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From sushi bars to Studio Ghibli, Japan has been leaving its mark on western culture for several decades. Here’s how embracing some aspects of Japanese culture could change the way you see the world and potentially have positive benefits.
Food
Many of us have tried Japanese food either through visiting a Japanese steak house or trying supermarket sushi. Fish, rice and unprocessed vegetables are staples of the Japanese diet, all of which are tasty but more importantly nutritious. Japan’s diet has attributed as one of the healthiest in the world and is thought to be the reason for Japanese people’s high life expectancy. This is thought to be largely down to the amount of fish consumed instead of red meat, which has more healthy omega-3 fats in it. Green tea meanwhile has been shown to have high antioxidant levels, thought to help ward off viruses, heart diseases and even cancer.
Fashion
Japanese fashion is half about breaking the rules and being wacky, but half of it is also about keeping things simple. In fact, many Japanese clothing brands promote a simple, clean look that doesn’t require lots of accessories. Japanese women are also more open to less makeup and living more natural. Many men meanwhile are still fans of tailored suits. This has started to take off in the west.
Entertainment
TV shows and movies from Japan are very different from those we see in the west. Animated TV shows or ‘anime’ is a much bigger phenomenon – whilst cartoons are generally wholly humorous in the west, they can take on more serious tones in Japan. Anime news sites can show you some of the top shows of the moment to get inspiration. Many Japanese TV shows for learning about Japanese culture such as their respect values and their table manner and can make travelling to this country easier.
Technology
Many of us have Japanese technology in our homes and even our pockets. Japan are big on tech and in many ways they’re ahead of us, but there are other parts of the culture that may seem technologically behind. You’ll find few places that accept credit cards or even debit cards in Japan. Their cash-based society is largely a way of staying out of debt. Here in the west, we’re much more reliant on borrowing, which can have its uses but is also something many of us can be prone to abuse.
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