wtfeWays They Frame Engineering
日本語

JapanvsGermany

日本とドイツJPDE

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

Swap: see Japan from Germany

Culture Map: eight scales

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

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

Where you will notice the difference7 scales

  1. Communicating

    Germany spells things out more explicitly than Japan (5 steps)

    Japan +3, Germany −2, on a line from −3 (Low-context) to +3 (High-context).

  2. Evaluating

    Germany gives negative feedback more directly than Japan (5 steps)

    Japan +3, Germany −2, on a line from −3 (Direct negative feedback) to +3 (Indirect negative feedback).

  3. Disagreeing

    Germany is more willing to disagree openly than Japan (5 steps)

    Japan +3, Germany −2, on a line from −3 (Confrontational) to +3 (Avoids confrontation).

  4. Leading

    Germany keeps less distance between boss and team than Japan (3 steps)

    Japan +3, Germany 0, on a line from −3 (Egalitarian) to +3 (Hierarchical).

  5. Trusting

    Germany builds trust through reliable work more than Japan (3 steps)

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

  6. Deciding

    Germany leaves decisions to the person in charge more than Japan (2 steps)

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

  7. Scheduling

    Germany sticks to fixed plans and deadlines more than Japan (1 step)

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

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 Germany. They describe national averages, not either country's character.

  1. Long-term orientation

    Germany scores 43 points lower than Japan (57 against 100)

    Japan 100, Germany 57, on a line from 0 (Short-term) to 100 (Long-term).

  2. Motivation towards achievement and success

    Germany scores 29 points lower than Japan (66 against 95)

    Japan 95, Germany 66, on a line from 0 (Consensus-oriented) to 100 (Decisive).

  3. Uncertainty avoidance

    Germany scores 27 points lower than Japan (65 against 92)

    Japan 92, Germany 65, on a line from 0 (Tolerant of ambiguity) to 100 (Avoids ambiguity).

  4. Power distance

    Germany scores 19 points lower than Japan (35 against 54)

    Japan 54, Germany 35, on a line from 0 (Low power distance) to 100 (High power distance).

  5. Individualism

    Germany scores 17 points higher than Japan (79 against 62)

    Japan 62, Germany 79, on a line from 0 (Collectivist) to 100 (Individualist).

  6. Indulgence

    Germany scores 2 points lower than Japan (40 against 42)

    Japan 42, Germany 40, on a line from 0 (Restrained) to 100 (Indulgent).

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 Germany, side by side on wide screens. Each keeps its own confidence label and citations.

Design & quality

Japan4 claims

Germany2 claims

Failure & risk

Japan3 claims

Germany5 claims

Feedback & code review

Japan4 claims

Germany3 claims

Hierarchy & decisions

Japan3 claims

Germany3 claims

Communication & docs

Japan3 claims

Germany3 claims

Work & careers

Japan5 claims

Germany5 claims

Open source & community

Japan4 claims

Germany5 claims