Japanese Culture In Japan

Often in America, the public is educated about the victories of the nation, such as in World War II (WWII); however, they are unaware of the after effects it imposed onto other parties (enemy nations). Specifically, Japanese people lost their defenses, and the lifestyles of the citizens were significantly modified. Moreover, Japan was part of the Axis powers during the war and gained worldwide attention when the island attacked Pearl Harbor, a United States Naval base. This event caused the Americans to join the battle and eventually overwhelm the Japanese and forcing a surrender in 1945. Post WWII, Japan’s failure in the war was responsible for a cultural change in the country that is still present in modern day, which led to reform in family dynamics, mentality adjustments, and perceptional alteration of women. Also, whether young or old, all were exposed to this change, and those that lived in family styled households together, were the first to experience their relationships shift.

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?

All countries in the world are unique and differ greatly from one another. Even though, they have many differences, they still have many things in common. When one thinks of Japan and India, not many similarities come to mind. They may come up with similarities such as, Japan and India are both Asian countries and both have roots in Buddhism. But, actually they share several more cultural similarities. The Japanese culture and the Indian culture are similar in that they both believe in the importance of a joint family system, education and gender roles, but they

Q 1: B) Those that belong to the Japanese culture are demonstrated by the interdependent view, compared to Western cultures which are embody an independent view. Individuals that affiliate themselves as interdependent, their actions and emotions is influenced by their social situation and surroundings. ‘We suggest that for many cultures of the world, the Western notion of the self as an entity containing significant dispositional attributes, and as detached from context, is simply not an adequate description of selfhood. Rather, in many construals, the self is viewed as interdependent with the surrounding context, and it is the “other” or the “self-in-relation-to-other” that is focal in individual experience.” (Markus & Kitayama, 1991, pg. 225). They are more likely to express and display their actions and emotions based on the reactions of others, or how others around them are behaving. In sum, they are connected with social context, as their statuses, roles, and relationships are external. The Japanese are known to be the most humane, when in the context of other people. (Lebra, 1976, as cited in Markus & Kitayama, 1991). They promote other people’s goals and belong and fit in with their social groups, instead of being “unique.” They’re relationships with over individuals, in particular situations, define themselves. Independent individuals are more unique and direct, whereas interdependent individuals are not. (Markus & Kitayama, 1991).

Progress in east Asia has seen many phases and inspirations but as in any sort of progress of one group, there is exploitation of another. Japan, specifically, began as a very isolated and nationalistic country but gradually opened up to western trade and developed as a country through international interactions. Japan progressed as a country through trading and conflict between themselves and outside countries from North America, Europe and other parts of East Asia.

Due to the roles of females in ancient Japan, in Japanese culture, the ideal of a submissive women prevailed. Even after Japan re-established communication with the world, Confucian ideology prevailed over foreign western ideas (Kurihara). The preservation of the patriarchal system was promoted by Confucianism’s ‘Seven Reasons for Divorce,’ (French 89) and the Ryosai Kenbo (“Good Wife, Wise Mother”) ideology (Van Houten 19). These beliefs portrayed women as submissive wives whose only duty is to (1) please her husband, (2) please her husband’s parents, and (3) take care of the children. Also, these ideas gave women no equality in marriage and no right to divorce.

Findings of ancient culture of Japan date back as far as two hundred thousand B.C... Based on archeological evidence, between thirty-five thousand and thirty thousand B.C., homo-sapiens had migrated to the islands from eastern and southeastern Asia. Tools, human fossils, and inhabitation sites from this period have been discovered throughout all of the islands of Japan. Japan’s culture, religion, dining, and their philosophy of life in general, are all very unique and they differ from the cultural norms in America. (Japan, 2010)

In the far-east, off the coast of the Asian continent lies an island nation, originally shrouded in mystery from the rest of the known world. From a remote and isolated empire to a United States ally, Japan has successfully made its existence known to the international community. Over the period of the nineteenth and twentieth century’s, Japan has gone through drastic changes to its political, military, and economic infrastructure that has had an impact on its unique culture.

Comparative politicians often describe Japanese culture as a Confucian collectivist culture that emphasizes family and work group goals above individualistic needs (Haddad). Embedded in their language, Japanese culture adheres to a hierarchal structure set in place by Confucian ideals. Different from western ideologies such as the ideals of The United States and The United Kingdom, these cultural beliefs are, consequently, seen by western countries as the root to key differences within a state. Indeed, when attempting to interpret differences seen in foreign states with ideologies distinct from western ideologies, comparative politicians will often resort to cultural arguments as a default explanation. Yet, for many phenomena, cultural arguments alone are prone to several errors that will often result in the generalization of a population’s actions (Reed). While a cultural argument seems to be a plausible explanation for events occurring in states with different cultures, a cultural argument alone is not sufficient, instead creating a broad explanation for complex economic and political events.

