Paul Norbury - Japan: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.

Adapted from Marcel Proust, Remembrance of Things Past.

ISBN 978 1 78702 892 0

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A CIP catalogue entry for this book is available from the British Library

First published in Great Britain

by Kuperard, an imprint of Bravo Ltd

59 Hutton Grove, London N12 8DS

Tel: +44 (0) 20 8446 2440

www.culturesmart.co.uk

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Design Bobby Birchall

Printed in Turkey

The Culture Smart! series is continuing to expand. All Culture Smart! guides are available as e-books, and many as audio books. For further information and latest titles visit www.culturesmart.co.uk

PAUL NORBURY has been closely associated with Japan and Asian Studies as publisher, editor, and author since the early 1970s, principally through his various imprints: Paul Norbury Publications, Japan Library, Global Oriental, and most recently Renaissance Books. In 2003 he received the Japan Society Award, in 2011 the Order of the Rising Sun (Japanese Government), and in 2013 the Order of Civic Virtue (Government of the Republic of Sakha, Yakutia, Russian Commonwealth). He is also the author of Culture Smart! Britain.

COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic of 2020 affected millions of people around the world, causing unprecedented social and economic disruption. As the impact of this global crisis continues to unfold, in many countries social norms are being challenged, and enduring changes will be reflected in future editions of Culture Smart! titles.

Japan is often thought of as a far away country where they do things differently, and this is indeed true. The Japanese have, for example, a unique language not shared by any other group of people, and a unique religionShinto. Yet Japan is becoming increasingly Western in its norms, expectations, and way of life. Furthermore, Japan today participates more widely in the international arenas of sport, music, food, fashion, design, robotics, R&D collaboration, overseas aid, and soft power diplomacy than ever before.

However, despite this pursuit of modern living, the core values of traditional Japana sense of duty rather than of rights, the pursuit of harmony as an instinctive need at all levels of society, and respect for each other throughout lifenot least in old ageendure. The visitor should be aware that notions of uniqueness also endure in the Japanese psyche. Japan is one of the most pleasant and safest countries to live in; it has one of the best medical infrastructures, and enjoys the longest life expectancy in the world (85.8 years on average).

Japan functions mainly as a consensus-based society, but Japanese genius and eccentricity point to an unexpected strand of individualism. What appears to be the innate aesthetic sensibility of the Japanese is evident everywherein their literature, arts and crafts, gardens and buildings, design, and technology. Yet, there is a striking paradox here that the visitor needs to prepare for, namely, the sprawling ugliness of metropolitan Japan that manages to challenge all the senses!

Beyond the current preoccupations of faltering economic growth, and concerns relating to security and climate change, shared with much of the industrialized world, Japan today finds itself engaged with other issues revolving around the so-called modernizing agenda of former prime minister Shinz Abe (the longest-serving in Japanese history), looking to restore Japans national pride, its economy, and its role in the worldall in the context of a declining and rapidly aging population and his desire to change Japans peace constitution.

Nevertheless, regardless of Mr. Abes political legacy, Japans democratic foundations are solid. Furthermore, its economy is the third largest in the world and it remains one of the most attractive and secure destinations for investment. It continues to excel at innovation in technology and the new sciences, and is among the worlds largest funders in research as a percentage of GDP, and continues a major player on the world stage.

In May 2019, a new era for Japan began when Crown Prince Naruhito became emperorsignaling, perhaps, a new Japan and a new optimism. The era name reiwa is significant, comprising two characters meaning good fortune and harmony. Hosting the Rugby World Cup in 2019 and the XXXII Olympiad in 2021 will put Japan back on the map.

This new, updated edition of Culture Smart! Japan provides information and insights into peoples attitudes and behavior and practical advice to help you discover the brilliance and charm of this complex, rich, and dynamic society.