By Melissa Tan
The Japanese people, historically influenced by ethical and religious beliefs of Buddhism, have responded as a collective community and remained altruistic in spite of recent devastations in their country. These characteristics have been personified by a group of elderly citizens who have volunteered to risk their lives in Read the rest of this entry >>
By Elizabeth Nordgren
Japan is a nation rich in cultural traditions and history. Proper etiquette is an important part of daily life, stemming from centuries-old societal customs. Part of this etiquette is reflected in the giving of gifts for certain events. A very common example is the giving of “omiyage”, which in English translates to “souvenir”. It is expected that when one goes on a trip or vacation that he or she will bring back souvenirs for their co-workers.
This tradition dates back to the Edo period (1603-1868) and, Read the rest of this entry >>
By Nicole Kitson
In Japan, there exists a strong history of charity towards pilgrims. Historically, this giving dates back to the time of Kobo Daishi. He was a Buddhist Saint in medieval Japanese society and emphasized that all people could achieve the “attainment of Buddhahood in this life.” To achieve this Buddhahood, one must participate in the Six Perfections, the first being, ‘to give’, that is through charitable giving.
It was believed that if you did a good dead, you would be rewarded and protected and vice versa, if you did a bad deed you would be punished. Read the rest of this entry >>
By Afua Bonsu
Philanthropy as we all know, it is a well known practice for the western culture, and thanks to the media we see more of these effort play important roles in our community and in people’s lives. Through our course discussions and personal perspective, I barely see a developed country like Japan strong involvements in these matters. This is why I chose to research on the Japanese culture and their ways and views on giving and charity.
Philanthropy involves free will to give and help others. The Japanese according to Baron (2000), are group oriented and therefore their view on philanthropy is towards who they know as to whom they do not know. Companies take care of their Read the rest of this entry >>