This document provides an overview of Japanese culture, including characteristics like the Japanese language and popular religions of Shinto and Buddhism. It discusses samurai warriors and their role in Japanese society. It also addresses negative stereotypes of Japanese people in American media and the internment of Japanese Americans in camps during World War 2 due to misplaced fears of espionage. Issues currently facing Japan like economic struggles and low birth rates are also summarized. The document advocates learning from mistakes like the internment to prevent oppression and emphasizes respecting other cultures.

1. Japanese Culture
SAMANTHA JOHNSON
GALEN COLLEGE OF NURSING

2. Japan
 Japanese Americans tend to
fall under the umbrella
category of Asian American
when asked on
questionnaires about how a
person identifies

3. Characteristics
 Language: Japanese
 Religion: Shinto is the
largest religion in
Japan. Buddhism and
Christianity are also
practiced there.
 Harmony and self-
awareness are
important values

4. Samurai
Warriors that serve under
Daimyo, or master, with
loyalty
Social status was above
common citizens and regular
soldiers
Loyalty and servitude were
their most important values

5. Media Portrayal
 Japanese people are often portrayed in a very
stereotypical manner in television shows and
other forms of entertainment
 Seen as an inferior class of people
 Often drawn as a caricature of someone with
their eyes overly slanted
 Usually used as a punch line in shows or seen
as overly sexualized (mainly the women)

6. Internment
Camp
 United States during World War II
 120,000 people of Japanese decent were
placed into camps after the bombing of
Pearl Harbor
 Fear that there may be spies hiding in
America from Japan spread after the
bombing
 Armed guards that patrolled the camps
were instructed to shoot anyone who tried
to leave
 Camps were called “humane” but seemed
to be anything but since people placed
there were denied adequate medical care

7. Internment Camps

8. Issues
Japans economy is currently going downhill
Their birthrate is not high enough to
properly repopulate the country
Their government is seen as a joke to a lot
of other countries

9. How to be an Ally
 The best way to be an ally to any culture is to respect the
people of it and their values that they have
 If you make a mistake and offend someone from that culture,
make sure that you take the time to learn from the experience
so that you don’t repeat the mistake
 Make sure that internment camps are not forgotten. Personally, I
never remember learning about them in grade school. I feel that
their oppression in that was is such a major part of the history of
the US and should be taught in schools so that that mistake
never gets made again.

10. Conclusion
 One thing that stood out to me is the most popular religion. I thought
that it was Buddhism. I did not know what Shinto was until researching
for this assignment and ended up looking more into it. It has always
been fascinating to me to see all the different religions practiced
around the world and comparing how they are similar and different.
 Learning more about this culture has allowed for me to see what they
value most and what their beliefs are so that I can be sure not do
something that might offend them on accident. It has also given me a
way to see how their traditions differ from my own.

11. References
 Japan in the U.S. Press: Bias and stereotypes. FSI. (2005, July).
Retrieved November 1, 2021, from
https://spice.fsi.stanford.edu/docs/japan_in_the_us_press_bias_and_ster
eotypes.
 National Archives and Records Administration. (n.d.). Japanese-
American internment during World War II. National Archives and
Records Administration. Retrieved November 1, 2021, from
https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/japanese-relocation.