「日本語は遠回りに言う」。それ誤解です。

[Music]

Yu Linguistics Radio.

Japanese is generally considered a very distant language, isn't it? It

feels like they're not being very direct, doesn't it?

When do you think that?

Well, it's more like, "I'd like it if you could do it this way

." It does

n't seem like they're asking you to do something like that, right? I

agree. Also, the fact that they don't use the word "guardian" or that honorific forms are well-developed,

these can also be considered distant forms of protection. On

the other hand, what about English? I'll just

say it clearly. No, that's what they say, like it's the brain or you shouldn't do that.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I state the facts clearly and make my intentions clear, but what about honorifics? I don't think there are

many honorifics, right? I feel like I learned that there aren't any.

Yeah. So, if we compare the level of politeness, which is more polite, Japanese or English? Japanese is more polite, right?

[clears throat]

We were born in a wonderful country with such a language. That's the culture of the people of Merlin.

[Laughs]

This isn't going to be a joke, is it? I've already told you. I'm starting to feel like that's not really getting across, so I'll stop

. Please stop

. Anyway, I think most people believe that Japanese is an indirect language, while English is a direct language.

What do you think of the sociolinguistics category, Professor Inoue, who specializes in 5000?

Yes. It's about 30% correct.

Ah, about 30%... That's way off

. [Laughs]

Only 30% correct?

Only 30% correct,

about 30%. Actually, it's quite the opposite.

Oh, really? Well, in that case, do

n't even say 30%. I wish they had just

said, "You're wrong."

[Laughs] I'm also curious about the members who only scored 30%.

That's not acceptable when talking to researchers

. Teacher,

if you want to become a successful YouTuber, you should be more direct about it. If you don't tell me that I'm not wrong at all, then I'm completely wrong.

[Laughs]

Okay. [Laughs]

So, today's theme is to compare politeness in Japanese and English.

Um, so, politeness is something like a history or something, right?

Yes. Politeness is something I've touched upon before, in meetings where I talked about the importance of doing so and in meetings where we discussed linguistically correct ways of making small talk, but let me explain it again.

What was it again? Was

n't it something like the background?

Oh, you mean something like

courtesy? No, that's not it

.

Oh, no. You don't have to do what we just learned.

[laughs] I'll put it into

practice right away. [Laughs]

Uh, that's wrong.

Politeness is about how we use language to create the human environment.

Oh, yes, yes. I'm starting to remember something. So there's negative politeness and positive politeness, and it's like a sense of distance, right? Yeah.

Yeah.

Well, it applies to all sorts of things, from street signs to announcements, and even the entire academic paper, so

all linguistic phenomena are all politeness phenomena.

Oh, well

, from a politeness perspective, I see

.

Hmph.

Uh, I thought politeness was mainly about using words to indicate and adjust distance, but

yeah. Well, that's more accurate.

ah. But this isn't the essence; it's a much broader concept.

Well, politeness isn't just about distance; it also includes things like indicicality, which is the kind of attitude one shows. So, the

indicicality that came up in Ramenji is also part of politeness.

For example, in Japanese, there's a formal system of honorifics. So, if you

use that, it will give the impression that you are using polite language, at least in terms of your attitude. No matter how you phrase it, saying "Yes, it was there" or "I understand" are both

formally the same. So even when I

say I'm truly remorseful, I still use polite language.

[Laughs]

Yes, yes, yes.

National defense.

Ah, so that's what it is. A

formal guarantee of how to express history is a characteristic of Japanese, while English doesn't have much of a formal guarantee, but for example, in school English classes, "could" is considered more polite than "ki"

. I do

study those kinds of things.

Well, that's certainly only a part of it, and in principle it's a very important phenomenon, but it's not just that; the way the process is described is quite different from Japanese. I see.

yes.

So, what exactly is politeness? It's about

using words to adjust how we build relationships with people, which can involve the distance between us—getting closer or further away—and also about expressing who we are as a person. I guess,

broadly speaking, being remorseful is what politeness is all about. Is

that phenomenon also a matter of pride? So, while they may pretend to be there, they're

showing that they're not making it a big deal, and that's a form of politeness, right?

Yeah. So, the purpose of this discussion is to compare the Japanese and English terms for "politeness," but let me ask for your conclusion first.

yes. What are the main differences between the Japanese word "politeness" and the English word "prideness"?

First of all, as I mentioned earlier, it is formally guaranteed, right? I

can understand that using honorific language is seen as a sign of politeness. But when it comes to how English sounds, I think it's mostly dependent on the tone. It depends on the voice, so to speak, it's a simple way of putting it.

Oh, that's interesting. In Japanese, you can convey politeness through word choice alone, but in English, the way you say things must match the tone. The way you

say it already conveys politeness, so it's difficult to put into textbook text. I see.

