Why Japan? An Introduction to the Culture and Its Features

Why Japan?

The culture that I chose to study for the blog project is Japanese culture.  I chose Japanese culture because I have lots of personal interest in the culture and traditions, however I do not know much about the culture itself.  I think that this deep dive experience will be a fun and interesting journey to expand my knowledge and help me better understand our cultural differences.  It will also help boost my confidence in communication when I am speaking to both someone who belongs to Japanese culture and people of all cultures.

One of the defining features of Japanese culture is its emphasis on harmony; “the group harmony of Japanese society applies in daily life, sports, and the workplace” (Himanshu). Whether in the art of tea ceremonies, the precise movements of traditional dance, or the aesthetics of architecture, the pursuit of balance and unity is constantly pursued.

Traditional Japanese arts such as flower arranging, and calligraphy reflect this by showcasing attention to detail and respect for nature. Japan's arts and literature are connected to their roots in the past with many styles remaining intact from thousands of years ago. “This style had paintings leaning towards the abstract and naturalistic” which “was evident in individual paintings, scenes of daily life, religion, plant studies, and animals in order to capture the basic and essential subject characteristics” (Karuga). 

Japanese cuisine “has more than a 400-year history” (Karuga).  Many dishes are aimed to be a harmonious blend of flavors, textures, and presentation. Sushi, ramen, and tempura are not just dishes; they are culinary works of art that reflect a respect for ingredients and culinary excellence.

The statement "In studying other cultures, we do so very often from the perspective of our own culture" means that when one finally takes a look outside their immediate world and daily life, they find out that just as we have a perspective on others, we have a perspective on ourselves as well.  This self-perspective can easily be subject to bias especially when doing research.  When one can look upon another culture and understand how different it is and how normal abstract concepts can be to others because it is a part of their culture.  An example of this is some cultures live in uncomfortable conditions compared to others, but they would never know that themselves unless they took a look outside their bubble into other cultures.  Some steps to take to ensure that you are not subjecting yourself to others' bias about their own culture, you can start with finding articles that are approved by more than just that culture.  You can also be sure to find scholarly articles that are made by knowledgeable people who may have enough cultural intelligence to avoid the self-perspective bias.