geographicaly Eastern
calturely Eastern
politicaly neutral
A lot of people think 'white' when they think western but I would argue that Jamacia or Spain or Mexico is considered western by many people. Hell, some people even consider Cuba to be 'one of the group'.
It's almost like a community of similar peoples. In a 'western' country we tend to share close ties and histories with other western countries, our languages are similar and often latin based...it's hard to explain but you know when someone is western. I've been around lot's of people from all parts of the world and there's always a sense of alikeness with other western people (even if they don't speak the same language) that I find very hard to find with people from, say China or Japan.
Shinto is unique to Japan and not necessarily Eastern or Western. As for Buddhism it's an Indian religion. Modern day Western religion may be Christianity, but the Pre-Christian Europeans worships Gods which were largely Dharmic in origin. For instance the Goddess Danu.
Geography too.
Buddhism is a Western religion. It is Indo-European. It is a branch of Hinduism, a cousin of ancient European religions. Christianity is a Middle-Eastern religion. Shintoism is a form of animism, so it is universal.
Actually the concept Indo-European is mostly used when talking about Indo-European languages Indo-European (disambiguation) - Wikipedia
If you like to include the South Asian cultures/countries into the category of western countries, the concept becomes nonsense. If both east and west is west, then everything is the same....
To claim that buddhism is a branch of Hinduism is wrong. It had its origin in the same area and some of the concepts are similar, but one is not a branch of the other.
Shintoism has its origins in animism and shamanism which used to be found all over the world, but shintoism has certainly evolved further and is very much a japanese thing.
The correct terminology would be westernized. Of course Japan is not a Western country, but it is westernized. Some would say that Hawaii is Japan since so many of its population are of Japanese descent.
Hawaii is sooooo not Japan. The Japanese population are immigrants, that makes them Hawaiian Japanese, it doesn't turn Hawaii into Japan. Besides, after the second generation they are no longer Japanese, they may look Japanese, but in every way that matters they are Hawaiian (unless their parents kept them in some sort of bubble all their life).
That's how it works over here, first gen immigrants are Japanese Canadian, second gen is simply Canadian. After the second generation....you belong to us
They take vacations there because it's the USA with a bit of Japanese flair, but it isn't like Japan overall, just bits and pieces. If the claim was that wherever the people descended from makes there new country "their old" country, then I would be living in Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, UK, Africa (one of the many countries of that continent), Mexico, Spain, and the list goes on. Anyway, I do agree with the terminology that Japan is Westernized, although I don't think there is any one good definition on Westernization and exactly what it entails.
Buddhism is a Western religion.
Buddha was a Hindu. The Hindu consider him as an avatar of Vishnu.
Hawaii is sooo Japanese, at least that's what most Japanese over here in Japan think, that's why so many take vacations over there. And I said "some" people. Think about it...?
For me, I see Westernization of a nation nothing more than industrialization of a nation, who participates in North American and European affairs. Still, it is an East Asian nation, so I see it sort as both in that light.
-Doc
I see Westernization of a nation as a disease of the soul. Industrialization is the by-product of technological advancements, Japan proved that. Not only was Japan able to industrialize( using a western model) before and after the war, but they were also able to do it the Japanese way without western philosophical dogma/western thinking...etc,. So, no there's only one light.
You know, some people might consider that to be extremely rude.
You don't have to like the west but please be decent enough to realize when you go to far. Would you like it if I called Asia a disease? I think not.
EDIT: And if I'm not mistaken, Japan is very westernized, as I believe this had already been established.
Why are there so many China towns around the world?...
Japanese government willl change their attitude someday.
...
Just because something is older that doesn't make it better.
Democracy is a way for all people, not just those privileged few, to be heard and to have a say in how their country and society is run. In Asia, historically, the common people were at the mercy of the ruling powers. They didn't have rights as we know them today, they didn't have a voice and were, more often than not, dirt poor. When those in power said jump they said 'how high'. The traditional model was good for keeping people in line, not creating freedom and equality. I don't know anyone who longs for the 'good 'ol days' of oppression and those who do are idiots who don't know what they're talking about.
But I fail to see how we have anything to do with Japans identity crisis. You said it yourself...the desire to be more westernized. Implying that the Japanese people want to be more like us. That is a problem existing in the minds of the Japanese people. A happy, confident and secure people don't want or desire to be anything other than themselves, so maybe the people just aren't happy with the way things are in their own country.
Also, I don't see how women asserting themselves is any problem. In fact, of all the top industrialized nations Japan probably has the lowest score in womens rights and yet yours is the country who's population is facing one of the worst declines. Once again, a problem than Japan itself has created, not us.
As a mature, fully functioning, top economic power of a country, one would expect Japan to be able to take responsibility for it's own social problems rather than blaming the west, as is becoming increasingly popular among the world.