Japan Culture Vs America

Japan is a beautiful and interesting country. It is also very old country. When it comes to comparing it to America, there is not much that both countries have in common. Not only is the culture different, but so is the government, the problems it faces and their ideals. First and foremost, Japan does not have the same type of government as us. In America, we have a federal presidential republic. In a federal republic, there are partially self governing states or regions with a constitution under a federal government, and the presidential part means that we have a president. Japan has a parliamentary constitutional monarchy. In a constitutional monarchy, there is a king or queen, or in Japan’s case, an emperor. This figure must follow the …show more content…
It was founded in 660 B.C, but it was settled at least 100,000 years ago. During the Nara period (710-794), Japan really began developing their culture. They created a constitution and a centralized Imperial state system (a government where the emperor has complete power). This is also when the first historical records were written down. From 794 to 1185, Japan was influenced by China greatly and slightly by the other western asian countries, such as korea and India. They expanded the border. In 1185, aristocratic rule collapsed and Japan entered a medieval age known as the Feudal Era. During this time, whoever ruled was whoever was the strongest. One clan of samurai would be in control, and the strongest samurai, or the shogen would act as daimyo. They used a code of conduct that all samurai followed called bushido to maintain order. Then whenever there was unrest, another clan would overthrow the ruling clan. The feudal era lasted from 1185-1603. In 1590 a general named Hideyoshi killed his daimyo, became the daimyo and unified Japan. During the Edo period (1603-1868), Japan developed its culture, economy and power; it became one of the top powers in asia. From 1868 to 1912, Japan built up its power until world war one. During the war, America had control over Japan and established social reform. Women were given the right to vote, workers gained the right to form unions and to strike and freedom of speech, assembly and religion were …show more content…
Japan has many traditions that date back thousands of years, whereas America is a relatively new country and does not have as much culture and traditions as other countries. What we do have in common is keeping up with the latest trends, watching sporting events, and our love for food. In Japan, many people travel just for food. Many towns and cities reputations are about food. They have strange delicacies and dishes based on what season it is. Religion is a part of everyday life for most Japanese people. You can find several shrines and temples throughout the country, and there are countless religious festivals that occur throughout the year. The shinto religion is the indigenous religion of Japan. Shintoism is about worshiping nature and the changing of seasons. This is partly why cherry blossoms and bonsai trees are important to them. Japanese people value honor, respect, and manners above all else. Japanese people also have a very high work ethic, and are proud of their jobs. In fact, it is common for Japanese people to introduce themselves with their name and where they work. This high work ethic does a lot of good for their economy. One thing about Japan that is completely different from America, is that people do not go out drinking. Alcohol is typically only served with a meal, and it is common courtesy that you do not pour your own glass. Vending machines are so popular there, that there