People and Culture

Japan’s people and culture are yet another reason the country is often referred to as the “Miracle of the Orient.” Japan has successfully blended its traditional East Asian culture with a modern Western urban-industrial way of life.This mixture of the old and the new defines modern Japan

.

POPULATION

 Japan has an estimated population of 127 million. At first, that figure may not seem very large. In terms of numbers alone, nine countries have more people. But such facts and figures fail to tell the whole story. In total area, Japan is slightly smaller than California, which, with about 34 million people, is the most populated state in the United States. But Japan’s population is nearly four times greater than that of California! In fact, Japan’s population is nearly half that of the entire United States.Like California,however, much of Japan is sparsely settled. Because so much of Japan is mountainous, the population is concentrated in just a few cities and towns. This means the places that people actually live in Japan are densely populated,with thousands of people per square mile (square kilometer). In fact, few places in the world are as crowded as Japanese cities.

POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS 

Demographic data show that Japan’s population is unique in many respects.In a land with few resources,little agricultural land, and many environmental hazards, several aspects of the country’s demography are, indeed, miracles—not only for Asia, but for the world. Japan long ago came to grips with its population “explosion.” Today,with an annual growth rate estimated to be 0.15 percent, the country is approaching zero population growth. In fact, the Japanese government believes that the rate of population increase is too low. Current projections suggest that by the year 2050, the country’s population actually will decline by an estimated 21 percent. This is why, despite the country’s having such a high population density,the government is encouraging families to have more children. With so few births,another problem Japan faces is an aging population. The average Japanese person can expect to live about 81 years. No other country can match this longevity. As is true in the United States, most Japanese retire in their 60s. This means that a growing number of people are living well beyond the age of employment.With fewer young people in the work force, providing for the elderly has become an increasing challenge for society. The Japanese people enjoy a high standard of living. Income, of course, is one important factor. Among major world nations, Japan’s per capita income and gross national product ranks near the top. Income alone, however, does not always mean a high standard of living. In some countries, only the wealthy few benefit. In Japan, wealth is fairly evenly distributed among the population. This has an important influence on the population. If people are able to afford health care, for example, the results will be reflected in life expectancy. Japan’s high standard of living influences other demographic data, too. At 3.7 deaths per 1,000 births, Japan has one of the world’s lowest infant mortality rates. (Infant mortality rates in the United States, by comparison, are about 6.7 deaths per 1,000 births.) Japan also has one of the world’s highest literacy rates—about 99 percent of people over the age of 15 can read and write.

OVERPOPULATED?

 Overpopulation is a difficult concept to define. Some people examine population numbers and population density when defining the concept. Others look at such factors as per capita income, gross domestic product, life expectancy, literacy, and other signs to judge whether a country suffers from overpopulation. Numbers of people seem to be of minor importance. After all, some of the world’s most populated places also have the world’s highest standards of living. On the other hand, some countries have a very low population density, yet their people live short and miserable lives. Japan, despite its large population and high population density, also enjoys a high standard of living. In fact, the Japanese people are the country’s most important resource. Human resources, rather than a large area and an abundance of natural resources, have made it possible for Japan to prosper. There are many definitions of “overpopulation.” Considering the good health of the Japanese people and economy, it is doubtful that any definition of overpopulation applies to Japan.

SETTLEMENT

 Flying into or out of Tokyo’s Narita International Airport on a clear night is an amazing experience. The Tokyo-Yokohama metropolitan area is among the world’s most densely populated places.Here,nearly 30 million people are squeezed into an area of only about 1,700 square miles (4,400 square kilometers)— an area just slightly larger than Los Angeles County, but with more than twice as many people! Flying southward, having left the huge urban complex, the land below and to the west is mountainous. Only a few small dots of light appear. To the east, along the coastal plain, the string of light from cities and towns is nearly unbroken. Soon airplane passengers can see a huge island of light from the combined cities of Osaka and Kobe. Here, another 14 to 15 million people are packed into an area of only 880 square miles (2,280 square kilometers). The short flight between these two huge cities serves as a wonderful introduction to two primary characteristics of Japan’s settlement patterns. First, it is a country of large cities, 10 of which have populations of more than 1 million. In fact, 78 percent of all Japanese live in cities or large towns. This figure is all the more remarkable, however, when one realizes that about 80 percent of the country is mountainous. In the rugged highland areas, there are few towns or people.At night, much of Japan appears to be dark from the air. But the islands of light created by Tokyo-Yokohama, Osaka-Kobe, Nagoya, Kyoto, and other huge Japanese cities clearly demonstrate the country’s pattern of urban settlement.

A HOMOGENEOUS PEOPLE

 Japan has one of the world’s most homogeneous populations. Over 98 percent of the country’s inhabitants are ethnic Japanese. This means that most Japanese share similar physical features, such as black hair. They also share a way of life, including cultural roots, traditions, and practices.

