Although my developing interest in Japan led me to take more courses on Japanese history and social studies at U.C.S.B., the information I learned in these courses provided only a small window view of the vast and complex culture. And despite growing up in a very diverse Asian neighborhood in San Gabriel Valley in Los Angeles County, California, my exposure to authentic Japanese culture was very limited. I soon realized that only by studying abroad in Japan would I get to directly examine visible traces of Japan’s historical modernization and to see how Japan’s contemporary society functions.
At Waseda University, I took a class on analyzing the history of architecture in Tokyo and a class examining the influence of Japanese art in the development of 19th century Western art movements, such as Impressionism and artists like Van Gogh. These courses expanded my interest in comparing the cultural similarities and differences between America and Japan, as well as cultural stereotypes.
When I consider the differing perspectives between America and Japan, I think of the circumstantial influence of each country’s founding history on cultural identity and attitude.
