A Comparison Of The Egyptian And Japanese Cultures

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A Comparison of the Egyptian and Japanese Cultures

Egypt’s Culture

The first story Zaabalawi talks about the culture of the Egyptians. It elaborates the

aspects of Egypt’s culture, language, customs and etiquette so well that reading the story

provides the clearest insight of the country’s picture of their cultural practices.

The majority of the Egyptians are Arabic speakers of the Sunni Muslims (Gordon 23). In

addition, there are a few linguistic minorities with the largest being Nubians who are related

the Nilotes of the Sahara languages of Sudan. This group represent one per cent of Egypt’s

population. The common foreign language spoken in Egypt is English, this is followed by

French.

In the formal and semiformal sphere they derive their dominant symbols from the

major aspects of the history of Egypt from the Islamic and Pharaonic periods. The other

symbols are derived from the heritage of the country’s Islam. The Nile is also the symbol of

the country and is a major attraction for the tourists. The national flag, which have three

colors: black standing for oppression, red for sacrifice, and white representing the future. The

design is crowned by a falcon making it complete.

Meals are used to celebrate special events and occasions for social activity with bread

loaf used as staple food baked by women in rural areas. The eating habits is concerned with

service and sitting. People sit in carpets with food put on low laying round tables in rural

areas with the main meal eaten after dark. In this setting, everybody eats from the same

serving dish. However, there is western style eating habits that are adopted in urban areas of

Egypt. Late afternoon after office hours when people return home provide setting for taking

their meals. There are food customs organized for occasions where Muslims mark feasts by

use of special meals. Part of the meals is shared among the household and the poor. Fasting in

Egypt is considered a spiritual exercise for the Christians and Muslims, with Egyptian

Muslims fasting during Ramadhan.

In Egypt, a social stratification exists with a large gap between the rich and the poor.

This difference is represented in the choices of consumption especially in housing, transport,

dressing, language and education. Crime is comparatively low in Egypt, and majority of

crimes reported are of family feuds. Law prohibits drugs use with small users doing it

discreetly. People generally use personal resources to settle disputes through laid down

interventions and mediation for more complicated disputes.

There is a code of dressing for the men and women; however, that of women is highly

emphasized in terms of the body parts that should be covered. Modesty in dressing is valued

in Egypt interaction in bot. Greetings precede any social interactions be it formal and

informal settings. Only individuals of the same sex can greet each other by embracing. It is

appropriate to address people by their actual name; where one first acknowledges them by

their title. The custom of carrying gifts on a visit, removing shoes before entry, and the use of

the right hand both for eating and for greeting is appropriate.

The elderly are highly respected by the rest of the members of the community.

Business leaders and government officials are very conservative even more than their

counterparts from the West are. They consider cleanliness and being well dressed and

spotlessness in grooming. Business meetings are formal and have great network linkages as a

foundation for doing business.

Japan’s Culture

This is a Japanese story about Izu traveler’s journey together, the intimacy that develops

among them while traveling and depicts how friendship between them overcomes their class

differences. The story captures the shy eroticism of teenagers thereby painting a charming

picture of the times (Kawabata 85) the Izu have together.

Japan is considered a homogeneous society, but there exist regional variation in the

socio-cultural ways of life. Personality traits can be evident in people from some specific

regions, and identity as expressed through culinary and dialects. The predominant language is

Japanese (Nihongo). The traditional cuisine is an important part of the cultural identity with

features, which include; ingredients, preparation and aesthetics. Rice is their staple

accompanying food for every meal.

The social stratification in Japan is essentially very thin. However, there are

significant social gaps that exist within the rural and urban residents. This is evident in the

family setup, education obtained and labor engagement. Marriage is considered important as

it help preserve and ensure generational survival through inheritance of the family properties

including land. Children are therefore considered important and put at the centre of the family

in Japan and child rearing is used to develop early connection with the mother.

