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Each language is characterized by a unique set of language-specific means to designate various phenomena of the real world, which characterize a peculiar way of thought and life of a given nation. Japanese key words also give vivid and accurate reflection of the Japanese way of life and thinking and let us reveal the core values of Japanese culture. Key words in question and their analysis help to get insight into and explain the uniqueness of Japanese culture and mentality. Such words are the essential components of the Japanese language worldview. They serve as the eloquent testimony of the cultural worldview, which molds and explains the peculiarities of the culturally determined and unique way of life and thought of the Japanese. Centuries-old and deep-rooted in the Japanese consciousness commitment to form, norm and life regulation, expressed in Japanese in the keyword KATA, functions as an integrating framework of the Japanese consciousness and a key factor of penetrating into the specificity of the Japanese identity. Cultivated over the centuries, the appropriate and the only possible kata-ized way of doing something, and as a result, the only possible pattern of behavior in different situations is not confined to the widely accepted mechanical process of doing something. It is a sort of philosophy of the “Japanese way” in compliance with the norms of the Japanese morality and ethics. This “hidden” knowledge of living “in” or “out” of kata distinguishes the Japanese from other nationalities. The analysis of the key words can be considered as a bright and effective method of penetrating in the nuances of a culture. The knowledge of key words is of vital importance for successful communication with the representatives of another culture, doing business with them as well as for effective teaching international students.

By the given article I continue a cycle of publications devoted to the analysis of the key words of the Japanese culture, which characterize their peculiar way of thought and life and let us reveal their core values. The key words and their analysis help to get insight into and explain the peculiarity of the Japanese culture and mentality. The given paper dwells upon the analysis of the Japanese word gambatte, which is most frequently translated as ‘do your best, try hard, work hard, hold on, don’t give up’. It is an eternal motto of the Japanese life and of all Japanese people using it throughout their lives. This particular key message helps people to progress in life fulfilling numerous duties and obligations towards the society and themselves (‘giri’ in Japanese) and avoiding a sense of shame (‘haji’) in order to achieve impressive goals, frequently earning the respect and admiration of the world as a result. Gambatte is the essence of the Japanese philosophy of life. The analysis of the key words is regarded as a bright and effective method of penetrating in the nuances of the Japanese culture. The knowledge of key words is of vital importance for successful communication with the representatives of the Country of the Rising Sun, doing business with the Japanese as well as for effective teaching Japanese students.