[English／日本語] Things that Surprised International Students When They Came to Japan: Japanese People's Personalities (1) When I asked international students, "What kind of people did you think the Japanese people were when you were in your home country? " I asked them. They replied, "I thought Japanese people were polite, kind, and serious. But now it's a little different. They replied. So, what do international students think about Japanese people when they come to Japan? This time, I would like to talk about some of the behaviors and conversations that international students find strange when communicating with Japanese people. Social Etiquette This is a story about a Bangladeshi student. There is a Japanese person who I became friends with during break time at my part-time job. I was very happy because I had never made Japanese friends before. The Japanese person said, "Let's have dinner sometime. I was so happy that I asked him when he wanted to eat. Where do you want to eat? I asked. But the Japanese guy laughed and said he would check his schedule and that was the end of the conversation. I waited, wondering when. I waited and waited, but there was no answer at all. I wondered why. If you are Japanese, you may understand this story. When Japanese people say, "Let's eat dinner sometime," it does not mean that they really want to eat. This conversation is a kind of greeting. However, in most cases, it is not a lie from the Japanese to the foreign student, because it is often said when the conversation was enjoyable. It also implies that you might really want to have dinner together when you get to know each other better or when the timing is right. If someone says, "Let's have dinner sometime. If you are asked, "Let's have dinner sometime," you can say, "Sounds good. or "I would like to introduce you to some restaurants in my country, so please let me know when you are free. I'd like to introduce you to some restaurants in my country. What is your blood type? I often get asked by international students, "Why do Japanese people often ask me my blood type? Why is that? There are many international students who do not know their blood type. They also say that almost no one asks people their blood type in everyday conversation. In Japan, "blood type fortune-telling" and "blood type personality tests," which are not common in other countries, are often featured in morning information programs and women's magazines. Type A is serious, Type B is self-centered, Type O is sketchy, and Type AB is mysterious, to name a few of the blood type characteristics that Japanese people believe in. Some Japanese people don't want people to know that their blood type is B because they have a bad impression of it. When I tell this story, the foreign students burst into laughter. You may think it is ridiculous to judge people by their blood type, but it is true that for some Japanese people, it is used as a basis for judging others. If you are asked your blood type by a Japanese person, you may want to reply, "I don't know. Japanese people are quick to apologize A Mongolian student said to me, "Japanese people are quick to apologize. It's strange that they apologize even if it's not their fault. " Japanese people use the word "Sumimasen" a lot in their daily lives. The word "Sumimasen" is mainly used to apologize, but it is also used when you want to thank someone or call out to someone. However, this is not the only reason why Japanese people apologize more often than other countries. It is often said that the reason why Japanese people apologize so often is that they are a nation that is careful not to cause trouble to others. When foreigners see Japanese people apologizing, they think that Japanese people are polite, but at the same time, they sometimes feel as if they are running away from solving problems. However, if you get a job at a Japanese company or work part-time serving customers, you may have problems if you cannot apologize like a Japanese person. There are books on how to apologize, and even movies about it in japan. If you want to work in Japan, learn not only the Japanese language but also how to apologize. What do you think? In the next article, I will continue to tell you about Japanese people's behavior and conversation that international students find strange! 留学生が日本に来て驚いたこと～日本人の性格編①～ 留学生に「国にいるときに、日本人はどんな人達だと思っていましたか？」と聞くと、「礼儀正しい、親切、真面目だと思っていました。でも今は少し違います。」と答えます。では、日本に来た留学生は日本人対してどう思っているのでしょう。今回は留学生が日本人とコミュニケーションをとる時に「日本人って変だな。」と思った行動や会話などを中心に紹介します。 社交辞令 あるバングラデシュの学生の話。 アルバイト先の休憩時間で少し仲良くなった日本人がいます。日本人の友達が初めてでとてもうれしかったです。その日本人が「今度、ご飯食べよう」と言ってくれました。私はとてもうれしかったので、いつ食べますか？どこで食べますか？と聞きました。でもその日本人は笑って、「予定を調べる」と言って話はそれで終わりました。私はいつかな？と思って待っていましたが、全然返事がありません。どうしてでしょうか？ この話は日本人のならわかると思います。日本人の「今度、ご飯食べよう」は本当に食べたいと思っているわけではありません。この会話はあいさつのようなものです。ただ、会話をして楽しかったときに言う場合が多いので、留学生に対して失礼なことをしようという気持ちはまったくありません。そして、もっと仲が良くなったときやタイミングが合ったときに本当に一緒に食事をするかもしれないという意味も含まれています。もし、「今度、ご飯を食べよう。」と言われたときは、「いいですね。」や「私の国のお店を紹介したいので、暇なとき教えてください。」などの返事をするといいかもしれません。 あなたの血液型は何？ 留学生から「日本人に血液型をよく聞かれるけれど、どうしてですか？」と質問されることがあります。留学生で自分の血液型を知らない人は少なくありません。また、普段の会話の中で人に血液型を聞く人はほとんどいないと言います。日本では他の国にはあまりない「血液型占い」や「血液型性格診断」などが朝の情報番組や女性誌でよくとりあげられています。日本人が信じている血液型の特徴をあげると、A型は真面目、B型は自己中心的、O型は大雑把、AB型はミステリアスなどです。日本人で自分の血液型がB型の人は、悪い印象を持たれているから人に知られたくないという人もいます。この話をすると留学生からは爆笑がおこります。血液型で人を判断するのは馬鹿らしいと思うかもしれませんが、一部の日本人にとってはそれを相手の判断材料にする人がいるのも事実です。あなたが日本人に血液型を聞かれたときは「知らないんです。」と答えるのがいいかもしれませんね。 すぐ謝る日本人 モンゴルの学生から「日本人はすぐに謝ります。自分が悪くなくても謝るのは変です。」と言われたことがあります。日本人は「すみません」という言葉を日常生活で多用します。「すみません」は主に謝罪の時に使いますが、その他にも感謝したい時や呼びかける際にも使います。しかし、それだけではなく日本人が他の国と比べて謝罪が多いのは確かです。日本人が頻繁に謝罪する理由としてよく言われるのが『他人に迷惑をかけないように気をつかう国民性』があげられます。日本人が謝罪する様子を見て、日本人は礼儀正しいと外国人に思われる一方、問題解決をすることから逃げているように感じると言われることもあります。ただ、日本の企業に就職した場合やアルバイトで接客をする場合は日本人のような謝罪ができないと問題が起きてしまうことがあります。謝罪の仕方の本屋、それを題材にした映画などもあります。日本で働く場合は日本語だけではなく謝罪の方法も学びましょう。 いかがでしたか？次回も留学生が変だと思う日本人の行動や会話などについてお伝えまします！