Embracing Japanese culture

Embracing Japanese culture

Azaria McDaniel, a junior psychology major from Snellville, Georgia, spent 10 days in Japan as part of an 11-week summer course for Psychology 3321 Social Psychology and Psychology 4000 Advanced General Psychology capstone course.

McDaniel's interest in Japanese culture began around the time she was in sixth grade.

"Students in my class would talk about anime so I began looking into the content myself," she said. "This led to research about topics I was already interested in to see how they reflected or differed in Japanese culture. I would watch YouTube videos, documentaries, and read articles about Japanese cuisine and cooking techniques, toys and technology, stationery items, poetry, calligraphy, and other modes of entertainment enjoyed within the culture."

In seventh grade, McDaniel's father connected her with the daughter of a friend who lived in Japan, and the two began to form a long-distance friendship.

"My interest was easily sustained because I valued what I learned and always maintained my curiosity about Japanese culture," she said.

As part of the class requirements, McDaniel completed daily reflections about her observations of Japanese society on topics including gender roles, coping mechanisms and beauty standards. McDaniel will use her observations for the rest of the classes and compare them with current research or apply them to psychological concepts.

"Japanese people exhibit a high level of politeness and respect for others even in crowded and potentially stressful situations, in contrast to vocal and expressive behaviors common in the United States," said McDaniel of her observations. "There is also a noticeable emphasis on sustainability, quiet public behavior, and from my experience, a lack of discriminatory actions which reflect culturally ingrained consideration values of collectivism and harmony."

In addition to her studies, McDaniel also visited multiple destinations in the country, from the bustling streets of Tokyo to the serenity of Hakone, located near Mount Fuji.

"My favorite place was Hakone," said McDaniel. "This area holds scenic views of nature and notably Mt. Fuji. We visited the Open-Air Museum which satisfied my love for art and was an indescribable experience as the installations are placed across a gorgeous landscape."

The 10 days in Japan achieved a dream of McDaniel and also allowed her to gain an appreciation for the world around her.

"Since middle school, I hoped to study abroad in Japan and thankfully that was able to happen," said McDaniel. "My biggest takeaway from this trip is to operate with conscientiousness and gratitude for myself and those around me. More importantly, the marrying of both traditional and modern cultures is valuable in approaching life to model respect for what was and excitement for what can be."

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