I found, in my short time living in Japan, that everything seems Westernized. You rarely come across a Japanese person without a cell-phone , a business suit , and a briefcase . Yes, Japanese are the leaders in business ; that is quite obvious, but in this world of business and money , where has all the culture gone?

It seems that Japanese want so much to be like the U.S. that they are beginning to lose their unique and intriguing culture.

1998/1/24

I am a native European, a big Gaijin, but I eat sashimi, watch Sumo on the sports-channel, have japanese cameras, pens and what not, a small garden in japanese style and I love bonsais. Should I worry about my Japanisation? Well, I don't, so stop worrying about your westernisation, whatever this might mean. Having been many times in Japan I don't think you suffer too much of it actually. Let's enjoy each other!

1998/3/6

Regarding the issue about Japan become more and more like an occidental country, there has to be keep in mind that the japanese is a mimetic culture, since the T'ang Dinasty in China, Japan has copied and improved the models of other civilizations in order to improve themselves. That does not mean that they are not original culturally speaking only that they absorbed other cultural patterns more readily.

Eventhough japanese cultural values are still the same, the younger generations are getting more and more detached from those values and they are exchanging them for western or north american values. Which is a sad thing for two reasons : one, cultural patterns has to be carried on by each generation otherwise they dissapear. two, There is a misconception regarding what western or american is, usually those terms are only applied to the United States, overlooking the fact that the whole continent is named America not only a small portion of it. Besides the western world is composed by many other countries in America and Europe. So when somebody says that Japan is becoming westernized is referring to the adoption of western or american cultural patterns as a whole or just the adoption of the cultural patterns existing today in the country United States ?

1998/2/25

To begin with, I found your argument holding very little validity. To begin with, what the heck is 'Westernization' and where is it? I would like to hear a clear, logical definition of either 'the West' or 'Westernization'. According to you this 'Great West' is a land of people with cell phones, business suits, and briefcases. Also, according to you, the 'Great West' is simply the United States. So if cell phones, business suits, and briefcases all originated in the United States, did every other country in the world where cell phones, business suits and briefcases exist also become 'Westernized' or were they 'Easternized' depending on their location relative to the United States.
Next,to refute your next ludicrous claim that Japan is trying to be like the US and is losing unique culture. To begin with, the US is not the only country which maintains influential and close relations with Japan. Japan is influenced by countries from all around the world. It is not 'trying to be like the US' as you put it. While Japan may have been influenced and perhaps adopted some culture ideologies which originated in United States, culture changes as it crosses borders meaning that Japan has taken some of the ideologies from the US and modified them in order to make them fit better within Japanese society thus it changes into a cultural creation which is uniquely Japanese. Japan is not losing its unique culture. Culture is constantly changing. A country must constantly change culturally if it is to compete and be successful in the world. Should we in the midwestern United States revert back to living in log cabins, getting rid of the television, and farming just to preserve our culture? As times change, culture changes and becomes what is known as history.

1998/1/24

Westernisation has nothing to do with technology. If Japanese beliefs, views and attitudes were becoming more western, then you could say westernisation.

Any successful country has to use the best and most efficient technology available to it.

1998/1/24

he, where did you went in japan? You staid one day in Tokyo, and that it was??? Why do you think that the japanese tries to become americans or that they are changing theire country??? There is still alot of tradition, traditional behaviour and so on, but by sure it is not so easy to find this in Roppongi.
Please, if you try to interpretat a country the next time open your eyes (and your mind) when when you are visiting the country.
ps: I like USA but dont think that your country is the center of the world

1998/1/24

I think as far as Japan becoming more westernized, it can not be avoided. Let's remember how fast this world is changing. The computer age is upon us and hopefully, with global communication we can cross the big pond so to speak and come to any agreement that we as a human race have a problem with. I can remember the days of ABC, CBS, and NBC and thats all there was. You listened to their point of view and made your decision from those three. That has done a 180. But don't think of Japan as losing their culture. Think of it as Japan gaining ours and us gaining theirs. Our we really so close minded that we can only think of Japan as Geisha girls and rickshaws? Come on people, we are in a period of globalization whether it's good or bad.

