This is a self-directed, self-paced mini course looking into three topics from the textbook The Japanese Mind:
Chinmoku 沈黙 “Silence in Japanese Communication”
Aimai 曖昧 “Ambiguity and the Japanese”
Haragei 腹芸 “An Implicit Way of Communicating in Japan”
Intended for non-Japanese, these topics explore the uniqueness of how Japanese communicate and interact with one another (and with us!). Many foreigners come to surprising realizations that the Japanese operate from a different set of interpersonal "rules" than westerners with a European background.
-This is an entry level course
-No Prerequisite (you can take Part 2 without taking Part 1)
-Independent learning format with videos, reading and assigned interviews
-On-line written class interaction
-Start when you want to and work at your own pace. (No defined start/end dates. The course is available for registration until August 31, 2025)
-No group calls. All Interactions is written in the course comments online
-Students are invited to join an RJC Academy webinar which will further discuss the topics covered in this course later this summer. If you miss the live webinar, you can still register and access the video recording.
This class is available summer 2025. Sign up any time before August 31, 2025 and have access to the course material for 365 days.
Two required textbooks:
The Japanese Mind, edited by Roger J. Davies and Osamu Ikeno
$10 (ebook), $13 (paperback) at Amazon
Operation Japan, A Prayer Guide for Japan, Fifth Edition
$7 (ebook), $9 (paperback) at Amazon
$5.00 PDF download through The Academy
$5 expanded digital web version download from Don Wright
This is a self-paced, self-directed mini course.
That means that there are no scheduled class calls to attend or deadlines for working through the material.
However, it does NOT mean that you are doing this course alone.
Others will sign up throughout the term to take this course and everyone is asked to post their answers as comments which are visible to others in the group. Additionally, each lesson assigns a dialogue activity where students are expected to read and respond to the comments of others. If there is one thing that we have learned in the RJC Academy, it is that we do as much or more learning from one another than we do from the resources that we study. So please, don't neglect posting your answers and dialoguing with others as you work through the material.