Further, Japanese law adopts an ancestral rather than territorial principle of nationality. This has implications for certain ethnic groups. For example, those without Japanese citizenship cannot register themselves or their family in the koseki family registration system , which distinguishes them from Japanese citizens. Historical Transitions and Current Attitudes.
Historical events that occurred over the last century have had profound cultural, societal, political and economic effects throughout the whole of Japan. This was a time known for massive reforms, such as rapid industrialisation and the end of the societal dominance of the warrior class samurai. By the early 20th century, Imperial Japan had annexed land from surrounding territories, including Taiwan , the Korean Peninsula and parts of China The country declared war against the United States and the United Kingdom in amongst growing international concerns of its expansion and increasing military strength.
The numerous and complex battles that occurred saw mass casualties and destruction throughout the region. Much of the devastation within Japan occurred in the lead-up to the end of the war in Massive air raids over dozens of Japanese cities saw widespread destruction of many factories and homes, many of which were built of inflammable materials like wood and plaster structures, causing the fires to spread rapidly.
The combination of the heat and blast reduced everything in the immediate vicinity of the explosion into cinders or rubble, and caused spontaneous fires to break out some distance away. Hundreds of thousands either died, were immediately injured, or subsequently suffered from the effects of radiation poisoning.
The casualties of the Pacific War were enormous for all countries and regions involved. Estimates suggest three million Japanese people, including up to , civilians, were killed due to military action, and hundreds of thousands more from disease and starvation.
Much of the population became disillusioned with the cultural and social frameworks of pre-war and wartime Japan. The Meiji Constitution was heavily revised, and the new Japanese constitution came into effect in His function became mainly one of ceremonial and symbolic purposes.
Democratic principles such as universal suffrage were also enacted, and all territories annexed after were returned. Constitutional reforms were followed by economic reforms, particularly in agricultural land distribution and the reinstatement of trade unions.
One area of reform that continues to influence contemporary Japanese society is the demilitarisation of the country. Article 9 of the Constitution states that Japan has forever renounced war as a sovereign right of the nation, international disputes would not be settled through threat or the use of force, and armed forces with war potential will not be maintained. Pacifist attitudes are also prevalent throughout the population.
However, subsequent participation of Japan in UN peacekeeping missions or disaster relief work has been controversial both in Japan and abroad, particularly among countries that were victims of Japanese aggression during the Pacific War see Other Considerations.
Views on the hypothetical amendment of Article 9 vary on a scale ranging from pacifists who believe Article 9 should be maintained and the Japan Self-Defence Forces is unconstitutional, to nationalists who believe Japan should revise Article 9 to allow the country to remilitarise and build nuclear capabilities. Social Stratification and Education. Japan has experienced rapid economic growth since overhauls to its economic structure in the post-war era.
Lower socioeconomic classes in Japan are commonly associated with those employed in unskilled, low-paying jobs and manual or physically demanding labour. Such forms of employment are often referred to as the three undesirable Ks: kitanai dirty , kitsui difficult and kiken dangerous. As such, they have become increasingly undertaken by foreign workers over the past twenty years, as well as the burakumin.
The burakumin are one of the largest minority groups in Japan, thought to have an ancestral connection to the lowest social class during the feudal period CE. Traditionally, their occupations related to impure kegare tasks, such as butchers and leatherworkers.
Burakumin are not racially or ethnically different from Japanese and there are no biological differences or other means of distinguishing them. Estimates suggest there are between one to three million burakumin in Japan. Education is highly valued in Japan and is viewed as an important means of social and economic mobility.
This can be seen in the level of educational performance and attainment. For instance, Japan is consistently one of the highest performing nations in mathematics, science and reading literacy among the OECD countries.
Uchi-Soto Groups and Hierarchy. Social hierarchies play an important role in Japanese culture, often influencing social behaviour and communication. People tend to be highly attentive to the social status and relation of the person they are speaking with, as this dictates the honorific expressions and levels of respectful speech keigo used in Japanese conversation. Similarly, etiquette and behaviour shows deference to these social ranks. For example, it is customary for the most senior member of the family typically the father or grandfather to partake in activities such as bathing or eating first, followed by the rest of the family in order of seniority.
