more than 60 million people.

Farm

The growth rate of the Japanese economy was one of the highest in the second half of the 20th century. The country has largely undergone a qualitative restructuring of the economy. Japan is post-industrial stage of development, which is characterized by highly developed industry, but the most growing area is the non-manufacturing sector (services, finance,).

Although Japan is poor natural resources and imports raw materials for most industries; it ranks 1-2 in the world in the output of many industries. Industry is mainly concentrated within the Pacific industrial belt.

Electric power industry. Mainly uses imported raw materials. Oil is the leader in the structure of the raw material base, its share is growing natural gas, hydropower and nuclear energy, the share of coal is decreasing.

In the electric power industry, 60% of the power comes from thermal power plants and 28% from nuclear power plants, including Fukushima - the most powerful in the world.

Hydroelectric power stations are located in cascades on mountain rivers. Japan ranks fifth in the world in terms of hydroelectric power generation. In resource-poor Japan, alternative energy sources are being actively developed.

"Ferrous metallurgy. The country ranks first in the world in terms of steel production. Japan's share of the global ferrous metallurgy market is 23%.

The largest centers, now operating almost entirely on imported raw materials and fuel, are located near Osaka, Tokyo, and Fuji.

Non-ferrous metallurgy. Due to the harmful effects on environment Primary smelting of non-ferrous metals is being reduced. Distribution water plants are located in all major industrial centers.

Mechanical engineering provides 40% of industrial output. The main sub-sectors among the many developed in Japan are electronics and electrical engineering, radio industry and transport engineering.

Japan firmly ranks first in the world in shipbuilding, specializing in the construction of large-tonnage tankers and dry cargo ships. The main centers of shipbuilding and ship repair are located in the largest ports (Yokohama, Nagasaki, Kobe).

Japan also ranks first in the world in car production (13 million units per year). The main centers are Toyota, Yokohama, Hiroshima.

The main general engineering enterprises are located within the Pacific industrial belt - complex machine tool building and industrial robots in the Tokyo region, metal-intensive equipment in the Osaka region, machine tool manufacturing in the Nagoya region.

The country's share in the world output of the radio-electronic and electrical engineering industries is exceptionally large.

Japan ranks one of the first in the world in terms of development of the chemical industry.

Japan also has developed pulp and paper, light and food industries.

Japanese agriculture remains an important industry, although it contributes about 2% of GNP; the industry employs 6.5% of EAN. Agricultural production is focused on food production (the country provides 70% of its needs for food itself).

13% of the territory is cultivated, and in the structure of crop production (providing 70% of agricultural products), the leading role is played by the cultivation of rice and vegetables, and horticulture is developed. Livestock farming (cattle breeding, pig farming, poultry farming) is developing intensively.

Due to the exceptional place of fish and seafood in the Japanese diet, the country fishes in all areas of the World Ocean, has more than three thousand fishing ports and has the largest fishing fleet (over 400 thousand vessels).

Transport

All types of transport are developed in Japan with the exception of river and pipeline transport. In terms of cargo transportation volume, the first place belongs to road transport (60%), the second place belongs to sea transport. The role of railway transport is declining, while air transportation is growing. Due to very active foreign economic relations, Japan has the largest merchant fleet in the world.

The territorial structure of the economy is characterized by a combination of two completely various parts: Pacific belt, which is the socio-economic core of the country (the main industrial areas, ports, transport routes and developed Agriculture) and a peripheral zone, including areas where timber harvesting, livestock raising, mining, hydropower, tourism and recreation are most developed. Despite the implementation of regional policy, the smoothing out of territorial imbalances is still slow.

Foreign economic relations of Japan

Japan actively participates in the MGRT, leading place foreign trade occupies the place; the export of capital, production, scientific, technical and other connections are also developed.

Japan's share in world imports is about 1/10. Mainly raw materials and fuel are imported.

The country's share in world exports is also more than 1/10. Industrial goods account for 98% of exports.

We are all different and that's good. But how different the Japanese are from us! With all the modern and progressive standard of living, they carefully preserved a great many features. Read it.
1. In Japan, girls show affection and give gifts on Valentine's Day. I won’t tell you what this tradition is connected with, but today it performs an important social function: it allows girls to say “yes” without waiting for a Japanese man to have the courage to approach her.
2. In Japan, fish and meat are cheap, but fruits are very expensive. One apple costs two dollars, a bunch of bananas costs five. The most expensive fruit, melon, a variety like our “torpedo”, will cost two hundred dollars in Tokyo.