So, when teaching this in school, the only way to explain it politely is through written text, and honestly, teachers don't have the time to teach it in that way. Yeah. I don't think many

teachers have the time or energy to say things like that, so I think anyone who can say something like that is amazing. Isn't this incredibly useful? It's the way

you say it that makes it polite. English. Oh really? Oh really?

Simply put, speaking relatively slowly and using proper articulation makes you sound more polite. I see.

But finding the right balance is crucial. If you speak too slowly, it can come across as condescending, like you're talking to a child.

Inframe. Sigh

. That's why it's so

difficult to learn it as a foreign language. Balance.

Um, could you give me an example? yes. Everyone, please switch to the long-range stealing mode now. Listening to it at double speed defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

yes. It would all be considered rude.

Yeah. Okay, so if

possible, could you demonstrate the difference between how to pronounce a polite request and how to pronounce a casual request?

Like, "Could you do that forme?"

and "Could you do

that forme?"

Oh, they're completely different. Ah

, you're right.

yes. I think the school building is definitely more polite. Well, I'm not a native speaker, so I'll take that into account, but even so, speaking slowly and clearly sounds more polite.

surely. surely. Also, the car in

front had some kind of processed look to it, right? It was a Po,

but it went up with Kuponmi, right?

Oh, that's a possibility too. Respecting the other person's wishes and actions is, well, a matter of maintaining a sense of distance, and this is an important aspect of politeness.

Yes, I heard this the other day when I was having tea with an acquaintance who speaks English, but apparently there are similar kinds of dating techniques in America, and

one of them is the

teaching that you shouldn't use a rising intonation even in questions about Jesus

.

Apparently, when we

learned it in middle school English, we were told to raise the pitch at the end of the sentence for questions that can be answered with yes or no, but apparently it's sexier not to do that. It sounds more

relaxed that way. And, well

, apparently speaking in a low voice is more attractive than speaking in a high voice, so, in the case of what I was saying earlier, it was apparently considered

better to speak in a low voice like "Could you do that?".

Yeah. It sounds like I'm quite confident, doesn't it? Ah

, that might be true.

yes. It

sounds like Principal Ka is making a definitive statement, so if having confidence makes you more attractive, then well, that's why you're more likely to be popular.

Yeah. This is it. The bad parts. It's something you learn in middle school textbooks. Please display it

.

So, we learn that and then we just do it honestly, right? So, is it really okay to live in a world where serious people who follow school education and are seen as uncool for doing things according to the textbook end up losing their chances? I'd like to raise that kind of question.

[Laughs] So I

heard that I went to America to become popular with women.

Wait a moment. [Laughs]

Uh, give it up.

Is this? I want to be popular with girls

. isthis-chan

[laughing] I don't

know if that's a pen or not. They call it "ad." It might be a

good idea to completely move away from middle school English. Because I said it in English. The fact that it's in

English is the problem. Probably.

So, going back to the topic, politeness in English, or rather, being polite, is expressed through sound.

yes. That's one thing, I think.

yes. Another

characteristic of English is that it shows great consideration for the other person's domain, and that's true. Japanese seems to be more

considerate. English seems to be the more likely language to be used for greetings.

Simply put, Japanese has the characteristic of expressing one's opinion loosely and indirectly, while English has a degree of leniency, where you avoid intruding too much into the other person's domain

. That's right

.

yes.

There's this phenomenon where emotional users are restricted from being authenticated, right?

For example, in Japanese, when we say "sad" or "happy," if it's about

myself, I can say "I'm sad" or "I'm happy," but

what if we changed "guardian" to "he"?

He wouldn't say "he's sad," would he? It seems like you wouldn't be able to say it

. What do you say? You look

sad.

Oh, right. People often say things like, "He looks sad," or "He must be sad." In this way, the katashi who expresses emotions in Japanese can only

express them directly when the guardian is in the first person;

when it's in the second or third person, they have to say something like "that's right."

How about in English?

Yes. You could

say something like that, couldn't you? Yes, you could

. You can say that, right? In that sense, it feels like you're taking advantage of his feelings by saying those things, don't you think?

On a general level, that's pretty much true, but if you ask if they actually say "hee," the answer is no.

Oh, really? I

still haven't said anything, and I'm still digging deep into that person's feelings, and I just can't bring myself to say that he's sad. Oh

, really?

So what happened was, Mizuno, based on some secondhand knowledge, said, "But in English, it's called a hit, right?" Ms. Mi also

mentioned something that was on a slightly different level than just the linguistic level.

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Oh, that's right.

[Laughs]

Things I'm embarrassed to think about now.

