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Leading in Learning

Business, Education & Healthcare in Japan, an Overview

Business

The business practices in Japan are reflective of the communication practices that exist throughout Japan, both verbal and non-verbal. When greeting someone you are networking with, taking initiative with confidence is seen as a form of success. Smiling while greeting people shows that you are a happy person. When among a group, it’s strongly recommended your business card goes to the head of the company. Coming off as desperate is frowned upon, so it’s important to ease into conversation with a sense of calmness while practicing listening, and being selective with how and what you say. If sharing meals with business prospects and no serving utensils are present, you are to use the end of your chopsticks as a serving tool. Stabbing food with chopsticks is seen as disrespectful. When using a napkin, you wipe only your hands, not your face.

Asking personal questions is rude. Japanese people are very reserved with their personal lives. Aggressive leaning tactics are seen as a sign of disrespect, a more kind and persuasive method of doing business is expected. For appearance, men, and women dress conservatively to blend in. Women wear little to no jewelry. Sending white flowers is a not a good idea as white flowers represent grief in Japan. There are a variety of superstitions regarding potted plants and specific numbers for gifts. The biggest takeaway for anyone who is used to celebrating Christmas with red is that cards during the winter holidays should not be in red, as programs for funerals are usually printed in red

Some business challenges an American may run into are the leaning tactics often used in American business to manipulate your accounts or networking contacts. This will not get you very far in Japanese business endeavors. Sending gifts that are traditional to Americans may be seen as strange or disrespectful in Japan.

For a new employee entering the business industry in Japan, I would recommend they research etiquette and behavior across varying situations they may find themselves in. Part of this research should include learning words or phrases in Japanese that may help your potential business partners that you value communication and understanding in their culture. Learning Japanese all together would be the most beneficial. Learning verbal and nonverbal cues, personal space and eye contact are all important for seeking a new job in a new culture. Healthcare

Japan, according to statistics, has one of the leading healthcare systems in the world. Japan strives to provide health care to all its citizens at a low cost. Though the act of providing such a system to the entire society comes with its own issues. Unfortunately, the most concentrated areas of the best healthcare facilities exist in the higher-class parts of the country whereas low-income parts of the country suffer because there is less opportunity for healthcare facilities.  In Japan many ways to transition life exist among varying cultures that are a part of Japan. In Japan today there's a new wave of viewing death and dying and it is referred to as ‘good death’ or shūkatsu (終活) (Samovar, Porter, McDaniel & Roy, p.p. 374). This refers to a series of rituals and practices and writings that people, often elderly perform as they prepare to transition their lives to death. There are a variety of ways to lay remains to rest in Japan after someone has passed, my favorite practice is planting remains with a tree.  The concept of death and dying in Japan go so deep that this topic almost requires its own blog. One thing I could say that would be beneficial to someone aspiring to work in healthcare in Japan is to progress forward in their career with a gentle approach practicing patience and kindness with every patient or potential patient they encounter. Many elderly people struggle with severe depression. There are some cultures in Japan they used to send elderly to the mountains after 60 and that's where the elderly would remain until they pass. So, educating yourself on the varying forms of health care and how does and dying is viewed across subcultures of Japan would be very beneficial to someone seeking a career in this field.

Education

The school system in Japan consists of six-year elementary schools, junior high in high school include three years each with college lasting anywhere from two to four years. Special needs education exists for students who require more assistance, and these special needs environments foster students with disabilities to become self-reliant and integrated in social situations.

 The school system in Japan is public and is traditionally in session Monday through Friday except for some schools functioning six days a week. Each school day consists of six different programs, each lasting 50 minutes. Post school day students are required to take turns cleaning the classroom once classes are out of session. Following the classroom cleaning students had to participate in their after-school programs which can include anything from sports to learning how to make flower arrangement.

 Japan has been known to succeed well in the sciences. The enrollment rate is 90% for high school and 50% for college.

 One topic students are expected to study in Japan is English. Students start studying English in junior high. This differs from the United States because in most if not all junior highs don’t require a language as a learning credit unless you're attending a private school or college preparatory school. In the public school system in the US students get to choose which language they take. For some schools taking a language isn't a requirement. There are electives that could be taken in place of taking a foreign language. Knowing English is a requirement for all Japanese students makes me wish that as Americans our education system was more challenging and encouraged us to be a more open minded, seeking ways to grow our knowledge about things that will be useful in the real world. Higher education in the US is a different story, every one of my educators goes out of their way to teach inclusivity with reminders to stay open minded with a listening ear which I appreciate.