3. In Japan, pornography is sold absolutely everywhere. In every konbini (grocery store), there is always a separate shelf with hentai on the press counter. In small bookstores, hentai makes up a third of the total assortment; in large bookstores, 2-3 floors are devoted to pornography.

4. Hentai is allowed to be freely sold to minors.

5. The two most popular subgenres of hentai are violence and underage sex.

6. Wrapped in a cover, hentai can be easily read on the subway.

7. The Japan Subway and JR have women-only cars. They are added in the mornings so that during rush hour no one harasses the girls. The Japanese are voyeurs, and groping girls on crowded trains is something of a national sport.

8. At the same time, Japan has one of the lowest rape rates in the world. Five times less than in Russia.

9. Most Japanese characters consist of 2-4 syllables, but there are surprising exceptions. For example, hieroglyph砉 read as “hanetokawatogahanareruoto”, that’s thirteen syllables! Describes the sound made when flesh is separated from bone.

10. A question of honor still reap plays a central role in Japan, even in politics. The last Prime Minister, Yukio Hatoyama, resigned after failing to fulfill his campaign promise (sic!). Two of his predecessors too.

11. Japan is a small country, but there is a lot of everything here th the biggest one. It is home to the world's most expensive amusement park, Disney Sea, and four of the ten tallest roller coasters. Tokyo has the most developed subway system in the world, the largest railway hub and the largest mixed pedestrian intersection.

12. In Japan, it is customary to sculpt snowmen strictly from two balls, and not three, as in the rest of the world. And then the Japanese distinguished themselves.

13. Colonel Sanders is one of the main symbols of Christmas in Japan, like Coca-Cola in the USA. On Christmas Eve, the Japanese like to go to KFC with the whole family and eat a large portion of chicken wings.

14. In Japan, 30% of weddings still take place as a result of matchmaking and viewing parties organized by parentsお見合い (omiai).

15. In all northern cities In Japan, where snow falls in winter, sidewalks and streets are heated. There is no ice, and there is no need to remove snow. Very comfortably!

16. However, in Japan there is no central heating. Everyone heats the apartment as best they can.

17. In Japanese there is a word 過労死 (Karoshi), meaning “death from overwork.” On average, ten thousand people die every year with this diagnosis.

18. When the conductor enters the next carriage of a high-speed train, he must take off his headdress and bow, and only then begins to check the tickets.

19. Japanese people constantly talk about food, and when they eat, they discuss how they like the treat. Having dinner without saying “oishii” (delicious) several times is very impolite.

20. In general, the Japanese love repetition. When girls do it, it's with reads kawaii.

21. Japanese phones have a built-in national emergency notification system. When some kind of cataclysm occurs, a loud beep sounds on all phones (even if the sound was turned off) and a message appears explaining what happened and how to behave.

22. There is no looting in Japan. If you type “looting in japan” into Google, you will only find tens of thousands of surprised foreigners who cannot understand why empty houses are not looted in Japan.

The post is decorated with digital portraits of an artist from Japan - Izumi

Japan - an island state in the Asia-Pacific region - until the middle of the 19th century. was a closed and despotic society in nature, in which, on the one hand, there was a dictatorship of feudal rulers - shoguns, who at their own discretion decided all issues of life and activity of people, and on the other hand, there was imperial power, which continues to this day, weak and practically symbolic. All this gave rise to peculiar characteristics among the Japanese national psychology- subordination of the weak to the strong, admiration for authority, conformism, isolation in membership groups, harshness towards the weak, indifference to the suffering of others.

For many years, feudal oppression and military dominance reigned in the country, the unlimited dominance of the samurai class doomed the common people to hard labor, lawlessness and suffering, which were also aggravated by the natural disasters that regularly befell Japan. The lack of fertile land, difficult climatic conditions, and population growth forced the Japanese to work hard and look for forms and means of activity that would provide at least minimal opportunities for subsistence. As a result, such traits as hard work, frugality, perseverance, pedantry in achieving goals, internal self-discipline, and resistance to difficulties were formed in the national character of the people.

