Speech is Silver, Silence is Golden: The Cultural Importance of Silence in Japan

In Japan, there exists a strange dichotomy. On the one hand, it is a noisy place: the constant announcements in the train stations and shopping centres, the loud cries of shopkeepers greeting customers to their stores, the hustle and bustle of the busy streets. On the other hand, the Japanese value silence. It might seem odd that silence is valued in a place where such a cacophony exists, but silence in everyday interaction is a vital form of non-verbal communication for the Japanese. This is because silence (like speech) conveys emotions, shows respect, creates personal distance, avoids conflict and even negates the meaning of verbal messages. The purpose of this paper is to examine silence as a communicative act in a cultural context. Four culturally salient and highly valued dimensions of Japanese silence will be examined, as well as the role of silence in intercultural communication between the Japanese and other cultures. In examining silence, the author suggests that silence is merely more than just a void in communication, but it is also a window into Japan’s underlying cultural beliefs and values.