Personal characteristics As a by-product of the major theme in Japanese education and life in general, that everyone is in a group and all members are equal, modesty and a disinclination to stand out is a most admired characteristic. When called upon to perform a task well within their capability, a Japanese person is likely to self-effacingly exclaim an inability to do it, then proceed with every endeavour to complete the task. This tendency toward self-deprecation is usually most marked in environments involving competition with Western people, unintentionally sounding as though the … [Read more...]