The culture of JAPAN….!!A Business environment presentationByResearch scholarIndian Institute of technology Roorkee.

HISTORY GEOGRAPHY SOCIAL & ECONOMIC

RELIGION & BELIEFS

POLITICALTECHNOLOGICAL

Geography and History

GEOGRAPHY• Island in east asia -  comprising stratovolcanic archipelago.

• Exists in southeast of Russian far east separated by the sea of okhotsk;

• Slightly east of Korea separated by the Sea of Japan

• East-northeast of China and Taiwan, separated by the East China Sea.

• Ranked 7th in the World in total population.

• Tokyo is the capital city.

Few other facts• Four principal islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu.• 72% of Japan is mountainous - Japan's

highest mountain is Mount Fuji.•Located on ring of Fire- volcanic zone along the Pacific deeps.

•Excellent fishing water, key resources.

• Lacks many natural resources.

Geographical set backs:• 1896 – Sanriku earthquake – Tohoku and Hawaii.• 1923-The Great Kanto Earthquake-Tokyo and Yokohama.• 2011- An offshore earthquake and tsunami• Nuclear threat -power plant is severely damaged.• The country has gone through many years of natural disasters, affecting its economy, development, and social life.

HISTORY- the timeline

• Emergence of centralized government in Tokuhawa era.

• Spread of Buddhism.• Emergence of (Feudalism) Military dictators known

as Samurai (Shoguns).• Cultural and Commercial exchange with the West• Under Emperor Meiji, Japan becomes wealthy,

modernised and powerful.

War time • Japan becomes an ally of Germany, Italy in World War II. • On December 7, 1941, Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, the U.S. naval base in

Hawaii. • The U.S. drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki; Japan surrenders. • China overtakes Japan as the world’s second largest economy

• Modern Era

• 1854- Convention of Kanagawa Japan–US Treaty of Peace and Amity.

• Centralized state under the Emperor- Akihito.• Early 19th Century Expansion and militarianism- dominance of

military.• In 1947, adopted a new constitution.

Beliefs and religion

Membership defines religion in Japan….

Contd….• Buddhism- came in 6th century; belief in Buddha teachings• Shinto – belief in action-centred religion focused on ritual practices to be

carried out diligently.• Confucianism: Strong emphasis placed on filial piety ( loyalty to parents )

and loyalty to ruler.• Many Japanese practice both Shinto and Buddhism.• Christianity- initiated due to Jesuit missions starting in 1549.• Islam, Hinduism and Jainism- result of immigrations

Political

Multi-party parliamentary representative

Constitutional monarchy- system of civic law.

• Emperor- head of the Imperial family leads the state.

• Prime Minister- head of the govt. + head of the cabinet

• DIET – (legislative power) incl. House of representatives+ house of councilors.

• Supreme court – (Judicial power).

• Constitution – enables sovereignty among people

Facts……*47th general election took place on 14 Dec 2014. *LDP in power since 1955 except for 11 month period in 1993 and

1994 and 2009-2012.* Japan has had 25 Prime Ministers since 1947.* Political Confusion in Japan. * People want a change (Political Parties like AAP emerging at state

level).

CoalitionLiberal democratic

partyKomeitoKomeito

68.3%

Political scenario..* Territorial disputes with Russia over the Kuril

Islands.* With South Korea over Liancourt Rocks

("Takeshima").* With China and Taiwan over the Senkaku

Islands.* South Asian nations receive heavy aids

from Japan.* The United States : Japan's closest ally

and Japan relies on the U.S. for its national security to a high degree.

Economic

• Currency – Japanese yen (JPY)

• 3rd largest eco. – nominal GDP.

•  4th largest- purchasing power parity.

• 2nd largest- developed economy.

• Leading industrial clusters and manufacturing centres.

•  World's largest creditor nation.

• Japan is a member of multiple international trade organizations such as APEC, WTO, OECD, the G-8 and the G-20.

• Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) rather than Free Trade Agreements (FTAs)

Top Imports

Crude oil

Electronic Integrated Circuits

Computers, Printers & Storage Units

Petroleum Gases

Coal

Non Crude Oil

Copper Ores

Top exports

Vehicles excluding trains and streetcars

Machinery:

Electronic equipment

Optical, technical and medical apparatus

Iron and steel

Organic chemicals

Plastics

Japan imports raw materials and pays for them by processing the raw materials, thus adding value to them before exporting the output.

Social

Hybrid culture with the influence from Asia, North America and Europe.

The primary and the official language – Japanese.

‘Gaijin’ – outsiders or immigrants

Greet by bowing before each other.

Socially use the family name to call (like Mr. Mishra).

Like more of singing than dancing

Good listener than speaker..speak when they are superneeded…

Not known for being big smilers..

• Japan does not exhibit the deep ethnic, religious, and class divisions that characterize many countries.

• The gaps between rich and poor are not as glaring in Japan as they are in many countries.

• Collectivism rather than individualism, dominates many aspects of Japanese life.

• Parent–child relationships characterise the hierarchical nature of inter-organizational and interpersonal links,

such as government–industry, large firm–small firm, employer–employee etc.

Technological

Technology -HistoryTokugawa era (Edo era): first centralized govt. (1603 – 1868)

• Guns – battle of Nagashino – between Tokugawa and rivalries.

• Imaging technology – inspired from Paris Ukiyo-e. – multi colored wooden block.

• Socio technological infrastructures (Roads, ports and schools)- to facilitate “daimyos”.

• Science and technology – mathematics, medicine, surgeons, tourism, taxation, Bill notes (No barter).

• Recycling technology- due to depression (use of paper, waste as fertilizers, habitual to low cost hobbies)

Meiji era… (the shoguns) ( 1868 – 1912)• Japanese scientist started gaining fame.

• Therapy for tetanus, chemical composition of ‘ajinomoto’, atomic based system of Saturn ring, Vita B1 for Beriberi… etc.

• Nobel nominations initiated- Yukawa got nobel..

• Japanese westernization began completely

• Industrial Revolution 1st appeared in textiles – cotton and silk (competed with British textiles)

• Capitalism implemented into technology and applied to military

• Western based education system implemented

• Private enterprises flourished

Present status• Leading nation in scientific research, particularly technology,

machinery and biomedical research

•  700,000 researchers share a US$130 billion research and development budget, the third largest in the world.

• 16 Nobel prize winners from physics, chemistry and medicine

Nuclear reactors

Film and animations

Martial arts

Video games

Literature

Philosophy

Biomedical sciences

Food technology

Weaving Technology

Mathematics

Audio technology

Imaging technology

Food technology

Robotics

Storage technology

Transportation Weapons

Environment

Environment Pollution along with Meiji period industrialization

Ashio copper mine(1878):Watarase river basin flood

Cadmium poisoning in Toyama Prefecture

Methyl mercury poisoning in Minamata

Current issues Waste management: Lack of landfill space

Global Warming:

Nuclear power threat

Whaling

• Urbanization

• Photochemical smog

• Eutrophication

• Nature conservation

• Chemical management

Conclusions• Japan’s geographical constraint does not hinders it overall growth.

• The history of Japan is the basis for its technological advancement

• Political confusion and coalition leads to delays in decision making.

• Japan has a well-developed industrial and service sectors, but at the same time budget deficit and poor government finances pose a threat to the development

• The country is strong in terms of human development index and social welfare, but an ageing population and declining labour force is an area of concern

• Japan has a strong technological base and significant R&D expenditure, but high wage costs are a concern

• The Japanese legal system is similar to that of US and Germany, but rigid and slow legal procedures could turn away the prospective investors

• The country has strong environmental policies; but air pollution is a challenge the country will have to meet.