Japan is a charming and rather hard-to-understand country for European people. The geographical position, the peculiarities of state policy, and the ancient traditions of its people led Japan to isolation from other countries. As a result, Japanese culture and aesthetics have distinct features that distinguish them from other countries. Despite the rapid globalization of the world, Japan manages to maintain its authenticity and original roots.
The isolated territorial position of the country, geographical and climatic features, frequent earthquakes, and typhoons had a significant influence on the culture and mentality of the Japanese people. It is expressed in the peculiar attitude of the Japanese citizens to nature as a living being with its consciousness. Many forms of arts involve the ability to admire the momentary beauty of nature as a feature of the national essence of Japanese culture. Ancient Japanese engravings still amaze connoisseurs and lovers of fine arts with their expressiveness and completeness. Japanese poetry is accurately kept to hand its wisdom from generation to generation (Kikuzawa et al. 1). The country chooses to appreciate the simple life, respect the elders, accurately maintain all ancient customs such as the search for beauty and harmony in every possible sphere of life.
Speaking of globalization and the interpenetration of diverse cultures, one cannot fail to mention the great influence of America on Japan. America transferred many cultural elements, for example, a passion for baseball, which is quite noticeable in Japanese animation, music, and sports preferences. Real subcultures have developed from the craving of Japanese teenagers to imitate the free and fashionable America (Kikukawa et al. 4). Still, it should be noted that the majority of citizens are still adherents of the time-honored manner of life and fully comply with the idea of ethnocentrism. The leader of such a country must have boundless respect for the desire of the inhabitants to have a choice. The Japanese people should decide for themselves which path to move: to the east or the west. However, the leader should have a great responsibility to preserve the value of the traditions and authenticity of the country, carefully passed down over time. The strength of this country lies in the invaluable respect for its past and exceptional culture.
Works Cited
Kikukawa, Makoto et al. “How culture affects validity: understanding Japanese residents’ sense-making of evaluating clinical teachers.” BMJ Open, 2021.
Kikuzawa, Saeko et al. “Mental health care and the cultural toolboxes of the present-day Japanese population: Examining suggested patterns of care and their correlates.” Social Science & Medicine, 2019.