Expressing one’s feelings based on someone else’s
(the original content can be found at https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-know-if-my-Japanese-colleagues-like-me-since-the-Japanese-are-known-not-to-show-true-feelings)
I think Takano-san’s answer was quite accurate but I would like to take some time to elaborate a little more on his answer, hopefully, to improve clarity on this topic.
Traditionally, Japanese people have been known for not showing their feelings, that is still pretty much the norm when it comes to family relationships (especially between extended family members, and sometimes even between husband and wife). However, the idea of hiding feelings in Japan does not come from a heart of simply hiding how they feel about you, but they will hide their feelings if they feel that the expose of the same will either bother, or hurt you in some way: they do that from a heart that actually cares about those around them—not as a “faker” in western cultures would in order to manipulate people.
As Eiji-san mentioned, if they like you they most likely you not avoid you, however, even if they avoid you, it might be because they feel that they don’t want to bother you at a certain time of the day (due to the fact that maybe you look really busy or upset about some work-related thing). So, analyzing how you are displaying your own feelings/mood at work will be crucial in really reading what a Japanese person thinks about you. Always remember, this is the culture of the indirect, “read the air,” communication: Japanese people will be constantly trying to read you in order to understand how they can/should relate to you. This is not only true of work-related relationships but, of every other form of human relationships here in Japan.
How to act is important
So, to promote what Eiji-san suggested, it is very important to understand how the Japanese people will read your actions, and then, based on that info, you should bring forth actions that emphasize your positive attributes and avoid actions that might give them the impression that you are either putting up walls, or being a jerk.
Working with Japanese people can be an awesome experience. Don’t be too nervous, use common sense and try to learn about trigger-points to avoid. That way, you will be setting yourself for the creation of awesome relationships with the Japanese people!
