culture at every crossroad

​Exhibit A. We were on a work trip to Japan. It was evening and a bunch of us were leaving office to head back to the hotel. We were waiting at the taxi stand, and in front of us were two Japanese women. They had been waiting at the taxi stand before we got there.  As the taxi approached – these two women turned to us, and profusely apologized to us on account of the fact that they were taking the taxi before us. That they were already ahead of us in the taxi line, that there were more taxis coming by, and the fact that the weather was just fine – didn’t stop them from feeling uncomfortable. They got into their taxi apologetically, expressing their mindfulness of the fact that we were still waiting for our taxi. There was such dignity with which they wore what was rightfully theirs.  

Exhibit B. Our office was located in tower A of a building. And I found myself in tower B. With all the signs in Japanese, I was unable to find my way around the place. I saw a small dry-cleaning shop that was open and I showed the person the address and asked if he could direct me. The next thing I know, is that he locked his shop and walked me all the way to my destination. I was blown away by his lack of hesitancy to put himself through inconvenience to help me feel at ease.

Exhibit C. The team at the office, had just had a very late night at office. They had left the office at 2 am, travelled far and were back in the office at 8.30 am. But not a single person complained or expressed any signs of being tired. Their accommodative disposition (a denial of discomfort!) was so pronounced that it almost became a tad uncomfortable for others from a different culture.

The shame of putting someone else through any inconvenience - big or small, emotional or otherwise -  and the lengths to which they would go to hide their own troubles / issues was the key theme that kept surfacing through different encounters I had with Japan. Empathy took on a different flavour when the lens was Japan.

While working on a feminine care brand for P&G, the first thing I observed was the extent to which the women went to ensure that nobody ever figures out that they were on their periods. Not even the members of their house!
From boxes that they use to unpack and store their sanitary pads in, to the discreet packaging to ensure that no one sees her carrying the pads, to oils and scents to ensure that there is no smell whatsoever, to taking care of diet much before and after the periods to ensure that she ‘appears’ well and at ease, to music that uplifts, to Haramaki pants that hold the stomach in, the list was comprehensive – and diligently followed. For Japanese women, hiding their discomfort and ensuring that no one else sees their “suffering” was important. Making a show of any sorts about their periods - any discomfort that they may face - was highly shame inducing for them. This influenced our strategy of owning the entire cycle – and not just the period - while also teaching me valuable lessons in communicating to a ‘we’ culture.
This culture that always puts the ‘we’ ahead of the ‘me’ – and abhors talking about their troubles comes with its unique set of benefits & challenges. At times of crisis, the ability to put others ahead of oneself has earned them the world’s awe. The Japanese dignity has become the goal standard for decency in behavior. At other times, the same socially conditioned tendency to always put others ahead of oneself, has resulted in repression, and depression, highest suicide rates in the world, with the most disenfranchised -the women -  bearing the brunt of it, in a highly sexist society like Japan.
And I often think that our role as marketers, as media & communication experts in these instances is to not just understand & mirror the culture that we want to carve a space in, but also to use the voice of the brand’s purpose to ignite & elevate the right conversations in the interest & wellbeing of the audiences that we want to super serve. And that may mean scratching below the surface of these cultural norms and wedging spaces for the ones who are most suffocated and bound by these cultural proscribes.