There is compulsory education, which commences at the age of six and ending with

the middle age. Greeting in Japan is very important and is a formal way of recognizing and

appreciating the visitors. Bowing is a form of greeting where the more you bow the more

respect you show. Staring at people on the face especially for somebody senior to you is

considered disrespectful. Gifts are accepted, ritualistic and have deep meaning to the

Japanese. They value a modest way of dressing which must also be conservatively. In their

meeting, the Japanese keep time, but appointment must be made well in advance. These

appointments are better served through telephone rather than email or fax or send letter.

Cultural Similarities and Differences between Egypt and Japan

The government of Japan is a constitutional Monarchy, while Egypt has a republic

government with President elected for a term of six years with the authority to appoint a

Prime Minister. The staple food for the Japanese is white rice and that of the Egyptians is

bread. There are still gender divides in the way women are treated in all the two countries of

Egypt and Japan. For instance, women are expected to observe some hierarchical standards of

style of speech in Japan in their social interactions (Gadalla and Gadalla 75)

Marriages in both countries are based on mutual attraction of the two partners in the

affair. However, arranged marriages still exist where couples dependent on matchmakers to

help find best fits. Extended family is also very important in the community as meetings or

family get together are often planned for interaction. Male children are often referred to us

the heir to the family property. The children in the family in the two cultures are used as a

means to ensure generational survival from the father to the next generation.

Etiquette is considered important as an element of communication and more emphasis

is made on the use of good grammar and vocabulary. This element is used as means for

presentation and reciprocating for creating mutual relationships. Examples of good etiquette

are set in the standards bowing and exchanging pleasantries.

Conclusion

The first story, Zaabalawi best explores culture as it captures all the aspects of the traditions,

customs and etiquette of the community of Egypt. This is because it provides a set of rules

that guide social interaction thereby regulating behavior and encouraging group life. The

story shows the language, traditions, customs, and etiquette used by the people the author

interact with in the journey.

Culture is the mindset dictating a pattern in the human behavior that is unique to a

particular community of the world. Through culture, different communities exhibit a unique

identity that can be used to differentiate them from others. Language, art, customs, traditions

and religion represent the symbol means through which cultural values are transferred from

one generation to the next. Culture binds the people together making them think as one whole

and help direct and guide their behavior. The question is, ‘are these values still necessary in

the modern world, and why is it that culture have survived changes in the way of life of

mankind for this long, despite the technological advancements.

Importance of Culture

Culture is therefore seen as a means through which people secure social regulation.

The linkage exists between people and their unique value systems. These values influence

people’s lives thereby affecting their social life. Culture is a common bond that unites a

community. Through culture, a sense of belonging is created among them, thereby

inculcating a feeling of unity in purpose. The harmony created help develop peaceful co-

existence in a community and its neighbours.

Thesis Statement

The natural environment largely influences the way of life of the people in that region

thus shaping their culture. The global thinking, hence the diminishing uniqueness in a culture

presently dilutes the diversity in the cultures as indicated by their mind-set. What is currently

passed is a set of customs, language and traditions that are universally accepted values that

are not necessarily unique to a particular community. What we have currently, is a mixture of

different cultures that are not distinct as was the case in the past decades.

Communities have adopted some cultures that are seen to be acceptable universally

and discarded those that have tended to discourage smooth interaction and cooperation

among different communities of the world. This has been necessitated by the interdependence

that countries have to each other through constant interaction for survival purposes as no

country or community can operate in isolation.

Works Cite

Gadalla, Moustafa, and Moustafa Gadalla. The Ancient Egyptian Culture Revealed.

Greensboro, NC, USA, Tehuti Research Foundation, 2007.

Gordon, H

ayim. Naguib Mahfouz's Egypt: Existential Themes in His Writings. New York:

Greenwood Press, 1990.

Kawabata, Yasunari, and Yasushi Inoue. The Izu Dancer and Other Stories: The

Counterfeiter, Obasute, the Full Moon. New York: Tuttle Pub, 2011.

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