No, that's not true. Well, you're right, I

think that's wrong. He's become the kind of person who speaks loudly, saying "yes" and

discussing things.

[Laughs]

For example, one characteristic is that I think something or something, I

guess something or

sort

of, you know, we call it hedging, and it applies to what I say as well, but I'm very restrained in not forcing my opinion on others or barging into their territory. I see, so I guess it's like

individualism. Is it

different from individualism? I'd like an example, specifically.

For example, when you want to do this, saying "I want to do this" sounds really

childish. It's still hahahaha

For example, something like "I like to do this" is

better, or for example, "I am just inwing if I could do something" - saying it in a way that suggests "Is it okay if I do something?" sounds more natural in English. It's really meandering, isn't it? It's not clear at all, it's really meandering. I do

n't say things like "I want a drink,"

but it's okay to say it, and it's fine, but I'm very careful about how I say it if it might affect the other person. It's fine to say "I

want a drink," but if it's something that could affect the

other person, it's very jarring. I see.

But, you know, Mino-san, for example, will drink what I'm drinking and say, "Is that mine?" without asking. You're

really vague about other people's churches.

I guess the English language is just inferior

[laughs] No, no

. I told you to stop that joke at the beginning.

I'm going to stop doing that. This is no joke these days. That's what I realized after studying

linguistics.

yes.

But by saying it that way,

their relationship will be strengthened, won't it?

Well, well, well, I think we get along pretty well.

Well, it's a kind of positive politeness, isn't it?

[laughs] I see

. It was a linguistic joke,

but that wasn't it. That was

unexpected. I had this image of English speakers being the type to say, "Give me that drink."

Yeah. Well, that's what they say. To put it simply, I have my own independent self, so I

think it's perfectly fine to express my own desires and opinions. But there are so many different ways to say it. got it. So, essentially, he's asking me to give it to him, but instead of saying "give it to me," he says something like, "Well, it would be nice to have it." On

the other hand, I really refrain from telling the other person what to do or how to do it. An expression that isn't commonly used. Oh, really? You

see command forms and things like that quite often, don't you? The

imperative form is often used when it benefits the other party. Something like "Let's go in together, like with Janus" is in the other person's interest, so that's completely in the command style

. I see. Oh, that's interesting. It's okay to use the command system when it benefits the other party. To put it

simply, there are many aspects of that. It's

strange, but I think it's

okay to say what you think, but I don't tell the other person what to do, for example, do this or that. I've been observing movie subtitles quite a bit,

not watching the movie, but observing the movie subtitles.

[Laughs] You're so

busy. The Japanese

word for that originally comes from the word "zukizuke," and there are quite a lot of words like that in Japanese. Dialogue. There are quite a lot of lines like "You do it" or "You should do such and such," but I change most of them to "I." I'd like to say, "This is what I would do."

Yes, it's

interesting. I do

n't really tell people what to do or how to do it.

So, when someone says, "You should confess to that girl," I would confess to her, but what's the point? It's winding.

interesting. Surprising. Were they that sensitive? I

thought Abe people were just like that. I thought they were that kind of people, but I guess not

. You're going to get

flamed online. [Laughs]

No, let's stop. What a fool. No, but even if I didn't go that far, that's what I really thought. I thought that was how it's said in English. I'm not saying that.

Now, speaking linguistically, my starting point was Anna Bezybińska, a Polish-descended Australian linguist. She was

originally Polish and spoke a Sorabic language, and her husband was Australian, so she came into contact with English. And apparently, that's when he realized how indirect English is. When you

talk about slang-based languages, English seems to be full of indirect expressions. Sigh

. That's how I

usually start a conversation, too.

No, even if you think that Slavic people, or people from all over Europe, have pretty much the same sensibilities, it turns out they're completely different, totally different. For example, they apparently don't want to use the distinctive English

expression "would you" in a reluctant way. Asking someone out on a date by simply saying "Are you free?" is a really bad way to ask someone out. Oh really?

It'll probably be similar to the model we saw earlier, with the same processing length. I'll go

. I think I'll

go.

Oh, a Slavic person.

Russians and others will probably go, but

that way of putting it makes more sense

.

yes. And I think this is especially common among British people, but even in family conversations, they often

say "Would you like 99?" So it's become such a standard expression that they do

n't even think of it as being particularly polite anymore. For example, they also use a

lot of "I guess" and "I think," which I mentioned earlier as hedging.

Interestingly, it's like saying "Excuse me, could you pass me the soy sauce?" in the house, which is now considered normal.

Well, that seems about right. And speaking from a linguistic perspective, there are an awful lot of indirect expressions, making it a deeply nuanced and complex language. Something like that. Yes, yes

. yes. It's

said that this variation doesn't exist in other languages

.