Culture. The arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively. The dictionary definition seems a little harsh, so let’s fix that. Culture. Something that we are all born into, one that we can’t escape, but it doesn’t define who we are as a person most of the time. You can’t just look at somebody, somebody who might be Japanese for example, and just blatantly expect that person to become the next doctor or lawyer. Just because a culture is well known or stereotypically seen to be something, doesn’t mean the individual bearing that culture has to live up to those standards. That Japanese person could want to be the next New York Best Selling author or just a mere teacher because that’s what interests them. Nobody’s future is set in stone the second they come into the world, nor does it come easy as their lives go on. Sure, culture has some helping guidelines to what they should do in their lives, maybe it be the habits or nature of Japanese parents always pushing you to do your best, or it’s just the different cultures of a family. Sometimes there are people born into two or more cultures, and they have to come to the conclusion that they can be any amount of any culture they want. Just because you’re born in America but come from a long line of Mexicans doesn’t mean you can’t be both. Ok yes, sometimes it’s hard to fit in with both cultures because both cultures see you as the other, but it’s not their choice to define who you are and what you believe in. It’s your job to come to that conclusion on your own and you must make that decision that you are proud of. Sometimes people can be cruel, judging you based on looks rather than personality or morals, but it’s just the way of life. How you choose to handle that as time goes on is the only thing that matters. No matter what the case, culture still plays a minor role in the scripting of your life but remember, you’re the author with the pen. You are in charge of writing your life story. Nobody else.

Japan is and has always been isolated to themselves for the longest time and never really exchanged with other countries, while everyone else was evolving and trading, Japan stayed the same, and they have their own unique things that makes them different from everyone else. The “Japanese culture is a multi-layered and complex system that has been developing within itself and forming new layers for thousands of years” “Basics of Japanese Culture”. Japan is so different from others because of their dressing styles, different types of the Japanese languages, and their styles of cooking.

Responsibly visiting another country is one of the most critical aspects to have as an international traveler. When you visit another country, whether it be for work, family, or vacation; you’re, per say, “not in Kansas anymore.” To the natives in the country you are visiting, you are foreign to them, and they expect a level of acclimation or respect to the culture they are used to. It takes a certain amount of cultural awareness to be able to properly visit that country while not disturbing the native ideals and ecosystems there. Many visitors of other countries will disregard social norms and customs; including violating the environment and other things that the native population might deem offensive. One great example is how to finish a meal at a restaurant. While in the States, finishing your plate completely is seen as a compliment and is expected in many cultures; however, countries throughout Europe see this as an offense to the chef, as it conveys that he did not prepare enough food and that you are unsatisfied with your meal. By acclimating to their customs when it comes to how much food is left on your plate; it can help avoid offending the chef and/or the server who assists you throughout your meal. Japan is a country that has deeply rooted cultural patterns that have been shaped throughout history. While its governmental and military history has been turbulent at times, it is a nation that highly values art, such as literature and theater. Being a country that

Modern day Japan’s culture is mainly like the the U.S. in many ways for example some of there music is called J Pop which is like our modern day Music the also goes by Pop some J Pop singers will include Ayumi Hamasaki and many others. In the us pop singers will be noticed by the name of Taylor Swift or Katy Perry. Even though Japan tries to modernize themselves ads best as the could the still use their language that they used long ago. They still have their ancient furniture that their great grandparents used before their time time of existence but it is mainly used for decoration.

In my multicultural paper, I will be discussing about the Japanese culture how it has influenced my own values and traditions today, allowing me to experience a world which I was not aware of before. Specifically, their type of food dishes is something I partake on a weekly basis with friends and family, ranging from their usual rice balls to delicious sushi. Another trait about this culture is being able to read their unique literature, after spending two semesters in a Japanese course at Fullerton College, I have finally developed the ability to read Japanese in my favorite Manga books, without needing English subtitles. Likewise, another key point that I find interesting about this culture is how they can advance in the field of technology by creating new devices that could help humanity. But, that is not always the case with this culture, seeing they have been known for creating the weirdest inventions in the world, yet still bringing joy and excitement to some. Either way, people from other cultures should take the opportunity to learn about this culture, considering what it could return and teach, making us a diverse community.

The throbbing crowd of Japanese business men all dressed in a suit holding a briefcase in a crowded train station is a common image associated with the culture in Japan. Japan’s culture has promoted a lifestyle where work is prioritized over everything else and consumes the time of most adults. In Response to this stressful work culture, Pop Culture has emerged in Japan as a way of providing various mediums for escapism. For many Japanese adults, the time to create new relationships in the form of romance or friendship has had to be given up due to the high expectations of work. Fred Schumann who wrote Changing Trends in Japan's Employment and Leisure Activities: Implications for Tourism Management, wrote about trends in Japanese leisure activities and wrote: “Today’s consumers in Japan appears to be less materialistic and more experience focused.” (Schumann 2017, 51). With the decline of human connection, the rise of artificial and paid for services has increased. I will be discussing the significance of these leisurely outlets to the Japanese people and why there has been a rise of these outlets in Japan. Affective labour is a term that can be used to describe work and positions that invoke emotions onto its customers. This is a description of the category that all the jobs discussed in this essay fall under. Furthermore, an article written by Scott M. Fuess delves into the work culture and leisure time taken by the Japanese and finds that “Japan is renowned for