One of the most important differences between American and Japanese cultures is the difference in group interaction. The Japanese have been described as group-oriented and Americans as individualistic. In Japan, groups are hierarchical and usually make decisions by consensus. Japanese groups play an important role in the lives of their members,…

The social backgrounds of Japanese and Americans differ in ways that impede complete communication. The Japanese people, historically controlled by the forces of nature, have formed groups as the minimum functioning social units. The individual is only part of the group, and individual rights and obligations have not been clearly developed.…

In intercultural communication, linguistic competence must be accompanied by an understanding of the associations that the speakers share. For communicating in a foreign language, the most important kind of association is indicative association, which is related to the literature, customs, and history of a people. When Japanese people communicate…

This collection of papers on the intercultural communication between the United States and Japan is divided into three sections. The first section, "Introduction to Intercultural Communication," describes the background of the relationship between Japan and the United States, the history of the study of intercultural communication, and…

A bibliography on aspects of culture and education contains several hundred citations of books, papers, articles, and monographs. The list was compiled primarily for second language teachers, but may be of interest to others interested in the relationship between culture and education, including teaching culture in the classroom, problems of…

The fourth part of a bibliography on intercultural communication is, like the first three parts, intended primarily for Japanese teachers of English as a second language but is also useful for anyone interested in intercultural communication. The bibliography contains 480 citations of books, journal articles, and other sources for information…

Compiled for Japanese teachers of English who are interested in intercultural communication, this bibliography is broken down into 16 subcategories. Most items in the bibliography come from primary sources, and for each source available at the Michigan State University Library, the bibliography provides call numbers. The first section lists books…

Differences between American and Japanese society and culture that contribute to differences in the use of body language are examined. These include historical and social factors. Examples of the differences and of the misunderstandings that can result are analyzed and illustrated, using a system of classifying kinesic codes into categories…

A bibliography on intercultural nonverbal communication contains citations of interest primarily to Japanese teachers of English as a second language. Citations are organized in these categories: general information; chronemics; proxemics; personal space and territory; physical appearance and clothes; kinesics (posture and gestures); tactile…