Why the Japanese Are a Superior People

In “Why the Japanese Are a Superior People - The Advantages of Using Both Sides of Your Brain,” Boyé Lafayette De Mente, internationally known for his 40-plus pioneer books on the business practices, cultures and languages of Japan, Korea, China and Mexico, covers the elements in Japan’s traditional culture that have made them remarkably successful in virtually all of their endeavors.

De Mente attributes the special knowledge and skills of the Japanese to the premise that they are primarily right-brain oriented as a result of their vowel-heavy language — a linguistic circumstance they share with only one other group of people: the Polynesians of the South Pacific.

He quotes Japan’s noted brain authority Dr Tadanobu Tsunoda [author of “The Japanese Brain” and many other works] on how the Japanese tend to first process information in the right side of their brains — the side that deals with feelings rather than facts; a factor that is readily discernible in their arts and crafts as well as in their traditional management practices.

“In the Japanese mindset, aesthetics and form play an equal role with functionality,” De Mente says, adding: “and it is this cultural element that is responsible for the extraordinary beauty of such common things as their bowls, vases, paper doors, room dividers, kimono and yukata.”

De Mente says that the fact that the Japanese are able to use both sides of their brains gives them significant advantages over strictly left-brained people in designing and manufacturing products from arts and crafts to electronic devices.

In addition to such topics as emotions vs. reason, the “fuzzy” [holistic] thinking of the Japanese vs the linear thinking of other people, the diligence factor in Japanese behavior, and quality vs profit, De Mente identifies a long list of views and practices that distinguish the Japanese from left-brain oriented people — and are important for foreigners to know about.

For foreign readers, one of the more interesting topics in the book may be what foreign women have to do to cope with their left-brain oriented male counterparts.

Additional Information:

By Boyé Lafayette De Mente. Phoenix Books/Publishers. ISBN: 0914778552. 128 Pages. $12.95.
Distributor: Ingram Book Company.

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Latest 15 of 165 Total Comments Show All

realist at 09:37 AM JST - 6th August

This book is total drivel. The author quotes the Japanese author of the book "The Japanese Brain" which has long been discredited as mostly ethnocentric rubbish. One of the infamous sentences in that book by Dr Tsunoda reads that "it is dangerous for Japanese people to speak English, since they are using a differnet side of their brains when they do so and are therefore in danger of getting epilepsy!" This is a laughable book, written by an eccentric professor who himself seems to lack brain power.
gopalpandey at 12:42 PM JST - 6th August

by this title/topice someone may be popular. but the word 'superior'- ummm >>>????
Nessie at 02:29 PM JST - 6th August

Looks like this book was written in the 1950s. Probably was, I think the author is well past retirement age! Get to one of those "superior" Japanese nursing homes, Boye Lafayette De Mentia.

Basically he's been rewriting the same book he published in the 1950s.
amerijap at 07:02 AM JST - 7th August

"Why the Japanese Are a Superior People"

I just don't feel comfortable with the title of a book. Although I'm a Japanese citizen, like it or not, 'superior' just doesn't sound like a right word. To me, it just invokes the notion of an eugenics or the pursuit of master race.
ngc2371 at 10:50 AM JST - 7th August

this book comes 77 years too late: there was already a "superior people" - all 'scientifically' proven of course
Athletes at 12:37 PM JST - 7th August

I hate to admi that Japanese are superior people as German. However I like their manufacturing products. Japanese electrical products are so cute and irresitable. Designs are copied by other Asians. German cars are long lasting and luxurious. Many nations stole the German scientific research. Both nations lost the war and rebuilt their nations from ashes with astoning speed. Both of them has undisputable engineerig talents and scientific innovation. I would like to conclude not all Japanese and German use both side of brains. Some of the high achievers only.
KyotoChris at 02:13 AM JST - 8th August

Same with me amerijap. It does conjure those thoughts.
bdiego at 06:13 PM JST - 8th August

It's just a sensationalist title. Look at any "news" site these days and it's no different here.
cwhite at 04:06 AM JST - 9th August

probably should have chosen a better title.... if he had said the Japanese language is superior then I would have acknowledged that as I have no doubt in my mind that it is by far the most efficient language.
kyourin at 10:02 AM JST - 18th August

this book fails .. I'm sorry for the Japanese getting dragged by a book authored by an American

there's no point of proving who's race superior .. because it all boils down to the individuals with the natural talents

I can't see them superior in the first place bacause they borrowed Kanji from Chinese and had stolen most of their technology from the western continent .. although I must say they are very good in recreating it to make it better

Only fools would like to think that they are superior than anybody else

The wise knows that there is a lot of people ahead of him
guuzendesu at 01:15 AM JST - 23rd August

Do you complainers actually read? It says "vowel-heavy language," not "vowel-heavy alphabet." This is referring to their use of words like "orerareru" which has 5 syllables and obviously not one hard consonant. That's what "language" means. I can easily see how the brains of people who have to carefully pronounce individual vowels in words like "kaeraserarenai" would work differently from the brains of people who have "difficult" words like "antidisestablishmentarianism". Difficult on the first read, yes, but it's still basically VCVCVCVC in form. And as for whether they're superior or not...obviously every culture has its advantages and disadvantages. But I will say that I have to admire a culture where it's a big event to go and see the sakura blossoms. If more people - more cultures - made time for such things we might all be better off.
tigau at 12:10 PM JST - 25th August

"t says "vowel-heavy language," not "vowel-heavy alphabet."

This it is a very unclear comment. To the extent an alphabet is a written representation of a language, the alphabet should contain all of the vowels present in the language, so they mean the same thing. Vowels in any language have to be pronounced carefully, whether they are split by consonants or not. A simple look at all the dialects of English present in the world today should be more than enough to debunk this ridiculous theory, as the main difference between spoken Englishes is the pronunciation of the vowels. The total number of times vowels appear in a sentence aside, Japanese still only has five vowels to process. Of course, you can lengthen an utterance, but so can any language.
VoXman at 10:33 AM JST - 28th August

Interesting. I guess that accounts for the lack of ability to think outside the box. Or in other words! When counting achievments those linear thinkers in the USA and Europe hold hundreds of Nobel prizes for Science vs the few held by Japan.
guuzendesu at 11:52 AM JST - 28th August

Nobel prizes...hm. The value of those is sometimes dubious at best. Try looking into the number of patents, and what they're for. If I remember correctly, one of the most "patented people," who in fact invented the floppy disk, digital watch and other things we all benefited from, is a Japanese guy. Japan is not far behind the US in terms of scientific achievement and technological innovation. Also many times, after we invented something, they made it a lot better.

Anyway, be sure to continue ignoring my final thought about the asceticism of the culture. In comparison, America flat sucks. Then throw in unfathomable junk like how fashionable it is to wear pants that you actually have to HOLD UP while walking! What is that???

Anyway...I don't want to keep arguing so I won't check back. America is marginally better overall, perhaps. Mainly in terms of economy, freedoms and spiritedness. Japan has us beat in many, many other ways, not the least of which is overall standard of living (look it up), education (look it up), and general respect for others and for environment (do you need to look it up?).
Pumpychan at 06:21 PM JST - 28th September

Cant think of one thing in which Japan superior. Oh, self-deception, maybe that.