Well, to put it simply, there are tons of linguistic devices in English that you can call indirect devices

.

yes. English seems to really love joints.

Recently, when I was listening to podcasts and things like that, all I

heard was "I'm men." I see. I

want to say something like, "This is what I think."

Yes. He said something like, "Just put it on."

Yeah. Also, this might seem unrelated at first glance, but "one of the best" is like "one of the best." It's like being one of the most one, right?

yes. Isn't that weird? That's what I

thought. I

thought it was strange that there was only one of the best items, but it was also one of several best items. I do

n't really believe in making such definitive statements. If it were us, we'd want to say, "This is the best!", but saying it's one of the best is kind of a roundabout way of saying it

. Ah, that's why I think it's a kind of euphemism.

So, if you see a really beautiful sight somewhere and say something like, "That's so beautiful, even in Tokyo," you'll be met with a response like, "Oh, it's like one of the beths

." I still do

n't want to call it the best. They

even consider the scenery, don't they? That's

amazing. I

think it's fine because I think it's great right now, but that kind of feeling is just a little different. If it were "be", I could

understand, but to consider things like Senary and Mountain, and even just temporarily, it's okay to say, "Oh, this is great."

Yeah. That's probably because they have to be very

strict about how they operate it. Probably

. I guess they just don't want to say it directly. I feel like it would be bad to

say it's the best. It happened. fart. They seem like the kind of

people who don't like to make definitive statements.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Wow, that's interesting. Business people often say things like this, don't they? Japanese people tend to be vague in their language, and that's not good in business. People are saying we should be more direct and follow the example of the West, but that's completely off the mark, isn't it?

No, I use them differently depending on the situation, so if I need a yes or no answer, there's a specific reason for it. teeth.

When you need it, it's definitely better to have it, and in a

business setting, you probably wouldn't try to gloss over it

. Yes. Ultimately, it comes down to the culture of whether to clearly state yes or no, and how to use that depending on the situation. Well, we're doing it too, you know

. Is there any way you could choose one or the other?

Actually, Westerners speak indirectly, or do

Westerners always speak bluntly? Which one is easier to remember? Speaking

bluntly isn't always fun, depending on the situation

[laughs]. So, when you

look at them, they might mumble a lot, or when they want to ask something of someone, they might mumble, but in business settings, they'll also ask for a conclusion bluntly, right?

Yes, yes, yes.

Well, that's not very interesting. It's vague, it depends on the situation, and it's

boring, so if you format it as "it depends on the situation," then all vague amounts die out.

[Laughs]

That's knowledge, so it's poisonous knowledge. It depends on the situation.

[Laughs] Whether

English is direct or indirect depends on the situation.

[Laughs]

Trivia. Is

n't this show just too boring? Is Yuru Game Class ending?

[laughs] It's kind of like a

mindset thing, isn't it? It's not that we get too attached to the other person, but that's the kind of feeling that Mizuno and I tend to have. Someone asked me for advice. I

don't say things like, "You absolutely should do it this way." I felt like we were kind of compatible because I thought, "It's your life, so live it the way you want." In

that sense, it's often said that Japan has become somewhat individualistic over the past few decades, but I think the modulation of that individualism is different. My

motivation is to speak about myself in the gentlest way possible, and also to avoid intruding on the other person's personal space

.

yes. I

think the motivation behind that individualism is different.

Yeah.

Um, which way was it for English speakers? They seem to be more

reserved when it comes to intruding on someone else's territory.

Oh, I see. So, do Japanese people have a resistance to saying what they want to say directly?

Yes. That also depends on the situation.

Oh, it depends on the situation. Well, then that's not really any good, is it?

[Laughs]

But maybe it depends on the situation.

[Laughs] I don't

really get it. What do you mean? It depends on the situation?

Yes. It depends on the situation.

Well, I suppose that's true. Depending on the situation, it might not depend on the situation, so whether it depends on the situation or not depends on the situation. It's no use

. This is completely useless with zero information

. [Laughs] Another thing that's often

said is that in Japan, it's often described as collectivism.

yes.

But there's also the concept of legal collectivism, but if you ask whether it's truly collectivism, traditionally,

what does "interruptionism" refer to here? There's been a long-standing

debate about what "interruptionism" refers to, and it seems that

the West is individualistic, and in

Japan there are these inexplicable people, and they don't seem to be individualistic, so there was a time when they were saying that it was collectivism, and I think they probably

prioritize the rules of the group over individual desires. Also, it's like

everyone's working together, and basically, consideration is about supporting what the other person is thinking. Because we do things like that all the time, people sometimes say that we value harmony or something, but if that's what you call collectivism, then for example, traditional Japanese sports are all

one-on-one, while

most Western sports are team sports.

