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Cultural Differences between Japan and U.S. There are many cultural differences between the U.S. and Japan. Each country has their culture and lifestyle. While we may feel that Japanese cultural and lifestyle seems strange, they likewise look at Americans as being different. It is important to realize that Japanese and American culture is swayed by the society of people. Americans belong to a number of subcultures due to immigration, while Japanese society has less immigration and is not as diverse when it comes to subcultures. Since there are so many cultural differences between Japan and the U.S., we cannot discuss its entirety but review a few differences as it relates to the family, greeting, business, and government. First, the family structure is much different. In the Japanese culture, the man is the head and the wife services all of his needs first. While in American culture, the husband and wife are equal partners and share in responsibilities. The family structure in Japan is defined by tradition while the American family structure is free and family roles are chosen according to likes and dislikes of the family member. Japanese traditionally feel that a married woman’s place, especially older women, should be at home taking care of her husband and children. However, Americans feel that a woman can do both home and career and she is free to chose, especially since both partners are equal and share in responsibilities. Japanese are also known to take care of extended family and aging parents more so than Americans. They are less likely to place aging parents in Nursing homes.
The role of a Japanese mother is to raise the children because the father is expected to provide an income for the family. Because the father is away from the home working long hours, he has less interaction with the children. Japanese mothers develop strong ties with their

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