BY BRANDON CHA

What makes Japanese people different from others? Various characteristics can represent Japan. There are two things, which I consider ﾒsomething uniqueﾓ and very different from my home country, America. The first thing is cleanliness. I have been in Japan for only a month, but that was enough time for me to be surprised by how much the people care about their surroundings. I have to say Japanese people are clean as a group. Each individual may not care how clean their own rooms or personal spaces are. Yet, once they are out in the public, many Japanese people pay attention to surrounding environment, whether they like it or not.

Everywhere I go, I see people cleaning. They clean whenever they have chance. Sometimes Japanese people do not see themselves this way. Some say there are many places that are not as clean as I think. It is true that not all places are spec-less. Still, the fact is the Japanese put a lot more effort ﾐ both time and money ﾐ into their environment than do individual Americans. Cleanliness is a virtue that many Americans do not have and something that Japanese should be very proud of.

The women of Japan are the second unique feature which I believe, represents Japan in its fullness. Not only are Japanese women considerably good looking, but dedicated, all-around workers, as well. Until I came to Japan, I have never seen women spending significant time doing housework. I have spent some time with typical Japanese families, and it seemed that almost all the housework was designated to the women within home. They work a lot, aside from usual housework, like cooking and cleaning to small tasks for those lazy guys at home ﾐ just about everything around the house.

What surprised me the most about Japanese women was their standpoint on women, themselves. My assumption is that many Japanese women think their role as more of housewife type, rather than individual who pursue their own career; also many Japanese men think thatﾕs what women should be. Many also feel that women should stay at home and work, while men work outside. Even, some women think cooking and other kitchen-work are only for women, and do not want their men to help them.

There is nothing wrong with what Japanese women choose to do. Recently, many young generation women have jobs while taking care of their families. Everyday life, however, will be even tougher for women if they have both housework and a career. Housework alone is very hard job. Even small things like everyday cooking, cleaning and doing dishes are not easy for anyone. Many Japanese men hardly help women. I assume that it is very typical for Japanese men to just sit around, doing practically nothing on weekends, while daughters and wives work all day long.

I am very use to seeing American men sharing housework. My family is the same way, where men do as much housework as women do at home. The amount of time Japanese women spend on housework is significantly more than what American women spend per day. Surprisingly Japanese women do not complain about the fact that they have many responsibilities as a daughter, a mom, and a wife. I am not blabbing my mouth to blame on Japanese men not helping their women, but to praise Japanese women, who are wise and strong-minded. Without Japanese women, there is no Japan ﾐ the country that many remember as one of the most powerful nations in the world.