Yeah. Certainly, Japan has a

lot of individualistic aspects, like sumo wrestling, but somehow it gets lumped together and called collectivist, and that danger has been talked about for quite some time now. I see, so whether

Japan is collectivist or not depends on the

situation. Ah, that's very informative, amazing. It really does depend on the situation [laughs]. What's with that "it really depends on the situation"? Is there such a thing as that in

Japanese?

Yeah, if you look at it one by one, it really does depend

on the situation. And as for "

humanism," well, it's a classic concept from a man named Kimura Ben, quite a while ago, but

what are the characters? It's the character for "

human" turned upside down.

Ah, yes. yes. It's not about groups of people in between, but about relationships between individuals that drive things. That's why I'm really concerned about how other people see me. Ultimately,

empathy is about inferring what the other person is thinking, even if they don't put it into words. In the

sense that you place importance on that, rather than focusing on the group, is it about empathy—how you appear to others and what others are thinking

? Yes, that's right

. It's

close to empathy, but in Japan, there's a sense of trying to deduce what the other person is thinking, and that kind of thing is present from a very young age, even at the level of child-rearing. So, when you're talking to a little child, you'll often hear things like, "If you do that, it'll be so sad for so-and-so," or "Oh, you're

right, you should think about so-and-so's feelings." At

school, we value consideration for others, and ultimately that forms the basis of Japanese communication culture. I think one of the characteristics of Japan is that you always have to be attentive to what other people are thinking and consider their feelings. I see.

And speaking of child-rearing, this is also a field of study in linguistic anthropology, and there is a

lot of research coming out on

how people raise their children, and for example, in the US, it's quite basic that many people encourage their children to verbalize their thoughts.

Oh, oh, oh, I've been

told since I was little to put into words what I'm thinking, but in

Japan, people expect you to understand without being told. In Japan, where it's expected that you should understand without being told, as soon as you go to school, you're told to put things into words, right? There's a

gap there, isn't there? yes. So, in

Europe and America, where the system is continuous, there are inevitably some differences in childcare and education.

Regarding putting things into words.

Yeah. I was actually surprised by this recently, but I thought I was pretty good at and enjoyed putting things into words.

But now, when I

use this really cool AI product called Claude Code, I've been working with it for about

12 hours a day recently, and it keeps asking me things like, "Is

this requirement okay?" or "Please tell me about this requirement," so I'm constantly having to

articulate what I want to do every day, and I'm starting to get tired of it. I've been realizing

lately how stressful it is to put into words all the vague things I have inside. It's like

that gap, probably like the gap between raising a child and them starting elementary school, but

now that I'm an adult, it's happening again and it's

quite stressful. yes. I see.

Therefore, traditionally in Japanese communities, people are trained to understand things that are not said in words, and if you keep doing that, you often end up losing in international situations, such as political negotiations, because you think, "This is within the rules, so I don't need to say anything."

Yeah. Since there wasn't really a way to

verbalize those kinds of negotiations in traditional Japanese communication, that's one of the good things about Japanese communication culture—that you can understand each other without saying anything

. I'm not sure what to do

, so I'm a bit unsure.

This is why there's really no

possibility of this communication style changing in the age of AI. I feel like everyone's paradigm is about to be forcibly changed because we're being made to articulate things so much.

yes. Yeah. Yeah.

Also, it was around the

year 2000 that American business people started saying that what's important for business people going forward is empires. oh yeah

. Well, the Americans are finally starting to say something that the Japanese have been doing for thousands of years, and it's like, "Why

now?" yes. yes. In fact, Professor Watanabe's new book, "The Logic of Shared Officialship," which discusses the cultural foundations of logical thinking, talks about exactly that kind of thing, and

Professor Watanabe argues that Japanese education was actually far ahead of its time. That might be true. Yeah. I

believe their argument was that they had built their educational system based on Mr. [Name]'s methods.

yes. When I look at how people

put things into words, I realize there's a huge fluctuation in their ability to do so. I think there's been a lot of effort to put things into words over the past few years.

So, a lot of books came out that focused on putting things into words,

and as a result of a lot of people like that coming out, Mizuno is now a contrarian commentator who says things like, "Is it really great to be able to put anything into words?" and he's been invited to various places, like

TBS

Crossdick, and he's been speaking like he's some kind of intellectual, and he appeared in the

thumbnail looking like a proper cultural figure, but I was the one who came out

. [Laughs]

That's right. That's definitely a reconciliation.

yes. In

recent years, there's been a movement to counter the idea that things have gone too well, which means that whether or not it's necessary to put things into words depends on the situation. That's

right [laughs]. In business and things like that, I think it's important to articulate things in order to share context and avoid misunderstandings with the other party.

