Elaborate ceremony is evident in many aspects of Japanese life. This is because they have a culture that is high context. According to Edward Hall, people from this type of culture value harmony with groups over individual needs and pay great attention to all the details and nuances of life. How something is done is just as important, if not more important, than what is being done. Below are examples of this attention to detail, tradition, and beauty in Japan.

The Details, Tradition & Beauty of the Tea Ceremony

The history of the tea ceremony is an interesting journey from a gaudy display of wealth to a spiritual practice influenced by Zen Buddhist masters.

Today anyone in Japan interested in the tradition of the tea ceremony can take how-to lessons.

The ceremony requires great attention to detail -- each step in the process, including every hand movement, must be done in a very specific and ritualistic manner.

It's easy to imagine yourself as a guest at a full-length formal tea ceremony (chaji) because they are always done in the same manner. There is even a specific way in which you will be expected to drink your tea.

To see a 19th Century artist's vision of a geisha check out Tea Ceremony, by Toyohara Kunichika, Japan, 1835-1900 in ArtStor on the Champlain College Library website.

Cultural Behaviors

If you traveled to Japan, you would encounter many interesting social behaviors that reflect their high context culture. According to Canadian travel agency Times Square Travel, you should be prepared to do the following:

• Cooperate, don't compete. In any group setting, your emphasis should always be on all members of the group and on the group as a whole, not on just you or any other individual member.
• Be polite! Be prepared to smile and say that what you're eating is delicious even if you long to spit it out! The Japanese work diligently to maintain social harmony.
• Indirect is the direction to choose. Speaking directly can lead to conflict. The Japanese try so hard to avoid conflict that it may be difficult at times to figure just what someone is saying to you. Being vague is preferred to doing anything that seems disrespectful.
• Know your place. There is a hierarchy to almost everything in Japan. If you have the highest educational degree at a meeting, you will be introduced first, but it's nothing personal!
• If you get a gift be sure to give one back! The Japanese have a strong sense of obligation and balance. The gift you give should equal the gift you received in value. Check out the U.S. Army's advice on gift giving and receiving in Japan.

Further Examples of the Japanese Attention to Detail, Hierarchy, and Ritual

What does the historical art of Sumo Wrestling have to do with the tradition of being a Geisha or Flower Arranging (ikebana) in Japan? On the surface they are quite different from each other -- sweaty large men fighting, beautiful young girls in lovely kimonos, or flowers arranged to represent the balance of nature -- yet they're all further examples of the Japanese attention to detail, hierarchy, and ritual.