The Word Wasn’t a Promise

今回は日経新聞のコラム「春秋」をヒントに記事を書いています。

Here is a well-known story from Japan-U.S. history. Years ago, Japan and the U.S. were negotiating about textile trade. The American president wanted a clear promise from the Japanese prime minister. The prime minister answered with a common Japanese phrase: “zensho suru” (善処する).

In Japanese, this phrase is soft. It means something like “I will think about it” or “I will see what I can do.” It does not really promise anything. It is a polite way to avoid saying yes or no.

The interpreter had to translate this quickly, under pressure. So the interpreter said, “I will do my best.” To American ears, this sounded like a real promise. Nothing happened afterward, and the U.S. president got very angry.

An interpreter stands between two people. Both people believe they are being understood. The interpreter must translate not just words, but meaning, tone, and cultural background.

But the lesson here is not really about interpreters. It is about all of us — anyone who talks with people from another culture, especially without an interpreter’s help.

When we talk with people from other countries, we often think mainly about what we want to say. We also try to say it in a soft way, to avoid conflict. But we think less about the other half of communication: what the listener needs to hear, and how they will understand our words. “Zensho suru” or other vague words may work well in Japan because both sides share the same unspoken understanding.

This is why good cross-cultural communication needs more than good language skills. We also need to understand, at least a little, how the other side thinks. What do they expect when someone makes a promise? What do their own words and phrases really mean to them?

This does not mean we should over-explain everything or lose all nuance. Before we speak with someone from another culture, we should ask two questions: “What do I want to say?” and “What will they actually hear?” This habit takes only a few extra seconds,  and it can prevent misunderstanding between people.