Japan is an island country located in East Asia with a population of over 127 million people. The main islands are Honshu, Hokkaido, Shikoku, and Kyushu. Japan has a constitutional monarchy form of government led by Emperor Akihito and Prime Minister Fukuda Yasuo. The Japanese culture is very homogeneous and influenced by traditions from the Edo period including Buddhism, Shintoism, the tea ceremony, and traditional arts like origami. The Japanese language uses three writing systems of kanji, hiragana, and katakana. Sports, education, and family structures have become more westernized in modern times compared to traditional patriarchal pasts.

1. Japan The Land of the Rising Sun Joseph Muna ED 282 Cultural Presentation October 11, 2007 日本国 日本国

2. General Overview of Japan National Name: Nippon or Nihon ( 日本 ) Government: Constitutional Monarchy Emperor Akihito Prime Minister Fukuda Yasuo Land Area: 377,873 km^2 Population: 127,433,494 (2007 estimate) Ranks 10th in the world 337/km^2 (Population density) Currency: Yen ¥ 円 Main Islands: Honshu Hokkaido Shikoku Kyushu Prefectural System: 47 Prefectures

3. Who is this Group? Japanese Very homogenous culture Edo-period – Tokugawa era Ainu people Indigenous to Hokkaido Fair-skinned Caucasian

4. Ethnic Groups in Japan Japanese – 98.7% Other 1.3%

5. Pacific Islanders & Japanese Indigenous to the CNMI? NO Japanese population in the CNMI 1205 people as of September 2007 Ways acculturated to the CNMI Marriage Business Missionary Occupation Education Retiree Special Roles in the CNMI Restaurants Hotel Travel Agency

6. Japanese Cultural Values are passed through… Culture Religion Language Special events Education Sports

7. Culture Crafts Ikebana Origami Performances Kabuki Bunraku Traditions Tea Ceremony Architecture Comic Book Naruto Bleach Music Shamisen Koto Literature Kojiki Nihon shoki

8. Religion Buddhism Shintoism Syncretism

9. Language Kanji Hiragana Katakana Foreign influences

10. Special Events Oshougatsu Hinamatsuri Tango no sekku Tanabata Ohanami Matsuri

11. Education Hoikuen/Youchien Daycare/Kindergarten 6 years and down Shougakkou Lower compulsory 6 to12 years old Chuugakkou Upper compulsory 12 to 15 years old Koutogakkou Upper secondary 15 to 18 years old Daigaku Tertiary education 18 and up

12. Education continued Transition from chuugaku to koukou Transition from koukou to daigaku Education and Society View of education Prerequisite to success Diligence, self-criticism, well-organized study habits Hard work + Perseverance = Success in life Teach attitude, moral values, develop character

13. Sports & Recreation Sumo Budou Kendou Judou Aikidou Baseball Soccer Marathon

14. Gender role – Past vs Present Past Men did all the work outside the house Men attained high positions Political leaders were all men Women cannot vote Women basically cooks, cleans, and raise kids Some women worked in silk factory (Labor intensive) Women were not able to be educated thoroughly Present Men more involved in child raising Women can vote Women can work outside the house Women can attain high ranks Women can enter the political world

15. Family Structure – Past vs Present Past Patriarchal Father works outside house Mothers works inside house Kids do chores also Strict discipline Customs/Etiquette exercised strongly Average six kids per household Present Patriarchal, but the gap has lessen Both parents work outside the house Kids are often out of the house Discipline – more laid back Customs/Etiquette minimal Below replacement level – 1.2

16. Role of children – Past vs Present Past Kids help mother with house chores Sons grows up to be the successor of fathers business Oldest son takes ownership of the house Oldest son takes care of parents Daughters encouraged to find husband and leave Present Kids rarely do house chores Current trend is daughter takes care of parents Current trend is sons goes into wife’s family Guys are generally more kind Not many people own house, rent apartment or mansion

17. Role of elders Respect Sonkei-go (respectful vocabulary) Arigatou Doumo Arigatou Arigatou gozaimasu Doumo Arigatou gozaimasu Shintoism

18. As a culture how do they think, feel, or deal about the following: Possessions Minimal borrowing Clothing Traditional clothing diminished Westernized People with Disability Law based

19. Stereotypes Motorcycle gang Work Ethic Soft Spoken

20. Food Typical cuisine Combination of rice/noodles, soup, and 3 okazu Okazu – fish, meat, vegetables, tofu Dashi, miso, and soy sauce Low in fat, high in salt

21. Food continued Sushi/Sashimi Tempura Yakiniku Soba/Udon Donburi mono Tendon Katsudon Oyakodon

22. Famous People Ibuka Masaru Toyoda Kiichiro Kobayashi Takeru Suzuki Ichiro & Nakata Hidetoshi

23. Open Discussion for…. Questions Comments Thoughts

24. Thank You…. Arigatou gozaimashita

25. Bibliography “ The Japan Book” Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo: Kodansha International, 2002 Interview with Noriko Muna (My Mom) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan History Government and politics Foreign relations and military Administrative divisions Geography and climate Economy Science and technology Demographics Education and health Culture and recreation Sports