Recently, I went on a trip with my family to Japan to visit some relatives. Spending time with family and getting a glimpse into the daily lives of people who live in Japan gave me a fresh perspective on how different our habits and lifestyles are. I noticed a lot of these differences in the small, everyday moments, but one of the most striking was something as simple as grocery shopping; almost everything was high quality and fresh, and bought in smaller portions.
The shelves were full of pristinely made desserts and snacks, that were so delicately crafted I had a hard time actually eating anything. In America, we usually buy things in bulk- and as a result we all lack that same pristiness and perfection found in Japan’s small portions. In Costco, we buy these huge packs of croissants, or these flashy boxes of different flavors of Cheetos and the like.
It is that kind of contrast I experience in Japan that showed me how different our cultures are. Across oceans and mountains, every little thing we do is different- from our shopping habits to the way our toilets function. Japanese toilets are actually super high-tech and cool, compared to the ones I’m used to in America!
This extends beyond the way we live our lives, though. What struck me most about this trip was how much these little details reflect our culturals. Our shopping habits, the technology we use, and even how we handle money all tell a story about who we are and what we prioritize. Our cultures will always be different, but these differences don’t have to divide us. We also see this in the financial habits of Japanese individuals versus American individuals, like the Japanese tendency to be less risky with money compared to Americans. These differences are not universally seen, and results in problems that arise as immigrants from different countries learn the financial system of the States. Our cultures will always be different. But it is up to us to unite and accept these differences!