Things to Like About Our Countries

Paul Stapleton

Hokkaido University

Below is an activity that was inspired by Pearce' s original list. For the sake of equality, an additional list has been added which includes things that Japanese say they like about living in the United States. Students are asked to read each item and look for two meanings, one on the surface and one more profound. Examples are included for each list so that students will have an idea of the two levels of meaning that are expected. The goal of the activity is to stimulate thinking on various levels.

Sample answers to each question have been provided below for the benefit of teachers, but should be deleted (except the "example" items) when used in class. Leave space for students to write their own answers. "Surface meaning" simply concerns the lack of these "nice things" in the other country. "Deep meaning" encourages students to examine cultural values and structural differences. The sample answers are sometimes controversial and not always politically correct; in fact, some readers may disagree entirely with the statements in the lists. However, the purpose of the activity is to arouse thinking, discussion, and perhaps debate, not to look for definitive answers. Teachers are encouraged to design lists based on their own experiences or native country.

The activity can be administered in various ways. One way is to let students work individually on each item and discuss answers by sharing papers among students or via class discussion. Another way is to have students work in groups in their L1 (or L2), composing joint answers in English. Another possibility is to assign one or several items to each student or group to be presented to the class.

Pearce, J. (199, January 17). Other methods. The Japan Times, p. 18.

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Appendix 1

Things to like about Japan

Below is a list of things Americans say they like about living in Japan. Look at the list and discuss the surface and deeper meaning of each item. The first one is done as an example.

Example

Japanese take off their shoes before going into a home and receive oshibori before a meal in a restaurant.

• Surface meaning:Foreigners wear their shoes inside their homes and have no custom of using hot towels.
• Deeper meaning: Japanese tend to be very clean people.

1. When the schedule says a train will depart at 9 o'clock, it departs at 9 o'clock.

• Surface meaning: [suggested answers in italics] American trains are not as prompt.
• Deeper meaning: Japanese education treats mistakes very seriously. / Japanese employees feel that their company is their family and they work hard to avoid giving bad service. / Americans are less devoted to their companies.

2. In a bank, you can sit down while you are waiting.

• Surface meaning: There are few seats in American banks.
• Deeper meaning: Japanese businesses provide good service to customers who rank high in the vertical hierarchy. / Japan is full of bureaucracy so customers have to wait a long time.

3. Women do not feel ashamed to say, "I'm a housewife."

• Surface meaning: American women do not feel comfortable saying this.
• Deeper meaning: Raising a child and looking after a house is serious business in Japan. / In America, women's liberation has given women many opportunities to do things outside the home.

4. You can withdraw as much money as you like from an ATM.

• Surface meaning:In America there is a daily limit
• Deeper meaning:Japan is safe so people carry a lot of cash without worry./America is not as safe.

5. A plastic statue of Colonel Sanders is outside most Kentucky Fried Chicken stores.

• Surface meaning: There are no plastic statues of Colonel Sanders in America.
• Deeper meaning: There is more vandalism in America. / High schools in the U.S. have less control over youths.

6.When you go to a restaurant, you don't have to leave a tip.

• Surface meaning: In America you almost always leave a tip.
• Deeper meaning: Japan's vertical society understands inequality. / Americans in subservient positions have to be tipped because of the horizontal "everyone is equal" facade.

7. Department stores have daycare rooms and strollers for small children.

• Surface meaning: There are fewer of these facilities in America.
• Deeper meaning: Children are treated like princes and princesses in Japan. / Customers receive good treatment in Japan.

8. The sound of a shakuhachi, or bamboo flute.

• Surface meaning: These are unusual sounds in America.
• Deeper meaning: Bamboo is an Asian plant.

Appendix 2

Things to like about America

Below is a list of things Japanese say they like about living in the United States. Look at the list and discuss the surface and deeper meaning of each item. The first one is done as an example.

Example

Barbecues.

• Surface meaning: Japanese don't have many opportunities to have a barbecue.
• Deeper meaning: Americans eat a lot of meat. / Japanese homes do not have the space for barbecues.

1. Rice, telephone charges, air tickets and gasoline are all cheap.

• Surface meaning: [suggested answers in italics] These things are expensive in Japan.
• Deeper meaning: The government controls the price of these things in Japan, reflecting a more authoritarian society compared to America's consumer-driven society.

2. No one cares how old you are.

• Surface meaning: In Japan, age is critical.
• Deeper meaning: In vertical societies, age determines power. / America is a more horizontally organized society.

3. In restaurants you always get enough to eat.

• Surface meaning: Japanese restaurants tend not to give large portions.
• Deeper meaning: Americans are fat. / Japanese are thin.

4. Young women don't have to worry when they ride on a crowded train.

• Surface meaning: Perverts are common on Japanese trains.
• Deeper meaning: American women would shout or punch if harassed on a train. / Women in Japan are seen as inferior to men so they tolerate perverted behavior on trains.

5. Bank ATMs (automatic teller machines) are open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.

• Surface meaning: Japanese ATMs are closed on holidays and after hours.
• Deeper meaning: Consumer power, freedom of choice and competitiveness are important in America. The Japanese government keeps a lid on these things.

6. It is often difficult to smoke in banks, restaurants, and public places.

• Surface meaning: Japan is a smoker's paradise.
• Deeper meaning: Individual rights are strong in America. / The Japanese government owns 70% of JT.

7. There are many trees and parks in the city.

• Surface meaning: There are fewer trees and parks in Japanese cities.
• Deeper meaning: Japan is small and densely populated. / The Japanese government discourages efficient land use, e.g., inheritance tax system.

8. Restaurants give customers many choices, e.g., rare steak, salad dressing, type of bread, etc.

• Surface meaning:There is less choice in Japan.
• Deeper neaning: By eating same thing,Japamese don't stand out./The Japanese host's job is to anticipate the needs of the customer./Americans learn to want it their own way.