1998/1/24

Like the other responses I must concur--westernization has NOTHING to do with carrying cell phones or the like. Rather, the term that ought to be discussed is Japan's drive (if it can be called that) to 'internationalization'. It's been a trendy buzzword in Japan but no one has clearly defined it. To Japanese women, being international is carrying a Louis Vouitton bag and drinking a Budweiser. The whole country is supposed to be more international these days, but what does that mean?? And is it real or just another here-today, gone-tomorrow 'torendo'?

1998/1/24

In my limited exposure to Japan, I find something a bit different than the views expressed which I was able to review.

I think the Japanese culture is alive and well, but getting influenced greatly by the freedoms of the US. Since so many of the people of Japan have visited here, it is easy to see why they adopt feelings and attitudes like ours. So much freedom, so many more choices.

The Japanese have respected Americans for many many years, even in light of the events of the past. While they hold their heads up high regarding the 'economic miracle' they have accomplished, it is interesting to see a few of the issues which look to still tear the country apart.

Financial companies which are discovered to have been paying off the mafia for years find themselves under indictment or the leaders of those companies committing suicide (in one case).

Prostitution so evident by the daily self-posting of prostitutes pictures in the phone booths, turn out to be all underage girls, with the parents unaware and the abusers married and the society looking the other way.

Its sad to see a country so deep in tradition as to keep many of the women still subservient, problems threatening to spin the economy out of control and the rest of the world with it.

We must continue to respect their tradition, continue to learn from it, and vow to help them whenever possible during any contact you might have with them. For this country, with their 'hard to learn' language, remain today awed at the US, amazed at the creative freedoms we enjoy, and literally astound me with their respect for Americans without reservation.

I should mention this is so much more apparent outside of Osaka and Tokyo. And I challenge anyone visiting the area to break through the language barrier if you can, get to know how similar these people, like all cultures, really are to us, and see the astounding embrace you receive.....and the endless attention to what, anything, YOU have to say.

I just hope we don't end up taking so much money to Japan ourselves, along with thw world, that we ruin so much of the culture for them, like we did in Hawaii. We can help control it.

1998/1/24

I was going to write a reply to this statewment about Japan being westernized, but my views are express quite adequately by what Luis has written. Let's not confuse 'modernization' for 'westernization'. I lived in Japan for a couple of years and, to be sure, it is very modern (probably moreso than my own home state, which I shall refrain from naming), but underneath the surface, it is unmistakably Japanese.

1998/1/24

Westernization is as bad for Westerners living in the west.
But we need to go through all this mess to get to the other-side of infantile behavior. We all need to clean-up 'our' Industry, space, lives, jobs, families, and imagen world peace - harmony - choas - and everybody sharing together or otherwise Mother Nature is going to blow us off this planet. Global Warming is only the start of this process.
Get real the West is the Major part of this Westernization. We can also get to a place were our culture is earth-peace- and love friendly. Right now the west is also to consumed with $$$$ We all need to learn to live and love again!!!

1998/1/24

In response to the assertion that Japan has become Westernized and has lost its original culture: one must really think about what 'culture' is.

Is it clothing? Clothing styles change in just about every culture over time. Is it technology? I think not. Does a briefcase belie cultural loss? Not really.

The symptoms described before have more to do with modernization than Westernization. The Japanese culture would be no stronger if the same businessman wore a kimono and carried his papers in a furoshiki. Culture has more to do with social mores and attitudes, traditions and practices, rituals and behavior, that sort of thing.

If you observe that same Japanese businessman at work, at home, speaking to coworkers, friends and family, you will see less and less Westernization until you realize this so-called Westernization is only superficial. Japan is as much Japanese as it has ever been.

--Luis

1998/1/24

Refusing to modernize seems just as criminal as what you call 'Westernizing.' Should Japan (or any other country) cling solely to her past? What does that mean, anyway? You want kimono-clad women roaming the streets? Just because there are no sword-bearing, chonmage-wearing guys romping around doesn't mean Japan's losing its culture. Look around; it's there. Who made the cell phones, anyway?

1998/1/24