Globalization is present in Japan in everything from fashion to fast food. Having one of the world's strongest economies, Japan sends its influence everywhere and also brings in many new trends and cultural elements. Restaurants from India, Mexico and everywhere in between are frequented by Japanese people sporting everything from bohemian to American "Grease" style outfits. The global influence on Japanese popular culture is evident everywhere you look, but it is not only the newest trends that are reaching and leaving Japan's borders. Religion in Japan is the result of globalization that occurred as early as 5th century BC when Buddhism came to Japan from China and Korea. The Japanese people currently acknowledge three major religions in their culture: Shinto, Buddhism, and Christianity. Japan's origin and political lineage were set up by ancient Shinto traditions. This history is still evident today in many shrines scattered throughout its cities and landscapes, but now one can find many Buddhist pagodas such as those pictured and buddha statues alongside these shrines. These two religions exist side by side in Japanese culture and do not conflict in the eyes of most Japanese. Another religious global influence has been the spread of Christianity which arrived with missionary Francis Xavier in the 16th century. Though it is less prevalent than the other two traditions, Christianity influences traditional and popular elements of Japanese culture. Weddings are often conducted with a Christian priest and vows and jewelry often highlight virgin Marys and crosses. The foreign influence in Japanese popular culture has boomed, but with every visit to a shrine or friends' wedding, we are reminded of the culture than reached these shores without the help of internet sites and TV shows. For more information on the mixed religion of Japan, click here.
Hiroshi Hamaya, a Tokyo native born in 1915, started photographing people at the age of 15. He went on to be a self-taught freelance photographer from the age of 21 and in 1960, became Magnum's first Asian photographer. His early work focused on the relationship between humans and nature. One of his first collections documented a snow village in Japan in 1946 and from there on he travelled around the world continuing his focus on people and their relationship to their surroundings. He covered the demonstration against the US and Japan Security Treaty but then returned to his original focus and began work on an aerial photo series. He died in 1999 but not without making a huge impact on photography in Japan and worldwide. His black and white striking landscapes and emotion-filled portraits earned him the Hasselblad Award in 1987. Hiroshi captured Japanese and other cultures at their roots, showing the labor and environment out of which our current societies grew. He stated that he has learned a lot about Japanese people by observing nature, and he has surely opened up this connection through his photos. In a world of brightly colored purikura, animae, and bustling streets of a nocturnal Tokyo, Hiroshi Hamaya's photos speak to me and my passion for the natural world and the human connection with it: a connection that technology and artificiality separates more and more each day. Click on the links for an 
