Two important concepts related to Japan are 建前 tatemae (tah-teh-mah-eh) and 本音 honne (hon-neh), which essentially mean “the facade or illusion that everyone pretends is real, the way we pretend things to be,” and “the way things really are, or one’s true intentions” There are many examples of how tatemae works in Japanese society: the little white lie you tell spare someone’s feelings, the opinion you express only in front of others, the subtle pressure employees in companies feel to not use their vacation time (because it means more work for their coworkers), or the way gambling for money is illegal, so pachinko parlors let you win “prizes” which you can conveniently sell back to the company for cash. Of course, there’s always a difference between what we say and really think — every baby picture we’re shown is automatically “cute” even if we secretly think the kid looks like the baby from Eraserhead — but the Japanese have elevated this to an art form. In the popular anime and manga The Hentai Prince and the Stony Cat, the main character Yoto is frustrated because his personality is such that he always utters tatemae (socially acceptable statements) rather than saying what he really thinks, so he makes an offering at the statue of an “un-smiling cat” that’s said to grant wishes. His wish is granted, but now he can only say exactly what’s in his heart, which gets him into lots of trouble.
There’s plenty of subtlety in Japanese society
