American Culture Vs Japanese Culture Essay

Beating had long been an acceptable and routine method of discipline within the Japanese Army. Soldiers could strike subordinates with no questions asked and no explanation warranted. The slightest distinction between ranks was of critical importance because it meant the difference between who could inflict blows, and who could expect to receive them. This sort of institutionalized brutality had a tendency to work its way down the ranks to the lowliest private. One can imagine what would happen when an enlisted man, hardened by this psychology of top-down violence, found himself suddenly thrown into a foreign and not altogether distasteful situation in which he was the superior, in charge of a group of helpless prisoners. For some, the temptation to beat proved irresistible. For others, beating was only the beginning." (Hampton 91-92)

Moreover, the Japanese’s treatment of prisoners affected how Americans saw them. The Americans believed the Japanese were brutal human beings. The Americans saw them as that because during the Bataan Death March, if you stopped marching, the Japanese would kill you with a bayonet or rifle. Then, if you tried to help someone who fell, you would get beaten or stabbed. Also for a sport, Japanese soldiers would fracture sculls with rifle butts. Mostly, the prisoners would receive almost to no food or water and they were forced to walk 65

Yasumasa Morimura was born in Osaka, Japan 1951; before the end of the American Occupation and during the Korean War. It was at this time in Japan that society had become increasingly modernized and influenced by western culture. Subsequently, the foreign influence of Japan’s culture affected their culture, politics and education. With a westernized curriculum, much of the education focused on occident values, ideas, and art. Despite Japan’s rich history, much of the art history that was taught had originated from western culture.

As a result, they carried a fear that disagreement with their military training would result in political and social “shunning” that could potentially be physically harmful to themselves and loved ones. The notion of violence as their form of protection stemmed “from their feudal roots of government” that “took on a more militant style of leadership during the early part of the 20th century “ (Cook). Their finite militant style of government taught “to desire to serve their nation, and [ as a result] the militaristic flavor of nation pervaded into the classrooms, where conformity and obedience to teacher demands to value obedience and unconditional loyalty to the emperor was the rule of the day “ (Cook). Being young and impressionable, the students were groomed to have the utmost loyalty to their nation; often times being abandoned by their families and friends if they didn’t obey. The fear of disobeying their culture itself was so great that it was enough for them to thoughtlessly obey the commands of any higher officer. In all, a Japanese “surrender was an unthinkable act of cowardice and the ultimate violation of the rigid code of military honor drilled into them from childhood onward” (Genocide). Along with the rigidness of their society, the militaristic style was emotionless, and left them feeling disillusioned and

Across the world, on the Pacific Front, Japan was waging a war that followed the samurai code of “bushed.” This way of life basically called for “taking of no prisoners.” Japan fought from island to island, using every last man. The Japanese government instructed their soldiers to kill themselves rather than be taken by the Americans. Such acts as the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the Death March showed America what kind of foe they were

To begin, they decided to go to war with two of the most powerful industrial and naval forces, the US and Britain, during Japan’s attempted Occupation of Indochina (now Indonesia) from the 22nd to the 26th of September 1940, even though they knew it was impossible to win. All because it was either that or surrender, and they thought that would make them look weak. That, and during all of their battles, they would fight to the death even though they knew they had no chance of winning. They would much rather commit suicide than surrender, as dictated by the “Bushido” code, or the “Way of the Warrior” or Samurai. According to Bushido, it was “preferable to commit suicide rather than suffer the disgrace of being captured by the enemy.” [3]. Putting pride before ethical, logical and effective decisions by the Imperial Japanese Army caused their own downfall in

This mindset is great if they were actually winning the war, but that’s the issue. They were losing really badly but they had the will to fight to the death. In fact, in that same documentary it talks about how Japanese soldiers were to commit suicide or die in combat before they were to be taken as POW’s. Their government convinced them that it was honorable to die in war and there was no honor to be taken captive by these Americans.

The term “American” comprises of many different cultures and races. However, what is often portrayed to be the one and only true “American” is most certainly White. The White population has been viewed as the mainstream society throughout United State’s history. This can be seen in American popular cultural and media as well as White’s dominance in America’s political and economic systems.

Gray, A. (2007, May 14). American vs. Japanese culture and accountability. Fairfield County Business Journal, Vol. 46(20), 9. In this article, Andi explains to a question sent in from a reader about the difference between Japanese and American views of liability. Andi explains that in America the perpetrator is responsible whereas in Japan the company takes responsibility. Both the pros and cons of the two methods are explained to the reader. I don't think this article will be much help to my paper because it only discusses liability between the two cultures. My paper will not be about liability at all

Because they have a very different way of raising their children, as the article says most children feel a lack of support from their parents, and that’s when most of them may have a need to attend counseling but are afraid too. Asian’s would be an extremely difficult population for me to work with. They rarely agree that they need help, and I have a feeling that if I try to listen and understand them, they would think they don’t need to be here. And that is just my experience from those that I have met through out my life. Of course, not all have been like that, but it also depends if they were raised more with an American culture than a Asian culture.

The Japanese troops were expected to find their own food and were even ordered to eat captured enemies, even dead Japanese soldiers. When they ran out of bullets they had to fight with rocks and did not have the supplies they needed to win. Japanese troops were left to fend for themselves and did not get support from the government like other troops did during World War II. Japanese soldiers were fighting for their emperor and did whatever they needed to to win. Even if that meant using their natural resources. The soldiers did things that were unethical because they were told to. The Japanese were not given enough supplies but were still told to fight till their

In today’s modern, fast-paced, technology driven world it is all too easy to misinterpret and misunderstand situations, both personal and professional, that could easily be solved by taking a look into the cultural concepts and norms of a group or society. In cultures with a long history of social customs, it would be beneficial for those involved to examine the special features and norms that make up this culture in an effort to better the communication and understanding of personal and professional relationships. This area can be especially favorable in working with those of the Japanese decent as this culture is deeply intricate with many traditions and standards that have been passed on from generation to generation. Some of theses cultural

The culture and society of Japan consists of many similar ideas to the foundation that the Western civilization was built upon. Influences that have impacted Japan include; industrialization, continued modernization, and the shift toward a democratic political government. Even with both societies being founded on identical concepts, the major differences are the way the society functions. Japan has been heavily influenced by both China and America and has made their own culture by combining these ideas along with their own traditional ideals. Just as any other country, Japan is no stranger to gender roles, gender stereotypes, and workplace inequalities and the ideas Japan was built upon plays a big role in the way all of these forms of discrimination

We see many similarities and difference between Japanese and American people culturally. Beginning with the societal expectation of woman in both cultures, we see a similarity between the expectation of them in the house and now a rise of them in the work force. In both countries as well, they are looked upon as a lesser version of men; we see this in how woman are shamed in both countries for being a woman. The best examples of this is “slut shaming” woman for what they wear and the decision they make, forcing women to hate their sexuality. Shaming has been a vibrant part of many societies, the most notable being “food shaming” in egalitarian nomadic societies to prevent anyone person from becoming too powerful. The same logic is used in both

It is also an important part in the aesthetic look that Japanese food aspires to. The use of chopsticks in religious ceremonies also dictates certain ways of using this utensil.