Growing up as a third generation Japanese-American, dinner conversations and family gatherings were liberally sprinkled with Japanese words and phrases. Before I formally studied Japanese in high school and college, I picked up the meaning of quite a few words. If my parents were gossiping about the neighbors, the word tonari, for neighbor, would be heard. I would strain to understand what they were saying and in so doing, would decipher the meaning of other Japanese words. However, one word that always mystified me was kino doku. From the body language and facial expressions of my parents, I surmised that it was associated with negative emotions, even annoyance.
It was only many years later that I began to understand the meaning of this word. An explanation can be found in the classic book written by Ruth Benedict, The Chrysanthemum and the Sword: Patterns of Japanese Culture. Published in 1948, it was one of the first and arguably most important scholarly attempt to explain Japanese culture to the west. In the author’s own words…
Even the offer of a cigarette from a person with whom a man has previously had no ties makes him uncomfortable and the polite way for him to express thanks is to say: ‘Oh, this poisonous feeling (kino doku).’ ‘It’s easier to bear,’ a Japanese said to me, ‘if you come right out and acknowledge how bad it makes you feel. You had never thought of doing anything for him and so you are shamed by receiving the on.’ ‘Kino doku’ therefore is translated sometimes as ‘Thank you,’ i.e., for the cigarettes, sometimes as ‘I’m sorry,’ i.e., for the indebtedness, sometimes as ‘I feel like a heel,’ i.e., because you beat me to this act of generosity. It means all of these and none.
The true meaning of the word is heavily steeped in the nuances of Japanese culture. The situation is akin to a grand and unexpected favor or act of kindness that is done for us. For some, there may be an uncomfortable feeling embodying a sense of obligation to acknowledge or even repay the act of kindness. While this may begin to place this word in a western context, it still falls short. As Benedict points out, “it means all of these and none.”
With less than 1% of the 127 million Japanese population professing to be Christians, it is critical to understand Japanese culture and traditions in order to present and explain the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Understanding the meaning of this word, kino doku, is a critical first step.
Jesus Christ lived a sinless perfect life when He was on this earth. He died on the Cross, one of the most humiliating and painful executions ever conceived by man, to bear the burden and punishment of our sins, which we all rightly deserve. Because of His faithfulness to death, God raised Him from the dead by the power of the Resurrection. Jesus forever conquered death and restored the fellowship between man and God.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23 (ESV)
Yes, it is a debt we can never repay. Perhaps this is why the Japanese are reluctant to accept Jesus Christ. It is kino doku. But Jesus is not asking us to repay Him, no one can. He asks all of us to accept His gift of salvation and eternal life by confessing and repenting of our sins and accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
All praise to the Living God!
Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.
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