“It is impossible to understand the behavior of a people without understanding the uniqueness of their thinking,” says a Japanese proverb. Many researchers note the unity of seemingly incompatible aspects in Japanese thinking: commitment to abstractions, insight, ingenuity, rationalism and at the same time slowness of mental operations, self-doubt, and lack of initiative. In different types of activity, these qualities of intelligence manifest themselves in different ways, which sometimes allows one to achieve significant results. Thus, a Japanese businessman should not be classified as a person with little initiative. In trading, he is known to succeed in many ways. But in communicating with other persons not related to trade, he may not be active.

For many years, the Japanese were brought up on the tenets of religious mythology, which affirmed the “divine” origin of the Japanese nation and imperial power, and the “superiority” of the Japanese over other peoples. Under the influence of the ruling classes, the religious teachings of Shinto and Buddhism, as well as Confucianism, formed the most stable aspects of the national identity of the country's population, which were widely manifested in the past and persist today: commitment to the cult of ancestors, a sense of ethnic exclusivity.

For centuries in Japan, the psychology of subordination of the individual to the collective has been established. For centuries he was completely subservient, first to the feudal lord, then to the emperor, and today to the head of the company in which he serves. The Japanese are used to straining themselves “in the name of...”. He is submissive and disciplined. The Japanese does not correlate himself with such characteristics as profession, position, place of residence, etc., but connects his existence with the group in which he is included. He cannot perceive himself outside of the latter (when meeting, he usually indicates the organization in which he works).

Most activities in Japan are of a group nature: the Japanese work in groups, travel in groups, study in groups, and participate in festivals and demonstrations in groups. The behavior of each member of the group is primarily focused on fitting into the actions of the group and being the most useful to it. The most valuable qualities members of the group are considered to be able to prioritize its interests, desire and desire to be useful to it. There is no crueler punishment for a Japanese than to be thrown out of the group into an alien world that extends beyond its borders. And such punishment may follow not for theft or hooliganism, but for an act that is regarded by the group as a betrayal of its interests.

In Japan, a person, communicating with people included in the same group, necessarily places himself on a lower level. It may seem that he has no pride or self-esteem, but this is not the case. Japanese pride is associated with their sense of duty and social position. Exaggerating a partner's position is an accepted form of communication that conveys politeness and respect.

When communicating with the Japanese you need to be especially careful. Don't sit down unless you're invited. Don't look around, because, according to the Japanese, you can't appear distracted. Every detail of your appearance and behavior will affect the attitude towards you. On the other hand, the Japanese themselves can communicate without words. And there is nothing mystical about this. They are so burdened with rules and conventions that sometimes they are simply unable to say anything. A guest in Japan often has to guess something out of politeness from the context, from gestures, from his own feelings, because the host cannot express his feelings in words. Any speech in this case is indecent.

The Japanese consider eloquence not a virtue, but rather a disadvantage, and often distrust eloquent people. For them, silence is an active means of interpersonal communication. It may have different meaning, including expressing disagreement, anger, etc., almost without the help of nonverbal means. The Japanese prefer to remain silent with people they don’t know well and often feel awkward when it comes to starting a conversation.

A. Hiroyuki

The Japanese are polite to foreigners, understanding that it is not their fault that they were not born as their fellow tribesmen, but they still think of them as completely alien and unequal people. Most foreigners living in Japan have mixed feelings. The Japanese are wonderful people in many ways: hard-working, smart, and humorous. But they are literally stuffed with prejudices and believe that everyone is like that. It is difficult for a foreigner living in Japan to understand why a woman crosses the street in the evening when she sees a foreigner; why does the flight attendant, not knowing that you understand the language, ask passengers if they mind if they are seated next to a foreigner, etc.

National character, as mentioned above, is an objective reality and appears in the form of a system of specific traits. F. Engels noted, for example, practicalism, empiricism, and formalism among the British. K. Marx identified characteristic Old English humor. The position of I.P. Pavlov, which relates character to general psychological phenomena, is applicable to national character (in this regard, we share the point of view of A.I. Goryacheva. “If you imagine,” said I.P. Pavlov, “individual traits are completely separate, then “, of course, you… won’t determine the character, but you need to take a system of traits and in this system make out which traits come to the fore, which ones barely appear, are erased, etc.”

