The Three Reasons Of Japanese Culture

Japans society is a culture that is highly resistant to change; a society that places a high value on each member’s conformity within highly structured layers of Japanese society. Japan is an island nation, consisting of the four large islands of Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. Together they are approximately the size of Germany or the State of California, and it has a population of approximately 126 million people Japan has a large population in relation to its land mass and as a consequence most Japanese people live crowded together in an urban corridor squeezed along the eastern edge of the Japanese islands. A result of this crowding is that Japanese place a high value on public harmony and the avoidance of any conflict, especially in public. Japanese norms require people to be willing to apologize and humble themselves, so much so that even after a minor auto accident each driver will jump out of their vehicle and bow to each other and apologize, instead of risking a very public confrontation. Frequently, Japanese will also employ the use of a go-between to negotiate a possible marriage. In this way, an individual can turn down a bride or groom without rejecting them to their face, thereby avoiding open disagreement or embarrassment of an individual. The Japanese culture is one that is rich within an historical and traditional context. Many of the traditional practices established hundreds of years ago can be seen today in modern Japan and are a direct reflection

Immersing myself in someone else’s culture might be my favorite thing. I find it fascinating that people around the world have so many different ways to interact with each other. The way they speak, greet, think, eat, behave and generally live varies vastly depending on the region they reside, and the culture they embody. That being said, when one of my mom’s Egyptian friends invited us for tea at her place I was more than excited to attend, mainly to get an inside look on a little bit of Egyptian culture.

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).

The History of Japan plays a big factor in understanding its culture. Japan is located in Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula. Japan has many concerning natural hazardous features as well as environmental problems that effects agriculture as well as economy and population. Japan’s government and civil law system reflect those of German and Anglo-American structures. Learning about the people and society of Japan can be easily accomplished by understanding their religious structure, social structure, languages they speak and interest they uphold.

In today’s modern world, we encounter a wide diversity of people from Americans to Japanese. However, as we encounter such people, we ask ourselves, how much do we know about their culture or even about their family roots. Personally, the encounters with many Americans have been peacefully satisfying to point of acknowledging their culture and traditions. On the other hand, the Japanese community is still a cloudy subject that needs a clear path of understanding. Therefore, as more information integrates to our multicultural world, the Japanese community need to be valued, unified, and appreciated by many other cultures, including ours.

In this world, there are so many types of different people. The significant difference between people and their cultures are so diverse in their own ways. The different patterns of the way people behave and do things seem alien to others that are unaware. There are so many countries to study, and the ways they do things. The everyday habits, behaviors, religion, food, and language of these people can become a clash of cultural values. Japan’s culture has been influenced by China and the West; however, it has resulted in a vibrant and modern culture. In order to understand the Japanese culture, there are many things to learn. For example, knowledge of etiquette and manners are important to the Japanese. Learning to appreciate their history and customs would be essential in communicating with the Japanese. The Japanese family is what makes the culture and society of Japan so distinct between the other surrounding countries.

Japan would have to be one of the most pulchritudinous country in Asia. Japan is 377962 km2 of beauty. The 127 million (as of 2016) people who live there could tell you one different thing they love about Japan. Whether it be their culture, language, their yen currency or their four main islands.

Cultural awareness is fundamental in implementing sound communication; you must possess the ability to step back and realize the differences in beliefs, values, and social norms amongst cultures. Different cultures have different thought processes that cause them to react in different ways dependent upon situation. Knowing the culture before you attempt to interact with a person or persons of a foreign background will mitigate any untactful reprisals and help you better communicate your position. Raising Cultural awareness through geography, economy, social norms, and government to enhance our understanding of different cultures will help us start off on a positive note and could divert us from misunderstandings. My country of interest is Japan because this country’s background once consisted of warlords, ninjas, samurai, and emperors and has always caught my interest; furthermore, they are one of the most advanced countries in the terms of technology and efficiency

Japanese culture is very unique. It is a culture that has stirred many outsiders curiosity throughout history because of a level of mystery that surrounds it. It is a culture that many admire. The reasons behind the mystery and uniqueness of Japanese culture to outsiders is due in part to the unique history that have made it what it is today.

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.

When most people think about Japan they come up with two opposing images. One image reflects the busy day life of this island; filled with salary man and companies. While the second image features an explosion of colorful LED lights and clubs that are common within the nightlife. Today in present day, Japan has evolved and flourished to become one of the top growing economies and industries in the world. Making Japan a prime and excellent area for jobs to prosper. One of these modern jobs that have flourished is the Hostess lifestyle. Known in modern society as the elegant young women who entertain men, this lifestyle can be traced to many other types of jobs residing in Japan. While a subtler job career opposing the hostess lifestyle are

A tea ceremony is a historic event that has taken place since early times and is still being celebrated today as a significant and delicate event. Hinamatsuri is the ceremony in which dolls wear kimonos; the original belief (dated back to 100CE) is that the toys could hold evil spirits in their bodies keeping them incased, which meant that they were protecting their owner. Most of the events celebrated throughout the liturgical year are based off a folk tale, which means that they are stories passed down through the generations. Therefore Japanese philosophy is the more predominant religion when compared to medieval Christianity as Japanese philosophies teach the history of their country through the religious events held throughout the liturgical year and therefore had the more significant impact on their society at the time.

I have decided to discuss the Japanese culture because we have the foreign exchange students visiting us October seventeenth though the nineteenth and I thought it would be nice to learn about their culture beforehand. I also would like to learn more about the Japanese culture because when I become a nurse, I want to be aware of cultural differences. I will be giving a brief overview of the culture, talking about their religion, community customs, family roles and organization, how they communicate, and their healthcare as well as how they view nurses.

Tea ceremonies in Japan, also known as chanoyo or sado might seen like a simple little tea party but they actually require a lot of things to learn before hosting or attending a ceremony"(JAPANESE TEA CEREMONY: HISTORY, SCHOOLS, GREAT MASTERS AND AND PROCEDURES. JAPANESE TEA CEREMONY: HISTORY, SCHOOLS, GREAT MASTERS AND AND PROCEDURES. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.)”. Although sado has changed through the generations, the three most important things to learn about the Japanese tea ritual is what to say, how to act, and how it must be prepared "(Kids Web Japan. Tea Ceremony. Web. 08 Feb. 2016)”. Knowing all of this will help to prove how complex and how much practice it takes to perform a Japanese tea ceremony.

Due to its unique history, Japan has many customs and beliefs that differ from the rest of the world. The Japanese are known to be very prideful yet, humble individuals. Many of the Japan’s traditions are very distinct and serve to represent the country. Japanese culture is meant to depict respect for both themselves and other people.