2025 Emilija’s Blog

This week’s lesson looked at how shopping shows cultural values, especially omotenashi (deep politeness), careful packaging, special store types like depāto and konbini, and shopping etiquette. Comparing Japan and Lithuania, there are some evident similarities and differences. Both places care about good products and polite service, but Japan’s service feels more formal and ritualized (bows, “Irasshaimase!”, careful wrapping), while shopping in Lithuania is usually more casual. Japan’s konbini and depachika make everyday shopping very convenient and food-focused, and while it exists, it is something less common in Lithuania. Video insights reminded me that small actions (using cash trays, avoiding bargaining, protecting wet umbrellas) are not random: they reflect respect, efficiency, and attention to detail. For extra research I looked into a relevant concept: omnichannel retailing. Omnichannel retailing means stores let customers shop in different ways (in person, online, or a mix)...

In this Lesson we dug into the concept of Long-Term vs Short-Term Orientation, for Japan being a great example of a Long Term Orientation, and Western countries - opposite. Hofstede defined LTO as “the fostering of virtues oriented towards future rewards, in particular, perseverance and thrift.” It means that long-term oriented societies teach and reward habits like perseverance and thrift - people accept short-term sacrifice and hard work now so they get bigger rewards in the future. For the STO, he explained that it is a “<…>fostering of virtues related to the past and present, in particular, respect for tradition, preservation of 'face,' and fulfilling social obligations” ( https://www.jmu.edu/global/isss/resources/global-campus-toolkit/files/hofstede-orientation.pdf ). As I already mentioned, Japan comes about as a textbook long-term example: projects, education and policy often look years (even decades) ahead and patience is built into school, business and social li...

Since I was absent this week, I will use the material for my today’s blog solely from our class’ “weekly materials” folder. As far as I understood, Japan’s political culture centers on harmony ( wa ) and slow, careful decision-making. Everyday practices like nemawashi - quietly building agreement before meetings - help avoid public conflict and preserve group solidarity. Looking further, The Liberal Democratic Party’s long dominance, a powerful professional bureaucracy, and commitments like Article 9 and the Three Non-Nuclear Principles all reinforce a predictable, stability-first political rhythm. This follows often long-term thinking: big projects (like mentioned Shinkansen, Maglev) and policy concerns about an aging society and carbon neutrality by 2050. Now, comparing Japan with Lithuania, I think it shows both differences and surprising echoes. Lithuania’s post-Soviet experience produced more open partisan competition and public debate, while Japan leans toward internal cons...