The interesting thing about this prompt, is that I will actually be doing this. I have lived in the United States my whole life, and have only recently learned the news of where I will be living and working for the military. I am in the Air Force and I just got my permanent duty station assigned to me–in Okinawa, Japan. I will be in Japan for a minimum of two years, and this will be a positive career change for me. My job is that I will be a civil engineering officer, and I look forward to that new experience and that new location.

In the internet search that I conducted, I found that the differences in Japan compared to the United States were significant. For the power distance, Japan has a high power distance whereas the United States has a low power distance. In Japan, respect for elders and authority are of great significance, whereas the United States is more focused on equality and individualism. Japan and the United States continue to differ when it comes to individualism versus collectivism. The United States is focused on individualism and Japan is more collectivist. Something that the United States and Japan share in common is that they are both masculine cultures where competition and achievements are highly revered. For uncertainty avoidance, Japan is high and the United States is low. Japan prefers stability and is subject to risk aversion, whereas the United States values taking risks and failing. Lastly, the United States has a short term orientation where Japan has a long term orientation. Japan, in this, values tradition and planning for the future. The United States focuses more on the present and prefers instant gratification.

I think that living in Japan is going to provide me with a culture shock. I will be working with locals often as a civil engineering officer due to contracting out work. I am excited for the opportunity and I am sure I will learn a lot from it.