Japan Westernized

In class we watched a short snip it of The Last Samuria. In this clip we were able to identify the how Japan first put their eyes on western ways as the ship from America pulled in. When the characters were riding through the local town, you can observe and find a variety of advancements and also traditional items. There were some ladies wearing traditional Japanese clothing but at the same time, there were two men wearing tight fitted suits that had a western touch. When they reached the emperors place, his room and place to sit was arranged in a Japanese style, but the emperor himself was also wearing sort of a suit. 

After watching this, towards the end of class we discussed the question, "Does Japan still have its own national identity?" In result it turns out that Japan definitely has adopted western style but we can still find traditional ideas throughout the country. When the samurai were trained to be strong soldiers, the Japanese wanted to eat a diet like Americans of beef, but even today Japan still has their traditional meal of fish and/or rice. Japan also adapted technology from the west, but their amazing skills led them to further advancement. Even though they used another countries ideas, they were greatly benefitted with it. Another aspect that was changed while Japan modernized was religion. Religions like Buddhism and Confucianism was found in Japan, but it was then settled and adapted for Shinto to be the main religion of Japan.