Thousands of years of events have shaped one of the most fascinating cultures in the world, which is still full of essences of the past today. The Japanese culture seen today still retains characteristics from centuries ago. Geishas and the distinct Japanese tradition are still just as valuable to Japanese culture today, if not more so. Japan's unique history and culture have created a place where many dream of going. This essay will identify the characteristics of Japanese culture and provide a brief overview of the cultural traits that make Japan so significantly different from other cultures. The communication aspects and the implications that these may have on company practices will also be identified and explained. Definition of culture According to Geert Hofstede (1983, p. 76), culture can be explained as the "collective programming of the mind" and it influences how people think and how they act in different situations. This distinguishes members of one group or category from another. He argued that people are mentally programmed and that this influences people's lifestyles, attitudes and norms, and their membership in particular groups (Hofstede 1983, p. 76). Another definition of culture is that it explains the different way people of different populations perceive values, norms, attitudes and roles in society. By understanding the differences that separate one culture from another and gaining knowledge about how cultures operate on a daily basis, conflicts and misunderstandings can be easily avoided (He & Liu 2010, p. 2). Cultural Characteristics of Traditional Japan Over 125 million people today speak Japanese around the world. The linguistic characteristics of a language are determined by...... middle of paper......andanding. It is also important to embrace Japanese tradition and recognize their particular way of doing things. A willingness to learn about cultural aspects of another country can foster relationship building and improve business success rates in a Japanese environment (Hill, Cronk, and Wickramasekera 2011, p. 555). Japanese culture has distinct characteristics that differentiate it from any other culture. This essay provides typical examples of Japanese culture and tradition by explaining the concept of geisha, Japanese cuisine, manga, as well as the political and economic factors that have helped shape the environment of Japan today. To conclude, this essay provides Hofstede and Hall's theories on intercultural communication and its implications. These theories have been used to identify cultural differences in the amazing culture that is Japan.