But I think he's kind of missing the point, in the sense that he's not sure if it's okay to put even the most important emotions into words. It seems like there's some gossip going on.

[Laughs] In

that sense, I think it's kind of squishy and creepy.

[Laughs] What's wrong with

talking like an otaku? Let's get back to the topic of

lightness, which is the theme of this discussion. As I mentioned earlier, English communicates through actions that emphasize the independence of others, while Japanese tends to focus more on not directly expressing one's own thoughts. That's what I've been saying so far

. This model can handle a variety of other things as well.

yes. yes. I agree. I think this is something

we see in many places besides linguistic phenomena, but what

many Westerners probably consider to be uniquely Japanese is how gas station attendants and dealership staff watch customers leave their cars for a long time. Oh, you'll do it, right?

yes. Well, that's a very Japanese way of showing consideration and attention to the customers.

Yeah. It's like, "I'll keep my head down until they're out of sight."

Well, I think many people in American culture, for example, are probably keeping a close eye on things.

Oh, uh, scary.

yes. If I leave properly, it means they're watching to make sure there are no discrepancies.

[clears throat] I

think many people would probably interpret it that way. Oh

, really?

For example, even within America, there are said to be some differences in certain areas, but basically, for instance, when you're at home eating dinner and guests are leaving, you see them off at the front door, right? And at that point, it's common for them to go inside the house soon. Don't keep seeing me off. I've actually

experienced that myself. When I suddenly turned around, they were already inside the house, and I wondered if I was an uninvited guest or if I'd done something wrong. But after researching and studying it, I realized that it's actually a form of

politeness. I won't see you off anymore. But it's your choice now, so I won't see you off. Oh really? It seems that's the case, so that was a

polite attitude. I see. It's considered more

polite to go straight into your house or not see guests off.

And, you know, when the director of the radio station or someone like that leaves the studio, I also say thank you, give a quick explanation, and then go back right away. That's definitely a Western way of behaving. That's right

. No, no, no, no, no. Excuse me. Well, this is

Japan, so

[laughs] that's how it is

. It's like, "I'll see you off until you're out of sight."

But I think there are many people who think that way. That's

pointless.

But that's a nice feeling, isn't it? When I buy clothes at a clothing store, and they offer to carry them to me in a paper bag, I appreciate that it helps reduce calorie expenditure. No, I'm not happy. I'm not happy. yes. I just want to get out of here quickly.

Hey, and then there was that hairdresser, after I cut my hair, he opened the door for me and said, "Please come again," and handed me some kind of card, but it was just in the

way, so I threw it away right away, you know, you throw it away as soon as you leave, you know, you don't need it, why? No, no, I don't want to request the same

stylist again, I don't want to have those kinds of relationships, so as much as possible [laughs] Well, that was a joke, but what I think when I come to Tokyo is that when people in Tokyo are on the platform and the trains going in different directions are on different directions, they say goodbye and then they become strangers, right? Yes, yes, yes

.

Hey, in Aichi, you'd wave goodbye to the train as it zoomed by and finally get back to yourself, but in Edo, for some reason, everyone

[laughs]

reads it as Edo. About Tokyo. The

moment someone gets on, they suddenly start fiddling with their smartphone, and you think, "Huh, did I do something wrong?", but that's not the case at all.

That story sounds kind of like something Edo would say. It

's Edo.

Hmm, is this Edo period?

But now that you mention it, I think I did do that kind of thing quite a bit when I lived in my hometown.

Yeah.

Right? If

my train hadn't arrived yet, I might have just watched my friend's train depart like this.

Moreover, when passengers board, they often deliberately choose seats that don't face the platform, so that the other passengers don't pay attention to them

. I'll do it

.

What was that? I couldn't cut it off.

No, it's actually the other way around. It would be fine if I were the subordinate, but if that person is my superior, it puts pressure on them to see me off, which is harmful.

To avoid that, I need to send a message in a Meiji-era style that I'm no longer watching you, so you're free to be yourself, and that's why I sit on that side. This is important, isn't it? By

the way, I also qualify for that qualification.

[Laughs]

Yeah, I totally get it. Oh, it can also be included in qualifications. They sometimes

enter the area. I totally understand what it's like to be a ninja. Wasn't there a

sociologist named Goffman who wrote about political indifference? Something about how the more urban you get, the more indifferent people become to others. It's like saying it's rude not to be using your

smartphone while riding the train.

Oh, maybe so. There's this idea that

looking at other people and paying attention to them is a breach of etiquette and goes against the principle of political indifference, right?

