Japan Insights

In November 2024, I left for Japan to speak at the Tokyo Java Usergroup and meet colleagues from the Apache Software Foundation. It turned out that the trip taught me more than I thought.

It all started as a business trip. I brought my Laptop to support my trainees at home and also do some coding work. After twelve hours, I reached Osaka, then continued south. By the next morning, I was in Kumamoto for my first meeting. 

Languages still matter

At the train station, a desperate-looking middle-aged woman approached me. Wrinkles appeared on her forehead when she started talking, and her eyes were focused on the floor. The words came out slowly. There was an invisible barrier between us.

A few questions for tourist information?
日本ごか分かりますよ。(I understand japanese.)

My interviewer's face brightened; she lifted her eyes and smiled at me. My Japanese vocabulary hit its limits quite often, but the ice was broken, and we had a surprisingly long and pleasant chat. It was then that I decided to introduce myself in Japanese at the talk in Tokyo.

On that day of my presentation, I felt the same barrier when I entered the room. I had decided not to speak Japanese, but when the organizer introduced me, I heard myself saying:

今晩は。クリスタンです。(Good evening. My name is Christian.)

My stomach turned to stone, but it was too late. I completed my introduction and finished with: unfortunately, my Japanese is not good enough to continue.

There was a brief moment of silence, and then: cheering, the Japanese way. Again, the ice was broken, and the stone inside me disappeared. I realized even these highly skilled individuals often didn't feel comfortable with English. My Japanese was broken, so we were equal now.

Learning another person's language is a sign of respect.

Descartes once said:

Language determines thinking.

What he meant was that if we thought in different languages, we were able to think in different standpoints. If one really wants to understand another person's culture and mindset, I believe there is no better way than to learn the mother tongue.

The sound of listening

The organization of an event like my talk was impressive. We began on the minute, and we ended exactly as the door opened for the pizza.

After I introduced myself, I saw that everyone had a pen and paper in front of them. And when I started, I actually saw people taking notes. There was no whispering, no checking mobile phones or similar. People listened and took notes, and the only thing that I heard was their pens scribbling on the paper. In the West, people often check their phones or chat quietly.

On that evening in Japan, although it was very late already, I felt appreciated. Everyone in the room seemed to be grateful that I sacrificed my time, and in return, they gave me their attention.

My talk didn't end exactly when the pizza was supposed to arrive. I had twenty minutes left. I asked the audience if there were any questions. To my surprise, people took their notes and started asking very good questions. Again, I felt appreciated and welcome. The questions ended exactly when the pizza arrived.

It's so easy to make people feel appreciated.

Since I was in Tokyo, I have a pen and paper with me. Now I make the same sound when I listen.

A different kind of respect

When I met my open source colleagues, we went out for dinner. The restaurant was nice, and we sat outside. It was already late, and we had to move to the next location. I wanted to use the restroom before, and grabbed my things. My colleagues looked at me.

What are you doing?
I am taking my bag so that I can use the restroom.

They laughed.

You are in Japan! Leave everything here!

We left the table, with laptops, money, and mobiles on it. I was literally forced into this experiment. When we returned, everything was still there.

Later, I left my backpack unattended at the train station—without any consequences.

I have never encountered a Japanese person who was not friendly and respectful. It is not only that your things are left alone. It is also the way I was treated in the supermarket. In the train. Or even on the street.

It is the whole mindset itself that feels different. It's a respectful mindset.

I wonder what code reviews look like in Japan? Unfortunately, I could not look so deeply.

Leaving Japan

When I returned, I brought a new notebook with me, filled with names and questions. I have often read how travelers spoke about the precision of trains and the taste of ramen. When I talk about Japan, I often speak about its sound. Respect, attention, and kindness are three simple systems that never crash.