Japanese Culture And Cultural Culture

As Mahatma Gandhi said, “No culture can live, if it attempts to be exclusive” (Mahatma). Our culture identifies who we are and how we behave in social environments and provides us with a foundation in which to live our lives and raise our families. Each individual culture has certain customs and courtesies that are important. Exposure to the cultures of others can be intimidating and can leave a person feeling confused and unsure about how they fit in (Schaefer 60). Culture shock can leave a person feeling out of place in an unfamiliar culture (Schaefer 60). Our diverse societies demand understanding and acceptance of other cultures. Learning and understanding these cultures before being

“Culture is sometimes described as a lens through which we view the world, meaning that one’s culture influences their perceptions and interactions in everyday life” (Davis, 2006). Every culture has different beliefs and customs

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.

It is so easy to access your own culture to examine aspects; however, this paper will flip the script using an etic view to gain a better understanding of American culture from an outsider’s perspective while taking on an insider’s perspective to examine another culture, Japan using an emic view. Cultural relativism tells us that we must examine beliefs and activities of other cultures with a meaningful understanding of the context of that particular culture, background, history, and practices from an emic perspective without prejudice or superiority (Crapo, 2013).

People no longer use the term “Japanese American” in today's society. Instead, they are no longer thought as a separate group and are incorrectly categorized as “Asian American”, along with Vietnamese American, Chinese American, etc. Japanese Americans have an extremely unique background in terms of their origins, history, and struggle with racialization. Like many ethnic groups, Japanese Americans have been subjected to many different portrayals throughout American history. Even though cultural separation and suspicion are deemed as immoral, such practices toward them were thought to be necessary by the American Government. For a good amount of time, they suffered from racial hostility and violence. Now, in an age where cultural diversity

T.R. Reid, a journalist, and his family moved to Japan in the 1990’s. They experienced a peaceful and educational experience in Japan. Throughout the book, we are presented with the positive outcomes of a society that cares about the community just as they would care for their own family. Low crime rate, a sense of security, low divorce rates, low incidences of single parenthood. All of this happening while at the same time the country of Japan became a force to be reckoned with in from an economic and innovation standpoint. This, Reid calls it, the Social Miracle. From the way the community cme together to the way the whole society behave themselves. Japanese people take being part of the community very seriously. They seem to take pride in

As an Asian-Hawaiian child growing up in Hawaii, I was brought up with a lifestyle that mixed traditions from Hawaii and the Orient. Looking back into my childhood, I noticed that a lot of customs from my Japanese culture were more prominent in the mixture of conventions I was taught to practice in life. Celebrating holidays like “Hina Matsuri”(Girl’s Day), wearing traditional Japanese clothing like “Kimono”, and not being able to wear my slippers or shoes in the house, or else I would risk getting two left hooks to my ribs from grandma, are just some of the aspects of tradition that were incorporated into my life. Today, these customs are deeply rooted and have contributed

Culture is like the gentle, cool breeze that sweeps about the smoldering summer air to the delight of all, but misconceived by many of in its origin and purpose. Many wipe the sweat from their brow yet covet the whirls of natural coolant produced by the Earth, ignorant to the fact that these phenomenon work in conjunction and would be better together. In the same way, many countries, especially America, boast of their nations vast diversity and wealth of material items, but are not aware of the etiology of said objects. Japan is a nation of knowledge, mystery, and music that the common American does not know very much about.

My husband has the positive tone of opinion toward Japanese culture and children regarding of their attitude, behaviors, and education; therefore, he wants to show our children those Japanese culture and children. Thus, my family hosted many Japanese children for the exchange

This paper provided an opportunity to take a deeper look into the country of Japan by conducting a Global Cultural Analysis. Throughout this paper the following four research areas were explored: 1.What is the major elements and dimensions of culture in Japan? 2. How are these elements and dimensions integrated by locals conducting business in Japan? 3. How does U.S. culture and business compare with the elements and dimensions of culture integrated by the locals conducting business in Japan? 4. What are the implications for U.S. businesses that wish to conduct business with Japan?

The Japanese prefer belonging to a group, their personal relationships prevail over tasks, for them pursuing personal success is frowned upon (Miles, 2006). Whereas, in America, individuals are individualistic, people take care of their own selves and believe success is attained by their independent work, which is known as the “American dream” (Silver, 2002). Second, in Japan power distance--how power and authority is perceived--is visible through hierarchy, which represents the high power difference in the country. For instance, in Japan the most important aspect is respect for the elderly and dutifulness to seniority (Garcia, 2015). In regards to uncertainty avoidance, which indicates how comfortable people are with risk and ambiguity, the Japanese avoid uncertainty, they attempt to prepare for any situation. Japanese culture is highly ritualized, meaning they have several ceremonies, and each ceremony has a set of rules and proceedings that must be followed (Miles, 2006). Additionally, Japan has the traits of a masculine culture, one that values advancement, assertiveness, and earning and acquiring things (Johnson,

Many religions are popular within the Japanese culture. Two of the most influential religions, Shinto and Buddhism that help shaped a lot of Japanese values are Shinto and Buddhism, played a large role in shaping Japanese values. Numerous similarities and differences run between these two religions; nonetheless, the Japanese often believe in more than one religion at the same time. This is possible due to the polytheistic nature of most popular religions in Japan. It is not hard to say that religion is a big part of Japanese culture because a lot of religious beliefs can still be seen in their everyday lives.

All around the world, religion is a dominant idea for many cultures; exemplifying a certain way of life, serving as a basis for faith, and bringing charity to the world, religion is a extensive concept. For several cultures and countries religion may vary according to demographics, socio-economical class, and ethnicity. Main concepts of religion in Japan are natural and superstitious based. The leading religion in Japan remains Shinto, while other religions have come and go, interweaving themselves among the Japanese society.

The culture of a place is an integral part of its society whether that place is a remote Indian village in Brazil or a highly industrialized city in Western Europe. The culture of Japan fascinates people in the United States because, at first glance, it seems so different. Everything that characterizes the United States--newness, racial heterogeneity, vast territory, informality, and an ethic of individualism-- is absent in Japan. There, one finds an ancient and homogeneous society, an ethic that emphasizes the importance of groups, and a tradition of formal behavior governing every aspect of daily living, from drinking tea to saying hello. On the surface at least, U.S. and Japanese

The dominant religions are Shinto and Buddhism both complement each other in various ways. They have harmonious cohabitation within the nation and promote peace and harmony. Moreover, religion does not necessarily play a large part in the average everyday life of a Japanese person outside of holidays and special occasions.