You can see the effects of the Uchi and Soto principle in every social dynamic, from politics to economics. Uchi refers to people that are inside a particular social circle, specifically your social circle this can be your family, your team or your company, while Soto refers to people that are outside that social circle.Īs you might know, Japanese culture is focusing heavily on social harmony and on the collectivism (the “us” versus the “me” of the more individualistic Western societies): hence, being part of a group and meeting its standards becomes a fundamental step to be able to be considered as a full-fledged member of the community. Uchi and Soto represent two fundamental concepts that shape Japan’s culture and society.
Keigo is both cause and consequence of the peculiarity of Japanese culture, especially the Uchi 内 and Soto 外 principle. Read on to learn more about polite Japanese and why you should learn keigo. In fact, keigo is so closely linked to working in Japan that it is often referred to as Business Japanese. You might think you’ll never need to learn Japanese keigo, but it is incredibly important, especially if you ever plan on working in Japan. It’s often said that Japanese is a complex language to learn and one of those reasons is the use of keigo, or honorific speech in Japanese.
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