A: 'How about this weekend?'

B: 'Sounds good! But I have appointment with my family.'

Do you remember conversations like this? Person A asked B to do something at the weekend. Though A doesn't say the word 'golf', B understands what A is implying, therefore they have had played golf together many times before. A didn't ask the details of B's appointment, because A sensed that B can't go to play golf from the short sentence.

Japan has a culture, which enables its people to read the hidden meaning of words, and between the gaps in sentences. Recently, Japanese people say 'read the air' for the skill. It is very important in Japanese communication. Japanese have a tendency to talk with estimation and clinical sensing just like a married couple who can understand what his/her partner means or intends to say without actually needing to say it directly. We can't conclude that all Japanese have this tendency, of course. But it is true that there are numerous people who have a high ability of ‘reading the air’.

Generally speaking, people who can make sense of someone’s meaning and act without many words are considered to be well-mannered, nice and thoughtful people in Japan. Many articles in magazines and on the internet titled 'Condition to get marry', 'Condition to be a comedian' and 'Condition of good Business man' all state that ‘reading the air’ it is an important skill for all relationships and situations in everyday life. People who can't ‘read the air’ tend to be denied or thought of as a lesser person. For example, if you keep speaking about the last topic, or if you don't read the hidden meanings of words, people don't have a good impression towards you.

"I happened to meet Yuko today." This is spoken from the prerequisite implying that the partner in dialogue knows Yuko. We can't understand if you talk about someone whom we don't know. Another case is, C said "Please send this to the address by 10th", to D from another country. D sent it by 10th to the address stated. But it is unknown who will receive it and how it should be sent exactly. Because it was a CD, for example, Japanese home deliveries ask whether it is "Breakables or not?" when they keep packages. If it is breakable, they put a sticker 'breakable' on the package and transport it carefully. And the customer can will be in good knowledge that the package will be taken care after been asked whether it is "Breakables or not?".

Why does this trouble occur? Should C tell D the details of how to send the package? Should D take care of the CD and packaging just like Japanese home deliveries does? There are people who tell all, and people who don't tell so much with words. Telling too much is not good. But lacking in words causes problems. Then, how do international men and women behave like? Who is an international person? He may know about the background of the partner in dialogue well, be able to distinguish how much the partner is able to understand, and converse including the necessary information needed for complete understanding.

Research suggests that conversations of Japanese have some 'spaces' between sentences. When we listen to the words spoken, we interpret the hidden meaning and decide how to reply during conversation. But it is important to note how much the partner in dialogue knows about the information, and how much he/she can read the meaning when words are left out.

 

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