Japanese information sharing is fundamentally structured by group boundaries. Information belongs to groups—families, companies, teams, communities—and stays within those boundaries. Group membership entitles access to group information; non-members are excluded. Family matters stay in the family; company information stays in the company; team information stays on the team.
Sharing group information with outsiders constitutes betrayal. This uchi/soto (inside/outside) distinction creates clear information boundaries that track group membership. When entering Japanese contexts, understand which groups you belong to and what information belongs within each. Sharing group information outside the boundary violates fundamental expectations.
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