Based on this methodological position, we have formed an idea of ​​the system of traits of the Japanese national character, using literary sources, the opinions of people who have communicated with the Japanese for a long time, and, finally, their personal observations. In our study, as is customary in social psychology, national character traits are grouped according to the principle “ethnic community - group - personality”.

In the Japanese national character, in our opinion, the following clearly stand out: a) general ethnic traits: hard work, a highly developed aesthetic sense, love of nature, adherence to traditions, a tendency to borrow, ethnocentrism, practicality; b) traits of group behavior - discipline, devotion to authority, sense of duty; c) everyday traits - politeness, accuracy, self-control, frugality, curiosity.

Common ethnic features

Hard work and related diligence in all areas labor activity- the most important feature of the Japanese national character. Of course, we are not going to argue that, for example, Germans, Americans, and British are less hardworking. However, the German's work ethic is completely different. The German works steadily; economical, everything is calculated and provided for. The Japanese devote themselves to work selflessly and with pleasure. They express the sense of beauty inherent in the Japanese in the process of work.

There is a specific expression in Japanese called furyu. It consists of the characters fu - wind and ryu - flow, the concept of “wind and flow” conveys a sense of beauty. According to the Japanese writer Tetsuzo Tani-kawa, aesthetic feeling is the basis of the Japanese national character, precisely the cardinal feature around which all others are grouped.

Everyone knows, writes T. Tanikawa, that in every Japanese family, no matter how poor it is, there is always a pot of plants and a panel painting hanging in a special niche. Even on the smallest piece of land there is always a garden. In such gardens there are several trees, a stone lantern, the ground is covered with moss; they can be found in many parts of Japan big cities. If it were possible, then every Japanese family would willingly become the owner of such a kindergarten and carefully look after it.

It is well known that the Japanese tend to retire early (in their fifties or early fifties) and indulge in aesthetic pleasure nature - trees, flowers, birds, wind and moon, according to Furyu. Everything that, in the minds of foreigners, is associated with Japan, T. Tanikawa emphasizes, - teaching women artistic flower arranging, the art of the tea ceremony and writing poetry, training men in martial arts - is related to furyu.

Japanese fencing is called kendo, japanese art Archery is called kyudo. The first means “the way of the sword”, the second means “the way of the bow”. The path here, as you know, does not mean a road, but a single Law, a single Path of all things. "The way of the sword" and "the way of the bow", having received deeply philosophical meaning in the minds of the Japanese, were elevated to the category of art that meets the requirements of beauty. In this regard, the main goal of an archer, for example, should not be to hit the target, but to master the art of shooting itself. When the shooter has mastered every movement perfectly, when he is freed from obsessive desire no matter what it takes to hit the target, the arrow will rush to the target by itself. This fully applies to karate, judo, and aikido *. Aesthetic norms in general largely determine the life philosophy of the Japanese, artistic taste permeates their entire way of life.

For many centuries, a sense of beauty was cultivated in Japan, gradually turning into a kind of religious cult of beauty worship, which spread among all segments of the population.

Since ancient times, learning to write hieroglyphs on equal rights included demands for both correctness and beauty, which developed a stable aesthetic skill from childhood. The hieroglyphic system is complex, it requires impeccable precision of line, its beauty and expressiveness were achieved only through emotional creative effort. Naturally, rewriting hieroglyphs was seen as an activity at the aesthetic level.

In Japanese there are aesthetic concepts hanami - admiring flowers, tsukimi - admiring the moon and yukimi - admiring snow, expressing the essential part Everyday life. The tradition of worshiping beauty is passed on from generation to generation. It affects everything, manifests itself in feelings, words and actions. The Japanese themselves believe that their special sense of beauty is theirs. National treasure, which foreigners can only admire.

The increased sensitivity to beauty has made the Japanese extremely emotional. They tend to look at everything from the point of view of personal experience, even when the goal can be achieved only through a sober, objective approach. Of course, love for beauty is common to all nations, but for the Japanese it is an integral part of the national tradition.

In general, tradition, or more precisely, traditionalism, has penetrated into the behavior, thoughts and aspirations of the Japanese nation, and has become the most important feature of its character. The traditions that have developed in Japanese society especially clearly express the idea of ​​continuity in public life, reinforcing national, cultural and everyday elements. The Japanese treat the cultural heritage of the past with care, they preserve classical theater, tea ceremony, ikebana B dynamic society XX century Japanese are looking for support in constancy and find it in traditional art forms.

