Culture Smart! Japan will guide you through modern Japan's shifting social and cultural maze. It provides invaluable insights into people's attitudes and behavior, and practical tips to help make your visit to this complex, rich, and dynamic society a mutually rewarding experience. Ever since the time of Marco Polo, the island-nation of Japan has exerted a powerful fascination on the Western imagination. Closed off from the outside world for long periods, it was a source of wonder and mystery. Its exquisite art forms and elegant culture, its military prowess and technological precision, have long been the envy of friend and foe alike. Today Japan is at a crossroads. The postwar economic miracle is over and the balance of power in Asia is shifting as new players enter the field. Loss of influence abroad, economic pressure at home, and the problems posed by a declining and rapidly aging population present a real challenge to its orderly and harmonious way of life, and to the very sense the Japanese have of themselves as a nation uniquely "apart." Nevertheless, the bedrock of traditional Japanese culture--its remarkable resilience, coherence, and consensus-based philosophy, underpinned by many protocols--until recently regarded by some as a hindrance, is starting to look like a virtue in a world of accelerating change. Japan remains the world's third-largest economy and one of the most attractive and secure destinations for investment. The younger generation is outward-looking, Japanese women have a new confidence, and the country's technical and scientific research capability is as good as it gets. Japan continues to excel at innovation in technology and the "new" sciences, and is among the world's largest funders in research as a percentage of GDP. Cynics may say otherwise, but there is increasing evidence that its economy is back on the road to recovery. --Publisher

"The essential guide to customs & culture"--Cover. Edition statement and copyright date are on page 165. Includes maps of: Japan.

Land and people -- Values and attitudes -- Religion, customs, and tradition -- The Japanese at home -- Time out -- Gift giving -- Food and drink -- Living in Japan -- Business briefing -- Language and communication.