Given the tumultuous history between Japan and the United States, one would assume that there is still some animosity that would exist towards Americans.
While relations have improved between the two countries, research has revealed that Japan still has some gloomy opinions about Americans.
Poll results found that Japan doesn’t see Americans as people with a very strong work ethic. This is no surprise, as Japanese people tend to be quite hard working and take pride in the work that they do. Furthermore, the researchers saw that Americans are also viewed as disingenuous.
Even though Americans work long hours at their jobs, constantly working extra hours whether by choice or not, many Japanese people still don’t believe they work hard.
Perhaps this is because there is not the same kind of drive and passion for exceeding expectations at work in America as there is in Japan.
Japanese People Think Americans Are Creative
One positive trait that Japanese people polled assigned to Americans was their ingenuity and creativity. Japanese people can appreciate many of the contributions that America has made to the world in various avenues and have even embraced many of them in Japan.
Not all Japanese people who participated in these surveys agree with this sentiment, but there is no denying that American culture has influenced many aspects of modern Japanese culture.
Both countries have a deep admiration for each other’s culture and the way they have made special contributions to various aspects of culture, such as art, fashion, and music.
What Do Americans Think Of Japanese People?
Interestingly enough, Americans who were asked about what traits they would assign Japanese people had very positive things to say.
Americans can appreciate the work ethic of Japanese people, and they also see Japanese people as very honest and straightforward. Overall, Americans see Japanese people in a much more positive light than the other way around.
However, this does not mean that Japanese people don’t like Americans. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Japanese people have always embraced Americans when they visit the country and have always found the American way of life fascinating.
Americans are much less reserved, they have bolder personalities, and they embrace modern elements of life in a much different way than Japan does.
Do Japan And America Get Along?
It took a few decades, but the relationship between Japan and America as countries has improved dramatically. Politically, there are good relations between the two countries. However, people from both countries recognize that many traditions, ways of living, and social expectations are drastically different from each other.
Despite the traits, each country is assigned to people from the opposite country based on the surveys done, a large portion of Americans and Japanese people appreciate the others culture and its peoples.
Many of the opinions the survey uncovered are based on stereotypes and no real substantial statistics.
Americans are very welcome and embraced when visiting Japan, and the same is true when people from Japan visit the United States. However, Japanese people are arguably more courteous and willing to help Americans navigate throughout the country when visiting, as manners are extremely important in Japanese culture.
The History Of Relations Between Japan And America
The interactions between Japan and America can be traced back to the 18th century and began very respectfully. The two countries remained allies for many decades. It wasn’t until the 1930s that tensions arose between the United States and Japan.
The once amicable relationship started to tense up as the United States decided to no longer support Japan with supplies needed in their military defense against China. The response was the attack on Pearl Harbour in the United States, which was met with the two infamous bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States.
Japan was then overtaken by the United States after Japan surrendered, and the United States made multiple efforts to change the country into a democratic one, among other changes.
Japan would then see trade partnerships begin to emerge with America, which led to a bolstered economy.
Eventually, the United States loosened its ties with Japan’s internal operations, and tensions began to dissipate as the two countries maintained a strategic partnership and became allies once again.
Japan took a lot of influence from the United States in an effort to modernize as a country, though that doesn’t mean they eliminated what was most important to their culture and country.
The Sharing Of Culture Between Japan And America
It’s very evident that both countries have taken inspiration from each other’s cultures. Americans seem to be fascinated by many aspects of Japan’s entertainment culture, as well as their unique fashion sense and their cuisine.
Anime and cosplay are two such things that Americans have wholeheartedly embraced. There are both cosplay and anime conventions held throughout the United States each year to celebrate just how widespread these two elements of Japanese entertainment have become.
America has also appreciated martial arts such as judo and karate for decades.
Japan is also responsible for America’s fascination with video games and gaming. America has loved just about everything that Japan has released in terms of gaming, from arcade games to all things Nintendo.
Japan’s Appreciation For American Culture
In Japan, it is very easy to see a vast array of Western influences sprinkled throughout the food, fashion, and entertainment as well.
People in Japan enjoy mixing up what they eat by enjoying some Western fast food chains such as McDonalds and Kentucky Fried Chicken, putting their own spin on some of the American classics.
Many people in Japan, especially younger people, enjoy American fashion and American brands just the same way Americans love Japanese fashion. Many Japanese people also see America as a country with much more freedoms and less expectations of people, which some find intriguing while others do not.
Many families in Japan still live very traditionally and hold old customs very dear, while the younger generation often looks for a balance between independence and respecting tradition.
