The Influence of Japanese Culture on Global Society

Introduction

At first glance, Japan's location on a set of volcanic islands just off the coast of eastern Asia seems to bear no importance to its unique and elaborate culture that Japan has developed since the Yayoi period of 300 BCE. Rich with national symbols like cherry blossoms and lush falling leaves, and cohesive with social behaviors of respect and honor, it displays some of the many facets of Japan's comprehensive and specialized way of life. Japanese culture generally refers to many aspects such as language, religion, food, clothing, literature, art, traditions, social organization, and values.

Harmony, in Japanese, is referred to as 'wa' and is highly prioritized in Japan. Such commonly unified characteristics are said to stem from geographic isolation and are transmitted through social norms and cultural values. Japanese values in social behaviors focus on community, family, and greater levels of respect, with a feeling of shame in individualism rather than a collective shame. The culture of Japan has changed in many ways throughout the years, but the Japanese have conformed slowly to these changes and preserved a way of life that most admire. These characteristics make up Japanese society today, and these are the things that Japanese and non-Japanese, anywhere in the world, can respect and admire. The uniqueness of the Japanese way of life is known throughout the world.

Traditional Japanese Arts and Crafts

Part of what makes Japan so attractive to people worldwide, even if they have never visited the islands, is the rich heritage of traditional arts and crafts that are considered to be not only beautiful but significant for understanding Japanese culture. We will briefly look at calligraphy, pottery, flower arranging, and origami. There are many other crafts that interest global audiences, such as woodblock prints, lacquerware, and Japanese gardens, but we will focus on those listed here.

Arts such as these require a high level of skill, a great deal of training, and demand years (even a lifetime) of practice to become proficient. Some, such as flower arranging, also require a good eye for design. These arts have for many centuries shown the aesthetic values that the Japanese people cherish. There are three key aspects to these values: 1) simplicity; 2) nature; 3) imperfection. In Japanese, nature can also mean naturalness, and imperfection can also refer to asymmetry. In short, for the Japanese to find beauty in something, it must be simple, related to nature, and not perfect. The idea of imperfect beauty is encapsulated by the word "wabi-sabi," which we will discuss next. These aesthetic values shed light on what is considered an art or craft throughout the history of Japan.

The arts discussed above have a long history and have kept evolving as Japan modernized. The oldest of them is calligraphy, with origami, pottery, and flower arranging having their roots in periods stretching from the 12th century. The skills required for these crafts have taken thousands of years to perfect, and because of this, the Japanese continue to take pride in their skills, even if very few are proficient. Despite the modernization of Japan, many crafts have been kept in existence, and numerous generations that have passed have created and continue to create their own styles. Many of these arts and crafts can be considered part of the Japanese identity, and people from other countries, whether they have lived in Japan or not, often associate these crafts with the Japanese. Japanese painting, which began to emerge in the 12th century, has been a partial inspiration for a movement in late 19th century Europe, through some of its aspects, such as landscape painting. The past century saw further influences of Japanese traditional crafts in European countries under the general banner of a broad term that includes influences from Japan in the decorative arts, clothing, prints, and books.

Japanese Pop Culture

In light of Japanese animated films like 'Stand by Me Doraemon', which was a box office success in Japan and won nationwide acclaim, and 'Short Peace: Collaboration/Short Anime Films', it becomes difficult, if not absurd, to consider that anime may be rejected by audiences because of the cultural context of Japan. In fact, the legacy of Japanese narratives and animated films can be traced back to World War II with the premiere of 'Momotaro: Umi no Shinpei'. This 'Animal Public's Series' was the first sound, full-color anime with a running time of seventy-four minutes that treated anti-foreign content through the newly developed media. Anime and manga have managed healthy audiences within the Japanese borders for various age groups and show a multifacetedness in themes and genres that define the "structure of feelings".

In the 1990s and onwards, these narratives and animated films have metamorphosed into so-called mistress youth of Japanese society, replete with dystopian fears of the new millennium, excess leisure, and consumer-capitalist society among others, explored by various writers and theorists. The Stop/Halo effect brought virtual eyes onto Japan by the big entertainment corporations. Many creators of concepts and narratives requiring attention have indeed been refurbished to fit the international popular culture markets, offering a blend. Outsiders engage physically or digitally with this consumer content while sharing cultural exchange in the shape of usually self-ascribed Japanese pop cultural Japanism or Japanamania. For some, this western commercial influence on selection proved a stimulus to adventure and daring in exploring the Japanese domestic entertainment media as well.

Japanese Cuisine

Japanese cuisine has long fascinated people around the world, with sushi in particular rolling its way into the hearts and stomachs of people in more than 130 countries. While Japan's national dish may have become synonymous with Japanese cuisine as a whole, there’s a lot more to Japan’s diverse food culture. Many traditional Japanese dishes originally flourished in independent, isolated regional food traditions that have gradually come together to define the national palate. One of the unifying characteristics of Japanese cuisine is an emphasis on seasonality and freshness. As a result of a mild climate that supports an array of productive fisheries, Japan’s island archipelago produces food all year round, with a different variety of items gracing tables from season to season. Tied intimately to these factors of seasonality and the rising popularity of sushi, Japanese cuisine has been felt around the world. From specialist sushi bars, people are tucking into slices of rice adorned with a raw slice of fish, shrimp, or other fresh seafood. Sushi may be the traditional face of Japanese dining overseas, but it’s not the only dish that has made an impression. Alongside sushi, ramen has also seen a rise in popularity with an increasing number of Japanese ramen chains establishing themselves across the US and beyond. Diners are also increasingly embracing Japanese cuisine as part of a broad, balanced diet, drawn by Japan’s low levels of obesity and long life expectancy. In particular, Western chefs are taking inspiration from the flavors of Japanese ingredients to enrich their repertoire. The taste sensation of ‘umami,’ known as the fifth taste, refers to the delicious flavor present in ingredients such as dashi, miso, and soy sauce. This sensation has been received warmly by chefs and consumers in the West.

Japanese Philosophy and Religion

Japanese philosophy and traditional outlook on life have deep roots in spirituality and religion. Three essential and interwoven influences in Japanese ethical systems are Shinto, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Shinto, or the Way of the Gods, is an indigenous, customs-heavy faith based primarily on respect for spirits or good essence, natural and living. Buddhist values and practices, initially adding Shinto customs and implied metaphysical insights, were absorbed into Japan in the early sixth century. By integrating Buddhist and Shinto principles and rituals that promoted the benevolence of individual actors for the benefit of strong organizations, Confucian administrators in Japan also prospered in authority and order from the seventh century.

On attitudes and religious beliefs, spiritualism, i.e., a theory based on the interdependence of mind and physical truth, and an ascetic pursuit of life are also deeply affected by Japanese culture and identity. Spiritual forces without or beyond common existence—such as the heavens and hell or certain emotional states in a person's life—have historically been given religious significance and spiritual origins from Japan, mystery, and enchantment. So the Japanese people—like the Chinese, Koreans, and Sub-Saharan Africans—have long been granted religious explanations for nature, actions, and the climate for good and ill occurrences. Ethical behaviors embraced and had strong ties to the surrounding universe, society, and traditions, as in many other ancient cultures. Nature and intangible, but capable, divine spirits were respected in a fundamentally Shinto way as a divine or sublime force.

Did you like this example?

244

10