Comparing Japanese & American Cultures
By
Mrs. Lucas and Mrs. Cooper’s Classes
Daily Life
Japan
Food Noodles & rice
Clothes Kimonos &
Happy coats Now
Western fashions
Housing Apartments
United States
Food Spaghetti ,Pizza,
& Hamburgers
Clothes Jeans &TShirts
Housing Apartments,
Houses, & Trailers
Schools
Japan
Field Trips 3-4 days
Cleaning the school
students
Performance skits
Slippers not shoes
in school
U.S.
Field Trips 1 Day
Cleaning the school
janitor
Christmas play
Shoes in school
Play
Japan
Sports Baseball,
Soccer
United States
Sports Basketball,
Baseball, Soccer
Technology video
games, CDs, TV
Beach
Technology Video
games, CDs, TV,
Beach
Sports
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Japan
Baseball
Soccer
Tennis
Skiing
Jogging
Swimming
Judo
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United States
Baseball
Basketball
Football
Soccer
Roller Jam
Judo
Regions
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Japan
47 Prefectures
Capitol Tokyo
3,000 cities
Rural Industrial
communities
Technopolis
United States
• 50 States
• Capitol
Washington,D.C.
• 18,000 cities
Nature and Climate
Japan
• Island
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• Western edge of
Pacific Ocean
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• Humid climate
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• Population 125
million
• 7th largest
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United States
Covers North
American midsection
Stretches from
Atlantic to Pacific
Ocean
Warm to frozen
climate
Population 270
million
3rd largest in pop.
Government
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Japan
Democracy
Prime minister
Three Branches
Executive,
Legislative, Judicial
Emperor
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United States
Democracy
President
Three Branches
Executive,
Legislative, Judicial
Protecting the Environment
Japan
• 1967 Recycling Laws
• Recycling paper and
cans
• Pollution Emissions
controlled
United States
• Recycling
• Vehicle Emissions
Test
• Pollution Emissions
controlled
Tradition and Culture
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Japan
Haiku-poems
Ukiyo-woodblock
prints
Bonsai-miniature
trees
Ikebana-Flower
arranging
Origami-paper
folding
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United States
Flower gardens
Draw and sketch
Read and write
poems
Calligraphy-fancy
printing
Plays
History
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Japan
Hunters / Gatherers
States ruled by
Samurai soldiers
200 years isolation
1868 Emperor
Democracy
America
• Hunters and
Gatherers-Native
Americans
• Colonial Settlers
• United States of
America-Democracy
Economy and Industry
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Japan
Sony Toyota, &
Honda
Factories in other
countries
Fishing
Rice
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America
Services
Manufacturing
Government
Transportation &
communication
Agriculture &
Mining
International Relations
Japan
• Peace
• Weapons Control
• Prosperity
America
• Peace
• Weapon s control
• Prosperity
Resources
Mrs. Michelle Shiffler, Japanese Language Teacher,
Hardin County Schools
Teach Me Japanese, video-tapes, Hardin County
Schools
Konnichiwa! I Am a Japanese-American Girl Tricia
Brown, Henry Holt & Company, New York, 1995.
Tree of Cranes Allen Say,Houghton Mifflin Co., 1991.
Kids Web Japan
http://www.jinjapan.org/kidsweb/index.html
Mrs. Laura Mayer’s Students, video e-mail,
Sagamihara, Japan
World Book CD- ROM