In Japan,gaijin (outsiders) truly do stand out.The country does have a few “minority”people.Koreans make up the largest group of foreign people, with about 500,000 living in Japan. There also are small numbers of Chinese, Brazilians, Filipinos, and Americans living in the country. In the United States, diversity is taken for granted, particularly in cities. Food, for example, is a wonderful indicator of diverse tastes. In any large American city one can select from Italian, Chinese, Mexican, Greek,German,Thai,and perhaps several dozen other types of cuisine—including Japanese. Throughout Japan, however, food, dress, appearance, customs, language, religion, and all other aspects of culture are quite similar.

JAPANESE CULTURE 

Cultures are complex.They include every aspect of peoples’ way of life. This includes how people think, act, and relate to one another. It also includes how they live, where, and in what kinds of settlements and dwellings. And how they communicate, worship, make a living, and govern themselves. The remainder of this chapter focuses on what are two of the most important aspects of any culture—language and religion.

LANGUAGE

 Japanese is the official language of the country. Spoken Japanese is different than other Asian languages, such as Chinese or Korean. Its rules of grammar and pronunciation are quite simple, making spoken Japanese a relatively easy language to learn. Many scholars who study languages, however, believe that the written form of Japanese may be the world’s most complex and difficult to learn. Three types of characters are used in Japanese writing: kanji, hiragana, and katakana. Kanji reached Japan from China, by way of the Korean Peninsula, in ancient times. Each kanji character (there are at least 48,000) is an ideogram, or a picture that represents a thing or an idea.Some characters require as many as 23 separate strokes to write. Japanese was a spoken language long before it was written.The kanji alphabet was unable to express many of the sounds of Japanese words.In order to overcome this problem, the Japanese developed two other sets of characters. These writing systems,hiragana and katakana,were developed from the original kanji characters. Each is similar to letters in the English alphabet, because each character represents a single phonetic sound. Hiragana and Katakana are much easier to write than kanji, because characters are written with no more than four strokes. Traditional Japanese handwriting is very artistic. But it can be extremely confusing to people who are not native speakers. In modern written Japanese, for example, kanji, hiragana, and katakana are combined. Kanji characters are used for the main body of a written work. Hiragana characters are used in writing verb endings, adverbs, and short linking words. Most foreign terms are written in the more flexible katakana style. In addition to the three sets of characters used, Japanese writing differs greatly from other forms in yet another way. Traditionally, at least, Japanese is written vertically and read from right to left and top to bottom of the page. Today, most Japanese are able to speak and write at least some English.Students learn the English language in secondary school. Increasingly, it is the language of global business, tourism, media, entertainment, and computer applications.

RELIGION

 Freedom of religion is guaranteed by the Japanese constitution.Religious beliefs and practices in Japan revolve around two faiths—Shintoism and Buddhism. Shinto, meaning “the way of the gods,” is an ancient faith that is native to Japan. It is a philosophy that is concerned primarily with the living (present) world. Shinto also involves ancestor worship. Buddhism originated in India and reached Japan in the 6th century A.D. from Korea. It is a faith the focuses on enlightenment and meditation. Shinto gates (called torii) and other shrines and Buddhist statues are common features of the Japanese landscape. Major life events, such as weddings, are normally held in Shinto shrines. Buddhist priests usually perform the funerals. To many Americans, religious practices in Japan may appear to be strange. For example, when surveyed about their religious beliefs, most Japanese are vague. Rarely do they boldly and proudly claim affiliation with any particular faith. Another striking trait of the Japanese people is that a substantial number of them, an estimated 85 percent, follow practices of both Shintoism and Buddhism. In order to understand how such a dual belief system can exist, one must recognize the different roles that the respective religions fulfill. “Shintoism,” one Japanese person explained, “is for now [the living world],and Buddhism is for later [after death].” Because of the different functions each religion performs, more than half of all Japanese homes have both a small Buddhist altar and Shinto shrine. Another difference between most Japanese people and Christians or Jews is that most Japanese do not believe in just one god. Rather, their worldview includes many kami, Shinto gods or spirits with varying degrees of power. Finally, Japanese society is much more secular than the United States. That is, religion does not play as important a role in the life of most people as it does for many Americans. The Japanese worldview is much different than that of Christians. In the Christian view, religion often defines one’s identity. Japanese, on the other hand, tend to be much more open-minded and practical in their worldview. They do not hesitate to turn to science for answers, yet many will also turn to one or more alternative sources of aid. When a Japanese person becomes ill,for example,he or she almost certainly will seek the aid of a trained physician. Meanwhile, the person also may turn to a person trained in herbal folk medicine or visit a Shinto shrine.The physician attempts to cure the patient using modern medicine. The herbalist believes the body is out of balance,a situation that can be cured with the appropriate use of certain herbs. Visiting a shrine, many Japanese people believe, purifies the mind,which is necessary if the body is to heal.