GE 2 – PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION
1st Exam Mechanics & Guidelines
Author: APRIL VINCENT MONTERO
1st Exam Guide
Understanding Similarities and Differences of Cultures:
A Mini-portfolio Inspiring Cultural Appreciation
INTRODUCTION
I. BACKGROUND
Two of the most beautiful countries in Asia are Japan and Philippines.
These two countries are both found in eastern part of Asia and speaks
languages that though different, are closely related. Japan is located east of the
Korean Peninsula, between the Sea of Japan and the North Pacific Ocean.
Philippines, on the other hand, is an island country of Southeast Asia and is
found in the Western Pacific Ocean. Both countries have their own beautiful
geographical features. Japan is known for its natural sights like cherry blossoms
and Mount Fuji while Philippines is known for having an abundance of beautiful
beaches like Boracay, El Nido, and Siargao. The two countries also have a
common in religion like Christianity, but Japan’s national religion is Buddhism.
They both have their own similarities, however, there are many differences
between Japan and Philippines in terms of their climate, languages,
government, population, and religion.
II. COMPARISON AND CONTRAST
Description
Flag
JAPAN
PHILIPPINES
Population
Language/s
Location
The current population of
Japan is 125,860,808 as of
Friday, February 4, 2022,
based on Worldometer
elaboration of the latest
United Nations data and is
equivalent to 1.62% of the
total world population.
The most widely spoken
language in Japan is
Japanese,
which
is
separated into several
dialects with Tokyo dialect
considered
standard
Japanese. In addition to the
Japanese
language,
Ryukyuan languages are
spoken in Okinawa and
parts of Kagoshima in the
Ryukyu
Islands.
In
Hokkaido, there is the Ainu
language, which is spoken
by the Ainu people, who are
the indigenous people of
the island
Japan is an island country
in East Asia. It is situated in
the
northwest
Pacific
Ocean and is bordered on
the west by the Sea of
Japan, while extending
from the Sea of Okhotsk in
the north toward the East
China Sea and Taiwan in
the south.
The current population of
the
Philippines
is
111,898,732 as of Friday,
February 4, 2022, based on
Worldometer elaboration of
the latest United Nations
data and is equivalent to
1.41% of the total world
population.
Filipino, the standardized
form of Tagalog, is the
national language and used
in
formal
education
throughout the country.
Filipino and English are
both official languages and
English is commonly used
by the government. Eight
(8) major dialects spoken
by majority of the Filipinos:
Tagalog,
Cebuano,
Ilocano,
Hiligaynon
or
Ilonggo, Bicolano, Waray,
Pampango,
and
Pangasinense.
The Philippines is an
archipelago, or string of
over 7,100 islands, in
southeastern Asia between
the South China Sea and
the Pacific Ocean. The two
largest islands, Luzon and
Mindanao, make up for twothirds of the total land area.
Only about one third of the
islands are inhabited.
Terrain
Climate
The terrain of Japan is
mostly
rugged
and
mountainous with 66%
forest.[12] The population
is clustered in urban areas
on the coast, plains and
valleys.[13] Japan is in the
northwestern Ring of Fire
on
multiple
tectonic
plates.[14] East of the
Japanese archipelago are
three oceanic trenches.
Japan has four distinct
seasons with a climate
ranging from subarctic in
the north to subtropical in
the south. Conditions are
different
between
the
Pacific side and the Sea of
Japan side. Northern Japan
has warm summers and
very cold winters with
heavy snow on the Sea of
Japan
side
and
in
mountainous
areas.
Eastern Japan has hot and
humid summers and cold
winters with very heavy
snow on the Sea of Japan
side and in mountainous
areas.
Western Japan has very
hot and humid summers
(with
temperatures
sometimes reaching
35^o֯ ֯ ֯C or above) and
moderate cold winters.
Okinawa and Amami have
a
subtropical
oceanic
climate.
Philippine
islands
are
classified into three main
geographical
areas
–
Luzon,
Visayas,
and
Mindanao. Because of its
archipelagic
nature,
Philippines is a culturally
diverse country. With its
topography consisting of
mountainous
terrains,
dense forests, plains, and
coastal
areas,
the
Philippines is rich in
biodiversity.
The Philippines has a
tropical climate, but it is
marginally less hot and
humid than many tropical
countries for most of the
year. Although the sun
shines almost year-round,
there are slight seasonal
variations in the weather.
The dry summer season,
which runs from about late
April to early June is hot
and humid and with little
rainfall.
The
typhoon
season runs from June to
September, with frequent
drenching rains that can
temper the heat somewhat
but also preclude any
outdoor activities.
Religion
According
to
the
Government of Japan,
69.0% of the population
practises Shintō, 66.7%
practise
Buddhism,1.5%
practise Christianity and
6.2%
practise
other
religions as of 2018.1
However, people tend to
identify with no religion
when asked about religious
belief. For instance, when
asked which religion they
personally believed in, 62%
of responders selected
none,
31%
selected
Buddhism, 3% selected
Shintō,
1%
selected
Christianity,1%
selected
some other religion, and
2% did not respond. This
reflects a general view of
Shintō and Buddhism as a
set of practices or a way of
life that can be practiced in
conjunction with other
beliefs. Moreover, people
generally do not hold or
express intense religious
feelings, except for those
who
feel
strongly
connected to their religious
identity.
Some four-fifths of Filipinos
profess
Roman
Catholicism. Adherents of
other denominations of
Christianity
constitute
roughly one-tenth of the
population. The Philippine
Independent Church (the
Aglipayans), established in
1902 in protest against
Spanish control of the
Roman Catholic Church,
has
several
million
members. The indigenous
church called Iglesia ni
Cristo, also founded in the
early 20th century, has a
smaller but nonetheless
significant following. Islam
was
brought
to
the
southern Philippines in the
15th century from Brunei
(on Borneo) to the west.
