Katachi

One of the most intriguing features of Japanese culture is perhaps katachi, the form of doing things. Katachi is the invisible way of graceful action. It is visible everywhere in Japan. When you go to the coffee shop, you hear the polite welcome. If you do Kendo, there is certain kata or katachi in it - form of conduct and behaviour. The Japanese taxi drivers wear white gloves while they drive car. The cashier in the shop will count the bank notes in that certain way, no matter where you go in Japan.

Katachi is the invisible "way" of action. In Japan, the way is often more important than the practical result.

If you wash dishes, in your host family's house, you should make sure you do it properly, and wipe the kitchen sink dry after doing it. Then you can say you are finished..

During the war in China, the Japan could have invested to airforce which could have been tactically correct move. But Japan used it's resources to build a massive battle ship "Yamato". This is one extreme form of katachi. One could also say that Kenzo Tange's impressive metropolitan towers in Shinjuku could be one form of katachi.

But another example of katachi is for example behaviour in the working place.

For example, many office workers complain that they have to stay in the office after hours, even if the work for the day is already done. In case of client should pay a late visit to the office, there should be people who look like they are still working hard.

In west, this kind of behaviour could be easily seen as inefficient, even downright waste of resources. In western countries, the result of the work is most important. Which way one should choose, doesn't matter that much, if the result is good. In Japan, this is however often not the case. Things must be done properly, gracefully. Even if the result wouldn't be that good.

Another example, if boss asks his employees if they enjoy their work, in western country the employees might answer delightfully "yes, I enjoy it." In Japan, such answer is rarely heard. In Japan, worker never must say such a thing. He might say gambarimasu.

There are however two sides of katachi. Often, because of it, people are allowed to save their faces even if they make mistake. People don't want to make number of themselves. When I asked young Japanese people what their hobbies were, most often I heard "sleeping" or "eating". Instead Japanese want to blend in to the group's atmosphere.

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