From: fester@etorofu.island.COM ()
Subject: Japanese Things
Originator: fester@etorofu
Organization: Island Graphics, Marin County, California
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 19:37:49 GMT

From time to time, I have recommended the book _Japanese Things: Being
Notes on Various Subject Connected with Japan_ by Basil Hall Chamberlain.
The book is published by Tuttle, and the version of the book I own was first
published around 1904, during the Russo-Japan war. Mr Chamberlain was at that
time a long-time resident (~30 years) of Japan, and a professor of Japanese at
the Imperial University of Tokyo. I find his observations to be interesting
and insightful, both for their perspective of Japan as it was (and sometimes
still is) and for his British/European view of things, ca 1900. 

I intend to reproduce portions of the book here from time to time. The book is 
divided into many small articles, and I will not reproduce any single article 
in its entirety. I believe this is allowed by the copyright; if not, someone
please correct me.

Articles to date: 	Adoption.
			
From the article entitled "Logic":
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
...

It is especially in business transactions at the open ports that the European
mind and Japanese logic are brought into contact, whence frequently friction
and mutual misunderstanding. Certain aspects of the mental attitude in question
recur, however, so constantly that the resident European merchants have learnt
how to deal with them. The peculiarity most often cited is the refusal of
Japanese tradesmen to make a reduction on a quantity. We Europeans of course 
argue thus:- "I, the buyer, am giving a large order; the seller will in any 
case make a considerable profit on this single transaction, comparatively 
quickly and with comparatively slight trouble; therefore he can afford to 
lower his price. If the dozen go at the rate of so much, the gross must go 
at so much less." Nothing appears to us more obvious:- it is a cardinal
principle of our trade. But the Japanese dealer views the matter differently.
"If", says he, "Messrs. Smith and Co., instead of ordering only one bale of
silk, order a hundred, that shows they are badly in want of it, and must be 
able to pay a good price. Furthermore, if I sell all I have to them, I shall 
have none left for other customers, which may prove very inconvenient. Their
expecting me to reduce my figure is another instance of that unreasonableness 
on the part of the redhaired foreigner, of which I and my countrymen have
already witnessed so many proofs." Hence of course, a dead-lock, but for the 
fact, already noted, that many European merchants engaged in the Far-Eastern 
trade have by this time learnt this peculiarity, and protect themselves 
against it by such devices as splitting up their orders and giving them in 
different names.

....

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mike

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