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Japan is a nation that has been influenced by years of isolationism. The cultures, beliefs, and way of life of the Japanese society differs greatly from the West and more specifically the United States. ... “Behind all the acrimony between Japan and the West over trade and markets lies a deep cultural conflict: The Japanese way of seeing reality and organizing behavior fundamentally differs from the West [United States]” (Kato, 1). While the United States value the individual and his or her privacy, “the first thing to know about privacy in Japan is that there’s no word for it. ... Stores in Japan often contain hidden cameras and recording devices “and there are often stories in the press about their use. ... If you frequent a public bath in Japan (which is a very common practice), you may be surprised at the lack of separation between open spaces. ... “The general right to privacy isn’t mentioned in Japanese law, and culturally, it’s been less honored than the right of the family or group to know and act on a member’s affairs” (1-2). In order to understand why the Japanese do not seem to value privacy as the Americans do, one also needs to understand the religious backgrounds of a nation cut off from the rest of the world for over 150 years. ... Unlike the individualistic society of the United States, Japan is a collectivistic society. In others words, instead of valuing the individual, Japan values the group and a culture as a whole. ... Privacy is almost non-existent in Japanese society because it undermines and contradicts the general notion of collectivism. This lack of privacy in Japan is exemplified by the amount of data and personal information that can be found on the Internet and in the printed mass media. ... For example, when there is a plane crash in Japan, the names and information about the victims are immediately broadcast to the public. ...
Another result of isolationism is a limited amount of worshiped religions in Japan. ... “While the West stresses the absolute value of the individual, the Confucian influence in Japan stresses the value of inter-human relationships” and collectivism (Kato, 2). The word for privacy does not exist in the Japanese language because following the Confucian influence, privacy is almost, if not completely impossible to maintain. Inter-human relationships require communication while individual privacy implies restrictions on communication with others. “Adding the Buddhist influence into all of this, there is also a certain sense in Japan that the West is naïve, even foolish, in its fixation on absolutes [e. ... This Shinto belief system emphasizes truth rather than privacy. ... There is no issue of invasion of privacy in Japan with hidden cameras and recorders because they present the truth.
By being such a collectivistic society, Japan does not put too much thought and maybe even respect to the individual privacy.
Approximate Word count = 2397
Approximate Pages = 9.6
(250 words per page double spaced)
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