The Japanese culture
Japan is a nation in far eastern Asia. It is a country of many cultures and brilliant inventions. The Japanese culture has evolved a lot through the centuries to make Japan an extremely popular nation. The natives of this country have practices that are used in almost every place on earth. From the martial arts to the eating habits there, Japan can be termed as a country of diverse cultures. Many Japanese practices have been adopted in the western world due to the popularity of the culture. The language has also become widespread throughout the globe. The Japanese people are stereotyped as being supremely temperamental.
Among the many cultural practices of Japan, karate is the most practiced one outside the state. It is a form of martial arts which has its origin in Okinawa, Japan. It is an indigenous way of fighting using kicks and fists. Karate has been adopted in many places. Whenever it has been accepted, it has been slightly modified to fit into the practices of those who have adopted it. In the United State of America, for example, kickboxing is a common sport. It can be said to be the American version of Japanese karate. Though slightly different, the two sports have a lot in common. They are played through kicking and punching (Tsuji, p. 280).
It is not only karate that has been taken out of Japanese culture and adopted elsewhere. When walking through the streets of key cities in the world, one will notice the increasing number of restaurants offering a taste of Japanese cuisines. These restaurants are not visited by Japanese only. One will find people from other cultures enjoying hefty meals in these establishments. This shows that the cuisines are being accepted elsewhere. Almost everywhere, people have incorporated something Japanese into their lives. I have tried practicing karate as a form of self-defense. Though adoption of these cultural elements helps to popularize them, they are also getting diluted. In restaurants, it is common to find that Japanese rice is being served but eaten with a spoon instead of the original chopstick. This makes the element of Japanese food lose its identity. With time, these adopted practices may impact the original forms to a point of extinction.
Humanitarian ecological interests
The nations of southeastern Asia are known for their deep rainforests. These forests have in recent times become a bone of contention between environmentalists and native governments. Logging by governments has driven some humanitarians to launch campaigns to protect the forests. With the devastating effects of global warming, protecting these areas should be emphasized. The native tribes living in these forests face extinction if these areas are not protected. The protection of these forests is a global concern not only to the humanitarians but to everybody worldwide. Though many foreigners are trying to help do so, the greatest responsibility lies with the governments of those countries. They should implement laws that protect both the forest and its inhabitants.
Works cited
Tsuji, Shizuo. Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art. Tokyo: Kodansha International. 2007. Print.