Introduction
Japan is a country that comes to mind when one hears the words “samurai”, “sakura”, “geisha”, and “sushi”. This is the place where you can enjoy beautiful nature with lots of mountains and volcanoes, a country of huge megalopolises and a big population. I chose the culture of Japan to be the topic of my essay. I believe that it is worth visiting this country and highlighting its uniqueness.
A Long History as a Reason for a Cultural Mix
Japan is a state that has a very long and complicated history. It dates back to 35,000 BCE (“History of Japan”, 2020). China heavily influenced Japan in the early periods of history. Later, Japan exercised isolationism and did not maintain relations with most of the world states. It is one of the reasons why Japanese culture is so unique and distinctive. After 1868, Japan began to open its doors to relations with other states (“Timeline of Japan’s History”, 2020). This country adopted different practices from other countries, and that is why now it has a unique cultural mix.
Peculiarities of State Language and Religion
To begin with, I was impressed with the Japanese language as it differs from any language that I have ever heard. Furthermore, the Japanese use three different alphabets which are Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana (Neuman, 2020). As for me, I thought that the Arabic language is complicated but after I heard Japanese, I understood it was really hard to learn and speak it. What is more, I was surprised that the Japanese do not have one state religion as Arabs do. They have two different main ones which are Shinto and Buddhism. What surprised me, even more, is that most people do not believe in any god at all. It is different from our values since we have one main religion and believe in one God.
The Beauty of Nature Which Makes You Stop and Think
I think I will remember Japan as something bright, vivid, energetic, extraordinary, and very unusual. I was impressed by its beautiful nature; you can see it no matter where you are – in a city or in a village, in a park or at the seaside. I will never forget the blossom of sakura, a Japanese cherry tree. I recommend going to Japan in spring when there is a season of its blossoming. The pink and purple trees will leave you breathless, I am sure. The entire city looks like a wonderful picture from a fiction book. I got the impression that an artist had just painted it pink with his brush. One more natural marvel that is worth visiting is Mount Fuji. It is an active volcano and the highest mountain in Japan. The landscape is marvelous, and it exudes calm, serenity, and peace. Watching it made me think about how beautiful the Earth’s nature is and that we should notice its beauty every day. I understood that in our country there are many fascinating places too but we are so busy that do not even pay attention to them. I realized that sometimes it is better to stop and just seize the moment.
Unique Cuisine as a Part of a Culture
One more important point of Japanese culture which I want to pay attention to is its cuisine. It was completely unknown and new to me but it is really awesome. I think that not all people are accustomed to eating such food but it is definitely worth trying. I suppose that everyone has heard about sushi but not all people know how many types of sushi there exist. As for me, this taste is very exotic and truly unforgettable. The best drink you can try in Japan is, of course, tea which is traditionally served. I also recommend visiting a tea ceremony which is a really bright experience. Thus, unique cuisine is a one more distinctive aspect of the Japanese culture.
The Most Important Part of Any Culture – Its People
To be honest, what impressed me the most is the Japanese people. There is no better way to learn the culture, customs, and traditions of a country than to communicate with its people. No books, photos, or movies will enrich your knowledge and understanding than an interaction with the people who preserve this culture. I had a lucky opportunity to communicate with a Japanese couple while having lunch in a café. I did not expect that most families in Japan live with the elderly generation. They respect their parents and grandparents and I believe it is a good example to follow. Young people from a cafe told me that they were going to get married soon and they wanted to have two children. They wanted to create Kazoku which is a traditional Japanese family. Thus, the elderly generation is greatly respected in the Japanese culture.
Cultural Distinctions
It was also interesting for me to know about other aspects such as, for example, giving gifts. It is important for Japanese people to give presents and it usually takes place at the end of a visit. A good idea for a present is a pen or something which is not available in Japan. Some Japanese are superstitious, so if you give them flowers, do not give four or nine of them because these are unlucky numbers. Most Japanese people do not accept tips and this is why tipping in Japan is not commonplace and you may even offend a person doing this. The main form of greeting is a bow, so you should remember it while in Japan. If you want to show respect to a person, it is better to use “San” after a name. My interactions with Japanese people were different because we do not have such traditions in Arab countries. What I understood is that it is always worth to prepare and to obtain some information about a country and its traditions before going there in order to avoid awkward situations and not to embarrass anybody.
Conclusion
To sum up, the experience of visiting Japan has changed me very much since it is completely different from anything that I have seen before. Japanese customs, culture, lifestyle, and traditions are not similar to any other country. Some features surprised me greatly but due to that, I understood that people all over the world are different. What is unacceptable for Arab countries is absolutely normal for Japanese and vice versa. This does not mean that either country is better in any way, it means that the world is diverse and that we are all different but all equal. This experience made me look in the other way at my life because I began to value more what I have and what I hold dear. It also made me appreciate diversity and respect other people. I realized that their culture and their traditions are valuable for them and we must respect them as they do it with regard to our culture and our way of life. I understood that relations between different countries must be based on equality and regard for diversity. It was a really useful and vivid experience which I will remember all my life.
References
History of Japan. (n.d.). 2020, Web.
Neuman L. (2018). Japanese characters — hiragana, katakana and kanji. Web.
Timeline of Japan’s history. (2020). Japan Experience. Web.