Japans Religious Beliefs - Essay Example

Japan’s religious beliefs involve the practice of Shinto and Buddhism (Barber & Wells, 1999).

Buddhism is another main religion practiced by many Japanese. Buddhism set the standard where salvation is achieved when believers give up their worldly desires without too much thought of themselves.

            Japanese likewise have faith in myths. They claim that Izanami, the female goddess retired into the underworld as a result of the birth of the god of Fire. Izanagi, the male god created the storm god, Susano. The myth of the tallest mountain is yet another that they maintain. Mount Fuji became the highest mountain in Japan because she destroyed Mount Haku after it was known that it has the tallest peak (Piggot, 1969).

            Interestingly, there are many rituals practiced by the Japanese. Family ritual practices involve bathing themselves in a small square tub. The tub is used by every member of the family and it requires scrubbing and soaping outside the tub before dipping. Bowing when meeting someone and departing them is observed to show respect. When entering a house, outside shoes should be removed as a sign of cleanliness. The family eats with chopsticks and talking is restricted. When socializing with friends during parties, it is expected that the person filling the glass with wine should fill all glasses and should not leave the party with an empty glass. A marriage ritual includes painting the bride with pure white to declare her single status to the gods. During the marriage ceremony, the bride wears white kimono with an elaborate headpiece of ornaments that signify good luck. When the Japanese invite guests, it is expected that they eat special meals and drink green tea. The preparation of tea entails a complex ritual where the tea person has to boil water, pour it into the green tea, mix it with a bamboo whisk, offer it to the Buddha first, then to the guests and finally serve herself. Japanese are known for their ivory carving, satsuma pots, samurai, pottery, and porcelain artifacts. When it comes to New Year’s celebration, the families go to a shrine or temple to pray for prosperity and good health for the coming year.  Japanese speak the Japanese language. However, they write in Kanji, kana, Latin alphabet, and Arabic numerals (Miyagawa, 1999).

            Japan’s cultural values if compared to that of the United States differ very much. Japan operates in a homogenous culture. Anti-social behaviors are condemned by ostracizing the offender while positive behaviors are rewarded and highly valued. On the contrary, the United States is comprised of diverse cultures in which each group practices its subculture mixed with a larger culture. Americans practice individual freedom to control their destiny and success while Japanese value group cooperation to be successful.

            Variations in cultural values can either influence business positively or negatively. The cultural value that practices cooperation is likely to succeed. Getting the consensus of the group proves helpful because the business is supported. While the cultural value that supports personal interest first and considers others as competitors are observed to meet challenging difficulties. Businesses may suffer as a result of noncooperation, especially in decision-making.

            Consumer behavior is influenced by the way buyers feel, reason, and think by their culture and subculture. For example, Asians are brand loyal thus they buy branded products. Aside from it being a part of the subculture, the brand name is a reinforcement that increases the likelihood for the product to be bought (Sigurdsson, et al, 2008). The culture of receiving gifts on certain occasions may also affect the buying behavior of the customers. If it is the practice of the family to give gifts on graduations, anniversaries, and other important occasions, members have to buy something to give the celebrant. Read More