[originaltext]At first glance, Japan astonishes and fascinates the American bec

At first glance, Japan astonishes and fascinates the American because it seems So different. All that characterizes the United States—racial and ethnic heterogeneity, newness, vast territory, and individualistic  ethic — is absent in Japan. Instead one encounters an ancient and homogeneous population, traditions that emphasize the importance of groups and communal needs, with rich panoply of highly elaborate rites and ceremonies that cover every aspect of daily living, from drinking tea to saying hello.
Where Americans pride themselves on a studied informality and openness, their Japanese counterparts  employ formality and complexity. If Americans value time, the Japanese treasure space. While Americans have always enjoyed a sense of continental scale, employing metaphors of size to describe both the natural environment and industrial production, Japan has exerted its genius on the diminutive and the miniature. It seems appropriate for America to produce the world’s airplanes, while Japan creates cameras and transistors.
Yet these two cultures, so apparently opposite in almost every way, have always possessed a strange affinity for each other. Like their descendants, 19th century American visitors found the world of Japanese art, philosophy, ceremonies, and social life to be compellingly attractive. One reason is its very comprehensiveness. Japan is a filled-in culture, with few imprecisions or empty spaces.