Kata: Understanding and Dealing with Japanese Culture

Terrie Lloyd, CEO of LINC Media, Tokyo, describes this book as a unique look at a unique culture. If you're trying to figure the Japanese out, this book provides another important piece of the puzzle.

In this groundbreaking book, veteran Japanologist Boye Lafayette De Mente, author of over 30 books on Japan, shares insights on why the Japanese think and behave the way they do. De Mente focuses on kata, the cultural molds that have traditionally shaped and defined the attitudes, behavior, and character of the Japanese, and are primarily responsible for the traits and talents that make them different from other people. This is the first book ever to explain the concept of kata and its influence on Japanese life.

Through 70 brief essays, the author explores the origin, nature, use, and influence of kata in Japanese life. From "The Art of Bowing" and "Importance of the Apology" to "The Compulsion for Quality" and "Exchanging Name-Cards," De Mente sheds light on how this cultural conditioning causes the Japanese to think and react in the way they do. All relations with the Japanese are influenced by kata, making it essential to understand how to work within its confines in personal, business, or political matters. This understanding also involves knowing when to induce or compel the Japanese to break the kata and behave in a non-Japanese way.

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