A Japanese woman who lives and works in the U.S. shared her experiences and observations with the communication style used in an American and a Japanese company.

Some people have been debating whether the Japanese government should allow power companies to do over their operations of the nuclear power plants.

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All living things on Earth, such as humans, animals, and plants are supported by the environment. It provides food, water, shelter, and everything that is essential for daily survival. Humans’ choices and actions affect the health of the environment which also affects humans’ health, economies, and communities.

The environment can greatly affect humans’ health. Research about human health proves that being in a clean environment can affect humans’ health by improving their attention, boosting their moods, and making their bodies fight against different diseases. That is the reason why it is important for humans to maintain a clean environment, especially in the places where they live in. However, due to activities in the modern world, the environment is getting damaged day by day. Air and water pollution have become major problems in most parts of the world. Toxic pollutants affect the quality of air and water through man-made chemicals from households and factories. Exposure to these pollutants could make humans at risk for diseases and weaken their body defenses. In addition to that, unborn babies could also be at risk for physical abnormalities that could affect their lives in the long run. Nowadays, there are many ways in which everyone could join in cleaning the environment. One of the most popular ways is recycling. By recycling materials, the amount of waste that causes pollution could be lessened. Another way is reusing materials such as plastic bags and water bottles to lessen the use of fossil fuel that is required to make plastic materials.

Looking after the environment is every human’s responsibility. It is important to make Earth a better place for future generations.

Walter Elias Disney, also known as Walt Disney, pioneered animated cartoon films. He is famous for creating cartoons such as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.

Disney wanted to become a cartoonist for a newspaper ever since he was in high school. So, he worked as a photographer and made drawings for their school paper while studying cartooning on the side.

In 1919, Disney worked in a commercial art studio where he met Ub Iwerks, a young artist who significantly contributed to his success. They started their own small studio in 1922 where they created one and two-minute animated films and produced a series of animated films. Unfortunately, Disney was forced to file for bankruptcy in 1923 after a New York film distributor took advantage of their works.

The unexpected success of one of his first animated films forced Disney to reopen his business in Hollywood together with his brother Roy. Walt was also able to convince Iwerks to work with them.

Over the years, they produced full length animated films that became popular all over the world. They did not limit their business to making animated films. Walt’s creative mind enabled them to build a huge amusement park that captured the hearts of many people; the children and the young at heart.

Ban Shigeru, a Japanese architect, started the Voluntary Architect’s Network (VAN) in the year 1995. It is an NGO that aims to help the victims of natural disasters such as earthquakes. Although relief houses are only temporary, he believes that they should be beautiful as they would be very significant for displaced people because they are also damaged spiritually so it is important for them to see something beautiful.

A survivor of 3/11 was so happy upon moving into Ban’s housing in Miyagi. He said that it was his first time to feel a real sense of relief since the disaster. Many people wanted to stay in Miyagi housing for good.

In 2014, Ban won the Pritzker Architecture Prize which some people call the Nobel Prize of architecture. One of the judges said that it is nice to see a first-rate architect put an effort to help disaster victims. This award encourages him to keep on helping people. Ban promises that he will continuously look for ways to grow both in disaster relief and designing new buildings.

Growing up in America with Japanese parents made a Japanese girl realize the differences in parenting styles between Japanese and American parents. She mentioned that American parents encourage their children by giving praises. They like to give compliments every day by recognizing even their smallest efforts. While Japanese parents praise their children lesser than the Americans. For instance, her American classmate would get a big hug from her parents even if she only got B’s on her report card. Meanwhile, her parents would often say that she should have studied better despite getting an A+. Because of that, it made her realize that she must work harder to achieve greater things in life. But on the other hand, it made her less confident and became reluctant in trying new things.

She believes that constructive criticism is an important tool for children to learn things, however, she could not help but notice how Japanese and American parents give encouragement. Her parent’s way of motivating is by telling her that she will end up jobless if she does not study harder. Meanwhile, her best friend’s mother would motivate her by saying things positively which made her look forward to it.

In the end, she realized that Americans prefer that style to ensure that they establish smooth communication with their children. While the Japanese prefer to praise their children less to make sure that they would not become conceited. In parenting, it is a matter of preference, there is no right or wrong.

The statue of Ashura was first created in 734. It has survived nearly 1,300 years. However, cracks have developed on its faces and the original colors have changed. A replica with its original colors can be seen at the Nara National Museum.

Influenced by ancient Greece, a golden ornament is worn by the replica. It wears a sash which reminds of ancient India. While its red-colored skin suggests its connection to the sun god of ancient Persia. Under the ancient Greek art’s influence, the first Buddhists statues were made. As the Chinese got influenced by the West, it made a great change in Japanese art.

The Ashura has many differences from other Hachibushu. It has six arms, three faces, and a sash on its shoulders while armor is worn by the other statues. Also, the human expressions on its faces make it appear lifelike. An expert named Hirashima Hiroshi explains that Ashura’s eyes in its three faces go up which means it is mature. People always wonder what Ashura’s facial expressions mean. The left face shows anger, its right face shows regret and pain, and its central face expresses repentance.

A Japanese who grew up in the U.S. shared her observation about the difference in parenting style between Japanese and American parents. American parents praise their children more often than Japanese parents. They like to give compliments to their children even for minor achievements. While on the other hand, children who have Japanese parents receive lesser compliments. This somewhat made her feel less confident.

Although she believes that constructive criticism is a way for children to improve themselves, she could not help but compare how American and Japanese parents encourage their children. Her Japanese parents would always tell her things like “if you do not study hard, you will end up jobless and homeless.” Meanwhile, her American best friend’s mother would always give her advice on how she can reach her goals despite them being difficult.

All in all, she realized that Americans do that style of parenting to ensure smooth communication with their children. While Japanese parents do not praise their children too much because they worry that it might make them too confident. So, we can say that it is a matter of preference which they think would work for the best.