'East' has always excited me for their own uniqueness. Before learning 'Japanese Language' I started searching about Japan & its culture on Google. I always try to find out some kind of similarities between Indian culture and Asian culture. In some or the other way we are always related. Many of our words too have their Sanskrit base. Like for eg. In Malay, Queen is called as 'Raja', Grandmother is called 'Nene'. Sri-Lanka have roots of Sanskrit and Tamil languages. In Indonesia you will see a Chemist name as, 'Nakul Chemist' or Bank name as 'Dirghayu Bank' which have base in Sanskrit. Indonesia indicate women by 'Devi' and have names like 'Arti devi', 'Chandrika devi' etc. They even believe in Indian saga like 'Mahabharat and Ramayan'. And many believe that Lord Ram was born in Indonesia and then went in India. Medan , which is a big city in Indonesia, actually came from Indian Hindu language word "Maidan" meaning "ground" or "land". Similarly, we find some common roots in every Asian countries.
Japan in particular are influenced by Indian and China. King Ashoka's daughter married Japanese king and with her took lots of Indian tradition. Festivals like, 'Pongal(Tamil Nadu)', 'Chaitragaur (Maharashtra)', 'Pitrupandravda (Remembering own Ancestor) ', 'Shastrapuja (weapons – puja) etc are few of the festivals that are celebrated in Japan too. Whereas 'Tea' was introduced to Japan by China traders. Japan accepted it and included it in their own polite way leading to formation of 'Tea ceremony'. The written script too was taken from China.
If you are listening to Japanese language, its sounds like the mixture of all impolite / bad words. To give an eg. 'Tsuitachi', 'Futsuka', 'Mikka', 'Yokka', 'Itsuka', 'Muika', 'Nanoka', 'Youka', 'Kokonoka' and 'Touka' are the names of 1 to 10 dates. Now seriously tell me, don't they sound like some of the bad words? I still remember one incidence related to this. I was traveling back home from my Japanese class. We took 'ladies special' train at CST. Ladies special train can by compared to the place wherein all radio stations are played at a time. College girls laughter, office ladies celebrating festivals and chitchatting, sales person making his way out and ladies standing at the door even thought they wanted to get down at the last stop. All this was making me restless. To add to my restlessness, one lady had a bad fight with the lady standing at the door. Using all bad words starting from 'Ba' and 'Bha' they started with a fight. It was getting on my nerve. I then started saying all those Japanese dates in similar tone like those bad words. All the ladies started looking at me, and unable to understand the meaning of any word, thought I was someone with a PhD for bad words. I got so much respect that day in the train, that one lady offered me a seat... Flattered!!!
But Japanese language is 'The politest' language in the world no matter how harsh it sounds. One can get an idea by counting the number of times a Japanese person bows to great you. They can just go on bowing. Even bowing has different types. Just bowing your head implies an informal way of greeting, Ok for your friend but No-Gu (not good) to show respect. While walking, one can just bend a little. Actual, respectful bowing is one wherein you need to bend 90 degree from your waist. That's the reason you won't find any Japanese with a big tummy. I think, looking at Indian police growing tummy, they should be also made to bow like Japanese. (It's different that the reason for such big fat stomach of Indian police is due to money they collect from under the table. Huge the amount, bigger is the tummy size). Anyways, back to Japanese bowing. If you are sitting on a 'Tatami' (mat) one still need to bow a little. In short, one need to keep bowing no matter how and where you are. Our Marathi say, “'मोडेन पण वाकणार नाही' ” meaning: “Will break but not bend” cannot be even translated in Japanese. They wont understand the meaning of it being brave.
Now moving on to the language: Politeness also has many ways and differs from person to person and from designation to designation.
Let me elaborate it with an eg;. ジョンさんがさとさんを待つ。[John waits for Sato (his friend)]
But if Teacher is waiting for any student, then – 先生がお待ちになる。Here teacher is of high authority and thus she has done a favor on us by waiting.
Student is waiting for a teacher, then – 先生をお待ちする。Even thought we are waiting for teacher, teacher being of higher authority, it's shows our pleasure to wait for teacher.
The height of politeness does not end here. Just imagine one situation wherein you need to go home early one day from office and need to ask permission from your boss. In English, “Would it be fine for me to leave early today” or “Can I leave early today, please” is considered as polite. But in Japanese one need to say, 「ちょっと早く行かせていただけませんか」。which literally mean: “May I get you to let me go early”. Make sure that while talking to you boss, one need to bend down, so that you are way below your boss height and keeping your eyes as low as possible and without making any eye contact with high authority one should communicate. They might have adopted the American standard of leaving. But it's just limited to dressing, marriage, marriage constitute, leave-in-relationship etc. They have not adopted American rudeness or over friendliness into Japanese culture. The hierarchy system is followed in Japan even today.
「お元気ですか」。(O-Genki Desuka): They not only show respect to person, but to words too. If they want to emphasis any particular word then the use 'O' or 'Go' before that word to show respect. Here 'Genki' means 'health' but to show respect or to emphases it they include 'O'. Answer to this also differ according to one's post / designation. (Here its not only related to office designation or post... but also personal life post is taken into consideration). If the person you are asking is of height authority he/she can just reply by saying 「はい、元気です」。(Yes! I am fine). But if you are answering to higher authority then one should say, 「おかげさまで元気です」。(Because of your favor, I am fine).
San: San means Mr. Miss. Mrs. everything. But one should not use it for oneself. It's for others to indicate with respect. But if a Japanese person is traveling outside his country, he/she indicated himself by 'San' showing respect of being a Japanese.
Yesterday, my friend 'Kranti' was on a customer call as interpreter. She greeted the Japanese on the other side with, 「お世話になっております」。meaning “I am here to help you”. So much unlike our any Indian language. Just imagine the same situation taking place in Mumbai or Delhi. The Indian person might have said, “Oh Fish! (Indian version of F***) I don't believe you don't understand simple English. OK yaar, tell me what you want to convey. I will help you no”.
No comments:
Post a Comment