It was difficult to answer this question as I was recalling my experiences in life. There are so many to choose from! I was in the Military when I graduated from high school, and I had some fabulous opportunities to experience the richness of Asian cultures at that time. (Being in the Navy took me to places of call from Malaysia to Taiwan).
But I feel that my sister Patty best encapsulates the answer for this question.
She has brought diversity to our family in a whole new light! She teaches English to students in Japan. While there, she met and married a Japanese man. As anyone can understand, that in itself is not a “big deal” per se. But the fact that she has embraced their culture and maintained residency there for 18 years is amazing. Think about the cultural differences between the United States and Japan. By no means are they a third world environment of any kind.
They have an economic system, albeit it not very strong now, that is as advantaged as any other country’s. Their education system is something to be applauded, just look at ours comparatively. We should be ashamed of our public school system. They have far excelled in areas of a society that we as a country have not been as successful to reach.
I believe their crime rate is ridiculously low in comparison to ours. Theirs is an incredibly stable and history filled society that still holds all the traditions of their ancestry close. But their women are still repressed to some degree. How often do you think you would see a female on a stock trading floor in Japan? I would be doubtful if ever in our lifetime. Customs and traditions are steeped into their being, and they are not likely to change, nor should they have to.
The Essay on Class System Japan Tokugawa Japanese
... an education system, a constitution and a defense force. Unfortunely for the people of Japan, this meant ... their economy flourished and the cruel class system was abolished. Some lost thier power, but ... guidelines. During his rule a strict class systems and code of behavior was introduced by ... that taxes would once again have to rise, and many people were upset by this. The class system ...
