Story | Japanese Patterns of Interpretation | Explanation by Chinese Participants |
Story 1 | Communication difficulty, embarrassment Loss of prestige Loss of mianzi (face) Strong ego/short temper Inexperience in receiving critical feedback No clear interpretation of Mr. song’s actions | Denial of originality of research/loss of prestige Loss of mianzi (face) Strong ego/short temper |
Story 2 | Enthusiasm to meet a friend No clear interpretation of buying lunch for a friend’s friends No clear interpretation of seeking a meeting without an appointment No clear interpretation of travelling to the Museum without an appointment Buying lunch for a friend’s friends out of politeness Buying lunch for a friend’s friends out of vanity The friendship is extremely special No clear interpretation of why private friends would involve themselves in a business trip | Trying to meet friends even for a short time Importance of guanxi (human relationships) Notion of being a host: a host is supposed to treat guests as a group |
Story 3 | Making a comment for the sake of a friend Divergent fashion sense from a Chinese standard Making a comment without much thought The Chinese way of communication is to express one’s opinions directly Directness specifically among close friends | Directness specifically among close friends |
Story 4 | No clear interpretation of borrowing money and buying an expensive gift for parents Borrowing money and buying a computer out of vanity Filial piety: devotion to parents by giving a gift Custom of bringing back a souvenir | Custom of bringing back a souvenir Filial piety: Devotion to parent by giving a gift Filial piety: Performance to show parents that one is leading a good life |