Japan Meets the West: A Case Study of Perceptions

Comprehensive Unit78 pagesGrade Level: Middle School – High SchoolIncludes curriculum unit + images on CD-ROM All people see the world through the cultural lenses of their own society. It takes a good deal of effort to see the world (or ourselves) from the perspective of another nation or ethnic group. Just as our eyes often play tricks on us, so our cultural assumptions often blind us to the richness of other ways of life, and keep us from examining ourselves objectively. An excellent way to reach a realization of how cultural assumptions affect our perceptions of the world is to consider how cultures have perceived/misperceived one another in the past. The case of historical contact between Japan and the West provides a wealth of materials for the study of intercultural misunderstanding and conflict. We live in an age when it is more important than ever to recognize and go beyond such misunderstanding. As Huston Smith put it, We live in a fantastic century...We hear on all side