The way these hierarchies operate may also be influenced by the level of familiarity one has to a person. Indeed, people tend to draw a distinction between those they consider part of their inner circle the in- group and those they do not the out- group.
For instance, an individual may consider their work colleagues ' uchi ' and competing companies ' soto '. The uchi-soto distinction often determines the way someone behaves and conducts themselves around other people, as well as the kind of respectful speech they use to communicate to others see Verbal in Communication.
As a broad generalisation, one usually shows more politeness and respect to those from outside groups soto that they want to impress. For example, a visitor to the household considered soto will be given precedence over the most senior member of the family considered uchi , the in-group. Nonetheless, uchi-soto distinctions and social hierarchies are often very fluid, as categories may overlap and change over time.
They may also vary depending on the social context or different identity markers e. Indeed, Japan is considered to be not as rigidly hierarchical as most of its neighbouring cultures. Face Menboku , Collectivism and Harmony Wa. Behaviour and communication in Japan tends to be informed by the concept of face menboku.
As such, individuals tend to act and communicate in a deliberate manner and with restraint in order to maintain their face. Japanese society is generally collectivistic , whereby people often view themselves and others as members of a collective unit or group whether it be uchi or soto groups, a family group or a broader social group. In this sense, members of a group hold collective responsibility rentai sekinin for the performance and actions of an individual.
In turn, harmony wa is an important part of interpersonal relationships. As a cultural concept, harmony implies a sense of unity and conformity within a group, whereby interdependence may be emphasised over independence. However, individualist attitudes are also prevalent in Japanese culture. Gradual social changes to the kinship system and community has seen individuals more closely connected to their inner circle than their extended groups.
The individuality of people, especially those who seem sincere and hardworking, is often celebrated. The presence of both collectivist and individualist attitudes in Japanese culture means that it is often seen as collectivist from the perspective of the English-speaking West, and individualist from the perspective of neighbouring Asian cultures. Uncertainty Avoidance and Pragmatism.
According to Hofstede Insights, Japan has one of the most uncertainty avoidant cultures in the world with a score of 92 out of However, it also extends to other aspects of society. Indeed, Japan is also a high context culture , meaning people share a complex body of 'understood' values and experiences that inform daily interaction. As such, daily life is prescribed by many implicit norms and social rules governing conduct and behaviour.
This is especially evident when considering the various expectations of etiquette see Etiquette. For instance, punctuality is the norm for meetings, appointments and visits. This expectation is carried through to services, such as public transport arriving exactly at the expected time.
Such norms maintain the social order and remove ambiguity surrounding how one should behave across different contexts. As part of mitigating uncertainty, it is common to find people adopting pragmatic approaches to situations. Artistic and Literary Culture. Artistry and literature have played an important role in Japanese culture for centuries. Today, many Japanese support, appreciate and participate in artistic culture, regardless of the form it takes.
The government also encourages artistic endeavours particularly of traditional arts through the support and patronage of institutions such as schools, museums and libraries. The types and forms of art enjoyed throughout the country are diverse. For example, European artistic forms such as classical and orchestral music are popular and there are various institutions that allow for people to pursue careers as professional classical musicians. Traditional Japanese forms of art are also widely celebrated.
Japanese artistic endeavours over the last few decades have made major contributions to global contemporary art, especially in the fields of architecture, graphic design, textiles and fashion. In particular, Japanese artists continually play a major role in the development of video games and animation anime , both of which are widely enjoyed both in Japan and abroad.
Reading is one of the most consumed forms of entertainment throughout the country. For example, newspapers are still widely influential despite readership declining in favour of more digital forms of media and news.
Another particularly popular medium that has gained worldwide popularity are comics or graphic novels manga. Produced in a variety of genres, manga is read by people of all ages in Japan, especially among salary workers during their commute to work. Join over organisations already creating a better workplace. You can download this cultural profile in an easy-to-read PDF format that can be printed out and accessed at any time.
The figure of the total population of each country is drawn from the global estimates listed in the CIA World Factbook , unless otherwise stated. All other statistical information on the demographics of the migrant population in Australia is based on the Australian Housing and Population Census. Japanese Culture. Core Concepts. Dates of Significance.
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