About Japan
Japan is a country
where East meets West, where a traditional lifestyle steeped in ritual
and ceremony somehow finds a happy medium with rampant commercialism and
industrialization. The Japanese love to do things as a group, whether
it’s decision-making or going for an outing into the countryside. Rice
and seafood are important staples in the Japanese diet, and the Tokyo
fish market is the largest in the world. Slippers are worn in Japanese
houses, and most Japanese sleep on futons that are laid out on tatami
mats (woven floor panels). The Japanese fascination with technology has
led them to become one of the world’s leading exporters of electronics
and automobiles. Today you can find that 100% of Japanese young people
have textand/or photo-capable cellular phones that they use to send
written and/or photo messages to their friends. Since they have very few
natural resources and import half of their food, they have developed
progressive recycling programs. Japan has the second largest economy in
the world and some of the largest banks, financial institutions, and
insurance companies. They are a very service oriented society, and their
economic success has, in part, been due to their focus on quality. The
Japanese have one of the highest standards of living, health, and life
expectancy. Fine arts in Japan were heavily influenced by China. Japan
produces some of the finest porcelain in the world, and their strong
sense of aesthetics can be found in everything from their meticulously
organized courtyard gardens to their knack for creating products that
are pleasing to the eye. The Japanese are a leading force in animation,
and films such as Akira, Princess Mononoke, and Pokeman have become
international sensations. While Akiro Kurosawa (The Seven Samurai) is
perhaps Japan’s most famous film director, many other directors have
reached mainstream U.S. audiences, including Juzu Itami (Tampopo) and
Takeshi Kitano (Fireworks). Japan also has cornered the market in video
games and gaming consoles, and their highly evolved manga (comics) are
just as likely to be read by adults in Japan as children.
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Japanese Educational System The typical Japanese university calendar runs from April to July and
from October to March. However, foreign students may be able to take
advantage of a shortened fall semester calendar, allowing them to finish
up by the Christmas holidays. Grading is often done on the following
scale: 100-80% excellent, 79-70% good, 69-60% passing, 59-0% failure. |