The Japanese see meaning in everything, rooted in ancient times. On New Year(the festivities, by the way, last a whole week) branches of pine (a symbol of longevity, power), plum and bamboo (a symbol of constancy and virtue) are placed at each house, bundles of straw and narrow paper strips. The straw bundles are then burned “to ward off evil spirits,” as was done in the old days. The Japanese are especially strongly influenced by the traditional values ​​of the family system, which has always been conservative in nature. The actions of the pndi-vid were limited to certain limits - orientation towards the family collective, complete subordination to the head of the family.

The Japanese attitude towards continental culture was not limited to either repulsion or blind admiration; Quite often it took on the character of competition and dialogue, which over time became an internal principle of Japanese culture. Borrowed elements of foreign culture were creatively melted down and acquired new character and gradually became an organic part of Japanese tradition. Japan can be characterized as a stable and at the same time "open" cultural system, in contrast to countries like Indonesia ("open" but unbalanced cultural system, although the traditions of Islam contribute to the emergence of the opposite trend) and the type of India, China (stable, “closed” type, extremely reluctant to yield to foreign influences). Psychologically, Japanese “openness” leads to a combination of love for tradition with love for the foreign and new. Therefore, Japanese traditionalism is a special kind of phenomenon.

In modern Japan, great attention is paid to traditions, to the distant past, and to ancient monuments. The Japanese strenuously strive to preserve unchanged the norms of behavior and forms of culture inherited from previous generations. It is typical for them careful attitude to the established way of life as a cultural heritage, attention not only to the content of behavior, but also to external manifestations, to style, due to which the form of behavior remains especially stable. The current situation in Japan demonstrates the persistence of traditions in political thinking and social behavior Japanese. Japanese traditionalism has a multidimensional influence on the socio-political life of the country.

Japan, thanks to its island position and high population density, was able to gradually assimilate and process everything that came to it again. cultural influences in accordance with its national goals. After the “discovery” of Japan in the second half of the 19th century. The Japanese rarely resorted to various kinds of artificial protective barriers against external cultural onslaught. By gradually absorbing foreign culture, Japan was able to preserve its original culture, operating at its own discretion with elements of incoming cultures, that is, truly assimilating them, and not pushing them away, as many were forced to do. oriental cultures in an effort to simply preserve and survive.

The Japanese adopted from others what was of interest to them at a particular stage of their historical development. Each element of a foreign culture was mastered in such a way that it could be adapted to Japanese conditions. As a result, borrowings have always been of a pragmatic nature, and, in essence, they were not borrowings - rather, we can talk about a kind of transformation in relation to the social or other needs of Japan. In this entire process, a stable ethnocentrism is clearly visible, which has appeared nutrient medium One of the dominant features of the Japanese national character is pride in their nation.

Japanese ethnocentrism runs deep historical roots. It is due to the peculiarities of ethnogenesis, geographical location and the specifics of production in the country, the entire course of social development. Isolation from continental civilizations and constant readiness for invasions gave rise to a desire for isolation among the Japanese and strengthened nationalist tendencies. As a result, in Japanese psychology special meaning acquired a complex socio-psychological system in which the concept of “we”, i.e. the Japanese, is clearly opposed to the concept of “they” - everyone who is not Japanese. The Japanese love everything concrete and figurative. What is devoid of imagery will not interest them.

The Japanese explain this by their dislike of abstractions. In Japan, philosophy is understood differently than in Europe or America. For Europeans, in order to understand the essence of things, they need to “take off” from the subject, abstract themselves, and look at it from the outside. Only after such mental operation with an object do Europeans then receive a concrete idea of ​​it and carry out practical activities with him. The Japanese do things differently: they tend to penetrate into the “depth” of a subject without much abstraction. They borrowed this method of “entry” from the Chinese, whose thinking is amazingly specific.

When perceiving any new object, the Chinese try to remember, to find something similar that they have previously encountered. When they need to understand something new, they try to find common “grains” of it with the old, already familiar, and in this way explain the meaning and purpose of the new. Here are some examples from Sun Tzu’s treatise on the art of war: “A blow from an army is like hitting an egg with a stone”; “Power is like drawing a bow, timing a blow is like shooting an arrow”; “...the power of someone who knows how to force others to go into battle is the power of a person who rolls a round stone down a thousand fathoms mountain.” This type of concrete thinking in Japan can be traced both in science and art, and in everyday life.