References

JAPAN Educational Travel. (2022, July 22). JAPANESE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM | JAPAN Educational Travel. https://education.jnto.go.jp/en/school-in-japan/japanese-education-system/

Kim, H. (2022). Everyday rehearsal of death and the dilemmas of dying in super-ageing Japan. Modern Asian Studies, 57(1), 32–52. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0026749x21000445

Martinuzzi, B. (2022). A Guide to Japanese Business Etiquette. Business Class: Trends and Insights | American Express. https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/business/trends-and-insights/articles/doing-business-in-japan-10-etiquette-rules-you-should-know/

Samovar, L. A., Porter, R. E., McDaniel, E. R., & Roy, C. S. (2016). Communication Between Cultures (9th ed.). Cengage Learning US. https://online.vitalsource.com/books/9781305888067

Zhang, X., & Oyama, T. (2016). Investigating the health care delivery system in Japan and reviewing the local public hospital reform. Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, 21. https://doi.org/10.2147/rmhp.s93285

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This is a view of nomadic life in remote Japan.

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Speaking Without Saying Anything

Nonverbal Communication in Japan

It’s important to be aware of nonverbal language pertaining to a specific culture that is being interacted with at the time because nonverbal cues can leave a social setting ambiguous. Keeping an open and versatile mind can be a helpful way to bridge this ambiguous gap. Each situation we encounter, or experience requires a set of social rules many of us have learned through acculturation, but these rules tend to change from situation to situation or culture to culture. Understanding and inviting new ways of meeting people where they are and learning about their lives will contribute to the overall flow of a social situation.

One potential obstacle that stands in the way of making sense of nonverbal messages and cues is that often people aren’t even aware of the expression on their face or a gesture they are making during a conversation. The textbook suggests that when thrown into an unfamiliar environment, our anxiety can interfere with how we perceive a situation. One way to grow your ability to sense nonverbal behaviors is to ask yourself “if the observed actions are appropriate for the setting,” (Samovar, Porter & Roy pp. 335).

According to the Cultural Atlas on Japanese Culture, Japanese people are harmonious in the way they communicate. Attentiveness to nonverbal cues is a very big part of communication in Japan. These nonverbal cues are relied on in Japanese culture and may include but aren’t limited to body language, body posture, facial expression, and tone of voice. Japanese people are very private with their differences. Rather than working through a disagreement immediately, they wait for an appropriate time to discuss the matter in private.

Eye contact is a nonverbal aspect of Japanese culture that remains indirect. They believe that direct eye contact can be interpreted as intimidating. When speaking to someone of high rank or authority, indirect eye contact is viewed as respectful. Generally, a chin is used as a focal point.

Another aspect of nonverbal communication is nodding. Silence plays a role in the humble forms of communication used in Japan. Rather than talking over one another, people in Japan tend to stay silent and nod in acknowledgement when listening to someone. Nodding is seen as an act of politeness but does not necessarily mean agreement.

Lastly, emotion is another aspect of nonverbal communication that is usually left out of conversation to keep balance. This brings us full circle to Japan acting in a harmonious fashion socially.

The Cultural Atlas stated that physical contact is kept to a bare minimum. Because there are so many people in Japan, personal space is a luxury in public spaces. People are generally sandwiched together on public transport. In private settings, people keep a fair and respectful distance from one another.

Japan is one of the leading monochronic cultures in the world. This means the country is serious about punctuality. People of monochronic societies plan and know what comes next in their schedule, and how they will begin next week. Time is more specific, versus flexible.

References:

Japanese Culture - Communication. (2021). Cultural Atlas. https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/japanese-culture/japanese-culture-communication

Lang, M., & Lang, M. (2022, January 14). Which Country Is Known To Have A Monochronic Culture. Culture of the whole world. https://interculturalyork.org/blog/which-country-is- known-to-have-a-monochronic-culture.html#2_One_Activity_at_a_Time

Samovar, L. A., Porter, R. E., McDaniel, E. R., & Roy, C. S. (2016). Communication Between Cultures (9th ed.). Cengage Learning US. https://online.vitalsource.com/books/9781305888067

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Ancient Language

Japanese and Katakana

With 127 million speakers leading into the 21st century, Japanese is the primary language of Japan.

