Is it true that Japanese people display a unique set of facial expressions, to the point that they will typically smile when seeing or hearing about something gruesome? Are there any other examples of facial expressions being culturally-determined??
It seems to me like this effect could create a lot of confusion. You’re a Westerner telling a Japanese person about how your dog was squashed by a truck and you had to scrape its remains off the pavement, meanwhile they’re sitting there with a big grin on their face. Could something like this actually happen?
Would it also be considered rude for a Westerner not to smile when hearing about something gruesome?
There was a study by, I think, Paul Ekman some time ago that came to that conclusion. Basically, when they thought they were be observed Japanese participants kept pretty much the same expression whether they were watching something pleasant or gruesome. When they thought they were alone, they had the same range of expressions as whoever the other people were in the experiment.
Is there some reason why you’re always starting these “Is it true that [foreign people] do [freakish thing]?” threads? I suppose we should be thankful that at least this one isn’t about some kind of penis mutilation.
I have never seen a Japanese person smile when witnessing, hearing about, or describing a tragic event. I have, however, seen the Japanese smile in situations where Westerners would be unlikely to, such as when they are nervous, bored, or confused. This is because it is considered polite to put on a pleasant face when in public, even if you’re not feeling all that happy. My Japanese language ability is somewhere between pathetic and non-existant, but native speakers have told me that there are common Japanese sayings that translate roughly as “Your facial expression is for other people” and “Smiling makes the time pass more quickly.”
It’s worth noting that it is not uniquely Japanese to believe that it is best to hide unpleasant emotions and strive to maintain a cheerful (or at least calm) appearance when around others. The Japanese just happen to work harder at this than people from some other cultures.
I don’t think it’s so difficult to read Japanese expressions–sheesh, they’re human beings, after all. Yes, there are a whole range of subtle differences.
The smiling when embarrassed, etc., mentioned above is NOT going to be mistaken for a truly joyful smile, etc.
Smiling when something is gruesome? Not generally. If something is gruesome/funny, then, yeah, maybe–just as in the West.
j/k