Among the Japanese, like the Chinese, concrete thinking is largely associated with the peculiarities of language and writing. The development of such a character trait as practicality, in turn, is largely due to the habit of expressing one’s thoughts in a concrete way.

When solving certain problems, the Japanese act on the basis of their previous experience, and not through abstract constructions. When faced with difficult situations, they approach their solution from a utilitarian standpoint. Many researchers of the Japanese national character emphasize that the Japanese immediately accept what is of practical value to them. The peculiar Japanese logic of thinking also corresponds to this: it is based more on circumstances than on given principles.

Traits of group behavior

A group is an association of people various signs, for example by age, profession, gender, etc. Social Psychology By group we mean an entity in which people are aware of their belonging to this entity, although the measure and degree of awareness of this affiliation may vary. The group here acts as a “microenvironment” in which very specific group traits are clearly manifested. A similar phenomenon is typical for any ethnic community; the difference lies only in the degree of group cohesion. In Japan it is very high. In the system of traits of group behavior of the Japanese, discipline, devotion to authority and a sense of duty stand out above all.

IN interpersonal relationships For the Japanese, discipline manifests itself as a desire for orderliness. This feature of theirs presupposes strict adherence to a certain order, the performance of actions acceptable to others: diligent performance of one’s duty, selfless respect for superiors and elders.

In Japan, there are organizations called kyodotai (lit., association, community). The characteristics of these organizations are largely explained historical tradition, the need for collective organization of work and life and are closely related to group conformism. The Japanese perceive organizations as organic units. Every organization tends to be an all-encompassing entity certain place(in a village, in an enterprise, etc.) and include all potential members. The organization is dominated by paternalistic patronage on the part of the leader, which orients it towards special values, creates an atmosphere of solidarity and, as it were, family relations. The system of these relations is called the oyabun-kobun relationship. Oyabun means a person with the status of oya (parent), kobun means a person with the status of ko (child). Oyabun - the head of the association - acts as a defender of the interests of the group, his role is similar to the role of the father and head of the family. The functional strength of the oyabun-kobun relationship depends on his abilities, status, and egg attractiveness. Kobun - all other members of the association - are in the same relationship with each other as younger and older brothers in the family; they must unquestioningly follow the oyabun in the interests of the stability of the association and, consequently, the well-being of each of its members. In its own way organizational basis they resemble medieval family-owned craft corporations.

For many centuries, the need to follow the example of a superior was cultivated in the minds of the Japanese. The basis for this view of human relationships was the ideas of Confucius, the penetration of which into Japan began in the 4th century. Confucianism consolidated traditional patriarchal foundations and social inequality, regulated social relations, establishing a strict hierarchy in the family and society. From childhood, the Japanese are instilled with the habit of subordinating their “I” to the interests of the group. A consciousness of dependence on the family is brought up in him; The first bows, which are taught to a Japanese child by elders, give him an idea of ​​subordination, of his place in the group.

Strict regulation in the structure of Japanese society, the family education system and the organization of education in the country have always been oriented towards the high importance of authority. “Unquestioning adherence to authority” has long been brought to the fore, and values ​​such as satisfying personal interests and achieving personal success played a role minor role. Worship of authority is still supported by various means, is considered as social norm. Since the era of feudalism in Japan, a popular saying consisting of five characters: hi-ri-ho-ken-ten (injustice - justice - law - power - heaven). This expression means the following: injustice is subject to justice, justice is subject to law, law is subject to power, and power is subject only to the Laws of Heaven.

For a long time, Japanese society cultivated the idea that although earthly power will never surpass the Laws of Heaven, because they are stronger than earthly laws, it is unwise to rebel against it. This idea is deeply rooted in the Japanese mind. It originates from Confucius's rey (Chinese - li), which regulated the relationships between people in public, official and personal life. The requirements of the rei served as the basis for obedience, obedience and admiration for authority. The meaning of Confucian morality was adopted by the Japanese in the form of the following saying: “The relationship between the elder and the younger is like the relationship between the wind and the grass: the grass should bend if the wind blows.”

