Japan and Sweden have rather long life expectancy rates within their countries. The life expectancy in Japan in 2013 was 84.19 and in Sweden, it was 81.28. The life expectancy in the United States was 78.62. (CIA.gov, 2014) Why is it so much longer in Japan and Sweden? Better health care, healthier and lifestyles are both contributors to why. Japanese people eat healthier than Americans do. Fish is the prime meat in Japan. Fish is lower in cholesterol than red meat, which tends to be the prime choice in the United States. Japanese people tend to eat less dairy than Americans do. Milk has a high number of calories and fat it. Rice is a common staple in Japan. It is filling and low in fat. Americans use rice but potatoes and pasta are also common staples in the United States. The Japanese eat a lot of soy i.e. tofu and sprouts. Soy lowers blood pressure, which can reduce the risk of heart disease. (Koichi, 2010) Japanese people are active. They stand rather than sit. They walk or bike to their destinations. American’s are more prone to taking transportation on a reg...
The Japanese society can be portrayed as essentially having no classes since there is a small group of elite and underclass that encompass the numerous middle class. Social differences exist between rural folks and urban residents in terms of family composition, education and participation in the labor force. The social difference in urban setting exists between white collar middle class and blue collar industrial workers and the self-employed artisans (Japan social influence 2014:6).
such as the quality of life of a country. And in turn how does the
During the Meiji restoration, selected members of Japanese were dispatched to the United States and Europe to learn about Western laws and cultures. Western cuisine was one of the practices they achieved throughout the tour. During the visit, what astonished the Japanese was a significant height difference compared to American and European. Japanese were typically small because the traditional Japanese food culture based on fish didn’t provide enough nutrients like meat essential for healthier physical growth. Aft...
First some technicalities: Most of my research focused on the Japanese Americans and Japanese culture. There will be examples that are specific to this particular ethnic group and race. However, due to the lack of articles specifically on Japanese American students and the tendency to study Asian Americans as a group, I ...
The typical diet of the average Japanese citizen is much healthier than that of an average American citizen. The Japanese diet is vastly different than the common western diet in terms of ingredients used, portion size, preparation, and relationship between its users and their food. While Americans commonly opt for unhealthy food high in calories, fat, cholesterol, and sodium, many people of Japan benefit from their healthy choice of rice, fish, vegetables, and soy products. The Japanese style of preparing and serving food is also very intricate and deliberate, which encourages diners to truly appreciate their food, instead of rushing through each meal without much thought, as done in the United States. The typical Japanese diet offers its users increased immunity and can help prevent against some cancers, heart and cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes, among other illnessesi. The diet typically followed in the United States is grossly opposite in that many commonly consumed unhealthy foods have been determined to actually cause the same diseases that the Japanese diet works against, including but not limited to heart disease, some cancer, and diabetes.
Japan's 2008 total population was 127.69 million though its younger population has decreased as the older population has increased. Japans older population is living longer than earlier generations (Wakamatsu-cho, 2008). Diet has a great deal to do with Health and traditionally Japanese meals were higher in carbohydrates due to lower economic status and rarely used beef or pork. With economic growth came changes to the traditional Japanese diet adding more fats and proteins, causing a recent decline in Japanese health and increase in obesity (Saigusa, 2006).
Japan is crowded with its 130 million people would be an understatement. But add that to the fact that seventy-five percent of the nation is hilly or mountainous, and the wide open spaces for ...
The Japanese culture is based on its long rich history and change is not welcome, things are done the way they were hundreds of years ago. People also don’t tend to voice their opinions like we do here in the States. Anyone who speaks out usually isn’t given much attention and they fall back into their place and a majority of the population is fine with that. Everyone is fine with fitting in and personal opinion is not voiced out loud most of the time. There are multiple practices that are part of the Japanese culture that are not found in American culture. A few of these are bowing instead of handshake when you address someone, slurping or loud noises are viewed as polite and that you’re enjoying your food, and tipping is viewed as an insult. These practices are somewhat opposite in the American culture, we are much more different than some people tend to realize.
Japan needs to have more babies. The population of Japan is declining, and the birth rate is a base problem. People just aren’t having enough babies anymore. This will be problematic, as Tomm says “The consequences have had negative effects as fertility rate continues to decline and life expectancy continues to increase”. After the birth rate has been declining for the past four decades, the old far outnumber the young at a ratio of nearly 2:1(“Japan Age structure”). There aren’t enough workers to pay into social security. Social problems like traditional gender roles and stereotypes negatively impact the growth of the population. Because of their work-centric lifestyles, social problems, and child related expenses, Japan’s birth rate is severely declining.
I chose to compare and contrast the United States culture with the culture of Japan. There are a few similarities between the two, such as a love of the arts, fashion and baseball. However, they are culturally different than similar in very major aspects. Japan is a very homogenous society made up of about 98% ethnic Japanese. They tend to put a lot of emphasis on family and communities, and value the group more than the individual (Aliasis, 2013).
It has been well documented that women in general have a longer lifespan than men. In the past the reason was believed to be that women live a healthier lifestyle than men; I believe this is true to a point. Women don’t tend to work in as hazardous of environments and historically they tend not to smoke as much. Based on some research I have seen, a man or women’s lifestyle doesn’t sum up the total life expectancy of the individual. For the most part I believe the availability of modern medicine and the education level of the person will tie directly into the results. Basically if the person is moderately educated and has access to the modern medicine and actually uses it they can expect to extend their life. These are not the only factors of this though; genetics can obviously play a large role in the life expectancy of a person as well. People appear to be understanding this more and are moving to a preemptive strike when it comes to these types of issues. The fact that women have out lived men over the years may be taking a turn. Mortality rates of women are on the rise from lung...
Okinawa is a popular island located in Japan. The island is commonly known the health and longevity of its people. The island was once known as “the land of the immortals,” according to the article on Blue Zones’ website (Okinawa Explorations). The ages of the people living on the island are way beyond what we would consider old in the U.S. The lifestyle of the people living in Okinawa definitely plays into the longevity of its people. According to an article on Okinawa’s Longevity, the people of Okinawa achieve old age by eating right, exercise, right attitude, maintaining a garden, and having a supportive group of family and friends (Okinawa Longevity). It is easily said that the life rate of the people of Okinawa is significantly higher than those of people living in America. This being said I think the people of America should definitely consider adopting some of these traits in order to lengthen our life span.
Technology in terms of medicine has also increased the life expectancy of the average person. With new technological advancements in surgeries, medicines and treatments the average life expectancy is still on the increase. A recent study shows that the average life span for 2004 of a United States Citizen is 77.4 years old. This has increased significantly from 1900 where the average lifespan for a male was 48.2 and for the female 51.5. Thanks to technology we can now live longer.
Japan is also differentiated by the widely known comparison between other nations, especially those of Europe when it comes to lifestyle and how various economical groups live similarly, since there are no foreign populations in japan the advantage is given to those of authentic Japanese origins regarding the fact they follow their traditions and ethics.
Japan is a fascinating multifaceted culture, on one hand it is filled with many traditions dating back thousands of years and yet is a society with continually changing fads,