Many countries have different practices and different beliefs which make up its culture. Often when a person is forced into a new culture communicating can seem very frustrating and some cut off between the different groups. An excellent example of this lack of communications is in the movie Mr. Baseball, starring Tom Selleck. The plot illustrates a washed-up American major league player who is traded to Japan where he finds local culture to be totally different. During the movie cultural differences are seen in many aspects of the Japanese way of life compared to the American way of life.
Right off the bat it is very apparent the way of greeting in Japan is very foreign to Jack Elliott as he meets the owners and reports. Instead of shaking hands with Jack the Japanese owners nodded the head as do most all people in their culture. It probably would have felt like an American greeting if the owners shook hands with the baseball player. Adding to the frustration of the whole team the first practice Jack walks in with his big boots oblivious of the Japanese tradition of not wearing shoes inside. This isn’t really a big deal but it just gets him started on the wrong foot with teammates.
When practices ends and it is time to hit shower it is funny to see that even the way the American use the restroom is different from Japan traditions and their toilet that looks like a hole in the ground. Looking into showers Jack sees everyone sitting on bucket showering and gets in the heated tub which he is accustomed too. Come to find out the Japanese shower and then bath which Elliott found odd.
In American baseball the manager plays a huge part during the game. The Dragons manager is mostly quiet during the game and so are the players. Jack tells the team baseball is a game which in Japan it is took much more serious. Seeing the manager throw the helmets after Jack’s comment it is easy to see he consider baseball much more than a game.
Breaking communication barriers due to culture differences can be difficult, but is very probable with the right amount flexibility. Respecting and learning about foreign customs can help an individual grow mature and become more open-minded. There will always be different cultures around the world, and there will always be conflicts that arise when these different cultures are brought together
Example Essays Home