Even during the Tokugawa period, the Japanese scientist Joken Nishikawa wrote in his book “The Fate of the Peasant” (1721): “Due to the fact that the lower classes did not have the opportunity to play any role in governing the country, they were only obliged to obey” (quoted from ). In 1879, the Minister of the Interior, Hirobumi Ito, stated that “letting many people judge politics means bringing misfortune to the country” (quoted in). The spirit of submission was intertwined with fear of authority: police, government and army officials. In the Japanese mind, power is “something long and dense”; By fostering the desire to “be wrapped in something long and dense,” the authorities achieved humility and obedience.

An insurmountable fear of the police and government officials remains among the Japanese to this day, especially among the older generation. This has been repeatedly confirmed by survey data periodically conducted by the Office of the Prime Minister of Japan. Featured in Masami Shimuzu's book How to Connect with Others next instruction: “Humble obeisance is the best way to get in touch with government officials” (qtd.). Similar recommendations are contained in books of recent years.

Submission and humility before those in power have become a characteristic feature of many Japanese and formed the basis of their unwritten code of behavior. (Of course, among peasants in distant provinces they are more clearly expressed than among workers in large enterprises modern type.) This code was always reinforced by a sense of duty, compliance with personal obligations, and all rules of conduct were accompanied by pedantic detailed ceremonies. Now these ceremonies are adapted to new conditions and occupy a place on the scale of human values great place as “responsibility for actions performed out of a sense of duty.” Of course, the listed qualities cannot be considered exclusively Japanese, but in Japan they have a particularly strong influence on the human personality, often contributing to the suppression of one’s own self.

The spirit of obedience not only created the habit of mechanical obedience among the Japanese, but also restrained the development of their personality. Books on shingaku - “everyday ethics”, published during the Tokugawa period, preached to the people the idea of ​​selfless, unquestioning service to a superior. Therefore, the Japanese had to reject any spontaneous desire as selfish, and the highest virtue, according to Singaku, was considered readiness for self-sacrifice.

The spirit of humility, instilled over the centuries, has developed among the Japanese a certain type of “psychological inclinations”: the life and behavior of an individual are regulated by strictly established norms, the meaning of which is not disputed by anyone under any circumstances. The Japanese are so imbued with the idea of ​​submission to superiors that in the presence of authority they even experience something similar to pleasure.

Everyday features

Politeness, accuracy, patience, thrift, curiosity and other similar everyday traits are grouped around the core trait - self-control, which has a wide variety of shades.

There is a popular expression in Japan: “A samurai is as cold as his sword, although he does not forget the fire in which this sword was forged.” Indeed, self-control and restraint are qualities that have been considered by the Japanese since ancient times to be the first signs of courage. These features of the national character are largely due to the influence of Buddhism, which preached patience, abstinence and restraint *. In the Middle Ages, when the samurai was obliged to maintain presence of mind in critical cases, these qualities were considered, of course, necessary.

The idea of ​​moderation and self-restraint permeates the entire Japanese culture, and the Japanese from childhood comprehend the essence of Lao Tzu's sayings: “He who knows where to stop does not expose himself to danger”; “He who knows his lot will not be humiliated,” having absorbed throughout his life the idea that you cannot desire more than what fate has given you. Japanese writers, such as Kamo no Chomei ("Hut Hopes") and Kenko ("Notes from Boredom"), promoted this idea in artistic form, contributing to the creation of specifically Japanese style behavior.

Interesting in this regard life rules, which the Japanese are recommended to adhere to: 1) make peace with the situation, whatever it may be; 2) find an opportunity to comply with the established rules; 3) limit yourself in entertainment; 4) consider yourself the cause of misfortune. Following these rules, in turn, affected the special approach of the Japanese to assessing objective reality: fatalism was clearly evident in the character of the Japanese and their worldview.

This trait has deep roots in the Japanese consciousness. In extreme circumstances, during natural disasters, the Japanese prefer to take a position of passively waiting until “everything goes away by itself.” Books, plays, songs that interpret the concepts of “fate”, “fate”, “predestination”, etc., are valued and are very popular among modern Japanese. Fatalism, an irrational sense of predetermination, can be traced in various aspects life: behind many life events, the Japanese see some hidden forces. However, in parallel, modern Japanese have developed a rational approach to reality, often associated with personal interests. The criterion for rational behavior is success in life, which, according to the Japanese, depends primarily on frugality and, to a large extent, on politeness.

