Japanese

Research papers that examine culture can be written from a sociological or historical perspective. Have the writers at Paper Masters custom write on any aspect of Japanese culture that you need discussed.

Japanese culture has been influenced by the cultures of various countries over the years, not the least of which was Chinese culture; the three scripts that combine to form Japanese writing are offshoots of Chinese handwriting. As Buddhism spread to Japan from the Indian subcontinent, this also played a role in the shaping of Japanese culture, predominantly through literature. While Japan did undergo a period of isolation, allowing their culture to develop in an insulated environment, the increased trade and communication with western cultures over the past century has allowed further influences on their culture to take root.

One of the most defining characteristics of Japanese culture is that of their traditional clothing. The word "kimono" translates to "something one wears," and was originally used to describe any of the traditional garments worn by the Japanese. However, today it is almost exclusively used to describe the long garment worn largely by women, also known as the naga-gi. Men and children do wear this garment for ceremonial occasions, but the coloring and patterns are highly gendered, with men wearing dark garments with little ornamentation and women wearing floral or abstract patterns in a variety of colors that often change with the seasons. The cultural impact of this garment can be seen in its social implications:

• Unmarried women wear a kimono with extremely long sleeves
• Showing that she is not only of the age to be married, but also single
• The layers of the kimono, the length of sleeves, and the patterns themselves are often determined by one's social standing, reflective of the importance of clothing in Japanese culture.