Japan is a country full of respect, family importance, and extremely valued education. The official language in Japan is Japanese. This language is almost spoken exclusively within Japan. The standard version of Japanese is called hyōjungo and has very few sounds, compared to other languages such as English. Many experts believe Japanese is an Altaic, an Austronesian, or a Southeast Asian language. There are other theories, but none can be completely proven true. Almost all linguists believe it is an Altaic language, relating to Korean, Mongolian, and Turkish. This makes some sense seeing the fact that the Yayoi people seem to have migrated from Korea to Japan.
Japanese scripts include hiragana, katakana, and kanji. Hiragana is similar to the Chinese cursive script. Katakana is derived from Chinese characters. Kanji is also imported from China. Both Japanese and Western style methods of writing are used in Japanese writing. Japanese elders adhere to the formally known cultural norms while the younger generations are more “westernized”. Some things Japanese generally do as a cultural norm would be to traditionally greet someone, you bow. You may come across as impolite to introduce yourself, so you must wait to be introduced. If you add the suffix “san” to someone’s name, you would be considered respectful and especially respectful for “sama”. You must remove your shoes before entering a Japanese home and put on slippers that are left at the door. Body language is very important and complex to the Japanese. The eldest in a group is honored in Japan. They are served first and their drinks are poured for them. You may not tip under any circumstance; you would have insulted the person. Also, to avoid spreading infection, sterilized masks may be worn in public.
A young girl preparing for womanhood in Japan traditionally learns one of three major arts including ikebana
Japan has a history that dates back thousands of years. Researchers believe the Japanese people descended from many groups that migrated to the islands from other parts of Asia, including China and Korea. As early as 4500 B.C., the Japanese islands
-Nara’s Buddhist temples were another result of cultural diffusion, Buddhist began in India in 500s B.C.E. about 1,000 years later, it came to Japan from China by way of Korea.
Japan lasted from 1185-1603. During that time Japan had emperors, shoguns, daimyos, samurai, and peasants who were all apart of a social class, and all together it was called the Samurai Society. The emperor was just a figurehead for the shogun. The shogun was a powerful military leader that ruled in the emperor’s name. Daimyo were powerful landlords. The daimyo often led armies of samurai. These samurai were trained professional warriors who served daimyo and shoguns. The samurai had to follow a certain code of rules for samurai called Bushido. One of their rules included to always have self-discipline to become a good samurai. The samurai warriors wore light armor, helmets (usually shaped like an animal), and had two swords around their waist. Their armor had a lot of detail and color to it, like their unique helmets. After the samurai comes the peasants, which included farmers and fishermen. They usually always work, then pay takes to the shogun. They usually gave the shogun what they earned from working like food or crops. What made their jobs a bit difficult was their topography. Japan’s topography included many mountains, undersea volcanoes, and barely any flat land to farm on. The Japanese didn’t only work they also practiced their religion. For example, they practiced Confucianism, Buddhism (...
This shows how language plays a role in Japan by the maintenance of the hierarchical structure of the society.
Japan is part of our world that not many people know, for the few that do, they know that Japan is filled with an extraordinary history. Some of the history starts with little traditions like, the tradition of kimono’s, to big ones such as their well known Japanese festivals. Ancient Japan was a series of islands and many cultural expansions which included religion, armies, art, classic traditions, and their type of clothing. Ancient Japanese is still alive today, from basic works of art, to then a following of certain religions such as Shinto and Buddhism. Many Americans don’t the cultural aspects that were attributed by many across the world, they don’t know that many of those aspects made what Japan is today in society.
Throughout History, there have been many different groups or events that are still widely known today. Groups of people such as the Indians or Vikings are popular groups which are referenced constantly in today’s society. However, none of these groups is more known or referenced than the Japanese Samurai. Originating in 646 AD, these Japanese warriors developed from a loose organization of farmers to the dominant social class in Feudal Japan. Along with their dominant military and political standing, the samurai brought with them a unique code or moral belief that became the core of Samurai culture. Because of this, the Samurai and their principles still affect modern day Japanese society with social customs today deriving directly and indirectly from the beliefs of the Samurai.
I chose to compare and contrast the United States culture with the culture of Japan. There are a few similarities between the two, such as a love of the arts, fashion and baseball. However, they are culturally different than similar in very major aspects. Japan is a very homogenous society made up of about 98% ethnic Japanese. They tend to put a lot of emphasis on family and communities, and value the group more than the individual (Aliasis, 2013).
Another difference is that teachers in Japan write down important things on a blackboard, but teachers in the U.S. seldom write everything; they just explain orally. Japanese students are very quiet during classes, and all they do is listen to teachers and copy what teachers write on blackboards. They seldom ask questions during classes but ask friends or teac...
We will explore some important facts about Japan’s cultural society and environment. The country of Japan is an island nation, which is separated from Mainland Asia by the Sea of Japan. (“Facts about Japan”) On the west side it is surrounded by the Northern Pacific Ocean. It has no land boundaries.
Rowland, Amy. Complete Book of Etiquette; a Practical Guide to Success with the Japanese. New York, NY: Warner, 1985. Print.
Japan has solidified itself as a global economic power and concentrated contributor to the automotive, advanced technology, and textile industries. The greatest accomplishment of any country is the heritage of culture it produces and passes down through generations. Japan grew as an economic force beginning in the 1960s, and has exiliterated a high standard of living since that time. Japan is a parliamentary democracy modeled after the British system. It is comprised of two legislative chambers of elected representatives, a parliament.
Mente, Boye Lafayette De. (2008). Etiquette Guide to Japan: Know the rules that make the difference. Vermont, USA: Tuttle Publishing.
In America, differences of age and status do not affect the relationship between people as they do in Japan. Students can talk to professors in very casual ways. A freshman and a senior in college can be good friends. In Japan, however, when Japanese people get together, their behaviors are influenced by an awareness of the order and rank of each person within the group according to age and social status. Respect to seniors is a social obligation that cannot be neglected. Nothing more clearly describes this hierarchal nature of Japanese society that the Japanese word "senpai," meaning a senior or superior in any academic or corporate organization in our society. The attitude toward one's 'senpai' is characterized by formality, obedience, and trust.
Japan is a large island off to the east of China it is a great country that has a rich culture. The Japanese religion is based off of two main beliefs, the belief in Shinto and Buddhism many Japanese people believe consider themselves both. The Japanese people were known to be around as early as 4,500 B.C. They have constructed their government style to a constitutional monarchy where they do in fact have an emperor, but he has limited power within the country. The main power of the country is held by the Prime Minister of Japan. Japan is made up of many islands that extend along the Pacific coast of Asia. The land area is made up of a lot of forest and mountainous area that cannot be used for agricultural, industrial or residential use. Japan also has one of the largest and growing economies in the world. They are growing every day and it is all because the people of Japan work very hard in order for their economy to flourish as it has.
“The social norm view of politeness assumes that each society has a particular set of social norms consisting of more or less explicit rules that prescribe a certain behavior, a state of affairs, or a way of thinking in a context” (Fraser, 1990: 220). Ide (1989) was one of the first to express this view in her study of politeness phenomena in the Japanese society.