Guide to Japanese Culture - Part 2
Read Japanese Culture Guide Part 1
There
are many
aspects to Japanese culture--religion,
art, tradition, history, poetry, people--and
our guide to Japanese Culture answers some of the
more common
questions about Japan and the Japanese.
Are Japanese people
really short?
While it has long been popular in Western media to represent Japanese
people as excessively short, today they are on average almost the same
as Americans. Historically the Japanese have been much shorter
than Europeans and North Americans, but thanks to a diet that now
includes far more meat and dairy products than their traditional diet,
Japanese people have sprouted in recent decades.
Why do Japanese people have
difficulty with L's and R's?
The letter R is the only 'liquid' in the Japanese
language. That is, it can
be pronounced without harshness, and in many different ways. But most
often it is pronounced the same way an English speaker pronounces
L--thus the confusion for Japanese speakers. But this varies greatly by
region in Japan--some dialects seem to have less trouble pronouncing
the English R than others. It also depends on the quality of English
language instruction in Japan.
Why are video
games so popular in Japan?
The Japanese have a very long history of traditional
Japanese games, role
playing, and an innate love of detail, intricacy, and technology. Given
this, it's no surprise that Japan became one of the world's leading
producers of advanced video games and video game consoles. You could
say it's in their nature.
Also, given limited open space in most large Japanese cities, the desire to create virtual worlds and playgrounds may have played a role as well. On top of this, the Japanese are master storytellers and story consumers. Many cartoons and serial fiction magazines (manga) have been in circulation for decades with detailed, interwoven, and continually evolving story lines--something that also suits role playing video games.
How
is Japan different from China?
There are vast differences, and many historical similarities, between Japan
and China. The two countries
have different cultures, languages, societies, and beliefs.
The differences are stark: China is communist, Japan is democratic. China is geographically huge, and Japan is relatively small. Japan is the strongest U.S. ally in Asia, China is not. China is still considered a developing country, Japan is arguable the world's most advanced and rich nation. But there are also similarities, and much of Japan's culture can be traced to ancient China including aspects of religion, writing, philosophy and even noodles.
How common are
robots in Japanese daily life?
There can be little doubt Japan is the robot capital of the world. Many
large Japanese companies, such as Honda and Toyota, have spent millions
of Yen designing, testing, building, and refining robots for research
purposes. And many electronics companies have created personal robots
that serve as companions for the elderly or as toys for
children.
But outside of manufacturing--where robotic assembly lines are
the norm--robots are still very much novelty items in Japan. The most
likely place average Japanese might see a robot is on tour. A robotic
tour that includes the latest robots from major Japanese companies,
including Honda's
ASIMO, regularly travels the country to the delight of school
children and robot enthusiasts. So while robots are far more common in
Japan than say Canada, they aren't exactly ‘every day’ sights--yet.
Part 3 to follow...
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