Yeah. That's why everyone is looking at the elevator to see what floor it's currently on. It would be

rude to look at the person in front of you. I

agree. I've been really happy about this recently, you know, the elevator in my apartment building is always playing the news. Oh, that's right

. On the monitor. yes. yes. yes. I was so

happy about that. Before, I had just been looking at the count display without really thinking about it, but now I can get information from it, I can read the text, and I'm just so happy.

Yeah. Well, I mean, if it were news, that would be fine, but the advertisements for the elevator at my dentist's office are projected onto the door

, and it's like, "Am I not even allowed to see things freely anymore?" That's how I

feel. I think they should give me some points. I

saw the ad. I

saw the ad, so it's strange that I didn't see any positive results.

hey. After watching an ad, I might browse a website or something like that. I want to be given those rights.

Really. yes.

But I think train advertisements, which are basically just hanging ads, are a good example of taking advantage of those principles of human behavior

.

Oh, I see. There's nothing to see.

yes. As for the advertisements hanging from the ceiling inside trains, well, it might be partly because magazine media have become more difficult to use, but I think it's also because everyone is looking at their smartphones now, so there's not much point in having them hanging up high anymore

. I think quite a lot of it was gone

inside. I

stopped taking the train, and when I

came back, it felt like they had stopped putting the mid-ship fishing gear on board.

Yeah. In Japan, the relationship ends at gas stations or when the reeler watches the car drive away

, and it's usually until the car is completely out of sight. But in America, it might end a little sooner. So,

for example, if the conversation ends or when you finish filling up on gas, that's when you say goodbye, and you don't see them off. It depends on where you end the conversation.

[clears throat] The

ending point is different in Japan and America.

Yeah. In some communities, for example, people tend to talk together for a long time, and the relationship doesn't really end easily. So, to summarize,

what does that mean?

[laughs] Let's not say it depends on the

situation. Because there's nothing left of it, even in

America, there are cases where people see off their loved ones.

[Laughs] Yes, there are

. there is. I think that depends on the community.

[Laughs] That's

boring. However, the problem is that there are no specific examples.

For example, it's often said that in churches or communities of people with the same life path, things don't end when the service is over; they continue on, so in that sense, people might have a stronger sense of maintaining a lasting relationship.

[clears throat] Oh,

really?

Well, but maybe the new father or someone might come to see them off

. Well, it probably depends on the scale.

Ah, it depends on the scale, the scale [laughs]

Ah, it depends on the situation and the scale. Ah

, I see.

Earlier, we talked about how it depends on the community.

[Laughs] That's so boring

. Well,

America is huge, so I guess that makes sense

. He said it depends on whether it's the south or the north. And there's also the

[laugh]

factor.

So, in that sense, I think that earlier discussion about whether or not the relationship between cities is satisfactory is something that also happens in Japan. So, what do you think?

Well, I suppose so. So, the farewell on the train in Aichi and the farewell on the train in Tokyo are different, which I guess means it depends on the region.

Well, I suppose so. Certainly, Aichi and Tokyo are different regions, so the way things move will be different.

yes. Ah, but even in Aichi, there are people who give their loved ones that kind of send-off, and in Tokyo, there are people who don't do that, so I see

. Does it depend on the person? It depends

on the person. To be honest, if it's

after the graduation ceremony or during a more sentimental time, people might stay out late seeing them off, so it really depends on the situation. That's

amazing. I agree

. There are

many nighttime activities.

So, when I came to Tokyo decades ago, back when I was a student, I was a little surprised to find that when we were in the same class and working on the same project, we'd say hello whenever we saw each other on campus, but as soon as the project was over, they'd just ignore me. I was a little surprised and

saddened, thinking, "Oh, they weren't my friends after all."

So, for example, in the

spring semester of your first year, you're friends because you're taking the same instrument class, but if you're in the fall semester, you get ignored? I was

ignored. Oh no, does

ignoring Tokyo's culture mean not greeting people? It's not so much that they deliberately do

n't say hello, but more like they're avoiding it a bit.

Ah, yes. But

, I might understand a little bit. Like that guy who sat

next to me for just one day when I was a freshman in college.

But you know, I feel the same way now, you know?

So I barely know his name, but we haven't had any contact since then. I occasionally catch a glimpse of him from afar on campus, but I think I might have looked away because I didn't feel like we were close enough to exchange greetings. Yes, there is

. be. I remember that too.

Also, when my child was in kindergarten, which is in the neighborhood, the other parents didn't even say hello after the class ended. Hahaha

. Uh

,

yeah. There are parents like that, but I guess that's just how it is in Tokyo, and when the time comes,

I don't do it at all anymore. There might be some

people who are so dedicated that they never go to company drinking parties or anything like that.

Wow, actually, none of the

three of us have

lived in Tokyo our whole lives; we're from the provinces, so we don't really know Tokyo culture from the roots, but I guess that's what

Tokyo is like.