Small numbers of Filipinos
practice Buddhism or local
religions. Buddhism is
associated primarily with
communities of Chinese
descent. Local religions are
maintained by some of the
rural indigenous peoples.
Government
The government of Japan
is now based on a
constitution that stipulates
the separation of powers
between the legislative,
executive, and judicial
branches. The emperor’s
major role now consists of
such
formalities
as
appointing
the
prime
minister—who
is
first
designated by the Diet
(Kokkai)—and appointing
the chief justice of the
Supreme Court (Saikō
Saibansho),
convoking
sessions of the Diet,
promulgating laws and
treaties, and awarding state
honours—all
with
the
advice and approval of the
cabinet (naikaku).
The Philippines is a
republic with a presidential
form
of
government
wherein power is equally
divided among its three
branches:
executive,
legislative, and judicial. The
government seeks to act in
the best interests of its
citizens through this system
of check and balance. The
Philippines is a democratic
and
republican
State.
Sovereignty resides in the
people and all government
authority emanated from
them. One basic corollary in
a presidential system of
government is the principle
of separation of powers
wherein legislation belongs
to Congress, execution to
the
Executive,
and
settlement
of
legal
controversies
to
the
Judiciary.
CONTENT
III. SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES
In each country, there is a distinct culture that is either kept alive or
modified to the times. Many elements, such as how we celebrate special
occasions and/or how we interact with our daily lives, may differ between
cultures. Our focus, however, is on the cultures of Japan and the Philippines.
Let’s start with their Childbirth Practices. In Japan, women stay at their
maternal home for up to eight weeks after the baby is born. There a postpartum
woman can rest, recuperate, and learn how to take care of the infant. While in
the Philippines, burying the placenta is believed to signify the end of pain and
blood loss for the mother. However, men in both countries are far removed from
pregnancy because it isn't occurring in their bodies; they are therefore often
exempt from maternity courses, medical visits, as well as sometimes the birth
event itself.
In Parenting Styles, young children in the Philippines are often raised by
an extended family household with various relatives taking on child-rearing
responsibilities. Children are often taking on responsibility at an early age. Girls
especially are expected to help with cooking and household chores and look
after younger siblings. In Japan, on the other hand, Japanese parents also
emphasize maintaining high moral standards. So virtues like honesty, humility,
honour and trustworthiness become the bedrock of their parenting culture. It is
especially interesting with permissive parenting being so popular these days.
Talking about the Wedding Rites, in Japan, there are various styles of
wedding ceremonies such as Shinto, Buddhist, Christian, and civil ceremonies.
A Shinto wedding is often held at a shrine, and some shrines have strict rules
for the ceremony such as limiting the number of guests and prohibiting
photography and conversation in the temple. While in the Philippines, a typical
Filipino wedding consists of the following rituals: a candle lighting, a coin
blessing, a veiling, the tying of the nuptial cord, as well as the throwing of rice
grains.
In Dining Etiquette, Japanese uses chopsticks while Filipinos uses
Spoon and fork. Japanese people use chopsticks because it is considered more
lacquer ware friendly than other sharp eating utensils. While we Filipinos prefer
the easy way and use spoon and fork. After the eating, everyone craves for
dessert, right? We Filipinos like sweets while Japanese prefer fruits. Lastly,
Japanese people had a maintained diet. They only eat mostly 80% full and
continue with their lives compared to us Filipinos which eat all we can until we
are satisfied.
In terms of Work Ethics, the Filipinos emphasize the importance of quality
and efficiency. Filipino employees strive to finish tasks assigned to them on time
and with as little errors as possible. The quality-oriented approach to work and
the eagerness to learn new trades make Filipino employees a great fit for any
business. On the other hand, Japanese employees embrace a group mentality
and look to their superiors for approval before making big decisions.
In a Family Orientation, Filipinos are known for having strong and close
family ties. They place high regard and put importance on their family before
anything else. They work all day and do all they can to feed and provide for their
family. On the other hand, the traditional family unit in Japan consists of a
mother, father, and their children. This type of family group is called Kazoku.
Traditionally, three-generation households were the norm, with adult children
living with their parents and their own husband and kids.
Lastly, the Burial Custom of both countries. On the day of a Filipino
funeral, a hearse takes the casket to the church in a funeral procession. After
the funeral service and mass are concluded, a hearse takes the casket to the
cemetery for the burial. For nine days after the burial, also known as a novena,
mourners say prayers such as the rosary. In Japan, more than 99% of the dead
are cremated. There are not many cemeteries where a body can be buried.
While the law does not prohibit interment, plans to create a cemetery for
interring the dead can face massive obstacles -- most notably opposition from
the local community.
IV. PICTOGRAPH
Description
Childbirth
Practices
Parenting
Styles
Wedding
Rites
PHILIPPINES
JAPAN
Dining
Etiquette
Work Ethics
Family
Orientation
Burial
Customs
CONCLUSION
V. CULTURAL APPRECIATION
We come to the conclusion that Japan and Philippines has its own unique
culture and traditional beliefs that made them a country. They both continue
their culture thus preserving them and keeping them alive. We must always
acknowledge our own culture and remember it when we visit other countries,
and we also need to respect the countries culture to avoid unnecessary conflict
that may arise or to keep ourselves from embarrassment. Remember the things
that you've learn and apply it in your life because a way to the understandings
of one another is through respect and that will give us unity and peace.