As has been repeatedly demonstrated throughout this course, Japan maintains a strong sense of national identity. Whether or not every Japanese person perceives national identity in the same way, there remains a general idea of what “Japan” is and what it means to be “Japanese.” “Japan” is not the same as “America” or “China,” and such distinctions are important to Japanese identity.
This need to distinguish itself from others is one reason why tradition is so critical in Japan and why places like Miyajima, Himeji, and Kyoto play an important role in Japanese society. Traditions are one way that distinctions are clearly made, and places like Kyoto act as symbols that solidify and maintain Japanese traditions. Such an important part of Japan’s identity is how it has managed to develop and industrialize itself without losing itself to Western influences. Traditions, and places like Kyoto which preserve them, serve to show how Japan exists independently from other nations, especially Western ones.
Traditions don’t always exist within a vacuum or develop naturally, however. As Oedewald discussed, “invented tradition” have an important role. History and culture are often hand-picked in order to impress a specific idea of identity. One example of this is the Shinto wedding ceremony in Japan, which carries an image of being a very old tradition rich with history and meaning, when in reality these ceremonies only became a thing after WWII. I think many people think of Shinto weddings when they think of a “traditional Japanese wedding,” despite the newness of them.
Perhaps I’m wrong, but I don’t think that national identity exists in the US in the same way that it does in Japan. In Japan, national identity has a lot to do with a united past and tradition. In America, I feel that there’s a lot more focus on the present and the ways that cultures and communities have developed and blossomed over time. Unique and diverse communities serve a more important role in American identity than communities that are illustrative of America’s shared history and tradition.
Shida, Kyoshi. “The Shintoist wedding ceremony in Japan: an invented tradition.” Sage journals, 1 Mar 1999, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/016344399021002004
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