wtfeWays They Frame Engineering
日本語

JapanvsBrazil

日本とブラジルJPBR

Seen from Japan: each line below describes Brazil relative to Japan.

Swap: see Japan from Brazil

Culture Map: eight scales

Erin Meyer's eight scales, sorted by how far apart Japan and Brazil sit, largest gap first.

Filled dot: Japan, where you are looking fromHollow ring: Brazil

Where you will notice the difference7 scales

  1. Deciding

    Brazil leaves decisions to the person in charge more than Japan (4 steps)

    Japan −3, Brazil +1, on a line from −3 (Consensual) to +3 (Top-down).

  2. Scheduling

    Brazil treats plans as more flexible than Japan (4 steps)

    Japan −2, Brazil +2, on a line from −3 (Linear time) to +3 (Flexible time).

  3. Communicating

    Brazil spells things out more explicitly than Japan (3 steps)

    Japan +3, Brazil 0, on a line from −3 (Low-context) to +3 (High-context).

  4. Evaluating

    Brazil gives negative feedback more directly than Japan (2 steps)

    Japan +3, Brazil +1, on a line from −3 (Direct negative feedback) to +3 (Indirect negative feedback).

  5. Leading

    Brazil keeps less distance between boss and team than Japan (2 steps)

    Japan +3, Brazil +1, on a line from −3 (Egalitarian) to +3 (Hierarchical).

  6. Disagreeing

    Brazil is more willing to disagree openly than Japan (2 steps)

    Japan +3, Brazil +1, on a line from −3 (Confrontational) to +3 (Avoids confrontation).

  7. Trusting

    Brazil builds trust through personal relationships more than Japan (1 step)

    Japan +1, Brazil +2, on a line from −3 (Task-based) to +3 (Relationship-based).

Not placed1 scale

These scales are left unmarked: either Meyer leaves a country off the scale or no source places it, and drawing it anyway would be guessing.

  • PersuadingMeyer leaves Japan off this scale and describes its reasoning as holistic
Positions are read by eye from Erin Meyer's published charts and rounded to seven steps. A step means “further towards that pole”, not a measured distance. How the positions were read

Hofstede: six dimensions

Scores from 0 to 100, sorted by the gap between Japan and Brazil. They describe national averages, not either country's character.

  1. Long-term orientation

    Brazil scores 72 points lower than Japan (28 against 100)

    Japan 100, Brazil 28, on a line from 0 (Short-term) to 100 (Long-term).

  2. Motivation towards achievement and success

    Brazil scores 46 points lower than Japan (49 against 95)

    Japan 95, Brazil 49, on a line from 0 (Consensus-oriented) to 100 (Decisive).

  3. Individualism

    Brazil scores 26 points lower than Japan (36 against 62)

    Japan 62, Brazil 36, on a line from 0 (Collectivist) to 100 (Individualist).

  4. Indulgence

    Brazil scores 17 points higher than Japan (59 against 42)

    Japan 42, Brazil 59, on a line from 0 (Restrained) to 100 (Indulgent).

  5. Uncertainty avoidance

    Brazil scores 16 points lower than Japan (76 against 92)

    Japan 92, Brazil 76, on a line from 0 (Tolerant of ambiguity) to 100 (Avoids ambiguity).

  6. Power distance

    Brazil scores 15 points higher than Japan (69 against 54)

    Japan 54, Brazil 69, on a line from 0 (Low power distance) to 100 (High power distance).

Country averages. About 80% of variation in values is between people inside a country (Taras et al. 2016).Source: The Culture Factor — Country comparison tool (2026).About the Hofstede dimensions

What the sources say, theme by theme

Entries for Japan and Brazil, side by side on wide screens. Each keeps its own confidence label and citations.

Design & quality

Japan4 claims

Brazil2 claims

Failure & risk

Japan3 claims

Brazil1 claim

Feedback & code review

Japan4 claims

Brazil3 claims

  • The training company Talaera, citing Meyer, writes that negative feedback tends to be wrapped in warmth and delivered in private, and that public criticism easily damages relationships. The behavioral descriptions rest mainly on the authors' own observations.

    Thin1 source2026br-feedback-1

  • In an HR magazine interview, Erin Meyer names Latin America as one of the "really indirect" parts of the world for negative feedback.

    Attested1 source2014Datedbr-feedback-2

  • Talaera says that instead of a plain "no," phrases such as "we can try" or "I'll do my best" can signal concern or refusal.

    Thin1 source2026br-feedback-3

Hierarchy & decisions

Japan3 claims

Brazil2 claims

Communication & docs

Japan3 claims

Brazil2 claims

  • A summary of Meyer's Culture Map places Brazil on the side where trust is built through personal relationships, close to China and Saudi Arabia. Small talk at the start of a meeting is described as part of the work.

    Thin1 sourcebr-communication-1

  • Talaera says written English tends to be on the formal side and asynchronous replies tend to be long and warm, and it recommends video calls over audio-only calls.

    Thin1 source2026br-communication-2

Work & careers

Japan5 claims

Brazil4 claims

Open source & community

Japan4 claims

Brazil3 claims