Characteristics of Relationships in Japanese Society

In this chapter, we describe the reality of human relationships that we consider normal in our daily lives and elucidate the essence of various relationship issues that we feel and think about. Firstly, we discuss the common tendency to accept the perspectives and opinions of others before forming our own opinions. Particularly, we highlight the tendency of Japanese individuals, from a young age, to conform to societal expectations before fully recognizing their own emotions and thoughts. Individuals play different roles in relationships, shaped by standards of value and evaluation known as role expectations, which influence their self-awareness of “what they are feeling and thinking.” This chapter emphasizes the importance of clarifying one’s own thoughts and values (true self) rather than leaving them ambiguous when these standards become unclear.