is a Japanese concept of interpersonal communication.Davies, R & Ikeno, O; The Japanese Mind: Understanding Contemporary Japanese Culture; Tuttle 2002 p103-108 It also appears in martial arts circles, with a somewhat different meaning: see below. Literally translated, the term means "stomach art", and it refers to an exchange of thoughts and feelings that is implied in conversation, rather than explicitly stated. It is a form of rhetoric intended to express real intention and true meaning through implication. In some societies, it can also denote charisma or strength of personality.Hahn, T; Sensational knowledge: embodying culture through Japanese dance, Wesleyan University Press, 2007, p67
Takie Lebra identified four dimensions of Japanese silence – truthfulness, social discretion, embarrassment and defiance. In Western literature, the essence of the difference between just talking and really communicating through silence is analyzed in Harold Pinter's The Dumb Waiter.
In negotiation, is characterised by euphemisms, vague and indirect statements, prolonged silences and careful avoidance of any comment that might cause offense.Binnendijk, H; National Negotiating Styles, DIANE Publishing, 1987 p55 Information is communicated through timing, facial expression and emotional context, rather than through direct speech.Hassell, R; Haragei: Speaking from the gut in Black Belt Magazine, January 1985 edition It is sometimes considered a duplicitous tactic in negotiation to obfuscate one's true intentions, which may cause to be viewed with suspicion.Johnson, F; Dependency and Japanese Socialization: Psychoanalytic and Anthropological Investigations in Amae, NYU Press 1995 It can also be misconstrued by those with limited experience in the tactic.
also functions as a method of leadership, replacing direct orders to subordinates with subtle, non-verbal signals. It is considered a desirable trait in a leader in Japan.Kaiser, D; Pedagogy and the practice of science: historical and contemporary perspectives, MIT Press 2005, p369 However, it may make assigning of responsibility or blame to the leader difficult.
In martial arts In martial arts circles, has a different meaning, although the concepts are related. Here it refers to those arts which enable the practitioner to sense threats or anticipate an opponent's movements.Durbin, W; The Fighting Arts of the Samurai: the Warrior's Combat Handbook in Black Belt Magazine March 1990 edition p42Lovret, F; The way and the power: secrets of Japanese strategy, Paladin Press 1987, p96
See also High- and low-context cultures Implicature
References