Kata

by De Mente, Boye Lafayette

• ISBN13: 9780804833868
• ISBN10: 0804833869
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-03-15
• Publisher: Tuttle Pub

Summary

Literally, the form and order of doing things in Japan, kata is the cultural conditioning that causes the Japanese to think and react in the way they do. the secret to understanding Japanese business, culture, and society is explained by this cultural framework upon which Japanese behavior and etiquette is built. Veteran Japanologist Boye Lafayette De Mente explains the concept of kata and offers the reader insight to the art of bowing, the importance of apology, the origin of the Japanese obsession for quality, and other key cultural ideas which, when mastered, unlock the mystery of Japanese professional and social interaction. the book contains more than 70 brief essays that detail the origin, nature, use, and influence of kata. Whether you are interested in a deeper understanding of Japanese culture or looking for a way to develop business strategy, Kata is an invaluable resource.

Author Biography

Boye Lafayette De Mente is the author of more than 30 books on Japan, Korea and China, including Korean Business Etiquette. He lives in Paradise Valley, Arizona.

Table of Contents

Foreword	v
Introduction	xiii
What Makes the Japanese Japanese?	xiii
1 The Kata Factor	1	(16)
Japan's Secret Weapon	1	(2)
Mental Training	3	(1)
The Shikata of Harmony	4	(6)
The Feeling of Rightness	10	(2)
The Uniqueness Factor	12	(2)
Kata Comes First	14	(1)
The Coming of Foreigners	15	(2)
2 The Kata-ization of Japan	17	(34)
The Way of the Gods	17	(1)
The Way of Wet-rice Farming	18	(1)
The Country of Wa	19	(2)
The Mother Kata	21	(3)
Handicrafts and Art	24	(1)
Shikata of the Samurai	25	(3)
Shikata of the Swords	28	(2)
The Ritual of Tea	30	(2)
The Shikata of Sumo	32	(1)
The Shikata of Poetry	33	(2)
Behind the Masks of Kabuki and Noh	35	(1)
The Beauty Cult	36	(3)
The Art of Bowing	39	(3)
The Art of Ambiguity	42	(3)
The Importance of the Apology	45	(2)
Big Brother and Groupism	47	(1)
The Way of Suicide	48	(2)
The Kata-ized Mind	50	(1)
3 Kata in Japan Today	51	(41)
Continuing the Kata Culture	51	(2)
The Role of Martial Arts	53	(3)
Survival Linked with Kata	56	(2)
The Compulsion for Quality	58	(1)
Japanese-style Sincerity	59	(3)
Building Trust	62	(2)
Winning by the Numbers	64	(1)
Traveling by the Numbers	65	(2)
Reconfirming Japaneseness	67	(1)
Baseball the Wa Way	68	(2)
Copying as a Cultural Attribute	70	(1)
Dressing the Japanese Psyche	71	(1)
Cuteness and Infantilism	72	(2)
The Shikata of Being Japanese	74	(2)
Behind the Bamboo Curtain	76	(1)
Dealing with Foreigners	77	(9)
Kata in Politics	86	(3)
The Layered Culture	89	(2)
Becoming International	91	(1)
4 Kata in Business	92	(47)
Learning the Roles and Rules	92	(7)
Risk Factors in Building Consensus	99	(2)
Managing without Giving Orders	101	(1)
The Japanese Way of Working	102	(6)
The Dangers of Speaking English	108	(1)
Coping with a Humble Mode	109	(3)
Etiquette as a Weapon	112	(3)
Avoiding Emotional Blocks	115	(2)
The Kata of Rank	117	(1)
Sitting in the Right Place	118	(1)
Calling People Names	119	(1)
Exchanging Name-cards	120	(2)
The Structure of a Japanese Office	122	(2)
Dealing with the Consensus Kata	124	(2)
Following the Chain of Command	126	(3)
Behind-the-scenes Management	129	(2)
Inter-company Relations	131	(2)
The Advantages of Illogical Thinking	133	(1)
Designing as a Cultural Expression	134	(1)
Production as a Religious Experience	135	(1)
Packaging Makes Perfect	136	(1)
Seeing Kata in Action	137	(2)
5 Weaknesses of the Japanese System	139	(19)
The New Playing Field	139	(4)
Right-brain Vs. Left-brain Influences	143	(3)
The Downside of Speaking Japanese	146	(2)
Speaking in Tongues	148	(1)
Channeling Competitive Power	149	(2)
Japan on "Clark's Curve"	151	(2)
Waves in the World of Wa	153	(2)
Personal Failings	155	(2)
Might is Right	157	(1)
6 Can Japan Survive without Kata?	158
Japan Vs. the World	158	(1)
The Dwindling Kata	159	(2)
Inroads of Westernization	161	(4)
Will the Japanese Remain Number Two?	165	(1)
Japan Today	166