CONTRASTING SOME JAPANESE AND ENGLISH POSITIVE EMOTIONS: THE NATURE OF FEELING

Abstract

This paper uses the method of “conceptual encounter” to examine the meanings of three of the most common Japanese terms for positive emotions. It contrasts the emotional experiences suggested by these terms with the experiences that are suggested by the English terms that are used as equivalents. The method appears to be successful in revealing the similarities and differences in how some positive emotional experiences are constructed in the different cultures. The results suggest that the differences in what is felt and labeled as emotion may be understood if we regard emotions as involving personal transformations in the Western and the Japanese self.