According to Merriam Webster, a lingua franca is a language or languages among varying common “commercial tongues among peoples of diverse speech” (“Definition of Lingua Franca,” n.d.) Many people with Japanese as a native language do see English as their lingua franca. My first language is English. I would consider myself lucky to have my native language is a lingua franca around the world, but as someone who desires to travel to Japan with as much perspective as possible, learning Japanese may be in my best interest. Though in America, I sense our primary lingua franca may be Spanish. Having English as a lingua franca would impact my ability to communicate effectively with people from Japan in a positive way. I imagine the conversation would go more smoothly than if English was not my lingua franca.

Look up how to say the following words and phrases in at least one of the primary languages of the country you are studying. Write out the pronunciation for each word or, if you're preparing a vlog post, speak each word aloud.

Hello! – Kon’nichiwa - Yes - Hai - No - Īe - Please - Onegaishimasu - Thank You - Arigatō - Can you help me? - Tetsudatte itadakemasu ka? - I don't understand - Rikaidekinai - I don't speak (name of the language) - Watashi wa nihongo o hanasemasen - My name is (your name) - Watashinonamaeha morīdesu

Most of these words and phrases were hard to pronounce. Though after some practice and repeating these words/phrases out loud more than three times, I can say them. To remember them, I would need to practice them daily. Knowing these few phrases could be very beneficial while traveling to Japan. Many people may speak English as a lingua franca there, but travel would be easier and more enjoyable knowing a few phrases in Japanese at the very least.

また投稿作品の公開範囲やコメント設定は自由に編集することができ、気に入った作品にブックマークをつけること ができます。 作品をブックマークすると、おすすめ作品やおすすめユーザーが紹介され、 色々な作品をあらゆる道 から見つけることができます。また、気になるユーザーを「お気に入り」に���加すれば、そのユーザーの投稿した新 着作品をトップページに表示することができます。

In addition, you can freely edit the public range and comment settings of posted works, and you can bookmark your favorite works. When you bookmark a work, recommended works and recommended users are introduced, and you can find various works from all directions. Also, if you add a user you care about to "Favorites", you can display new works posted by that user on the top page. I notice that Kanji looks like art. I also notice that this specific paragraph was translated very well.

Explain the phrase, "Language influences our view of reality." To me, this phrase means that the words we speak among one another influence our varying perceptions of our personal and shared realities.

References:

Before you continue. (n.d.-b). https://translate.google.com/?sl=en&tl=ja&op=translate Definition of lingua franca. (n.d.-b). In Merriam-Webster Dictionary. https://www.merriam- webster.com/dictionary/lingua%20franca

Shibatani, M. (2023, June 28). Japanese language | Origin, Family, Alphabets, History, Grammar, & Writing. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Japanese-language [pixiv] About pixiv. (n.d.). Pixiv. https://www.pixiv.net/about.php?lang=en

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Picking up the Postwar Pieces

Timeline of Japan's History from 1900s - current

In the early 1900s Japan was involved in a variety of battles from defeat against European powers. This led to Japan becoming a leading power in the world and by the 1920s, extreme nationalism was prominent throughout the country. Around this time Japan’s population quadrupled according to a Britannica article (Hijino, Latz, Hurst, Sakamoto, Watanabe, Masamoto, Notehelfer, Jansen, Toyoda, & Masai. (2023, June 30).

By 1936, Japan was signing an alliance with Nazi Germany. World War II broke out and shortly after, Pear Harbor happened. More war followed. Eventually, the emperor of Japan, Hirohito surrendered after the United States bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The army of Japan was disbanded and still is to this day. In the 50’s Japan, the U.S., and nations other than Russia signed a peace treaty together.

Post war, in the 20th century, Japan became recognized worldwide their importance to the world as regions were being divided due to social and economic changes. While many of Japan’s rural villages remain preserved to this day. Japan can be described as a puzzle of new and old agriculture and architecture. Industrial growth led to Japan becoming to second largest economic power in the world next to the U.S. This led to its own series of issues: fewer people entering the workforce due to the 90’s baby boom, manufacturing vehicles and goods cause pollution, there’s a housing a shortage, use of automobiles increases the pollution, public transit is overcrowded, as well as the ongoing fear of mother nature’s earthquakes and floods.

I found a documentary on Amazon Prime Video called “A portrait of Postwar Japan.” The documentary is two episodes long, the first episode leading with the outcome of revolutionary financial substance in Postwar Japan. Salt was high in demand after the Korean war. Some say the Korean War caused Japan to come back to life. The country began manufacturing what are big automobile companies now, Nissan, Mazda, as well as electronics like Sony and Hitachi. The documentary covered similar details as other articles I read. The similarities touching on the capital investment leading to labor disputes in the postwar era. In addition, creating environmental issues.

