GROUP 7 (SHIFT 1) | VIDEO PROJECT | IC COURSE 2026

Different countries, different cultures, but what happens when those cultures certainly collide? Keep the house clean! Eh? My American cousin is coming to Japan today? What? Konnichiwa! I'm here! Konnichiwa! Welcome, welcome! Oh, Yahoo! It's so pretty! Do you want to have some cake? Yes! Let's share! Linda-chan, do you want some water? Linda! Do you want to see your room? I will show you your room! Yes! I want to sleep! This is your room! You can rest here! Really? Wow! No! No, B-Pon! Mom! Are you okay? Mom! Mom, are you okay? What happened to me? My eyes just blew out of control! What happened to me? Bye! Oh no! What? Let me show you. So, in Japan, taking off your shoes before entering the house is very important because people respect the cleanliness, the private space, and the harmony in the house. It's really different from our culture in America because home rule usually is based on personal preference instead of strict social rules. So that some may take off their shoes, some may not. It's really common here. That's the difference between high-context culture and low-context culture. Oh, so that means when Nobi's mom, she didn't say anything but she seemed very upset. Is it because of high-context communication in Japan? Yes, exactly. People here expect you to understand the rules without saying it out loud. Really? In America, people just stating out it directly and exclusively. Yeah, we don't do that here. Japanese families often separate activities very carefully because Japanese culture values structure, manner, and group harmony. So, eating messily on the sofa may be viewed as disrespectful and disruptive. Really? For us, home environment should be comfortable and you can do whatever you want. You can eat, you can play, you can sit, whatever you want, even sleeping there. Because we emphasize the freedom, the comfort more than strict rules. So, that's why Nobi's mom seemed to be sad again, but she didn't confront me. In Japan, beds and sleeping spaces are considered very clean and private. So, if you get on your bed with your outside clothes or even your shoes on, it will be very unhygienic and disrespectful. Well, I didn't realize that because in our culture in America, especially in personal space, comfort and convenience are prioritized. This is a good example for ethnocentrism, where people misjudge other culture using their own culture standards. Yeah, because it's normal in my culture, so I assume that all other culture is normal too. Well, maybe it's my mistake. Can you help me fix it? Sure. Let me help you. The Time Rewinder! Hello, welcome. Your house is so lovely. Thank you. Do you want to have some snacks? Yes, where can I have it? Right there. Come here. Sit here and enjoy your snack. Thank you, miss. Linda-chan, let me show you your room. It's here. But first, where's the bathroom? Maybe I have to change my clothes, right? What a good girl. It's so lovely to have you here, Linda-chan. Thank you, miss. I'll prepare the dinner and you guys enjoy your time here, okay? Yes, miss. Thank you. Bye-bye. Now I understand Japanese culture better. High five! You know that cultural differences aren't bad. You just need to understand and respect it. Bye-bye. The client who wouldn't sing. Right now, we are heading home with my father, Mr. Nelly. And we just had a wonderful night with his Indian partner. But it almost turned into a disaster. Let's rewind it a few hours ago and see what happens when culture clashes in the karaoke room. Linda, I can't take this anymore. We've been negotiating for 10 J hours. Everything is so overwhelming. Why must we go to this music box? A business leader must maintain the strict boundaries. Okay, it's this time. Which one was it? Anadai-san. Let's sit here. You sit here, Anadai-san. And you sit here, Susan-san. Thank you. Bye. No sound. Look at Anadai-san. She seems very uncomfortable. She must be tense, right? How about we invite her for karaoke? Hey, Anadai-san, would you like to join a karaoke session with us? No, thank you. I don't have the phone for order. It's late. I prefer to stick to take business and maintain the professional image. I see. Anadai-san, we truly understand you feel exhausted from your trip. However, Nobi-san just hopes to make you feel welcome. Well, Mahiru-san, Nobi-san, please understand her. The schedule is brutal and she doesn't want to say it. Yeah, I see. I'm sorry if I make you uncomfortable, right? So, here in Japan, we sing karaoke after work not as a way to perform but as a way to celebrate as a second deal and to maintain the corporate culture. I understand if it's not the same where you're from. But, sorry again. I'm making you uncomfortable. Excuse me, I want to go to the toilet. Excuse me, miss. Are you the Indian business partner that my father, Mr. Nobi, has mentioned yesterday? I am Todai-kun, his son. And you seem really stressed. May I ask you what happened? You are Mr. Nobi-san? Oh my god, I feel so terrible. I did a very big mistake inside. I didn't want to offend your father. Hmm, I see. Let's see what I can do. The Manner Scanner Mini Version! Oh, what are you doing? The results are very detailed. First, psychologically, you are at the hostility stage of culture shock. The extreme physical and cognitive exhaustion from the long trip has depleted your tolerance for ambiguity. This caused you to temporarily retreat to an ethnocentric mindset where you automatically judged my dad's hospitality as unprofessional based on your cultural standards. Second, at a deep cultural level, there is a severe clash of value dimensions. My dad belongs to a collectivist culture. In Japan, singing karaoke after work is a social norm designed to blur hierarchical lines, build in-group harmony, and strengthen the we identity. However, you operate on large power distance. In your mindset, a leader must maintain strict role relations and authoritative professional boundaries. To you, entertaining others feels like a loss of professional dignity. Finally, on the communication level, there is a major mismatch in communication styles. Japan is the high-context culture that highly values face-saving and indirect talk to preserve harmony. But by using a blunt, direct verbal style like I do not perform for others, you'll cause my dad to lose his space in front of his subordinates, which is a major taboo in his culture. I want to quit it, but I can take my work back. There's nothing I can do. Well, actually... Aha! The time you've waited! Let me help you. Namaste. Anadai-san. So, let's sit here, let's sit down. You sit here, Anadai-san, and you sit here, Susan-san. Thank you, thank you. No sound. Look at Anadai-san. She seems very uncomfortable. She must be tired. How about we invite her for a karaoke session? Anadai-san, would you like to have a karaoke session with us? As a good singer, can we sing together? Oh, yeah! Let's do it! Hi, everyone! I'm Mr. Nobi-san, and I'm here to pick you up! Hey, you're right on time, Susan! Come, sing with us! Mission accomplished! By retaining her memories and understanding the difference between direct verbal style and collectivism, Mr. Anadai-san has successfully protected her partner's face and lowered the power distance. Remember, mutual understanding and flexibility in communications is always a key way to connect people to each other. And now, let's start the music! Bye-bye!