I found that Japanese people value the environment and enforce strict rubbish separation rules. You hardly find any rubbish bins on the streets yet the streets are so clean [because everyone is expected to take care of their on rubbish.] Japanese people love manga and anime. When I visited the city of Akihabara I noticed there were a lot of anime arcades, cosplay shops and maid cafes that celebrate anime and manga. There were a lot of students and businessmen who visit these places after school or work [as way of rewarding themselves after a day at school or work. I feel in Japan there is a lot more pressure to study and do well at school and work.] I visited many Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples in Japan. I learned that students, couples, workers, etc. visit these temples and receive fortune. [They may want to wish themselves well in their exams or entering universities or be healthy, get a good job, etc. If they receive a bad fortune, they’ll tie it to a tree and the priest will burn it later. Australian culture celebrates religions differently such as through Easter or Christmas.] My trip to Japan gave me in an insight to how Japanese people behaved and lived differently to Australian people. They have different etiquettes, rubbish disposal rules, religions. They also have a strong value for anime and manga [which is internationally valued. ]

I tried to convey this My inter-cultural experience with Japanese culture starts in my childhood. I grew up watching anime and reading manga on a daily basis and at one point I started drawing manga myself. This fascination with Japanese culture carries onto the present where I want to study there and potentially work there in the future. On February 1st 2017, I travelled to Japan with my boyfriend. We visited Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Kanazawa. When we arrived, I observed that Japanese people have very high standards of etiquette. As it was winter in Japan, Japanese people wore masks to protect themselves from sickness as well as to prevent themselves from spreading sickness. In comparison to Australia, no one wears masks but rather cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze and are always encouraged to wash their hands if they are sick. Another example of etiquette may be that Japanese people don’t wear outside shoes indoors. There is a different value of consideration in etiquette between Japanese and Australian people.