Imagine that you will be studying in Japan for the semester. Construct a quick guide for yourself to improve your verbal communication, reflecting the high-context and low-context cultural differences

What will be an ideal response?

Answers will vary, but must reflect understanding of Japan as a high-context (HC) culture and America as a moderately low-context (LC) culture.
• Direct/Indirect verbal messages: Japanese (HC) culture is more indirect in its communication than U.S. (LC) culture, so making requests, asking questions, or stating comments is done in an implicit or incomplete manner. The Japanese would rely more on contextual cues than explicit language, so nonverbal communication such as facial expressions, vocal cues, and even silence would help them discern the request, question, or comment. One could expect the Japanese to "beat around the bush" more than Americans are used to.
• Individualistic/Collectivistic verbal messages: The U.S. is much more individualistic than Japan, so we tend to value the interests of the individual over the group; Japan is collectivistic, valuing the group's interests over those of the individual. To communicate effectively in Japan, the American would want to speak from the perspective of the group, using verbal messages such as "All of us are responsible for . . .," "We would like . . .," "Our goal . . . ," which acknowledge the close-knit group effort and group achievement. In fact, individual honors and recognition are considered dishonorable.