課長： 女性社員は、すぐ生理休暇だ、育児だと要求ばかり多くていやになるよ。
部下： 本当にその通りですね。
（かげで女性社員）
あの人、課長の言うことには、すぐ相槌をうつの。本当にいやね。
Aizuchi wo Utsu
Kachoo: Joseishain wa, sugu seiri-kyuka da, ikuji da to yookyuu bakari ookute iya ni naru yo.
Buka: Hontoo ni sonotoori desu ne.
(Kage de josei shain)
Ano hito, kachoo no iu koto ni wa, sugu aizuchi wo utsu no. Hontoo ni iya ne.
Section Chief: You know the way our female employees are always demanding something-menstrual leave right away, leave to raise their children? I'm really tired of it.
Subordinate: Yes, exactly. I couldn't agree more.
(Some female employees nearby)
That guy. He always agrees with whatever the chief says. So disgusting.
* * *
Literally, aizuchi wo utsu means alternate hammering, by blacksmiths, for instance, (tsuchi means hammer, mallet). Figuratively, the expression means to echo another's words, to make nods of approval, to give agreeable responses, responses that make a conversation go smoothly.
Sandra from Brazil is studying at Yamaguchi University. She recently told me. "Nihonjin wa sugu aizuchi wo utsu keredo (Though Japanese are quick to nod their approval) , it's hard to tell whether they really agree with you deep down inside."
She says that when she tells her friends, "That teacher's class is so boring and monotonous," they quickly agree saying, "Un, un, sono toori (Yes, yes, that's right)," or that when she says, "Look how well I've done my report," they say, "You're right, you really write Japanese well." She tells me it actually worries her more when people agree so easily (anmari kantan ni aizuchi wo utareru to, kaette shinpai ni naru). This is because kanojo wo ichininmae to mitomete inai kara. Marude kodomo ni sum yo ni aizuchi wo utsu kara da (they don't really treat her as an adult. They nod in agreement much the way they would to a child).
Sandra's fears are indeed justified. When one thinks about the situations in which people "echo another's words" the following situations come to mind:
1. when we actually really agree with the other person;
2. when we disagree but have a hard time saying this because
a. the other person's social position is higher than ours
b. the other person will get angry if we disagree
c. we don't want to put ourselves on an equal footing with them.
Because Sandra's Japanese is still not very good, Japanese students probably relate to her in a "2-c mode."
A disappointed Sandra said, "If that's the way they're going to feel, instead of just agreeing with me, I'd like them to argue back (Son'na koto nara, aizuchi wo utsu yori hanron shite hoshiiK" I was also disappointed. Why do Japanese always get cold feet around troublesome people? Don't people realize that to disagree with a person on the inside yet pretend not to is to be condescending and superior?
One often hears, "The Japanese are bad at arguing and debating." Maybe this is because of the teacher- centered pedagogical style they are exposed to from an early age, a style in which opportunities for the expression of personal opinion are kept to a minimum. No wonder when people who are not culturally Japanese say something penetrating to a native Japanese, the native often gets emotional and stops liking the non-native.
Hey everyone, aizuchi bakari utanaide, toki ni wa hanron shite kudasai (don't be so agreeable. Disagree once in a while).