It's impressive to me that Japan has undergone such trauma and changes and continues to thrive in many areas of their economy. I think it’s even more impressive that ancient pieces of the country remain in agriculture, art, food, and forms of culture. Some of my favorite art, food and entertainment come out of Japan and inspire me as I am an artist as well as a student.

References:

Amazon.com: A Portrait Of Postwar Japan : Film Ideas, Inc.: Prime Video. (n.d.). https://www.amazon.com/The-Bubble-and-Lost- Decades/dp/B0717668ZJ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=21N9QYFDV916V&keywords=japanese+documentary&qid=1688191327&s=instant- video&sprefix=japanese+documentary%2Cinstant-video%2C132&sr=1-1

BBC News. (2019, April 26). Japan profile - Timeline. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-15219730

Hijino, S., Latz, G., Hurst, G. C., Sakamoto, T., Watanabe, A., Masamoto, K., Notehelfer, F. G., Jansen, M. B., Toyoda, T., & Masai, Y. (2023, June 30). Japan | History, Flag, Map, Population, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Japan

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An Outside Look

A Worldview of Japan

From an outside perspective, the public once viewed Japan as heavily religious. Since the Constitution of Japan, a less religious culture has been surfacing. There is no specific dominant religion in Japan, and often people participate in practices from varying religions. Shinto and Buddhism are the most practiced religious in the country. Shinto means adopting a variety of cultural practices native to Japan (Japanese Culture - Religion, 2021).

Shinto was presented to distinguish between the beliefs indigenous to Japan that differed from Buddhism which was prominent in Japan in the 6th Century CE. There are no official scriptures that have been passed down for generations, “no fixed dogmas” (Hirai, 1999). One thing Shinto does have is the preservation in guiding beliefs over its development.

One aspect of spiritualism in Japanese culture is that rituals accompanying Shinto Shrines that are still used to this day are obscure in that “their presence is partly hidden from consciousness and belongs to the world of unconscious, of dreams, and of images (Nature and Culture in Japan – Kyoto Journal, n.d.).

Japan, and Asian countries in general tend to have a more collectivist view and approach to culture, as opposed to Western countries, the United States specifically, which primarily functions as an individualistic culture. In the U.S., people tend to view their society as a hierarchy, where self-inflation is prominent and educators refer to themselves as “better than average” (Robson, 2017). The tendency for this behavior does not really appear in any studies of countries across East Asia. Often, it’s the latter where people underestimate their skills and sense of self-worth. Western cultures tend to focus on induvial gain, whereas Eastern Asian countries focus on community and helping their own (Robson, 2022).

This view of Japan is shared by most of the world, including by Japan. There is a level of interpretation regarding Japanese culture and spirituality that requires deep ecology, which Western cultures may not be used to interpreting. Mythology plays a big role in Japanese culture and how the country has been able to step in a collectivist role. Tolerance appears to play a heavy role in the development of culture as studies in recent years have shown Japan becomes more secular every year. There is always conflict among cultural groups, but Japan truly seems like a country who strives to promote people challenging traditional beliefs and adopting their own. Considering Japan has recognized the queer community alone is a big step in the direction of encouraging individuals to discover and adopt what they feel is right for their lifestyle. Investigating these concepts further may be worth the deep dive into Japan’s magical culture. The way Japan promotes the growth of their community speaks volumes for their citizens ability to practice community and interdependence. While these approaches to culture are out of the norm for Western cultures, they seem to be working for Japan.

References:

Japanese Culture - Religion. (2021). Cultural Atlas. https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/japanese-culture/japanese-culture-religion

Hirai, N. (1999, July 26). Shinto | Beliefs, Gods, Origins, Symbols, Rituals, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shinto Nature and Culture in Japan – Kyoto Journal. (n.d.). https://www.kyotojournal.org/culture-arts/nature-and-culture-in-japan/

Robson, D. (2022, February 24). How East and West think in profoundly different ways. BBC Future. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20170118-how-east-and-west-think-in-profoundly-different-ways

Samovar, L. A., Porter, R. E., McDaniel, E. R., & Roy, C. S. (2016). Communication Between Cultures (9th ed.). Cengage Learning US. https://online.vitalsource.com/books/9781305888067

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In the home

Child Rearing & Family Structure

Family is the root of how a household functions in Japan. Family members put their needs before any individual needs, wants or desires. Japan has adopted more of a modern family structure versus a traditional family structure. Japan did used to abide by the traditional family structure, and some parts of Japan still do, in these structures you will often find marriages are and were arranged by the male head of the household. In the modern sense, post World War II, housing has expanded from one room per family to one room per person in each family. Japan continues to fight the economic issues that are presented in the housing market as cost of living is high. But the housing crisis has improved immensely. The socioeconomic status of family in Japanese culture is everchanging. In an article from Columbia University, author Anne E. Imamura reported that it seems young people have more than the generations before them had. She also considered why the American model of family isn’t ideal for Japan as extreme individualism, homelessness, and high divorce rate are contributing factors to a low socioeconomic status. There are parts of generational culture, traditional strengths Japan should hold onto, adopting those for the modern world and rejecting those that are no longer helpful.