Mmhmm. I think it depends on the person. [Laughs]

Um, I'm going to ban that by some means. Well, Professor Ii started it because he thought it was interesting. Even though he's a teacher,

[laugh] he's

starting to act silly. That's

amazing for a younger brother. You see, the more I talk about it, the more I act like a researcher, so this joke is unbeatable.

hey. Okay, one more thing I've been

thinking, don't people in Tokyo just end conversations really abruptly?

For example,

when I was a freshman in college, it really surprised me, but we'd be having a conversation for a while, and then there would be a brief pause of about

two

seconds, and then they'd start looking at their phone and say, "Oh

, so that's the end of the conversation? Is that it?" It's like, "I was still planning to play," or "I was going to throw the ball back," but then you realize, "Oh, he's not even in mid anymore," and looking at your phone becomes the marker for the end of a conversation. Yeah.

Oh, but Kaho Miyake said that when they all went out for lunch, she felt like it wasn't her place to be in the conversation, so she started reading a book.

That's strange, Mr. Ne. Miyake is just a bit of a punk when it comes to reading. That's

[laughing]

Oh, really? It's

strange that he reads books whenever he has free time. that's right

. [Laughs]

Well, it depends on the house. This is a phenomenon related to the personality of "homebody," and it's not something that applies to individuals. Not really. yes. So,

this time, let's compare politeness in Japanese and English.

And we've seen that the stereotypes we have of English and Japanese are only about

30% accurate

. What was the difference again?

Hmm. I had this image that English speakers were very blunt and outspoken, but it turns out that's not the case at all. It's more about not intruding on the other person's territory and saying things like, "If I were you, I would do it this way."

[clears throat]

Yes. Conversely, in Japanese, you can directly say things like "Do that," even in someone else's territory. The professor explained that this model can even explain things like the culture of seeing people off. That's it

. When you

think about it that way, Shinichi the farewell comedian is pretty amazing. I know about Japanese culture. She even

specifically included "seeing off" in her stage name.

But that depends on Shinichi. [Laughs] Really? That was

Shinichi's doing? It's based on the

character of Shinichi, not because I know Japanese culture. that's right. There's a non-zero

possibility that he was an incredible patriot and wanted to share Japanese culture with the world.

So, yes. In that case, I'd like them to say, "It depends on the situation," when they play the game. At the very least,

[laugh] it makes absolutely no

sense. That's the

situation at the R1 Grand Prix, but you should definitely say it first, and have them say it first.

That's not interesting at all.

yes. So, we've looked at the surprisingly indirect aspects of English and the surprisingly direct aspects of Japanese, but in the end, how would you answer the assertion that there are no honorifics in English? There may

not be a formal form of honorifics, but there are ways to express circumstances, and those don't really come out in writing

[clears throat]

. I think that's what it comes out in the context.

Well, perhaps English is better at expressing events through multiple means, including facial expressions and such. When you

think about it that way, English is really difficult, isn't it? I realized that you have to pay attention to things like facial expressions and the way you say things, because if you don't, you can't fully express the circumstances. So maybe Japanese is easier for me.

Well, on the other hand, I think English speakers might find it more difficult because Japanese speakers don't show much change in facial expression. Considering their protective measures, that

makes sense. We have to change the format, you see.

Yeah. Well, we each have our own unique challenges.

So it depends on what happens afterward. Let's ban it. No, but when you think about it, even saying "I'm reflecting on it" is pretty much code, isn't it? That's not possible in English, is it? yes. You can't really do that in English, can you? Maintaining the formalities while using incredibly harsh language.

[laughs] Being in a position of authority is

n't exactly polite, is it?

Well, well, well. Oh, that's a great guess

[laughs] That's

amazing. That's not it,

thumbnail

[laugh] No way no way no way The initial

draft wasn't done carefully and it's not funny at all After that, I'd be happy if you could comment in the comments section about anything that surprised you when you came to Tokyo or a big city, or any kind of farewell gesture. I'd

like to know. Also, if there's anything else you think

depends on the situation, please tell me

[laughs]

Well, everything depends on the situation, so there's almost nothing in this world that doesn't depend on the situation, so everything depends on the situation and it'll just become a comment section where people write meaningless things, like whether they want to eat grilled rice balls or things like that

[laughs] It's

meaningless and not

interesting so please stop doing that. So, let's wrap it up. Thank you very much

.

thank you very much.

[Music]

Horimoto-san, do you ever

worry about not being able to speak well? It happens

often. I've

written a book that's perfect for people who are struggling with those kinds of problems.

law. The

title refers to the 0.2

seconds of conversation, a book that focuses on those fleeting moments in a conversation

. Please buy it, everyone.

Yeah.