Behind the Japanese Bow

by Boyé Lafayette de Mente

Book Overview

To deal effectively with the Japanese, Westerners must not only be familiar with the kata, but must also know how and when to induce the Japanese to break the kata and behave in a non-Japanese way. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0844284912
• ISBN13: 9780844284910
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill/Contemporary
• Length: 200 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A Good Concept for Getting a Handle on Japanese Behavior

The author has written quite a few books on how Japanese persons behave, but this one goes a level deeper to try and explain why they act the way they do. To do this, he puts forth the concept of analyzing behavior through the lense of kata, forms for the proper way of doing things in a Japanese context. Using this as his key, he outlines what he sees as about 15 influential kata patterns and how they've been incorporated into various levels of Japanese society. Going beyond mere description, he offers a critique of the weaknesses of a kata based culture, and gives some idea how things will change as the kata patterns are weakened by foreign influences.

An excellent book on Japanese culture.

Boye Lafayette De Mente has a handle on the origins of Japanese culture and conveys that knowledge in a fascinating manner. Just buy it!!

Excelent - perfect

Truly the best book I have ever read on Japan.