"I really enjoyed your article about Japan in weekend edition of last week. As you indicated, I also feel often that some Japanese people are suffered from hygiene irritation. However, I think it a violent assumption to say that Japanese would not shake hands because of that. Greeting in Japan in general is concluded by bowing. According to Japanese etiquette, it is not polite to touch other people's body. In the background of European people's tradition of shaking hands, there might be an implied idea to show hand to others will prove that he does not hide have anything to harm the other. Japanese bowing tradition however, is to expose defenseless pose and avert eyes for a moment from others, to show that he relies the other from the heart. Moreover, there is also a difference between European and Japanese, how two people get close to each other. When two of European people get to know well, their physical distance will be shortened. On the other hand, there can be seen a tendency about Japanese people that they try to keep more distance after getting to know each other. This can be easily explained by giving an example of trains in rush hour. Of course it is not possible to stay in the trains without touching or being touched by others, needless to say it is uncomfortable. However, if a people got the train with his accountants or business partners, they would feel more uncomfortable. After their relationship is more than strangers, it would not allow them to keep the zero distance.
『先日貴紙の週末版にて、日本に関する記事を大変面白く読ませていただきました。御指摘のありましたように、わたしも一部の日本人の衛生観念が行き過ぎと思えることがしばしばあります。しかしながら、だから日本人は握手をしないのだろうというのはあまりにも乱暴な判断と言わざるを得ません。日本の挨拶と言うのは会釈のみで完結しています。また日本の考え方では、人の体に触れることはそもそも礼儀に反するものなのです。欧米人の握手に対する考え方というのはその根底に、手を相手に向けて差し出すことで、自分が何も隠し持っておらず、自分が相手に危害を加えないことを暗に見せるという考えがありますが、それに対して日本人のお辞儀というのは、相手に対して完全に無防備な姿勢をとることで自分が相手を信用していることを見せるのです。また、欧米人同士の物理的な距離と言うのは、お互いを良く知る同士であれば親密になればなるほど近づいていきますが、日本人同士ではある段階になると逆にそれまで以上に距離を置くようになります。このことは満員電車の例を挙げると分かりやすいのですが、込んだ電車の中で他人に触れることなく過ごすのは不可能です。もちろん居心地の良いものではありません。しかし仮に知人や仕事の関係先の人と同じ電車に乗った場合、余計に居心地が悪くなります。お互いの関係が他人というものを超えた途端に相手と密着するようなことがさらに受け入れ難くなるからです。
In the truth, there is the tradition in Japan to shake hands. Under following situation it is often seen in the daily life in Japan;
1. Restoration of friendship after quarrel, especially by children, but usually they would be forced by adult people to do so.
2. At the ceremony of company merger or integration, both ex-presidents would shake hands in front of cameramen.
3. After baseball games, every players would shake hands with every member from other team.
4. To thank people for, for example, saving his life
5. To say good bye and thank the people, not knowing when to be able to see again.
Considering the situation about Judo or Kendo, that nobody would shake hands before and after the game but just bow, the shaking hands in baseball case might be come from USA with baseball itself. It speaks well that it might be, that soccer players would even hug on shoulders and exchange their shirts. When saying good bye, people usually mean thank you to have been working together or being kind. In briefly, Japanese shaking hands can be seen when something gets together with the other, or to show great thankful feeling to others. Therefore, usual greeting does not match both cases and Japanese do not think it necessary to shake hands."
日本にも握手という習慣がありますが、それがどういった場面で見られるかというと、
1. けんか後の仲直り
2. 会社の合併、併合などでその社長同士がカメラマンを前に
3. 野球の試合の後選手全員が
4. 命の恩人に対して感謝の際に
5. いつ会えるか分からない分かれの際に
などが挙げられます。日本の柔道や剣道などが試合の前後にお辞儀はしても握手をしないことから考えても、野球の際の握手は野球と一緒にアメリカから伝わってきた可能性があります。それが証拠にサッカーにいたっては日本でも選手同士が抱き合ったりシャツを交換したりします。また別れの際の握手には「これまでいろいろ良くしてくれてありがとう」などの感謝の意味が含まれているとも考えられます。これから考えられるのは、日本人の握手と言うのは、ものが一緒になる際、もしくは感謝の表現として使われるのであろうと考えられます。したがって挨拶と言うのはこのどちらにも当てはまらず、握手の必要がないということもできます。』
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