Don’t Believe It When a Japanese Person Says ‘I Can’t’

Have you heard the international joke that says, “Don’t believe it when a Japanese person says, ‘I can’t do that’”? As a Japanese person, I’m here to tell you—this is absolutely true! If you ever have the chance to work with Japanese people, it's important to understand the cultural context behind this response.

A Culture That Believes Beauty and Talent Shouldn’t Be Flaunted

First and foremost, in our culture, pushing your own opinions or views without considering others is seen as immature and childish. For us, beauty and talent are something that naturally overflow and are subtly recognized by others, rather than something to be shown off.

As you may know, Japan's national flower is the cherry blossom, and its petals are just the tips of the pink that overflows from the trunk and bark. The petals represent the beauty that emerges as the entire tree strives to achieve its most perfect pink. (Incidentally, I learned this from a textbook in elementary school.) I believe this is a fitting example of how beauty and talent are expressed in Japan. While the word "humble" is often used to describe this cultural value, there’s a deeper and more unique perspective behind it.

In Japan, it's considered "uncool" to claim that you're a capable person. Because of this, many people avoid giving off that impression to others. So, it’s not surprising when someone responds with “I’m not that good” or even “I can’t” on purpose.

If Japanese say, “I can”, it means that I can provide it with high quality.

Another reason why Japanese hardly say “I can” is the scope of what it means is different from the other cultures. If Japanese say “I can”, the meaning is more close to “I can provide it with high quality.” In Japan, when creating operation manual at business, it indicates that documents are for enabling everyone to provide high quality service, not ensuring everyone to provide at least the minimum level.

Sometimes, my acquaintances from other countries ask me why Japanese people who can communicate fairly well in English often reply with “Just a little bit” when asked if they speak English. The reason is that in Japan, saying “I can” implies a high level of ability, so even if someone can speak English to some degree, they often don’t feel confident enough to say so. In fact, many people will still say “I can’t” even if they can manage a conversation. For instance, even though I sometimes work in English, if someone asked me on the street if I could speak English, I would still say, “Just a little bit.

Additionally, if a Japanese company asks me to submit my resume, I would focus only on a few key areas I can handle—for example, major workshop topics in my case. However, if an American company asks for my resume, I would include as many skills and topics as possible. As I’ve mentioned before, in Japan, saying “I can” implies delivering high quality. So, listing too many things on a resume can even risk making you seem less credible to Japanese employers.

How do you know when someone really means “I can’t”?

After reading this far, some people might wonder how to tell when a Japanese person genuinely means they can’t do something. This is another unique aspect of our culture. Japan is one of the most high-context cultures in the world, which means that non-verbal communication plays a crucial role. We place equal importance on facial expressions, gestures, and the overall atmosphere as we do on words. This is how we judge whether someone truly can’t do something or is simply being modest in their response.

Of course, people who are accustomed to working with foreigners often understand these cultural nuances and adjust their approach when dealing with non-Japanese colleagues. However, when working with Japanese people, it’s important to keep in mind the perspective of “Who knows most, speaks least” or “Cats hide their claws.” You might just encounter someone with extraordinary abilities, hidden in unexpected places.