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Intermediate Japanese - Free Online Course
HONNE TO TATEMAE
本音と建前
true intentions vs. outward appearance
Much has been written about the pressure to conform in Japanese society. While Japanese society does strongly encourage conformity, it cannot prevent people from having their own opinions. Therefore, there is often a dichotomy between what people really believe or intend (honne 本音 ) and their outward compliance with group norms and social expectations (tatemae / 建前 ).
A section chief (kachō / 課長) working in a large corporation frequently has to enforce policies that come from the company’s upper management. In some cases, he may think that a given policy is misguided or frivolous (his honne), but when explaining the policy to his subordinates, he must talk as if the policy was an unquestionably brilliant idea. His subordinates would see only this outer expression, or tatemae.