spectrum of differences between USA and Japan
Introduction
Japan is one of the most mysterious countries in the world. Since the era of the last Shogun, Japan had to change many of its traditional customs and ways of thinking. Japanese people watch a lot of Hollywood movies, so they are influenced quite a bit by American culture. And the flow of culture goes both ways. According to one study, 90% of Americans like Japanese culture. All of this has made me curious about what is different and what is similar between the two countries, and about how Japanese culture has been moving towards U.S. culture.
Geography
The country is made up of four big islands and 6,847 little ones in the Pacific Ocean. The total area of Japan is 377,974 square kilometers, about equal in size to the state of California. For its size the population is huge, being almost one -third of the U.S population at 126.8 million people. The big difference is that while the U.S. population continues to grow, the Japanese population is declining. It is expected to shrink by 16% to 107 million by 2040. According to U.S. Census Bureau data the U.S. will reach 417 million by 2060.
Customs
I have spent half of my life in each country. I was born in Japan and grew to adulthood there, but I have been the U.S for 22 years now. I feel that I am an American now, but I still remember many Japanese customs, behaviors, and Japanese lifestyle overall.
Between Two Countries: Japan and the United States look similar in some ways but originate from completely different traditions. Comparing their cultural similarities and differences, and the cultural convergence as time passes illustrates how countries can exchange ideas and influence each other. For example, traditionally Japanese take their shoes off when entering a house. This is because outside is thought of as dirty and corrupt, but inside is a holy place. The door marks the boundary between what is unclean and what is sacred.
Behaviors
Japanese behaviors are also interesting and very unique. When foreigners see Japanese bowing to each other, it must look very odd. Bowing to other people means showing them respect. Keeping your head low is very important for showing deference to someone of higher status. By comparison, American handshakes seem much less complicated, and much more egalitarian. There seems to be much less concern over relative status.
"Shyo ga nai," probably the most frequently used phrase in the Japanese language, means "it can't be helped." It's used to show acceptance of an unfavorable situation. Unlike the self-image of many Americans in resisting authority and fighting gainst adverse circumstances, Japanese feel duty and acquiescence to existing structures. Most Japanese people are intimidated by standing out against the consensus of the people around them.
Japanese laughter is another interesting case. Typically, women cover their mouths when they laugh because it is thought that women shouldn't laugh out loud. Women are supposed to graceful and modest, showing self-restraint in all things. Perhaps in the distant past American women were similarly constrained, but that has long ago faded away. Women in the U.S don't seem to be inhibited by that mode of thinking, and no one can blame them.
Postwar
Japan has two faces: one very traditional while the other is modern and westernized. After Japan lost World War II it has been heavily influenced by the United States. Some of the changes were voluntary as Japan copied successful practices from abroad. The U.S was their best example for reconstructing their own country as a democracy. After World War II, they changed the education system to be very similar to what we have in the United States: six years of elementary school, three years of junior high school, three years of high school and two or four years of university. Many people quickly learned skills useful in a developed country. Other changes (many of them in political organization) were imposed by the post-war occupation. One big difference is that currently Japan is only allowed by its constitution to have a self-defense force which may not be used outside of Japan. Civilians are banned from having any weapons.
Religion
Sometimes web sites provide insight into obscure issues. For example, the article "Why Japanese are Not Religious" explains how Japanese culture approaches religion. Everyone seems to think that Japan is very spiritual, but in most cases, people don't think deeply about their religion. They believe it as a combination of traditional practices, legend, and spiritualism. Americans go to church every Sunday because the bible says to. Japanese go to shrines to mark events of their lives. Also, politically, Americans are divided by religious grouping, but Japanese aren't because they are very ambiguous about what part is religion and what part is just tradition. Through learning about Japanese approaches to religion, one might understand why Japanese take multiple religions sometimes and how much their culture connects with those religions. Many believe in Shinto as a legend, live according to Buddhist practices, and yet at the same time celebrate Christmas.
Food
Japanese food is very unique. It is sometimes influenced by Chinese styles or those of other neighbors. After the Taisho era, many westerners brought dishes from their homelands which became part of Japanese cooking. When I've traveled to Spain or Portugal, I could see the origins of some of my favorite dishes and felt nostalgic for their Japanese derivatives.
After World War II, Americans introduced (sometimes forcefully) their food. Nowadays Japanese food has many layers of foreign influence on top of the traditional base. Japanese eat a lot of hamburgers. There's a McDonald's on almost every corner in urban Japan. Pizza delivery is everywhere. They love Starbucks.
Marriage of Women
Traditionally, Japanese women have a lower status than Japanese men. In the past, it was believed that women were the property of their fathers, husbands, and even sometimes sons. But now, like most of the developed world, attitudes towards women have changed, improving the position of women in Japan. Since 1947 when women obtain the right to vote, women's rights have steadily improved. Nowadays, 76.3% of women work outside the home. The number is now much higher than for American women.
Work
Japanese people typically work very hard and this has led to the modern problem of "Karoshi," which means to die by tiredness. Until recently, an employee was expected to be dedicated to a single company for his or her entire life. In contrast to the United States, where no one finds it unusual or unseemly to switch employers frequently. Strict obedience to bosses was (and still is) the rule in Japan, with very rigid company hierarchies. In recent times however, it has become more acceptable to change companies while searching for better opportunities.
Conclusion
Even though Japan has been westernizing for 100 years there still remain many traditional ways of thinking. Japan is a unique county because it has accepted and learned so many new things from other countries like the U.S., but stubbornly keeps the Japanese ways of doing certain things. Children still grow up with Japanese traditional legends. The practices of Shinto and the Buddha still influence their lives.
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