Is Japan a Western Country?
Of course Japan is an Asian country, but what about in the minds of the people of the world and in the minds of the people of Japan? Japanese people seem to see themselves as being quite different from the rest of Asia and Japan seems to have much more economic and cultural ties to Western countries. Japan's history may be similar to other Asian countries, but its present is quite different. To me, Japan felt like a Western country that just happened to be in Asia. Of course, some cultural things are different from Western countries, but the lifestyle is very similar. It seems like many Japanese people would like Japan to be accepted by Western countries as being "one of them". Few of the Japanese people I talked to had ever traveled to any other Asian country, but many of them had traveled to America and Europe.
What do you think about this?
remember that cheesy Tom Selleck movie Mr. Baseball?
There is a line in that movie where his ramontic interest says something like "Japan takes the best from all over the world and makes it her own". I find that many countries borrow aspects of culture they find attractive. (look at Japanese management techniques popularity in the 80's, sushi etc.) But Japan takes the "borrow" from other cultures thing to a preeminent level. In the past they borrowed from Chinese culture with writing, food etc. Now it is from the west with entertainment, music, clothes etc.
As for the threads original question "Is Japan a Western Country?" My oppinion is Japan is too beautifully unique to pigeonhole as western OR Asian. I would say Japan is a very Japanese country ;)