Japanese culturethe small island country of japan is rich in a culture that has developed over thousands of years. It is very difficult to analyze another culture without some knowledge of that culture first. During my two year residency in japan, my eyes were opened to the culture of japan and its people and i grew to love it as much as my own.

The ideas expressed in this essay mainly consist of my own knowledge and observations of japan. But this should not be confused with a primitive people, because the japanese are not primitive by most dictionaries' definitions of the word. Japan has been changing in recent years in its view of its own economy, in its social interactions, in its thoughts about religion, and in its overall view of its place in the world and among other nations. For the past decade, the japanese economy has been one of the strongest and most stable economies in the world.

The reason for this is that japanese children go to school and study more than students in most other countries. Furthermore, most students go to cram schools to study even more after the regular school day is over. Some people have also said that this prepares japanese youth for their future in companies with jobs that require great dedication and 80 to 90 hour work weeks. This dedication of japanese employees to their work contributes greatly to the strength of the economy of japan. They truly feel that their hard work and success contribute to the company's success and the first chapter i read in global society: introducing five contemporary societies, third edition by linda schneider and arnold silverman, entitled japan: a conforming culture, it appears on pages 3 through 66. It is a culture that is highly resistant to change a society that places a high value on each members 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 3. 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 11. The japanese are constantly reminded that their society is special, unique like no other, and are taught that the cultural homogeneity of japanese society has a biological basis when in fact racial identity is a social belief and not a physical fact 9. While the japanese people are not a separate race they are indeed a highly homogenous society. The lack of internal dissent allows them to merge their concepts of race and nationality to foster an unusually strong feeling of group solidarity and national purpose. Every level of japanese society, from school authorities, to employers, government officials, parents and even media outlets reinforce the popular belief that japan is special 10. A first great turning point in japanese history occurred during the seventh century a.d.

Through hierarchal diffusion, a prince of the ruling family began importing cultural practices from china, studying chinese government and elaborate bureaucracy, its tax system and writing, even building chinese style cities as japan had lacked even having towns. After 300 years japan then retreated back to isolation in the ninth century, during which time the imported thoughts and ideas were slowly digested and given a distinct japanese identity during its isolation that they then adopted as their own. It is important to understand that then and later, all of japans foreign borrowings were voluntary. During a relatively open period in the early 1600s, portuguese missionaries and traders were greeted with curiosity and interest, but the subsequent conversion of some 300,0 japanese to christianity by religious missionaries convinced japanese rulers that things had gone too far and forced thousands of japanese to renounce their religion or face execution. By 1638 they had ejected most foreigners and re imposed an isolation from the rest of the world that resisted change.

Laws forbade the japanese from building ocean going ships or traveling abroad, and only a few foreign traders were allowed to enter japan. This period of refusal and rejection of contact with the west is referred to as the tokugawa era 4. For most of its history, up until the meiji restoration, japan was a society of hereditary status rankings: it was a caste society, aristocrat and samurai, commoner or outcaste. People were born into the caste of their parents and there were rules regulating what members of different castes were permitted to do and wear, regardless of what his or her talents were 3. The first opening of japanese society, commonly referred to as the meiji restoration, occurred in 1853, when the american navy under admiral dewey forced japan to open its ports to american ships and sign a series of trade treaties 5.

When the japanese leadership realized that japan could only enjoy equality with western powers by modernization and the adoption of new technologies, the government, in effect, went on a world wide shopping spree for new institutions to adopt. It found a model for its navy in great britain, its army in france, its universities in america and its constitution in germany. In effect, japan took the best ideas that would fit their society and adopted them as their own with some minor changes to suit them.

Rising japanese imperial ambition would eventually lead to a long, drawn out war with china in the 1930s that would ultimately escalate into the pacific theatre of world war ii with the united states, which led to the utter devastation of japan by the end of 1945 and subjecting japanese society to reforms imposed on them by american occupation forces after the war. After world war ii, defeat had destroyed japans industry and left nearly everyone destitute. The demoralized and disillusioned japanese were open to change and ideas after the crushing defeat of japanese militarism 6. The second opening of japanese society occurred after the defeat of japan by the unites states, ending world war ii.

Acting as supreme commander for the allied powers, general douglas macaurther dismantled japans military, reformed its government and constitution, broke up industrial monopolies and redistributed land ownership. Constitution, including equal rights for women, the right of labor to bargain collectively and the right of all individuals to an equal education. This new combination of western institutions and japanese central government brought about japans post war economic miracle. Japan rapidly rebuilt from wartime ruin and went on to develop cutting edge export oriented industries. Yet, within forty years time the nation grew to become the worlds second largest economy, exporting cars, radios, televisions, computers and other consumer electronics. Wages doubled and re doubled, companies promised job security in exchange for worker loyalty and japanese workers were content 6. Japan today is suffering through a persistent economic crisis following the burst of the japanese real estate bubble of the 1980s.