Japanese people

The Japanese people ( Nihonjin, Nipponjin?) are an ethnic group native to

Japan.[18][19][20][21][22] Japanese make up 98.5% of the total population of
their country.[23] Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese
descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of
Japanese ancestry who live in other countries are referred to as nikkeijin (
?). The term ethnic Japanese may also be used in some contexts to refer to a
locus of ethnic groups including the Yamato, Ainu, and Ryukyuan people.
Language[edit]
Main article: Japanese language
The Japanese language is a Japonic language that is treated as a language
isolate; it is also related to the Ryukyuan languages, and both are sometimes
suggested to be part of the proposed Altaic language family. The Japanese
language has a tripartite writing system using Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji.
Domestic Japanese people use primarily Japanese for daily interaction. The
adult literacy rate in Japan exceeds 99%.[24]
Religion[edit]
Main article: Religion in Japan
Japanese religion has traditionally been syncretic in nature, combining
elements of Buddhism and Shinto. Shinto, a polytheistic religion with no book
of religious canon, is Japan's native religion. Shinto was one of the traditional
grounds for the right to the throne of the Japanese imperial family, and was
codified as the state religion in 1868 (State Shinto was abolished by the
American occupation in 1945). Mahayana Buddhism came to Japan in the sixth
century and evolved into many different sects. Today the largest form of
Buddhism among Japanese people is the Jdo Shinsh sect founded by Shinran.
[citation needed]
Most Japanese people (84% to 96%)[25][26][27] profess to believe in both
Shinto and Buddhism. The Japanese people's religion functions mostly as a
foundation for mythology, traditions, and neighborhood activities, rather than
as the single source of moral guidelines for one's life.[citation needed]
The top 10 words to describe Japanese people (according to
foreigners)
By Paula Gerhold
LIFESTYLE AUG. 28, 2013 - 06:35AM JST ( 113 )
The top 10 words to describe Japanese people (according to foreigners)
Japan Global Marketing Database
TOKYO

There isnt a country in the world immune from stereotypes. All people form
opinions about places and their inhabitants based on whatever they can glean
from the food, tourism, and art of the culture. But not all sweeping
generalizations have to be mean and unfounded.

The results on a thread on Madame Riri asking for the perfect words to
describe Japanese people were surprisingly positive.
Here are the most common adjectives that Westerners chose when
characterizing the people of Japan.
#1. Polite: Weighing in at number one was polite, or in Japanese reigi
tadashii. Everyone has heard of the traditional Japanese bow used as a
greeting during any given exchange. Though handshakes are perfectly
common in Japan now, they more often than not come with a bow as well (or
two or three). To the Western mindset, this style of address already seems
much more polite than a simple handshake, high-five, or shoulder clap. Of
course, the term polite in and of itself doesnt only have a positive
connotation. Its possible to remain too polite and distant from a person, even if
youve known them for quite a while.
#2. Punctual: Japan takes its time management very seriously. The Japan
Railway (JR) and other connecting subways and train systems are well-known
for their incredibly punctual schedules. As such, when there is a delay of even a
minute, the whole system gets thrown off. Trains often issue late slips for
passengers to take to their employers if their trains get delayed. After all, it
leaves a very bad impression if youre late to work.
#3. Kind: Unlike polite, which can have its downsides, kind is a genuinely
positive word. In Japanese, words with similar connotations to the English
phrase are yasashii or omoyari no aru, meaning thoughtful of others. One
sterling example of this is the custom of bringing a gift (usually food) when you
visit another persons house in Japan. This praiseworthy adjective was the
third-most repeated term in the thread. Thats a winning score on anyones
report card.
#4. Hard-working: A hard-worker or hataraki-mono is definitely a common
word that classifies a Japanese mindset. In a culture where your job is supposed
to take precedence over even your family at times, its unsurprising that
foreign nationals would latch on to this particular description. There is even a
word for death by overwork in Japanese (karoshi). Its not uncommon for
people to work several more hours after their contractual quitting time and, if
youre not a contract worker, that means that you arent paid for that overtime.
Even if you have a haken (contracted job), its still considered rude to leave
right on schedule.
#5. Respectful: Another tie-in with polite, respectful or tanin ni taishite keii wo
hyo suru to loosely describe it in Japanese, is a mainly positive word. However,
it can sometimes be associated with distance. With the epidemic of idolization

