Westerners and the Japanese have completely different methods of expression.
1. Boasting in the West:
While in the West you can freely express yourself, it is not so easy in Japan. In Western countries, especially in the US, it is easy to boast "I am earning two million dollars a year." However, in Japan, it is rare to find someone who speaks like this. According to Japanese culture, people should be modest even if they are successful.
2. How to turn down invitations:
In the West, it is polite to turn down invitations or job offers by referring to specific reasons. But in Japan, it is safer to say something vaguely. In Western countries, you would say " I am sorry but my wife is waiting." In Japan, very few people would say this. Instead, they would say something like "Sorry, but I have another urgent matter to deal with."
3. Talking about family affairs:
In Japan, people do not want to discuss about family affairs even between colleagues. Wives of Japanese business men will usually never call their husbands' offices. Some Japanese businessmen ask their wives never to call them at their offices.
4. The company is important for Japanese:
When you are asked "What do you do?", you would answer " I am a salesman." or "I am an accountant.", etc. in Western countries. But Japanese would answer the same question, "I work for Toshiba." or "I am an employee at Sony." For Japanese, the company matters.
5. The writer has a question:
Do the wives of men who work for companies in Western countries control their husbands' pay-checks? In Japan, wives usually control all the financial matters if their husbands are "salarymen".
