Japan Considers Changes to Time-Honored Traditions

受新冠影响，日本改变传统习俗

 

Exchanging business cards face-to-face is a time-honored tradition in Japanese culture. Business leaders, government officials and others almost always give the cards to individuals they meet in person.

 

面对面交换名片是日本文化中一个历史悠久的传统。商业领袖，政府官员以及其他人几乎总是会把名片递给与他们会面人。

 

This ritual, however, is under pressure as Japan’s government urges people to accept a “new lifestyle” to battle the new coronavirus.

 

然而随着日本政府为对抗新冠状病毒而敦促人们接受“新的生活方式”，这种惯例也随之面临新的压力。

 

Experts this week amended guidelines for person-to-person interactions. The new rules include a call to wash your hands often throughout the day and follow rules for social distancing.

 

本周专家们修正了人与人之间的互动指南。新规定包括要求人们全天都要勤洗手并遵守人与人之间保持社交安全距离的规定。

 

The guidelines also suggest traveling to work at different times of day and using video conferencing for meetings. They also express support for the exchange of “meishi,” or business cards, to take place online.

 

该指南还建议错开人们的上下班时间，并利用视频会议开会，支持人们进行在线交换名片。

 

On Monday, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe extended a nationwide state of emergency through May 31. However, he added that some areas with fewer infections could begin to ease public safety restrictions.

 

周一，安倍晋三首相将全国紧急状态延长至5月31日。不过，他补充道，一些感染病例较少的地区或将开始放宽公共安全限制。

 

Exchanging business cards in Japan is a well-planned ritual that foreign business leaders are often advised to learn. The idea is to avoid offending possible business partners or customers.

 

在日本交换名片是一项精心计划的仪式，外国商界领袖通常都会专门进行学习。这样做的目的是避免冒犯潜在的业务合作伙伴或客户。

 

The ritual involves taking out a new card from a card holder – not a coat pocket or wallet, then exchanging cards with the right hand. After that, each person looks at the received card while making small talk, often about the information on it.

 

这种仪式需要人们从名片盒中取出一张新卡，注意不是大衣口袋或钱包中，然后用右手进行卡片交换。然后，彼此都看着手中接到的卡片进行闲聊，通常都是聊卡片上的信息。

 

People depend on business cards to exchange contacts “and start conversation,” said Chikahiro Terada. He is chief of Sansan, an internet-based business card management service.

 

寺田千寻说，人们依靠名片来交换联系方式“并展开交谈”。他是互联网名片管理服务公司Sansan的负责人。

 

His company will offer an “online meishi exchange” for business customers starting in June. “It’s ice-breaking,” added Terada.

 

该公司将从6月开始为其客户提供“在线交换名片”的服务。寺田千寻补充道：“这对人们来说是破冰。”

 

Japan has not had the explosive rise in infections seen in many other countries. However, public broadcaster NHK reported Thursday that the country had about 15,500 confirmed cases.

 

日本的新冠病毒感染并没有像其他国家那样出现爆炸性增长。然而，公共广播公司“日本广播协会”周四报道称，该国大约有15,500例确诊病例。

 

The coronavirus health crisis is increasing pressure to change many traditional activities that have long been criticized.

 

冠状病毒健康危机增加了改变那些长期以来饱受争议的传统活动的压力。

 

Abe recently told cabinet ministers to amend rules and identify wasteful methods with the idea of cancelling or simplifying them. Among the common customs that critics note is the stamping of official paper documents with traditional “hanko” seals.

 

最近安倍晋三要求内阁大臣们修改规则，鉴别出无用性惯例，然后予以取消或简化。在众多习俗中，评论家们指出一种常见习俗——在官方纸质文件上加盖传统的印章。

 

The coronavirus “is changing the work culture in Japan in many different ways,” notes Jeff Kingston. He is director of Asian studies at Temple University’s school in Japan. Kingston said the coronavirus has sped up changes, but this takes time. “It’s not like turning a light switch off and on...,” he said.

 

杰夫·金斯顿指出，冠状病毒“正在以许多不同的方式改变日本的工作文化。”他是日本天普大学亚洲研究中心主任。金斯顿表示，冠状病毒已经加快了社会变化，但变化仍需时间。他说：“这不像开关灯一样，只需要打开或者关闭开关……”

 

I’m Mario Ritter, Jr.

 

小马里奥·里特报道。

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