Abstract
This study examined the Japanese concept of nakama by interviewing a sample of 24 adolescents. Participants first rank ordered several terms that described relationships, according to intimacy, compared with friends and best friends. Study 1 revealed that nakama was the second closest relationship after one's best friend, and was composed of a medium-sized network. Study 2 asked interviewees to compare the qualities of their nakama relationships in their late adolescence to those in their childhood, and also to compare the nakama to friends and best friends. The results showed that nakama in late adolescence vs. in childhood were essentially different in quality. The interviews also revealed that the two basic dimensions of nakama were intimacy and network size. A third dimension (shared purpose/activity) was identified when nakama was contrasted with friends and best friends. Nakama, friends, and best friends were positioned by the two dimensions of intimacy and sharing purpose/activity. It was evident that sharing purpose/activity was the most effective dimension in differentiating nakama from other relationships.
