jpinsider
  • Feed
  • travel & culture
  • Beauty
  • Recipes
    • Shop Japanese Groceries
  • About Me

Japanese Follower Mentality

8/24/2011

3 Comments

 
(HIM ●) During our experiences here in Japan we have coined a name for the way most Japanese operate in general, but most apparently in the urban environment. We call it the Japanese Follower Mentality. If you look closely enough on Japanese streets and modern culture you will find it everywhere around you. Japanese entertainment, fashion, and business, its everywhere. A great example is idol groups such as AKB 48. Where on earth do you find people following so called idol groups just because everybody else is following them? Where does fashion come and go like seasons based on popular consensus as fast as in Japan? Everybody follows everybody else and it seems that there is a follower mentality among the masses which affects everybody. For the media, the Japanese masses as a whole could be considered as a living breathing organism!

Initially we saw this interesting behavior on the streets. If there is a street performer without an audience, nobody will join in unless there is an innovator who stands by for the show, most of the times this is the case. In Japan you will see lines that span street blocks in length for a food stall but most of the times we wonder, do these people even know what they are lining up for or are they just lining up because they saw a long line to start with, which might indicate that there is something good at the end of the line.

This is something good to think about, how does this mentality affect business and marketing in Japan?
3 Comments
Gino
8/24/2011 11:43:17 pm

I have to say, that following mentality is EVERYWHERE. Maybe not as obvious but remember high school in Cartagena; One person bought "Tommy Hilfiger" polos, next thing you know, EVERYBODY had to have tommy. One person bought "Rusty" board shorts, EVERYBODY had Rusty boardhorts. If you didn't listen to Kaleth Morales, you were weird..etc etc etc.

Reply
Gino
8/24/2011 11:47:05 pm

I agree, it's more of a communal behavior, not so much individualistic.

Reply
Gino
8/24/2011 11:57:55 pm

I just wonder how the trends are started or why something is trending.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    ♥ Subscribe via e-mail

    RSS Feed

    Bookmark and Share

    Categories

    All
    Beauty
    Boston
    Challenges
    Color Contacts
    Colour Contacts
    Contacts
    Entertainment
    Her Posts
    Him & Her
    Him & Her
    His Posts
    Japan
    Japan With A Budget
    Music
    Photography
    San Diego
    Steve Jobs
    Travel

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Feed
  • travel & culture
  • Beauty
  • Recipes
    • Shop Japanese Groceries
  • About Me