“Japanese is particularly susceptible to discrepancy because it is at once so dense and complex and yet so full of subtlety. It has been suggested, in fact, that it was probably not possible to give accurate simultaneous Japanese – English translations because of the yawning disparity between how the two languages function. To take just one instance, in Japanese it is considered impolite to end a sentence with an unexpected flourish; in English it is a sign of oratorical dexterity of the first order. English speakers, particularly in the context of business or political negotiations, favor bluntness. The Japanese, by contrast, have a cultural aversion to directness and are often reluctant to give a simple yes or no answer. When a Japanese says “Kangae sasete kudasai” (“Let me think about it”) or “Zensho shimasu”  (“I will do my best”) he actually means “no.” This has led many business people, and on at least one occasion the president of the United States, to go away thinking they had an agreement or understanding that did not actually exist.”
– Bill Bryson,
‘The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way’ p. 188-189