From a Western perspective, the Japanese have an incomprehensible Jekyll-and-Hyde persona - cute, quaint and seductive one moment and outright savage the next. The fastest way to understand the traditional Japanese mindset is through their cultural code words - key terms pregnant with cultural meaning which reveal, define and even control, to some extent, the attitudes and behaviour of the Japanese.
These key terms encapsulate a system of behaviour which often escapes a literal reading of the words or phrases, leaving non-Japanese none the wiser. In this book, experienced Japan hand Boye Lafayette De Mente explains the current and historical nuances of 233 of the most important Japanese code words - arranged alphabetically from ageashi (tripping on your own tongue) to zenrei (breaking the molds of the past). Together, these offer indispensable insights into the national character of one of the world's most intriguing societies.