Politeness is undoubtedly one of the cardinal everyday norms in the national character of the Japanese, the alpha and omega of the Japanese way of life. Any word, gesture, deed, even impulse is marked with the stamp of politeness.

On the streets, in gardens and public institutions you can find signs calling for politeness. “A person should obey nothing other than kindness and politeness,” says one of the most common sayings. In Japan, no one will be surprised by friendly store clerks, attentive taxi drivers, and courteous waiters. “Service here is always accompanied by a smile and never by a tip!” - Michelle Commors notes in her essays “Service with a Smile” (quoted in).

Politeness literally permeates the relationships between hotel servants and guests, taxi drivers and passengers, the owner of a shop or seller and customers. So, going into usually empty shops mediocre, where sellers have the opportunity to while away time somewhere in a cozy corner, the buyer, as a rule, announces his arrival in words. “Gomen kuda-sai!” ("Excuse me, please!"). He can look at the product for a long time, be interested in details, ask questions and will always receive a polite answer. But before taking anything into his hands, the Japanese will apologize and ask the owner’s permission. Polite speech is an indispensable attribute of communication in Japan.

Many who visit Japan for the first time are amazed by the structure of the home, the attributes of clothing and room decoration. There is a stamp of rigor and order on everything. And everywhere is amazingly clean. N. T. Fedorenko painted a clear picture of this side of the national character of the Japanese in his book: “We enter the “genkap” - a small hallway. The stone floor is made of polished cobblestones in gray and brownish tones. Behind it is a wooden flooring, raised like a theater stage. This is where we leave outerwear and, according to the old rule, we take off our shoes, which we immediately place on moistened round timber so that we can easily, as if straight away, put them on when we say goodbye. You are not supposed to step on the floor in a Japanese house with the same shoes you wore on the dirt road. After all, street dust is mainly carried on shoes... We put on light shoes and go into the room. But when we need to enter a room with a mat floor from a mirror-polished plank floor, we also take off these light shoes. It is customary to walk on the mat only in special fabric socks - “tabi” - or in ordinary socks.”

Naturally, a wealthy person can afford such ideal cleanliness; in the homes of the poor, everything is simpler. However, the desire for such an ideal is nationwide.

Neatness and cleanliness, combined with frugality, serve as a foundation for mastering well-known production and practical skills that allow the Japanese to create products with amazing accuracy and perfection that are the envy of many foreign companies. Of course, we must pay tribute to Japanese curiosity here.

Features of the national character of the Japanese, like any other ethnic community, are social in nature. “The uniqueness of the living conditions of each people,” N. Dzhandildin rightly notes, “the specificity of the phenomena surrounding it throughout the entire period of its existence develops in it a certain shade in the way of perceiving the world, in the way of thinking, i.e., that which gives it the opportunity to notice and discover traits hidden to other peoples." The method of production and living conditions of the Japanese created in them a special style of manifestation of cognitive abilities.

Those who meet the Japanese for the first time immediately notice their inquisitiveness, their desire to delve into the essence of things, to get to the bottom of the hidden meaning. “What do you say about the Japanese?” - we once asked one of our engineers, who was accompanying a group of Japanese power engineers around Moscow. “They are somehow especially inquisitive,” he answered without hesitation. How is this “special”? We believe that we will not make a discovery here if we say that the Japanese are inquisitive by nature, by the spirit of life, it seems that they are inquisitive from birth, although we have already emphasized more than once that national character of a people is formed in the conditions of its life. Be that as it may, curiosity is inseparable from the national Japanese character.

It should be noted that the curiosity of the Japanese is characterized by a clear practical orientation, one might say, a pragmatic focus. When a Japanese engineer picks up an unfamiliar product, he tries to “grab” this product in the unity of form and content. The curiosity of the Japanese is determined by the concreteness of his thinking, largely brought up by Buddhism.

Japanese Buddhism is far from any analytical, abstract constructions. Buddhism is characterized by simplicity, concreteness, and conciseness. Adherents of Buddhism persistently learn how to communicate with each other, “bypassing words.” One of the popular Buddhist parables illustrates the postulate about the inseparable unity of subject and object: “The little fish said to the sea queen: “I always hear about the sea, but what the sea is, where it is, I don’t know.” The sea queen replied: “You live, you move, you live in the sea. The sea is both outside of you and in yourself. You were born by the sea, and the sea will swallow you up after death. The sea is your being "" (quoted from)