In Japan, child rearing has a reputation of negative parenting for children. Children have been seen as having little value and often suffer from abuse, which has recently been on the rise. Fathers tend to reject their sons in Japanese culture. One of the main reasons for this occurrence is intergenerational transmission of negative parenting. These models of parenting are dated and not conducive to the growth of a child. These issues tend to occur in groups of minorities. An article from the National Library of Medicine stated that change has begun to occur, and positive parenting presents itself in Japanese culture more often but not without effort, practice, and education. The article posed several possible solutions to direct child rearing in Japan down a more positive and healthier path. These solutions would involve recognizing women and their success in the work force and men’s success taking care of the home. Interdependence between parents could also contribute to child rearing in a positive way.

There has been an impact of globalization on Japan, and maybe slowly, the world. As mentioned above, Japan has slowly been learning and educating their culture on new ways of approaching child rearing and bonding with family. Many of these changes stem from Western cultures. Being a collectivist culture, Japan strives to do better as a country. As far is migration, I am still seeking current sources to learn about family migration and its effect on family structure in Japan. I hope to include this information in my final blog post.

References:

Goto, A., Surkan, P. J., & Reich, M. R. (2020, October 5). Challenges to Changing the Culture of Parenting in Japan. PubMed Central (PMC). https://doi.org/10.2188/jea.JE20190265

Wakimizu, R., & Fujioka, H. (2017). Characteristics of child-rearing in Japanese familiesand findings of the Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) in Japan. In G. Egloff (Ed.), Child-rearing: Practices, attitudes and cultural differences (pp. 115–144).Nova Science Publishers.

Imamura, A. E. (1990). The Japanese Family. A Letter from Japan II: A Young Family, 7-17. Asian Society.

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A Nation of Resilience

The culture I am choosing to dive deeply into this summer session is Japanese culture. I realize the term Japanese culture encompasses a wide umbrella of dimensions of culture in Japan. To narrow down my choice, I decided to study food in Japanese culture. I plan to focus primarily on ramen. I chose this culture in Japan because I have chronic stomach issues and ramen has been one staple that truly heals me from the inside out. I don’t always feel that way with an American diet. I am curious as to why that is and would like to dive deeper to learn more about the health benefits, where ramen in Japan started, what ramen means to their country and anything else I may find during my research.

When looking at facts about Japan in the CIA factbook, I learned that Japan recognizes the LGBTQA+ community. I also learned that there are over 70 countries where it is illegal, some of those countries consider it a serious crime which could be dangerous for travelers. I was glad to find out Japan is a country that does. Though knowing this about other countries wouldn’t stop me from traveling there. When dialing in to the history of ramen, I went to Britannica 's website. I found that ramen dated back to the 1880s and arrived in Yokohama from Chinese traders. Then, it wasn't called ramen, it was referred to as stretched out noodles or ‘la mian’ in Cantonese. Japanese customers of the Chinese traders soon after coined the noodles ramen which now are a staple throughout the country. Ramen as we know it in packages with dried powder that becomes broth are due to severe food rationing and scarcity from the aftermath of World War II. Momofuku Ando noticed long lines for bowls of ramen during this time and wanted to create from market the authentic, homey version of this well-loved food. By 1958 he founded Nissan foods. Shortly after cup noodles were born.

This statement to me means that it is often hard to see things outside of our own perspective, especially as U.S. citizens. To get an unbiased grasp of Japanese culture I will make sure I pull my facts and information from reliable sources that primarily relate to facts about Japan. I do hope to find some articles written from the perspective of someone from Japan, but I will be sure to fact check the information and write with an unbiased, educational perspective.

References:

McNamee, G. L. (2022, October 13). Ramen. Brittanica. Retrieved June 18, 2023, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/ramen

(2023, May 3). Retrieved June 18, 2023, from https://www.cia.gov/the-worldfactbook/countries/japan/travel-facts