Japanese Culture

Introduction to Japanese Culture

Japanese culture is a culture where community and respect are key to living a sustainable lifestyle. After visiting Japan, I gained the upmost respect for their culture and their people on how they treated each other and foreigners. Communities are familiar with each other and there is a natural harmony when exploring Japan.

Family Patterns

The family structure begins with including the father, the father is the primary male in charge. Then there is the oldest son, the oldest son is the one to inherit any estate left behind.

In Japanese culture seniority brings high respect. Japanese call this a vertical hierarchy, the vertical hierarchy is which the most senior is the most respected. “Seniors are called “Sempai”, a term that has a long history, where it is referred to people who are older or superior in ability.” (Davies & Ikeno, 2002). As far as children goes, Japanese mothers tend to be more lenient towards their children than American mothers.

Japanese parents are less harsh to their children and use less discipline. This allows children to develop their own strategy on their own in becoming more obedient. They can recognize what is morally right and wrong. “Japanese mothers’ expectations for children’s early development include control of their emotions, obedience, good manners, and an ability to look after themselves.” (Davies & Ikeno, 2002). This allows for people to show proper behavior in society and teaches children to be more aware of their surroundings and behaviors of people around them.

Get quality help now

Sweet V

Verified

Proficient in: Japan

4.9 (984)

“ Ok, let me say I’m extremely satisfy with the result while it was a last minute thing. I really enjoy the effort put in. ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

Communication

The demographics and climate of Japan helped shape the way Japanese communicate with each other. Japan is a country that is and island and is very mountainous. This has forced the Japanese people to live very close to one another in communities. This allowed for strong communication amongst one another. Communities then rely on the wisdom of elders and support of each other willingly. To be conscious of one another, individuals couldn’t criticize one another openly, which resulted in ambiguity. This means, they were incongruent with their expressions. When communicating they may say one thing but thinking another. It is unspoken to say what they really felt, because Japanese don’t want to hurt other feelings or bring shame on anyone. This is a result of living in such a close-knit community. “Nobody expects to be told no directly, even if the other person is really in disagreement.” (Shimizu, 2012). Silence is a form of non-verbal communication that the Japanese use to show deep thinking and consideration of others. This could be misleading to Americans because sometimes too much silence could be uncomfortable. Japanese are non-confrontational, and they have a difficult time with saying no. Therefore, for any nursing interactions, it is important to be open and honest with a Japanese patient. In Japan, it is important to build a relationship based on time, and patience. These are important for a nurse-client interaction to build rapport and trust, and not misunderstand each other.

Space and Time

Understanding the importance of personal distance properly amongst the Japanese is important to building a solid relationship. In Japanese history, children would play a game called ‘Kage-fumi’ where they would step on each other shadows. “Illustrating in a symbolic way, to step on one’s shadow indicates an infringement of one’s personal space.” (Shimizu, 2012). Therefore, personal space is of upmost importance to the Japanese culture. Bowing is also another form of non-verbal communication. Proper bowing would take place at one meter from one another. It is a way to greet one another and shows others that their privacy wouldn’t be violated. This is important for a nurse-client interaction, so personal space and privacy boundaries aren’t crossed or misinterpreted. It is important to respect the personal space of someone of Japanese background, until invited in. Someone of Japanese culture could show hesitance if they feel if their personal space is being invaded when being approached. Japanese are very patient and respect the use of time to build relationships.

Nutritional Patterns

The traditional Japanese way of eating is based on oriental medicine and the saying, Ishoku Dugen, which is translated to “food is the key to health”. Like the food trends in America today, what we are consuming has a large impact on our health. Japanese believe that the way food is prepared and what food is made of, directly affects our overall healthy well-being. “By stocking up on the Japanese foods that heal, your kitchen pantry will literally become a medicine chest. Many of these foods, such as green tea, miso, shitake, and tofu have been scientifically proven to cure and prevent degenerative disease.” (Belleme, 2011).

Miso is a Japanese staple food of their culture. Miso is fermented soy beans. This is packed with many nutrients that include iron, calcium, potassium, and protein. Miso is proven to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis. Other foods that are a staple to Japanese culture include homemade noodles, pickled vegetables, tofu, green tea, and fresh fish. All in which, these foods are minimally processed, fresh, and promote a healthy lifestyle.

Health Beliefs and Spiritual Practices

In Japan, they hold maintaining health to a high standard. It can be shameful to their culture if poor health occurs. If someone in their family becomes terminally ill or very sick, it is approached as “it cannot be helped.” (Blanch, 2018). Or nothing can be done to prevent health from deteriorating. Japanese practice the faith in Buddhism and Shintoism. These religions are based on Gods being represented in nature surrounding us, from rivers to trees. The Japanese have shrines to honor, and it is practiced washing your hands before entering a shrine. This shows cleanliness and purity. “The Japanese believe in an integral mind-body connection.” (Blanch, 2018). This means they don’t deem someone dead if they are brain dead and still have their heart beating. They believe that there is a spirit embedded in the body. Japanese also look at their culture holistically, from health, family, to food. They respect the human mind and body. The children care for the elder, and they perform end of life treatments and funeral rituals.

Biological Variations

The physical features of the Japanese vary depending on which part of the country they are demographically located in. If they live in the northern parts of the country, such as Tokyo, Japanese skin tends to be fairer, and paler compared to those that live in the southern portion of the country, such as Okinawa. Due to the dramatic climate changes from snow to tropical. Far as physical stature, Japanese are on the shorter side compared to Americans. Although, Japanese do eat a traditionally healthier diet, Japanese are still at risk for developing type two diabetes. They are at high risk because there is less muscle and more abdominal fat in their abdominal region. This in terms increases the risk for type two diabetes. (Chan, 2009). There is also research completed that shows vitamin A deficiencies in Japanese culture due to a high rice consumption. This doesn’t necessarily correlate to the amount of rice that is consumed, but the lower amounts of vegetables that are consumed. (Bamji, 1983). Japanese people may have a few risk factors, but overall, Japanese age well over-time, and have minimal complications from diseases.

Conclusion

Overall, Japanese culture is very simplistic and natural. The Japanese focus on the body and mind and find health of upmost important. Japanese believe in the male as head of household, so if approaching the male in a nurse-client interaction would be the respectful way. It is important to keep space between the client to prevent disruption of their privacy but inform clearly if entering any personal space. Communication is key to interacting with a client and understanding what is appropriate when caring for someone of a different culture.