Shadowy sides of "Minna"(みんな)

from Google

I've lived in Japan for 10 months, and as time went by, I recognized that the things I used to know are quite different from the things that I've got to know over. 

"Minna"（みんな）: a word I used to like back in Korea

I used to like a Japanese word, "Minna"（みんな） which can be translated to 'everyone', 'all the people around', or sometimes 'you guys' in conversation. Syntactically, the spectrum of usage of it is quite wide. Walking along streets in cities or towns in Japan, you can easily find the word in slogans in posters and banners. Back in Korea, when I was quite basic in Japanese and taking a Japanese class in the community center, many of Japanese songs I was taught included the word in the titles. I liked the word. I liked the pronunciation because it was quite easy to make and with the lyrics with it the meanings felt quite cool and sound. 

"Minna"（みんな）: a word I do not like to hear at least at work anymore

I started to see and have arguments at work, which could paradoxically imply that I've been quite immersed to Japanese working cultures and at the same time conflicted with my personal value(partly Korean). Reflecting back the last spring and summer when I was much less fluent in Japanese that I was not able to express my opinions specifically and knew Japanese working culture less than now that I had difficulty in finding clues to track current contexts, feeling foolish, I am quite confident dealing with the situation I face every moment. On the other hand, I've become a bit critical having seen things I was struggling to accept.  One of the things that I am struggling is the divinized value of "Minna"（みんな）.

Different situations and the same excuse: "Minna"（みんな）

Case 1 

I had a Korean coworker who had just graduated from college and got a job in Japan.  Her main job was serving foreign customers for breakfast and dinner. In other words, her job was a waitress(No one used the word, though).  One day, the manager abruptly changed the shift schedule and called her. But she didn't pick up the phone. He left a text message. Probably she was busy doing something and didn't respond even by the time when she should have come to work. Just about 10 minutes before the dinner time, a text message from her arrived to his phone. Her message was that she had been sorting things out and taking a shower and couldn't hear her phone ring  and read the messages. She added a message that she could not come to work right away. He got angry and called her. He yelled at her on the phone shouting, 

" Everyone is waiting!"(みんな待ってるよ！）

Listening to him, I came up with a question,

' Who is that everyone?'

Case 2 

All of a sudden, she quit and went back to Korea. And I had to replace her temporarily. The cuisine offered are "kaiseki", in which tens of traditional Japanese dishes with quite traditional names and histories, which ,of course, takes time learning and memorizing,are offered. However, she suddenly quit and I suddenly replaced her. I didn't have any clue over what the dishes are and how they should be served. Moreover, the menu was scribbled by the chief chef manually and I barely could read it. I went to the office and gave the manager a complaint that without enough time and training I couldn't do the job (with tough tone). It became an argument.  He got angry and shouted at me,

"Everyone is getting paid like you are and trying hard. Why aren't you doing so?!"(みんな、お前のように給与をもらって頑張っているのにお前はなぜ文句ばかりなの?)

Again, e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e.

It seems that the ultimate religion in Japan is "Minna"（みんな).

This blog is not academic at all. I don't want to define 'religion' specifically. But, provided that there is dogmatic value in every religion, every society has its own dogmatic value and  I think the value can be called 'the religion of a society.' For instance, it appears to me that the United States of America has Christianity as its religion. Looking deep into its constitution, I see the core value quite Christian(it could be helpful to read Yuval Noah Harari's Homo Sapiens). And the values the members(Americans) are following and pursuing look Christian whether they call themselves Christian or not.  The same way, with any expense, Japanese seem to try to keep peace and harmony within the society and the value of "Minna"（みんな） looks like a kind of black hole to absorb all the other social values. 

What happened after the argument

I guess it could be a bit distracting considering the topic of the blog. A funny thing happened. Actually, I had expected that I would be treated like an outcast by the manager and coworkers. I am a foreigner( I don't think I can be included in the minna), and I knew the way I did claim my view(saying things directly with tough tone) was quite strange to the Japanese.  But it was reverse. My coworkers treated me with a bit more respect and even the boss became sweet to me( I am not sure he thinks sometime he would stab me on my back). I told my coworker with whom I am sharing the studio that I was a bit surprised with the people's reaction.  He confessed that all the staff(especially young staff) have strong complaints against the manager but couldn't reveal them because they do not. He said that it is extremely rare for Japanese to reveal their complaints to their boss overtly and directly. He added that he was envious of me  that I have guts to do so.  

A general lesson learned : living is definitely different from traveling.

And I didn't quit and won't. I like living in Japan. I have been learning lots of things. 

One more, Korean working culture doesn't seem that different.