in Japan, its also possible to take respect just a bit too far. Many Westerners
find the concept of being so respectful to their elders a bit outside the norm.
But in Japan, the older you get, the wiser you are considered and the more
respectfully youre treated. Youll get in big trouble if you use informal language
with a person older than you unless theyre family. Even then, some relatives
still expect proper formal language befitting of their senior status.
#6. Shy: An overall impression of the citizens of Japan is that theyre very shy
people, or hazukashigariya. This might be linked to their focus on politeness
and respect. It is true that you dont always hear a lot of outspoken Japanese
people, especially tourists in foreign countries, but this might be for a different
reason altogether. Many Japanese people worry about their foreign language
skills and fear saying something incorrectly in English when they talk to native
speakers. Conversation practice has only recently become a staple of English
classes in Japan.
#7. Intelligent: Theres a definite stereotype of people from Asian countries
being the brainy cream of the crop. Whether this is factually correct or not
wasnt technically relevant to the survey thread, but it certainly was a nice
compliment. The Japanese word for intelligent is kashikoi. Incidentally, if you
tried to say the katakana pronunciation of smart, sumato, that actually
means to be thin and attractive in Japanese. Not that theyre mutually
exclusive adjectives, but be careful of confusing your Japanese friends by trying
to call someone intelligent and accidentally calling them slim and sexy.
#8. Grouping: You know how girls are always said to travel in packs? Same
goes for Japanese people, apparently. A word of advice to any aspiring English
teachers in Japan is to make lots of group activities. Unlike America, where
group work is often disliked because sharing the workload with other students
inevitably means that it gets divided unequally, Japanese students thrive off of
it. They prefer not to have to voice their opinions alone, but would rather share
ideas with their peers and make a group decision. In a class of thirty Japanese
kids, not many people want to stand up by themselves and read out of an
English textbook. But put everyone in groups of three and make them read it in
turns and youve got yourself an engaged classroom.
#9. Formal : Tying in with polite, Japan has a reputation for being very formal.
This manifests itself in both manner and language. Japanese has many
different formality levels depending on who youre addressing. This can be
tiresome for people attempting to learn the language, and it can also lead to
crossed wires between friends, especially in the case of foreigners and
Japanese people. An American might wonder why their friend still calls them
David-san when theyve known each other for a few years. Far from wanting
to keep distance between them, the Japanese friend might just be waiting for
David to mention that they dont really need to keep titles between them. After
all, without checking first, it can be considered rude to suddenly stop using
formal language (an act called yobisute or dropping the name honorific).

#10. Clean: Many Internet users have seen Japanese tourists pick up trash from
around campsites and rest stops even when they didnt make the mess
themselves. This habit and others added the description of clean to the list. Did
you know that Japanese students clean their schools by themselves? No
janitors, just students hauling trash bags, sweeping the steps, and wiping down
the halls with washcloths for a good 30 minutes each day. Most storefront
owners sweep up the sidewalks and streets outside their stores, too. Making it
your business to keep communal space clean is a distinctly different mindset
from some Western countries. Just think of all the gum-strewn, littered streets
of big cities in America.
Overall, the impression of Japan from a Westerners eyes is pretty darn good,
though perhaps a bit lacking in the relaxed and fun-loving department. My
personal word pick for Japan would be focused. Whether its staying after
school for 3 hours practicing with the baseball club, going to cram schools to
get into good colleges, or clocking in extra hours of unpaid work at their jobs,
Japanese people seem to find a goal and stick with it. Even in more fun
pursuits, Japanese people throw themselves into their hobbies and work with a
zeal that is truly commendable, in my humble opinion.